Wembury, 8th August

A quick walk along the coast path at Wembury before yet another dreaded night shift on Thursday 8th August was relatively quiet but signs of the approaching autumn were in the air.

Waders were roosting at The Point on the hgh tide and along with 4 little egrets there were 77 oystercatchers, 5 curlew and my first Wembury ringed plover of the year.

Ringed Plover

A cirl bunting was heard singing and I had a few brief flight views of birds flying over the wheat in the wheat field which was looking very much like it was ready to be harvested. Better views were had of a nice male feeding a fledgling in the sewage farm hedge.

Offshore a few gannets and fulmar were seen but there was much excitement with 2 presumed juvenile peregrines busily chasing after a flock of 7 small waders, probably dunlin. The peregrines managed to isolate 1 bird from the other 6 which rapidly disappeared off westwards but the lone bird very fortunately managed to eventually escape westwards too.

A small feeding melee of gulls close to shore held 2 scruffy adult winter plumaged Mediterranean gulls and 2 juveniles amongst variously plumaged herring gulls and black-headed gulls and juvenile great black-backed gulls.

A blackcap was heard singing and chiffchaff were heard and briefly seen along with just a single scruffy looking whitethroat  but stonechat showed very well including good numbers of fledglings.

No moths in the toilet block again but I did see my first Jersey tiger moth of the year flitting about on the road leading up from the beach. A very active knot grass caterpillar was seen on the wooden fence but the best was a privet hawkmoth caterpillar found on a privet bush near the bus stop and my first one ever.

 Jersey Tiger Moth

 Knot Grass

 Privet Hawkmoth

Privet Hawkmoth 

Painted lady, red admiral, gatekeeper and whites were flitting about and 2 small and black common lizards with a large male were seen along with bloody nose beetles while a dark bush cricket catching a ride on the window of the bus on the journey home was a surprise.

Dark Bush Cricket