The Edge of Dartmoor

I have had the moth box out in the back yard again and on the morning of Wednesday 22nd April I had a grand total of 4 moths - 3 Tachystola acroxantha and a smart Shuttle-shaped Dart. It's always slim pickings with the back yard moth box in spring (and autumn) but it does throw up some good stuff, quality if not quantity.

Shuttle-shaped Dart

I also found a moth flitting about in the living room on Thursday 23rd April, presumably one from the previous days moth boxing, I wasn't sure at first what it was but I've ID'd it as a Common Marbled Carpet.

Common Marbled Carpet

With the ongoing lock down situation I have been looking longingly at the limited internet reports of spring birding and trying to plan trips out to places within walking distance to try and see some of the usual spring migrants I usually go looking for. Wednesday 22nd April was another sunny day with little wind and high temperatures and I decided to take a long walk to Plymbridge and Cann Woods with a plan to walk up to Wotter on the edge of Dartmoor where Cuckoos have been reported. However it was hotter than I expected and further than I expected and I only managed to get to the northern edge of Cann Woods but I did hear briefly what I think was a calling Cuckoo although it was very distant.

Wotter and Dartmoor - so close!

It has been a while since I last visited Plymbridge Woods and I have only visited Cann Woods a few times before but I was very surprised at the birding and wildlife I saw on my walk despite the large number of cyclists whizzing along the trails.

I regularly scanned the clear blue skies and found quite a few Buzzards soaring on the developing thermals along with a Raven and a chittering Swallow but eventually I managed to arrive at the Red Kite party with 2 birds seen, 1 gaining height and drifting east and another heading east being mobbed by a Carrion Crow but at a much lower altitude than the previous bird and it was quickly lost behind the trees.

Red Kite

The warm temperatures meant there was plenty of insect activity and I finally managed to see my first Green-veined Whites of the year along with a female Holly Blue, a Peacock, male and female Brimstones, a male Orange Tip, Large Whites and Speckled Woods.

Green-veined White

Holly Blue

Large White

Large White

Speckled Wood

2 Speckled Yellow moths were too quick for the camera along with a Green Tiger Beetle which quickly flew away but there were lots of Grey Gorse Piercers ( Cydia ulicetana) flitting about the gorse bushes and I also found a smart looking Green Longhorn (Adela reaumurella).

Grey Gorse Piercer

Green Longhorn

Green Longhorn

Bird song was very noticeable on my walk and I was surprised at how many Willow Warblers were seen and heard in Cann Woods, making full use of the young stands of silver birch planted when the conifer trees were felled a few years ago. Chiffchaff and Blackcap were seen and heard but I was really pleased to see and hear Garden Warblers, a bird I wasn't expecting to see this year  - a male singing in the undergrowth with a few brief and obscured views had only, another male singing nearby in the undergrowth giving some better if still brief views with a female in attendance and another male heard only. Even better, and equally unexpected, were 3 singing Tree Pipits with 1 bird heard only, 1 giving brief views only and 1 showing very well.

Willow Warbler

Tree Pipit

Tree Pipit 

Tree Pipit 

Tree Pipit 

Other birds of note were a yaffling Green Woodpecker (unseen as usual), a Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 flyover Canada Geese, Jay, Nuthatch, Coal Tit, Mistle Thrush and Pheasent.

Plenty of flowers were in bloom with Bluebells, Ransoms and Wild Garlic all seen along with Violets and Primroses.

Bluebell

Ransoms

Wild Garlic

A hot, long and tiring walk but well worth it, no Cuckoo but very pleased to connect with 2 birds I wasn't expecting to see this lock down year - Garden Warbler and Tree Pipit - and I will certainly be visiting the area again soon.

Thursday 23rd April and while sitting in the sunshine in the back yard eating a pasty for lunch and trying to get into the right frame of mind for another looming night shift a nice surprise was my first Red Admiral of the year which dashed around the plants before disappearing off out of sight.

Sunday 26th April was warm and sunny (again) and so I decided to visit Boringdon Golf Course near Marsh Mills in Plymouth, somewhere I haven't visited before as it is usually closed to the public but currently accessible in the ongoing lock down. I had planned to visit in the early morning but after 2 night shifts and some very sad news from work I didn't get out of bed until gone 8am.

Cuckoos have been reported from the golf course but as expected there was no sight or sound of any on my walk but I did see and hear 2 male Whitethroat singing and song flighting, my first of the year. 2 Whimbrel were a surprise too resting out on the greens and looking quite tired, presumably newly arrived in the UK. 9 Wheatear were also feeding out on the greens but all had disappeared by the time I began the walk back home.

 Whimbrel

 Whimbrel

Wheatear

A male Kestrel, 2 Raven and Swallows were seen flying overhead and Blackcap and Chiffchaff were heard singing along with good numbers of Skylarks.

 Skylark

Skylark

A Peacock, Large White, Green-veined White, a Small Tortoiseshell and plenty of Orange Tips were flitting about - it's been a very good spring this year for Orange Tip, I've never seen so many before. I also found a Common Carpet and a female Muslin Moth.

 Common Carpet

Muslin Moth

2 Large Red Damselfly were also found in the grass surrounding a large pond, presumably recently emerged and yet to develop the red colouring of mature adulthood.

 Large Red Damselfly

 Large Red Damselfly

Large Red Damselfly 

A lovely walk close to home, somewhere new for me and with stunning views across Plymbridge and Cann Woods towards Wotter and Dartmoor - essential for my mental health on a sad day for me in these stressful and difficult times.

 Dartmoor Views

Dartmoor - again so close but yet so far! 

Double Striped Pug in the Marsh Mills Underpass