Wembury at last!

Lock down rules have been amended and it is now permissible to drive somewhere for an exercise walk and even to meet somebody outside of your household (but just one person) as long as social distancing is maintained and this has resulted in more birders getting out and about and subsequently more birds being reported. And with a Woodchat Shrike being reported at Wembury Point on May 13th it was time to finally head out to Wembury on Thursday May 14th for a long wished for springtime walk.

It was so lovely to be at Wembury for a walk, I have so missed my walks there this spring and I wasn't disappointed with the Woodchat Shrike showing very well to a steady trickle of birders, my 3rd sighting of one and my second at Wembury.

Woodchat Shrike

Woodchat Shrike

Woodchat Shrike

Woodchat Shrike

Woodchat Shrike

Butterflies were flitting about in the sunshine although it was chilly in a strong breeze and I found Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral, Small Copper, Large White, Orange Tip, Common Blue, Small White, Speckled Wood and Holly Blue along with Speckled Yellow moths. A Lackey moth nest was also found on a hawthorn bush but there was no sign of any Green Hairstreak, not helped by the National Trust chopping back the gorse bushes by the footpath where I usually see them.

Speckled Wood

Small Copper

Red Admiral

Peacock

Orange Tip

Orange Tip

Lackey Moth Nest

Thick-thighed Flower Beetle

The usual birds were seen along my walk including Cirl Bunting., Whitethroat, Swallow, Swift, Stonechat, Linnet, Gannet and Fulmar and I also saw a Raven, 2 Shelduck, 3 Canada Geese, a Little Egret and a Kestrel.

A newly emerged male Beautiful Demoiselle was a nice find along the stream flowing down to the beach where Yellow Flag Iris were in flower.

Beautiful Demoiselle

Beautiful Demoiselle 

Beautiful Demoiselle 

Yellow Flag Iris

While at Wembury I received a text from Russ regarding a sighting of a Little Bittern at Radford Lake in Plymstock and so on the way home I stopped off for a look and managed to get some very good views of it as it fed from branches overhanging the water of the lake, a UK life tick for me. It soon disappeared into the vegetation though when a "yoof" wandered by along the nearby shoreline listening to his music through his cans.

Little Bittern

Little Bittern

Little Bittern

Little Bittern

Little Bittern

Little Bittern

Little Bittern

Friday May 15th and I met my mate Mavis at Roborough Down for a birdy walk. It was a sunny day and the breeze had lessened and we had an interesting walk around the area.

The highlight was a male Dartford Warbler singing away and song fighting with a probable female skulking in the vegetation nearby. It looked quite dark in the strong sunlight and was mostly difficult to view amongst the gorse bushes before it went silent and disappeared but it was a nice bird to see.

A Cuckoo was heard calling briefly in the distance but Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and Blackcap were more vocal and Stonechat, Yellowhammer, Redpoll, Skylark, Bullfinch and Meadow Pipit all showed very well. I also thought I heard a Nightjar churring briefly but I wasn't absolutely sure.

Brimstone, Holly Blue, Speckled Wood, Large White, Wall, Small Heath and Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary were all flitting about with the fritillaries being particularly flitty and difficult to get good views of and I also saw Brown Silver Lines and Speckled Yellows.

Small Heath

Wall - record shot, very flitty

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary - my only photo, very flitty too

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary - Photo courtesy of Mavis

A very small Common Lizard seemed to take a shine to my shoe as it kept trying to hide underneath it and a few Heath Spotted Orchids were found in flower despite the dry conditions.

Common Lizard

Heath Spotted Orchid

Heath Spotted Orchid

A lovely couple of days out in these lock down times, wonderful to finally get out to Wembury and see the sea, a UK lifer a bonus and again some amazing wildlife so close to home.