A Week Off Work - Part II

Tuesday 16th June was spent with David's Mum and we took a drive out to Hope Cove for a take away lunch from a cafe, eating it sat on the public benches overlooking the beach while enjoying the stunning views. I haven't really seen his Mum over the past few months due to the COVID-19 lock down and was saddened to notice her mental faculties continue to diminish.

It was a bright and sunny day but there were huge thunder clouds developing out to sea and inland over the Moors (and ready to put a crimp on my walk the next day). Very little wildlife was seen with the highlights being a Gannet diving for fish offshore, Swallows and House Martins chittering overhead and a Meadow Brown flitting about over a grassy bank. However I did see my first Pyramidal Orchids of the year flowering in the verge along Elburton Road and seen from the car as we drove past.

That evening while sat watching TV we heard a familiar sound from the living room fire grate and on checking it out we found a Herring Gull chick behind the flap, a much smaller bird than usual and 2 weeks earlier. Being smaller than usual it had arrived in the grate much quicker than usual and I assume it began its journey on Monday when there was quite a kerfuffle going on on the roof between Magpies and the adult birds just as we left the house for our walk to Stoke Point.

We placed Birdy 2020 on the flat roof next door where the adult birds immediately arrived with much noise and posturing. One bird began to attack the chick which stayed silent and laid flat on the ground before it was accepted by the adults who quickly fed it a yummy regurgitated piece of pasty pastry.

 Birdy 2020 - much smaller (and 2 weeks earlier) than usual

 Birdy 2020 - as noisy as usual

 Birdy 2020 - feed me !

Birdys Mum or Dad keeping watch

Riband Wave - a quick photo on the outside kitchen window while being dive bombed by Birdys parents

The next morning there was no sign of the chick but I could here it calling and the adults were noisily in attendance. During the night it had continued its jumping adventures and was now residing on the small flat roof by the take away where we are unable to see it. Being smaller than usual and with tiny wings it will be unable at present to get back up to the large flat roof but hopefully it will be OK where it is unless it decides to leap again onto the ground.

Wednesday 17th June was meant to be dogged by heavy and slow moving thundery showers and so I decided to take my chances and go for a walk at Grenofen Woods but on arrival it began to rain heavily and did so for an hour and a half, not really what I would call a shower. It was however very nice to walk through the trees in the rain and thunder and lightning but I did get soaked through. It did stop raining for around half an hour before resuming again when I decided to give up and head home but I did enjoy the walk, seeing Nuthatch, Dipper, Siskin, Grey Wagtail and a singing Garden Warbler and hearing Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Blackcap and Song Thrush. A bedraggled looking Meadow Brown disturbed from the grass was the only insect seen on my walk.

Thursday 18th June and with heavy rain again forecasted for the afternoon we headed out early-ish to Rame Head for a walk. It was grey and still and offshore a few Gannets were flying around and diving including a few dark juveniles/immatures. A surprise was a Great Northern Diver flying east into Devon airspace, my first June sighting of one.

Yellowhammer and Whitethroat were seen and heard and a Cirl Bunting was briefly heard singing too. A Sparrowhawk dashed between the sloe bushes while a Peregrine was more showy as it circled higher and higher overhead.

Mullein caterpillars were munching away on Mullein and Dodder was parasitising Gorse bushes while 5 Fallow Deer were feeding out on the cliffs.

 Mullein Caterpillar

 Dodder

Fallow Deer

Before heading out to Rame Head we checked up on Birdy 2020 and he continues his daredevil adventures, having now leapt off the small flat roof and into the builders yard but at least he is now on the ground and can leap no further, hopefully he will be OK although we now can't see him to keep an eye on him.

Friday 19th June and despite the grey skies and mizzle I needed to get out of the house so I headed to Wembury for a quick walk. On arriving the heavens opened and it remained mizzly and showery but I enjoyed my walk anyway.

The highlight was a Green Woodpecker feeding in the horse field before flying silently up into the pine trees, my best view of one so far this year.

Stonechat and Whitethroat fledglings were very noticeable on my walk along with the adults while Cirl Buntings were mostly skulky and flitty. A Kestrel hovered overhead near the church and along the beach a Little Egret and 6 Oystercatchers were seen. The gull roost on the rocks contained 3 third summer Lesser Black-backed Gulls amongst the Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls.

 Whitethroat

Stonechat

Sea Holly was beginning to flower along the beach, having survived the winter Storms, and the Sea Kale continues to thrive. I found Sea Sandwort along the beach too, a new plant for me, and the Phragmyties reeds were growing well too.

 Sea Holly

 Sea Sandwort

Vipers Bugloss

The toilet block held a Dwarf Cream Wave and a Bee Moth which I caught and released outside but there were no butterflies on the wing in the cool and wet conditions.

Dwarf Cream Wave

On arriving home there was quite a noise coming from the back yard with the Herring Gull adults dive bombing the builders yard. Birdy then appeared in the hands of a man climbing up a ladder to place him back on the flat roof - apparently they are fed up with the attentions of the adults and want Birdy out of the way, at least he is OK but how long he will remain on the flat roof remains to be seen

Saturday 20th June Update - Birdy 2020 is now back down in the builders yard!