A Week Off Work (Thank Goodness!) - Part I

The original plan for my week off work was to head up to The Lake District on Sunday June 14th to look for butterflies but with the COVID-19 lockdown still in effect our plans have had to be cancelled. I have been unable to cancel my annual leave from work though and so my week off will be spent in Plymouth with hopefully a few day trips out somewhere and considering I haven't had anytime off since lock down began in March and work has not been particularly easy I wouldn't have wanted to have cancelled my leave anyway as I feel absolutely knackered.

Saturday 13th June and I was feeling groggy after working Wednesday and Thursday night but needed to get out for a walk and so I ambled over to Ford Park Cemetery for a look around before heading into town for a food shop. It was cloudy and breezy but warm and humid and fortunately on arriving at the Cemetery the sun shone from behind the clouds for a short time.

I quickly found a few Meadow Brown flitting about which were soon joined by at least 2 Marbled White and a Red Admiral. A Ringlet also flitted about but never settled before I lost sight of it.

 Marbled White

Marbled White

Raven, Magpie. Carrion Crow, Coal Tit, Buzzard and House Sparrow were also seen along with a skittish Grey Squirrel before the clouds rolled back in and I headed off to Sainsbury's.

Sunday 14th June and with less breeze and more sunshine I took my usual weekly walk along the River Plym to Saltram, something I have neglected to do of late. It wasn't too busy with people but with the high tide and being a Sunday the river was awash with jet skis and water skiers from the rowing club.

Blaxton Meadow was quiet with 2 Oystercatchers, 3 Curlew and 3 Little Egret roosting with Shelduck and Canada Geese. A small flock of assorted plumaged Black-headed Gulls didn't contain yesterday's reported Mediterranean Gulls and they were very flighty due to the attentions of nearby Carrion Crows. A Whitethroat singing from the Meadow embankment was my first for the year here.

The woods held the usual birds with Chiffchaff still singing away and it was nice to see Coal Tit and Great Tit fledglings feeding in family groups in the trees. Skylarks were still singing over Chelson Meadow where a Swallow, House Martins and Swifts were hawking insects and 3 noisy and worn looking Ravens cronked overhead. A Green Woodpecker again mocked me as it yaffled away hidden in the trees.

Insects were noticeable in the warm sunshine and I found Marbled White, Small Heath, a Small Tortoiseshell, Meadow Brown, 2 Red Admiral, a male Common Blue, Large White and 2 Small Skipper on the wing, the Skippers being my first of the year and my first for Saltram.

 Marbled White

 Meadow Brown

 Small Tortoiseshell

 Small Skipper

 Small Skipper

Small Skipper

A Yellow Shell, a Nettle Tap, Burnet Companion, a Cinnabar Moth and a 6-Spot Burnet were also seen along with Garden Chafers and a nice Wasp Beetle. A few Bee Orchids were still in flower too in the usual spot.

 Wasp Beetle

Garden Chafer

I had a quick look at Blagdon's Meadow on the walk home and there were a few weedy looking Southern Marsh Orchids in flower in the shade of the hedgerow and a very smart Scarlet Tiger Moth was found resting on the brambles but the Meadow vegetation is still very sparse and stunted in the continuing dry conditions.

Scarlet Tiger

Monday 15th June began with a look through the back yard moth box and the highlight was an L-Album Wainscot, another one of my top 10 favourite back yard moths. Flame, Dark Arches, Common Emerald and Large Yellow Underwing were also firsts for the year.

L-Album Wainscot

Flame

Dark Arches

Common Emerald

With the sun shining and a gentle breeze we headed off mid-morning to Stoke Point for a walk for the first time this year. The Ship Inn at Noss Mayo is still closed due to the COVID-19 Lock Down so we took a packed lunch with us instead and we had a very enjoyable walk as usual.

Butterflies were flitting about, mostly Meadow Browns, but I also saw Large White, Small Copper, Red Admiral, Speckled Wood, Large Skipper and Small Tortoiseshell.

Large Skipper

Large Skipper

Large Skipper

The usual birds were seen - Raven, Cirl Bunting, Yellowhammer, Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Stonechat, Peregrine, Linnet, Skylark, Blackcap, Fulmar and Kestrel - but there was no sign of any Dartford Warbler and the usual Green Woodpecker yaffled away mockingly out of sight. Swallow and House Martin were feeding overhead and 5 Swift were watched flying south out to sea.

A Thistle Ermine was seen on thistles but was very flighty and Mullein caterpillars were munching away on the leaves of flowering Mulleins.

Thistle Ermine

Not a bad start to my week off work.