Stuart's Wildlife Diary: Wembury Shearwaters and Dartmoor Butterflies

Sunday, 12 July 2020

Wembury Shearwaters and Dartmoor Butterflies

I had planned to put the moth box out in the back yard on the night of July 7th/8th but with rain forecast for the early hours I decided to give it a miss. On waking up on the morning of July 8th it was indeed wet, misty and mizzley but I did find a Endotricha flammealis on the kitchen ceiling that had flown in through the open window overnight, my 53rd House/Garden moth of 2020.

Endotricha flammealis

With the grotty weather I decided to have a quiet day at home but I was feeling quite antsy and unsettled and so decided to don my wet weather gear and head out to Wembury for a walk. There has been a lot of Shearwater action along the South Devon/Cornwall coast of late and so at the last minute I packed my big telescope, the first time I have taken it out birding with me since the Ross's Gulll on the River Plym in March. Wembury is not well placed for sea watching but I have seen Manx Shearwater from the coast path in the past when conditions were right and so I had my fingers crossed for seeing something offshore today.

On arriving at the main beach at Wembury it was dank and misty and I couldn't even see The Mewstone but by the time I had walked along the coast path to the gate opposite The Mewstone it was beginning to clear. I set up my 'scope and started scanning across the waves and quickly picked up Gannets and Fulmars flying around and 2 Guillemot flying east. Further scanning and I picked up a steady trickle of Manx Shearwaters flying low over the waves just out past The Mewstone and in the hour I was watching around 200 birds were noted, the majority heading west in small groups. Even better was a Balearic Shearwater, a Wembury tick for me, which I picked up amongst them, and I had good views of it before it disappeared behind The Mewstone and again as it came back into view on the other side. A further 2 probable birds were also seen but briefer, more distant views in mistier periods precluded confirmation.

The mist eventually cleared completely and the Shearwater movement ceased with birds possibly still moving further out but I did see more Guillemots moving both east and west and there were a few Razorbill amongst them.

A small flock of Gulls were roosting along the beach as the tide began to recede - Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Black-headed Gull including 1 juvenile and 5 Mediterranean Gull (3 adult, 1 2nd summer and a juvenile) - and along with them were Oystercatcher, a Little Egret and a Curlew.

Adult Mediterranean Gull

Juvenile Mediterranean Gull

Around 10 juvenile Stonechats were feeding along the beach on the rotting seaweed with more seen along the cliff tops, it looks like having been a good breeding year for them this year. Cirl Buntings and Whitethroats were seen and heard and a Blackcap was in full song despite the weather as it appeared to be in a bit of a sing off with an equally enthusiastic singing Song Thrush nearby.

Juvenile Stonechat

I did see 2 butterflies on my walk despite the cloudy and wet conditions - a Meadow Brown and a very nice Wall. 2 Common Lizards were also a surprise resting on the fencing despite the gloom and a lethargic Bloody-nose Beetle was moved off the path into the safety of nearby vegetation.

Meadow Brown

Wall

The cafe was closed so no Chunk pasty for lunch but the food stealing Carrion Crow was loafing around the main beach with its white winged fledgling.

Carrion Crows

A nice walk despite the weather, I didn't get too wet or muddy and I found my first Manx Shearwaters of the year along with a Balearic Shearwater, a Wembury tick - a good morning out.

Sunday 12th July was warm and sunny with a gentle breeze and despite feeling tired and groggy after working 2 night shifts I headed up to Roborough Down for a butterfly walk. I had originally planned to do my usual River Plym/Saltram walk but after seeing an Internet report of Grayling at Roborough Down and having received some info on Purple Hairstreak at Clearbrook I decided to switch plans.

I arrived on the Down at 09:30 and it was already quite warm in the sunshine. Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Red Admiral and Ringlet were flitting about and Yellowhammer and Blackcap were heard singing. A Dartford Warbler was singing away from the top of a Hawthorn Bush before flying off over the gorse, I assume it is the same bird I have seen before although it was in a different area than the one seen previously. Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler were also seen and heard and Whitethroat and Stonechat were seen with good numbers of juvenile Stonechat again being noticeable. Redpoll were songflighting overhead and I watched Swallow fledglings being fed by their parents mid air.

Ringlet

I arrived at the cycle track above The Skylark pub at Clearbrook at around 10:30 and quickly found a Purple Hairstreak down in the hedgerow by the path before it flew off out of sight. I scanned the tops of the oak trees for more but couldn't find any, presumably the wrong time of day for them to be active in the tree tops.

Purple Hairstreak

Silver-washed Fritillary were flitting about but rarely settled for long. A Peacock, a Comma, a Large Skipper, Small White, a Brimstone, a Green-veined White, Holly Blue, Large White and a Speckled Wood were also seen and eventually I managed to find at least 4 Grayling although they were mobile and flitty across the heath.