Monday 23rd August and it was a warm and sunny morning as I headed off for a River Plym/Saltram walk before a looming night shift.
I caught the bus to Laira Bridge to start my walk and this turned out to be a smart move as within a few minutes of arriving all the gulls started to go beserk and looking around I picked up an Osprey casually gliding past heading downriver, my first Plym sighting of one. It sadly didnt linger for long, disappearing from sight as it headed towards Plymouth Hoe but a very nice surprise.
The rest of my walk wasn't quite as exciting with the highlights being a Greenshank on Blaxton Meadow on the ebbing high tide, 2 Mute Swan and 7 Oystercatcher along the Plym, a small flock of around 40 Redshank roosting on The Embankment, 3 Mandarin Duck at the Duck Pond, 3 Spotted Flycatcher, 5 Stonechat, 2 Skylark and at least 2 Whitethroat.
The warm weather meant plenty of insect activity and I recorded 1 Holly Blue, 1 Peacock, 1 Small Tortoiseshell, 1 Painted Lady, Speckled Wood, Red Admiral, 1 Comma, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Small Heath, Common Blue and Large White.
Common Darters were buzzing around but a surprise were at least 3 Golden-ringed Dragonfly along with a Treble Bar flushed from the grass.
With the improved weather I have had the moth box out in the back yard overnight with the highlights being 2 very smart looking Black Arches, a Marbled Green, an Old Lady, 4 Jersey Tiger, 2 Mullein Wave, 2 Flounced Rustic and 2 male and 3 female Four Spotted Footman.
Wednesday 25th August and I met my mate Mavis for a walk along the Leat at Roborough Down before a spot of lunch at The Dartmoor Diner. It was sunny but cool and we took a slow ramble along the Leat with 2 Redstart and a Grayling being the highlights.
Thursday 26th August was a warm and sunny day and so we headed out to Stoke Point for our usual coast path walk to Noss Mayo and back.
The warm weather brought out the butterflies and there seemed to be Small Whites everywhere, especially on the Buddlea flowers. A Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Meadow Brown, a Green-veined White, Red Admiral and Painted Lady were enjoying the blossom too along with a Silver Y and along the walk I also saw a Wall, Common Blue, Large White, a Holly Blue and Speckled Wood. A Silver-washed Fritillary on the Buddlea flowers by the community orchard in Moss Mayo was a nice surprise.
The usual Linnet, Stonechat, Swallow, Whitethroat and Cirl Bunting were seen and there were Wheatears everywhere, the walls and posts all seemed to have one present on them. I also had a brief view of a Whinchat before it flew off and some distant views of at least 6 very skittish and mobile Yellow Wagtails.
2 juvenile Kestrel were practising their flying skills along the cliffs and a lone adult Gannet was picked up offshore heading west.
Autumn Squill was flowering well in the usual place and I also found plants in flower at a new spot along the walk.
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