Bees and Frits

A walk around Plymouth Hoe before the crowds descended on Saturday 4th June was just what I needed after completing my 2 busy night shifts on the Friday. It was quiet bird wise but I did see Bee Orchids flowering in the meadow near the allotment, always a joy to see.

Bee Orchid

Bee Orchid

Wednesday 8th June and with occasional sunny spells but a stiff breeze we headed up to Dartmoor for a walk. It was cool in the breeze, especially so when the sun disappeared behind the clouds, and there were occasional short bursts of rain too, but I finally managed to see the Marsh Fritillaries at Challacombe Farm.

Marsh Fritillary

Marsh Fritillary

Marsh Fritillary

Marsh Fritillary

I managed to see at least 7 of them including a group of 4 together but they were flitty and mobile and only appeared when the sun shone. A few Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary were seen too but were even more flitty and the only other butterfly seen was a Small Heath.

Heath Spotted Orchids were in flower everywhere, I don't think I've seen so many before, and they exhibited a range of colours including a beautiful pure white variety. 

Heath Spotted Orchid

Heath Spotted Orchid

Heath Spotted Orchid and Hoverfly - I thought it may have been a Bog Hoverfly but the legs are black and yellow

Hoverfly legs close up - Bog Hoverfly legs are all yellow

A Great Spotted Woodpecker flying over, a male Whinchat on the roadside fence, a male Wheatear on a stone wall and a male Reed Bunting were all seen and Willow Warbler, a Redstart and a Garden Warbler were all heard singing but I spent most of my time looking down at the ground and not at the birds.

A Keeled Skimmer, a pair of Beautiful Demoiselle, Large Red Damselfly and "Blue" Damselfly were also seen buzzing around in the grass.

Keeled Skimmer

We carried on to nearby Grimspound for a look about, I've visited here once before many years ago but remember very little about it. The views were stunning from its hillside position despite being exposed to the full force of the wind and I saw a few Wheatear flying around before we headed onwards to The Warren House Inn for a lunch of rabbit pie and a warm up by their ever burning log fire.

 

Grimspound Prehistoric Village

 

I had the day to myself on Thursday 9th June and had planned to visit Roborough Down for a walk. The weather forecast wasn't looking great so I nearly changed my mind but as it was sunny when I awoke in the morning I decided to just go for it anyway. By the time I arrived at Yelverton to start my walk  it had totally clouded over and by the time I finished my walk at The Dartmoor Diner where I met David and his Mum for lunch it was chucking it down with rain but I enjoyed the walk in between.

Just one butterfly was seen in the cool and cloudy conditions, a Small Heath disturbed from the grass as I walked by. Heath Spotted Orchids were in flower but were smaller and weedier looking than those seen the previous day at Challacombe Farm. A Purple Bar moth was found around the toilet block lights at Yelverton and a Common Carpet was disturbed from the pathside vegetation.

Heath Spotted Orchid 

Birding was slow as I dawdled along but Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and Blackcap were heard singing while 2 Swift and 2 Swallow were seen overhead. A pair of Yellowhammers, Stonechats with fledglings, a Mistle Thrush feeding on the Yelverton  Cricket Club pitch, a Buzzard, 2 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls flying over with adult Herring Gulls and 2 songflighting Whitethroats were also seen.

Friday 10th June and the weather was a complete contrast to the previous day as I headed out to Wembury for a morning walk before yet another 2 looming night shifts. It was dry and sunny and still and by the time I headed back home to Plymouth it was very warm indeed and I was wishing I had worn my shorts. 

It was quiet on the birding front with a Coal Tit in a village garden, a Red-legged Partridge in the horse field, 2 Shelduck asleep on the rocks below The Point and a flyover Kestrel carrying prey in its talons the highlights. 

Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Whitethroat were still singing away but there was no sight or sound of the recent Reed Warbler. Cirl Buntings were seen and heard and fledglings of Pied Wagtail, Stonechat, Blackbird, Blue Tit and Robin were seen. 

The warm weather meant plenty of insect activity was buzzing around. The highlight was a Green Hairstreak on the gorse bushes looking like it was fresh out of its box along with a second individual that looked like it had one foot in its box! Red Admiral, Speckled Wood, Meadow Brown and Large Skipper were also seen along with around 30 Peacock caterpillars feeding on nettles. 

Green Hairstreak

Green Hairstreak

Large Skipper

Large Skippers

Peacock 

Peacock

A male Beautiful Demoiselle, 2 Common Lizard, Bloody Nose Beetles and Swollen-thighed Beetle were also seen along with caterpillars of Magpie Moth, Lackey Moth, Oak Eggar, Drinker and Depressia daucella. A Shark moth was a nice find too, my first one ever, it was doing a very good impression of a very small Hawkmoth as it rested on the wooden post where I found last years Convolvulus Hawkmoth. 

Magpie Moth

Oak Eggar

Drinker

Shark

Shark

Shark

It's certainly been an interesting couple of wildlife watching days despite the changeable weather, again I never cease to be amazed by the wildlife available for me to see and enjoy so close to home