June becomes July

After working 2 long days back to back while struggling with an increasingly nasty (non-COVID) cold (remember those?) I felt pretty shitty on Tuesday 28th June but with rain forecasted for later in the day we decided to have a quick walk around Saltram despite the grey sky and cool breeze. 

I really wasn't feeling it but managed to see a few things of note along the walk. A Mute Swan was on the River at the low tide with 6 adult Canada Geese escorting 9 well developed goslings, presumably the creche of small goslings I saw quite a few weeks ago now and having survived the attentions of the Gulls. 

At the duck pond the female Red-crested Pochard was again present along with 12 eclipse-plumaged Mandarins and 11 variously aged Moorhen chicks with 6 adults. 

Red-crested Pochard

Moorhen

Swift, Swallow and House Martin were hawking insects, the Swallows and House Martins low over the grass and the Swifts over the trees in the lee of the wind. 2 Ring-necked Parakeets were heard squawking away and just single Ringlet and Meadow Brown were disturbed from the path side vegetation before we called it quits and headed home before the forecasted rain duly arrived. 

Thursday 30th June was sunny but cool and despite still feeling rough from my cold we headed out for a walk around Burrator Reservoir. It began to cloud over on the drive up to Dartmoor and on arriving at the main dam of the reservoir it began to rain but it quickly stopped and our walk remained rain free although the sun rarely appeared from behind the clouds.

Despite the lack of sunshine it felt quite warm and humid when sheltered from the breeze and there were plenty of Ringlet and Meadow Brown on the wing with 3 Large Skipper, 3 Small Tortoiseshell and 2 Red Admiral also seen. 

The water level of the reservoir was quite low as we continue with our relatively dry spell of weather and out on the water with the Canada Geese and Mallard were an adult and 4 immature Cormorant and the long staying white Feral Goose. 

Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler were singing away and Siskins were heard in the tops of the big pine trees. A Buzzard, 2 Jay, a Mistle Thrush and 4 Swallow were seen and House Martins were entering nests under the eaves of the old water company building. The best bird though was a a Spotted Flycatcher flitting about in the trees by the roadside, my first one of the year. 

Friday 1st July and I was feeling better but still full of phlegm and with the skies still cloudy we headed off in the car for a visit to Castle Drogo. The sun occasionally appeared from behind the clouds but we also had a few heavy showers to contend with too. 

Castle Drogo

A Small Tortoiseshell and a few Ringlets were flitting about in the sunny spells but the highlight were 4 Hummingbird Hawkmoths buzzing around the flowers, our first of the year. 

Hummingbird Hawkmoth 

Hummingbird Hawkmoth 

Hummingbird Hawkmoth 

The castle was very interesting, a beautiful piece of architecture too, and the small formal gardens were very pretty with Maderia Orchids seen in flower. Common Spotted Orchids were also found flowering in the roadside verge as we drove home. 

Dactylorhiza folios (Maderia Orchid)

Common Spotted Orchid

Saturday 2nd July was cool and grey and breezy and showery but I headed out anyway for a River Plym and Saltram walk. The weather did improve as the morning wore on and it became quite warm and humid out of the breeze and as a result I managed to find some butterflies - Small Skippers, 2 Gatekeepers, Meadow Browns, Ringlets, a Large Skipper, Marbled Whites and 2 Common Blues. 

Small Skipper

Small Skipper

Gatekeeper

Marbled White

The Pyramidal Orchids I found on my last visit were still in flower along with a very faded Southern Marsh Orchid. Six-spot Burnet were on the wing and a Garden Chafer was a nice find too. 

Six-spot Burnet

Garden Chafer

Summer is definently moving on though with the first juvenile Black-headed Gull of the year amongst the 1st summers and adults present on the high tide roost at Blaxton Meadow. A smart summer plumaged Mediterranean Gull was also present along with the usual Herring Gulls. Wader numbers are on the up too with 33 Curlew, 28 Redshank, 2 Greenshank and an Oystercatcher also present on the meadow. 

Juvenile Black-headed Gull

Curlew

Blackcap and Chiffchaff were still in song and Swift, Swallow and House Martin were hawking insects low over the grass or around the tree tops in the lee of the wind. A variety of fledgling birds were also seen including Blackbird, Swallow, Coal Tit, Robin and Blue Tit. 

Blue Tit

The female Red-crested Pochard was still on the duck pond along with 21 Mandarins in moult. 

Red-crested Pochard

Also seen on my walk were 4 Raven, a Buzzard, a Kingfisher, 2 Collared Dove, 3 Stock Dove, 3 Ring-necked Parakeet, a Mute Swan, a Shag and 4 Little Egret. 

So June becomes July and half the year has now gone by, this year has certainly flown by very quickly so far, it will soon be Christmas at this rate!