Adders

Thursday 13th April was cool and showery as I headed out to Wembury for a walk but there were some decent spells of sunshine to be had as I negotiated the muddy coast path following the recent heavy rain. 

I managed to see just 1 butterfly, a Peacock, but the sunshine brought out 2 basking Adders, the first I've seen at Wembury for some time now. A single Common Lizard was also seen. 

Adder

Adder

It was very quiet on the bird front but I did see my first Wembury Swallows of the year with 2 birds flying low over the beach hawking for insects. The Cettis Warbler was also still singing away in the valley to the beach and I even managed a few decentish views of it as it skulked in the undergrowth.

Otherwise it was much the same on the birding front with 2 Shelduck roosting in the wheat field, 27 Oystercatchers roosting on the rocks, a flitty Willow Warbler in the bushes at The Point, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps singing away and 4 Cirl Buntings (3 males) the other highlights.

2 female Black Oil Beetles trundling along the footpath and a pair of Roe Deer resting out in the open on the hillside above the wheat field were also seen. 

Black Oil Beetle

Black Oil Beetle

Roe Deer

Saturday 15th April was sunny but cool in the breeze and we headed up to Roborough Down for a walk. It was quiet bird wise again with 2 Swallows and a Grey Heron ovehead and singing Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and Blackcap of note. There were lots of Brimstone flitting about too but surprisingly no other butterflies were seen. 

Brimstone

Monday 17th April was forecasted to be a sunny day but on waking up in the morning it was grey and claggy. I still headed out to Wembury for a walk and there were a few brief spells of sunshine now and then but it was mostly cool and cloudy. 

Despite the overall lack of sun I did see a basking Common Lizard, my first Orange Tip and Holly Blue of the year and 2 Peacock along with Dock Bugs and Nursery Web Spiders. 

Duck Bug

Nursery Web Spider

A Grey Seal was seen poking it's nose out of the water just offshore but out on The Mewstone a Grey Seal was hauled out on the rocks, the first time I have seen one here. 

With my back continuing to be painful I haven't been able to take my scope out birding with me but I wished I'd had it with me today as a distant Auk out on the water remained unidentified although it was most likely a Guillemot. 3 distant waders heading east offshore remained unidentified too, 1 appeared paler and smaller than the other 2, possibly Bar-tailed Godwit and Whimbrel? 

There were however 5 Whimbrel feeding out on the rocks at low tide and it was very lovely to hear their whistling calls, they were very twitchy though and when a nearby Carrion Crow spooked them they all flew off west. It was also nice to see 8 Swallows arriving in off the sea but they didn't  hang around for very long before heading off inland. 

Chiffchaff and Blackcap were seen and heard and 2 Willow Warbler showed well as they quietly sang to themselves while flitting about in the Sloe blossoms. A male Whitethroat was also seen amongst the flowers, it too was quietly singing away to itself but it was surprisingly skulky. To round off the warbler action the Cettis Warbler was again singing away in the valley to the beach. 

Skylark