Curlew Sandpiper at Wembury

Monday 5th June and with 2 night shifts looming we took a lunchtime walk around Plymouth Hoe in the sunshine. I remembered my camera this time and took some photos of the Bee Orchids in the meadow by the allotment, they are spindly and floppy in the current hot and dry spell but they still look amazing.

Bee Orchid

With the night shifts duly completed I headed out to Wembury on the bus on Thursday 8th June for a walk. It was another hot and sunny day but with a strong easterly wind and I had a very productive walk indeed.

I arrived at 7:30am and headed out to The Point on the incoming tide in the hope that there might be some wader action despite the late date. At first there didn't seem to be anything present other than 2 Little Egret and 13 Black-headed Gulls but a slight movement amongst the peebles along the surfline caught my eye and there hidden in plain sight were a little group of waders - 6 Turnstone, 5 Sanderling, 2 Dunlin and a cracking Curlew Sandpiper, only my second record for Wembury and my first ever spring record of one.

Curlew Sandpiper 

It showed amazingly well along with the other waders present, they allowed a very close approach as the fed, preened and slept along the tideline while hunkering down in the strong wind.

Curlew Sandpiper and Sanderling

Curlew Sandpiper and Turnstone 

Curlew Sandpiper 

Curlew  Sandpiper 

Curlew Sandpiper and Turnstone

Curlew Sandpiper 

Curlew Sandpiper 

Curlew Sandpiper is one of my favourite birds and this was probably the best views I've ever had of one, a very special treat that had me grinning from ear to ear and very much needed by me in these sad and unsettling times.

Sanderling 

Sanderling 

Dunlin

I eventually tore myself away and carried on with my walk, on my return there was no sign of any waders and a walker I passed and stopped to chat to had seen a flock of around 12 small waders flying past so I guess they had all moved on.

Also along the beach were 12 Oystercatcher, 2 Shelduck and a first summer Mediterranean Gull while offshore Gannets, Fulmar, Shags and Cormorants were noted.

Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Whitethroat were singing away with the Whitethroats being very showy in their aerial sorties and Stonechats, Cirl Buntings and Song Thrush were seen and heard too.

There continues to be somewhat of a dearth of butterflies at the moment, presumably a knock on effect from last years drought amongst other factors, but despite the strong wind I did see 2 Red Admiral, a Green-veined White, a Meadow Brown and a Large Skipper.

Large Skipper

Along the stream were 3 Beautiful Demoiselles, 2 males and a female and they very sensibly kept hunkered down amongst the Hemlock Water Dropworts.

Beautiful Demoiselle

I visited Wembury again on Friday 9th June, this time with work friend Sue for a chat and a catch up. It was still very windy but there was no sign of any waders along the beach other than the ever present Oystercatchers.

A Common Lizard, a male Beautiful Demoiselle, a few Red Admirals, Meadow Browns and Green-veined Whites, 2 Gannets offshore and a singing Cirl Bunting were the highlights and a bizarre sight was a dead Rabbit by the side of the footpath which may have been a victim of a dog attack.