It was very quiet on the bird front too as I expected but 4 Chiffchaffs were yammering away and presumably new in. I thought I heard the Cetti's Warbler calling in the valley to the beach too but I wasn't totally sure. The usual Oystercatchers and 4 Little Egrets were along the beach on the high tide but the Redshank and Turnstones seem to have departed. It was a 4 raptor species day with overhead sightings of a Buzzard, a Peregrine, a Kestrel and a Sparrowhawk and offshore Gannets and Fulmars were seen.
Stonechat
Sloe Blossom
Yellow-legged Mining Bee
Cream-spot Tiger Moth
A Peacock butterfly feeding on dandelions was a year first, looking a bit tatty after it's winter hibernation, and along the footpath there were good numbers of Bloody Nosed Beetles with many seen mating. Even better were a male and 3 female Black Oil Beetles.
Peacock
Bloody Nosed Beetle
Black Oil Beetle
Black Oil Beetle
The highlights of the walk though were reptilian with 5 Adders seen basking in the sun along with 2 Common Lizards and a Grass Snake, all posed beautifully for the camera except the Grass Snake which quickly disappeared into cover on being spotted, a shame as it was my first ever live sighting of one.
Adder
Adder
Adder
Adder
Adder
Adder
Adder
Adder
Adder
Wednesday 20th March was mostly overcast but dry as I headed out for a Plym walk, starting at Laira Bridge and finishing at Marsh Mills on the incoming tide.Very little mud was on show even though I arrived just over an hour after low tide but a few Waders and Gulls were feeding and roosting on the small amount of mudflat available while out on the water a Great Crested Grebe and a pair of Goosanders were diving away.
I spent awhile sat on the bench in the Wet Wood and very luckily (and finally!) caught sight of a Water Rail feeding along the stream before it disappeared from view.
Water Rail - record shot
It was otherwise very quiet around the Park with 4 Chiffchaffs heard singing and a single non-singing bird seen. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was heard drumming and a Green Woodpecker was heard yaffling but both remained hidden from sight. A lone male Siskin feeding in the Alders gave himself away by calling briefly and only 2 noisy Ring-necked Parakeets were heard.
Blaxton Meadow was virtually waterless but out roosting on the mud were 2 Greenshank, a Curlew, 3 Dunlin, Redshank, Shelduck, 4 adult and a 2nd calendar year Common Gull, 5 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls with the brightest yellow/orange legs I've ever seen and 3 Little Egrets. Out along the river near the gas pipe 8 Oystercatchers were roosting on the mud and a Little Grebe and 2 male and a female Mandarin were seen out on the water.
Greenshank
It was overcast and cool on a repeat visit to Wembury on Thursday 21st March although the sun did occassionally appear from behind the clouds as the morning wore on. Only 1 Common Lizard was seen and I didn't look for any Adders this time, I didn't find any Black Oil Beetles either but there were still plenty of mating Bloody Nosed Beetles to be seen. A surprise sighting was of a smart looking Painted Lady feeding on Dandelion flowers, it quickly dashed off before I could get a photo but 2 equally smart looking Peacock weren't quite as camera shy.
Common Lizard
Peacock
Peacock
Birding was much the same as on my previous visit with 4 Chiffchaffs heard singing away along with a confirmed Cetti's Warbler. A silent male Blackcap was also seen, presumably a newly arrived bird. A Curlew was feeding out on the rocks where a sleeping Shelduck and a preening adult Lesser Black-backed Gull were also present. A pair of Linnet were also seen at The Point, a Peregrine flew overhead and very confiding Stonechats continued to show very well along the footpath.
Stonechat
Stonechat
Stonechat
I had brought my telescope out with me for a change and with a flat calm sea I had an interesting time scanning about offshore with it. A feeding frenzy of Gannets gave away the position of around 10 Common Dolphins beneath them, distant views with the Dolphins being stealthy and elusive before they quickly moved off west with the Gannets gradually dispersing shortly afterwards. Around 20 Auks were also seen out on the water or flying west while just offshore a single Guillemot and a Razorbill were close enough to be ID-able. 2 presumed Red-throated Divers also flew in to join the feeding throng but were too distant to fully confirm ID. An adult Kittiwake was also feeding close inshore before heading out to sea and 2 female Common Scoters flew purposefully west.
RSPUP Membership should be compulsory for all dog owners! - from a gate at Wembury Point
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