I headed downstairs and luckily there were still some moths inside the trap but they were starting to escape in the warm sunshine. 2 Jersey Tigers, a Brimstone Moth and a female Four Spotted Footman flew off as I neared the box but despite my tardy start I did manage to pot up a Small Square Spot, a Square Spot Rustic, an Agapeta zoegana (Bright Straw), a Marbled Green, a Straw Dot, a Pearly Underwing and an Olive-Tree Pearl amongst others.
Square Spot Rustic and Small Square Spot
Agapeta zoegana (Bright Straw)
Olive-tree Pearl
A trip to Cawsands beach on Wednesday 13th August was very pleasant, the day started off overcast but the sun soon appeared and surprisingly it didn't feel too hot. Highlights were a summer plumaged Turnstone roosting out on the rocks, a winter plumaged Mediterranean Gull patrolling back and forth along the shoreline, a Clouded Yellow dashing across the beach and 3 Sandwich Terns fishing off Cremyll as we waited to catch the ferry back to Plymouth.
I had the moth box out in the back yard again that night, it was a warm and overcast and sultry night although I did awake in the early hours to the sound of a heavy rain shower before going straight back to sleep. I had set my alarm clock this time so I didn't oversleep but on checking out the box early in the morning it was very soggy indeed although there were a few moths in it.
Highlights were a Jersey Tiger Moth, 2 Marbled Green, 4 Mullein Wave, a Yellow-barred Brindle and 2 Rusty Dot Pearl. There were only 3 Large Yellow Underwing present, the usual August build up of numbers isn't happening this year as yet but there were a few Wasps in the trap that needed careful negotiating.
Marbled Green
After sorting out the box I headed off to the station to catch a train to Newton Abbot and then a bus to Chudleigh Knighton for a butterfly walk around the Heath. It was an overcast but very warm morning and I hoped that the weather forecast would be correct and the clouds would gradually clear.
I arrived at my first site and almost immediately found a Brown Hairstreak flitting past before it perched up in a Hawthorn bush. Unfortunately a rain shower arrived and it flitted off and out of sight but I was very pleased to have seen one.
Brown Hairstreak - my first in Devon
The shower soon passed but the Brown Hairstreak didn't reappear and with other Butterfliers arriving including Dave the Butterfly Guy from Plymouth we all walked over to another site nearby for a look about. Along the way I did catch a brief glimpse of a Brown Hairstreak flitting into a Sloe Bush before it just seemed to disappear but when we checked out the other site there was no sign of any Hairstreaks there.
We headed back to the original site and eventually found a Brown Hairstreak, it was happily basking in the sunshine that was just beginning to break through from behind the clouds and we all enjoyed some good views of it.
Brown Hairstreak
Brown Hairstreak
Brown Hairstreak
Brown Hairstreak
A big surprise though were 2 White Admirals found nearby, regularly skirmishing together before settling for brief periods amongst the leaves.
White Admiral
White Admiral
Common Blue, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Speckled Wood and Holly Blue were also seen along with a Peacock, a Comma, a Red Admiral and a Green-veined White in what was a mostly dry and scorched landscape.
Common Blue
A few birds were noted too, the highlight was a skulky Garden Warbler in the bushes with Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Stonechat, Chiffchaff, Swallow and House Martin also seen and Nuthatch, Jay and Green Woodpecker heard.
No comments:
Post a Comment