Another Plym Osprey

The weather is very changeable at the moment, very unlike recent Septembers which have been mostly very pleasant affairs, and with Monday 8th September looking likely to be the best day of weather for the week I headed out to The Plym for a walk.

I didn't get going until late and arrived off the bus at Laira Bridge at just before 1pm on what was a very low tide. The usual birds were seen out on the mudflats including the 3 juvenile Shelduck when suddenly most of the Gulls took to the air although they made relatively little noise and quickly began to return back down to the mudflats. I had a good scan about but couldn't find anything to indicate what had spooked them and then I finally saw an Osprey quite high up in the sky and carrying a fish as it headed over Chelson Meadow towards Stag Lodge, loosing height as it went. I hadn't seen it catch the fish although the water level was extremely low on The Plym with it being a low Spring tide and it quite possibly is the same bird I saw on the 25th August as it took exactly the same route with it's fish.

I decided to take a walk up The Dell footpath towards Stag Lodge, a route I rarely take, and I checked out all the big trees along the way in the hope of finding the Ospreys feeding tree but I had no luck. 

The other highlight of my walk were 2 Whinchat on Chelson Meadow,  unfortunately they were very mobile and distant and viewing into the sun was tricky but I was glad to find them. A Small Copper, a Small Heath, Common Blues, Meadow Browns and 3 Clouded Yellows were also seen here along with a male Stonechat.

The tide was heading in by the time I arrived at Blaxton Meadow and from the bird hide I counted 30 Curlew, 17 Oystercatcher, 10 Greenshank, 2 Dunlin and a Common Sandpiper plus the usual uncounted Redshanks. The 3 juvenile Shelduck seen earlier out on the estuary were now roosting here and the juvenile Great Crested Grebe was back in its usual spot by the sluice gates.

Redshanks

I had the moth box out in the back yard that night, it was forecast to be clear and cool but again looked likely to be the best night of weather for the week so I gave it a go as my mothing endeavours will begin to wind down for the year now.

It did at least remain dry overnight and in the morning there were moths (and Wasps) in the trap. There were 6 Large Yellow Underwings, my highest catch of the year so far but way down on my usual back yard numbers and with them was a single Lesser Yellow Underwing. A Pale Mottled Willow was the highlight with a Box Tree Moth, a Mullein Wave, a Tachystola acroxantha, 2 Willow Beauty and a Garden Carpet making up the rest of a small catch.

Pale Mottled Willow

I had planned to be up and out of the door early on Friday 12th September and walk around Saltram and The Plym before the showers arrived but I couldn't get myself going, however news coming through of a juvenile Knot on Blaxton Meadow had me getting my arse into gear and heading out for a look.

I arrived at the viewing bench at The Meadow at around 9:30am as the spring high tide was reaching its zenith, water was pouring through the sluice gates but the breezy conditions were pushing water over the top of the sluice gate wall as well. Blaxton was a lake but amongst the roosting Redshanks along the back wall I eventually found the Knot, it was mostly sleeping but showed a beautiful peachy pink flush to its grey plumage along with a lovely pair of green legs.

There were also 2 Dunlin, 2 Common Sandpiper, 11 Greenshank, 21 Oystercatcher, a Whimbrel and 31 Curlew present along with the 3 juvenile Shelduck, a single Mandarin and an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull amongst all the usuals.

Whimbrel with Curlew

News of a Wryneck on Chelson had me heading over there for a look but as expected it was a no show for me (my third Wryneck dip here now) although I didn't spend as long as I should have looking for it especially as it was reseen later in the afternnon. Clouded Yellows were flitting about here though, at least 3 were seen, and also present were a Small Copper, a Small Heath, a Painted Lady, Large Whites, Common Blues, Red Admirals and Meadow Browns.

Clouded Yellow

Meadow Brown

I headed back to Blaxton Meadow and along the way sightings of note were 2 Green Woodpeckers, a Swallow, 2 Stock Dove and Ring-necked Parakeets while at the duck pond the female Wood Duck was present with a single Mandarin.

Back at The Meadow the Knot was still amongst the roosting Redshank, the regular juvenile Great Crested Grebe was seen out on the water and 2 Mute Swans were sleeping on one of the islands amongst the Canada Geese and on the walk back to Marsh Mills another Mute Swan was seen sleeping amongst the Canada Geese out on the mudflats by the gas pipe. Also along the river my first 3 Little Grebes of the autumn were noted, 2 adults still in breeding plumage and a juvenile bird.

Vapourer Caterpillar rescued off the footpath