Now that September is here Moth Box-ing in the back yard has been uneventful with a worn L-Album Wainscot and a melanistic form of Box Tree Moth the only real highlights.
Box Tree Moth - melanistic form
We had a walk along the coastpath from Thurlestone to Hope Cove and back on Wednesday 9th September, it was an overcast and breezy morning but as the day wore on the sun did appear and it became a pleasant September day. We stopped off at South Huish Marsh along the way where there was plenty of mud on show and a Black-tailed Godwit, a Dunlin, a Snipe and 3 Ringed Plover were present. Even better were at least 20 Yellow Wagtail feeding in the adjacent field amongst the cattle, they were fidgety and neurotic as usual and very flighty between all the Cows, they also just disappeared into the long grass at times making trying to count them very difficult.
Yellow Wagtails and a Pied Wagtail
Yellow Wagtails
Yellow Wagtail
We had lunch in The Cottage Hotel at Hope Cove again, a lovely old-fashioned hotel that has sadly been bought up by a hotel chain that plans to renovate it into a boutique experience and will totally destroy all its current charm in the process which will be a big shame. After lunch we headed back towards Thurlestone and stopped off again at South Huish Marsh where I enjoyed more views of the Yellow Wagtails which unfortunately always stayed a little more distant this time but were very lovely to see.
Yellow Wagtail
Yellow Wagtail
Yellow Wagtail
I headed out to Wembury for a walk on Thursday 10th September, it was cool, overcast and breezy as I left the house to catch the bus and remained so for the duration of my visit. Despite the lack of sunshine and warmth there were a few Clouded Yellow and Painted Lady kicked up from the grass along with a male Common Blue and I also found a Red Admiral feeding on Ivy flowers along with my first Ivy Bee of the year.
Spot the Clouded Yellow
Clouded Yellow
Clouded Yellow
It was quiet birdwise but I did find a very smart looking Firecrest which showed very well as it fed in a Sycamore tree while along the beach a smart White Wagtail was picked out amongst the Pied/Alba Wagtails. Overhead 4 mobile Peregrines were watched for some time, an adult pair and 2 juvenile females with the adult male noticeably smaller than the other 3. The juveniles were practising their hunting skills and were chasing down Woodpigeons, small Waders and even a very panicked Sparrowhawk while the adults looked on but I never saw them catch anything.
White Wagtail
Despite the attentions of the Peregrines I did find 5 Ringed Plovers, 4 Dunlin and 2 Sanderling in with the usual Turnstones and Oystercatchers along the beach and amongst the usual roosting Gulls out on the rocks were 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (2 adults and a 3rd winter bird) and at least 2 1st winter Mediterranean Gulls amongst the mobile adult/sub-adult birds.
We headed off to Perranporth on Friday 11th September for our annual end of summer visit having missed out last year due to poor weather and health issues. It was a mostly overcast but warm and breezy day and as we walked down from the caravan site car park and across the golf course the tide was heading out and the beach was looking stunning. I had hoped to see a Chough on the golf course but was out of luck and only saw Rooks and Carrion Crows although a very small looking Brown Argus and at least 4 Wheatear were a bonus.
Brown Argus, Perranporth
We had a cooked breakfast at The Watering Hole and sat outside on the beach with the sand between our toes, we were warned about Gulls stealing food and a Herring Gull did swoop in and snatch a paper pot full of mayonnaise which it swallowed whole but otherwise we ate our breakfast in peace - I only hope the Herring Gull is able to regurgitate the paper pot without too much problem.
As we left the beach to have a look around the town all the Gulls noisely took to the air followed by the Feral Pigeons and the Crows and eventually I found the cause as an Osprey flew north over the beach, a very nice surprise.
I was up and out early on Saturday 12th September for a look about around The Plym and on arriving at Blaxton Meadow at around 7:30am I was pleased to find both water and birds were present. After a scan about I eventually found the reported Curlew Sandpiper which showed very nicely in the company of 3 Dunlin and in amongst the roosting Redshanks, Greenshanks and Curlews the juvenile Knot and juvenile Black-tailed Godwit were still present too.
Kingfisher, Blaxton Meadow
I carried on towards Laira Bridge on the dropping tide to look for an Osprey but along the way news came through of a Wryneck on Chelson Meadow so I diverted there for a look. I have never had any luck with Wryneck on Chelson Meadow but I eventually managed to see it hidden in amongst the leaves and branches of a tree with the help of local birder Pete and his thermal imager. It then flew off into another tree where it showed a little better before flying off again and I then had one more flight view of it before it disappeared.
Wryneck (Record Shot)
Wryneck (Record Shot)
Clouded Yellow, Chelson Meadow
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