I had the moth box out in the back yard on our return to Plymouth from Suffolk and on checking it out the next morning on Friday 16th July after a warm and muggy night I was pleased to finally get a decent haul of moths.
The highlight was a Chocolate Tip, the first one I have ever seen, and other highlights in the trap were a V Pug, 3 Coronet, a Marbled Green, an Old Lady and a Grey/Dark Dagger.
Coronet
Marbled Green
Old Lady
Grey/Dark Dagger
Saturday 17th July and I headed down to Falmouth in Cornwall for a 7 hour boat trip offshore to look for cetaceans and sea birds. It was a hot and sunny day as the heatwave continued to build and with very little breeze the sea was flat calm and crystal clear.
Manx Shearwaters were constantly seen along with Gannets and Fulmars. A single Storm Petrel was seen resting on the sea before flying off, a Whimbrel flew over the boat heading towards the coast, an adult Mediterranean Gull was feeding amongst a group of Black-headed Gulls and a Raven and a juvenile Peregrine were seen flying along the cliffs.
Manx Shearwater
Gannet
The conditions were ideal for looking out for any movement at the waters surface and we were very lucky to find 4 pods of Common Dolphins, all amazing encounters as they came to bow ride at the front of the boat and giving fantastic views in the clear water. They were close enough to hear their vocalisations and blows at the surface, a wonderful experience.
Common Dolphins
Common Dolphins
Common Dolphins
Common Dolphins
Common Dolphins
Common Dolphins
Common Dolphins
An Ocean Sunfish was another good find as it flapped its fin at the surface and we also had good views of a Harbour Seal and 3 Grey Seals close to the shore. The floating and very smelly corpse of a Minke Whale was a sad sight and not the one we had hoped to see.
Minke Whale corpse
Sunday 18th July was hotter, sunnier and even less breezey and so we headed out to Bolt Head for a coast walk, figuring it may have been cooler along the cliff path than elsewhere and indeed it probably was but only just slightly so. The hot weather meant there were butterflies everywhere and I found my first Gatekeepers and Graylings of the year along with a Dark Green Fritillary, Small Copper, a Common Blue, Meadow Brown, a Peacock, Red Admiral, Small Skipper, a Speckled Wood, a Small Tortoiseshell and Whites.
Grayling
Monday 19th July and on checking out the back yard moth box in the morning there were fewer moths than previously but the highlights were a male Four-spotted Footman, a Clay, a Brussels Lace, 3 Coronet, a Small Fan-Footed Wave and a Poplar Grey.
Four-spotted Footman (male)
Small Fan-Footed Wave
Poplar Grey
After checking through the moths I headed out to Wembury for a walk, my first for a few weeks now, and it was even hotter as the heatwave continues.
Butterflies were again very noticeable and I was pleased to see a Wall, a Dark Green Fritillary, 2 male Common Blue, Red Admiral, Meadow Brown, Whites, Ringlet, Gatekeeper and quite a few Comma.
Gatekeeper
Gatekeeper
On the incoming tide there were 27 Oystercatcher, 2 Curlew, a Little Egret and 15 juvenile Black-headed Gulls amongst the adult Gulls out on the rocks.
Whitethroat and Stonechat fledglings were seen along the footpath, both seeming to have had a good breeding season this year and Whitethroats were heard singing too. 2 Cirl Buntings were heard singing and another male was briefly seen while overhead a Buzzard, Kestrel and juvenile Peregrine were noted.
