St.Ives Seawatching

The weather forecast for Tuesday 5th October was looking dire although ideal for some sea watching but the forecast kept changing and I eventually switched plans and headed to St.Ives in North Cornwall instead of Berry Head in South Devon due to there being a strong North Westerly wind after a night of South Westerly gales. 

I arrived at the Coastguard Station at St.Ives at around 9:30am, later than I had originally planned, and a gaggle of birders were already present scanning the rough seas out of the wind in the lee of the Station.

St.Ives Sea Watching

The sun was shining and on a quick scan through my binoculars I found 2 Great Skuas, a Balearic Shearwater and a Manx Shearwater along with Gannets, Kittiwakes, Mediterranean Gulls and Auks. With so much going on I quickly assembled my telescope and began some proper searching.

I'm still a novice when it comes to sea watching and at times it was quite overwhelming with large numbers of birds swirling around everywhere. Finding something unusual, getting my scope on it and then trying to ID it while being buffeted by strong winds and fending off members of the public passing by who wanted to chit chat wasn't easy - but I had a great time and 4 hours just flew by! I missed all the reported scarce birds  (Leaches Storm Petrel, Grey Phalarope and Sooty Shearwater) but I think these were mostly seen before I arrived on site although I did have a very brief view of a Petrel species before it just disappeared in the wave troughs. 

I didn't attempt to count numbers as I got the distinct impression that most birds were moving in a circle around the bay especially the Shearwaters and Skuas. Both dark and pale phase Arctic Skuas were seen, probably at least 10 birds, along with probably at least 4 Great Skuas and they gave some excellent views as they passed by close to the headland.

Flocks of Auks were flying west with many ditching on the sea to dive for fish, mostly Razorbills but with a few Guillemots as well. Gannets were everywhere, adults and immature birds, and watching them dive was as impressive as always. Mediterranean Gulls and Kittiwakes of various ages were also flying around with the Kittiwakes regularly subjected to the attentions of the Skuas and Sandwich and Commic Terns were also noted too. 

A few Manx Shearwater were seen flying west but a pair of Balearic Shearwaters stole the show as they fished together close to shore, flying low over the water and diving into the wave peaks to catch small silver fish and then emerging the other side of the wave to do it again and again. They were definently moving around the bay as they would disappear around the headland as they flew west into the wind and swell before circling back into the bay to repeat the circuit again. A few other Balearics were seen moving west including one with a Manx Shearwater allowing for a good comparison between the two and they were certainly the best views of Balearics I've ever had. 

A Bar-tailed Godwit, a Swallow and 13 Common Scoter (all males in 3 flocks heading west totalling 2, 6 and 5) were also noted along with Shag, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull and Black-headed Gull with a brief view of a Grey Seal close to the rocks. 

On the return trip to Plymouth I stopped off at the Hayle Estuary for a quick look around. The tide was low but 7 Dunlin, a Grey Plover, Curlew, Redshank, Oystercatcher, a Greenshank and 13 Bar-tailed Godwit were seen along with Wigeon, Teal, Little Egret, a Grey Heron and Mediterranean Gulls. 

A Whimbrel was feeding on Ryan's Field and a Grey Wagtail was feeding along The Quay but the best bird was a Great Crested Grebe on the Carnsew Pool, my first one at Hayle. 

Whimbrel

Grey Wagtail

Emperor Moths on Dartmoor

Monday 26th April was yet again a sunny affair but with a bitingly cold easterly wind as I headed off to Wembury to meet work colleague Sue for a walk and a catch up. 

We had an enjoyable walk and by the time we returned to the cafe for our pasty lunch the wind had considerably eased and it became surprisingly warm in the sunshine.

At least 12 flighty Whimbrel were out on the rocks on the ebbing tide along with Oystercatchers and 7 Bar-tailed Godwit (2 in full summer plumage).

Whitethroat were vocal and showy with at least 6 males seen and heard.

Whitethroat, Wembury

At Wembury Point 2 House Martin and a Swallow hawked overhead and a male Wheatear was feeding along the cliff top but the highlight was a female Redstart feeding in the gorse bushes, only my 2nd sighting of one at Wembury.

On heading home I decided to stop off at Laira Bridge to walk along the Plym to Marsh Mills on the incoming tide. Blaxton Meadow was beginning to fill up with water and out on the mud were 5 Greenshank, 3 Oystercatcher, 3 Curlew, 2 Whimbrel and a limpy Bar-tailed Godwit.

Whimbrel, River Plym

Tuesday 27th April was again sunny but pleasently warm with a gentle breeze and so I headed out to Grenofen Woods for my annual spring time walk. 

It was very quiet bird wise but I did see a Tree Pipit songflighting with another one heard only, a pair of Marsh Tit in trees by the bridge with the male busily feeding the begging female and a Garden Warbler feeding on insects in an oak tree with another two heard only.

Tree Pipit, Grenofen

Tree Pipit

Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Willow Warbler were seen and heard, a female Mallard with 5 ducklings was seen on the river by the bridge along with a Grey Wagtail, Nuthatch were heard calling and Mistle Thrush were seen with beakfuls of food for nestlings. Buzzards, Swallow and House Martin were also seen overhead.

I used my Emperor Moth lure once but with no luck and as it was so quiet I decided to head homewards and stop off at Roborough Down for another try with the lure there.

I set the lure up in a gorse bush while I ate my lunch but after 10 minutes I moved to a different spot and within minutes a male came in, dashed around a bit and then flew off. I tried in another spot with no luck and with the clouds rolling in and covering the sun and the temperature dropping it was time to give up for the day - or so I thought.

I began to head home but decided to have one last try, more in hope than expectation, but it paid off with 2 males coming in to the lure within minutes and both settling on the vegetation nearby - result!

Male Emperor Moth, Roborough Down - a real beauty and a member of the Silk-moth family

Emperor Moth - huge antenna used to detect the location of females

Emperor Moth

Emperor Moth

Emperor Moth - underside pattern looking like a colourful panther! 

Emperor Moth

Emperor Moth

Emperor Moth

Emperor Moth

Emperor Moth

It was otherwise quiet on the Down with 2 Redpoll, a female Whitethroat, Skylark, Willow Warbler, Linnet, Stonechat and Chiffchaff seen along with 2 female Brimstone and a few Peacock.

Thursday 29th April was another cool day despite the sunny spells and gentle breeze and so I headed out to Wembury again for a walk. The chilly air kept insect activity at bay and I only saw one butterfly flit past, a probable Wall but too brief a view to call for sure. St.Marks Flies were on the wing though in more sheltered, warmer spots with one enjoying the warmth of my hand for a short time. 

St.Marks Fly, Wembury

St.Marks Fly

It was high tide but dog activity was high also and along the beach I had some nice views of 23 Oystercatcher, at least 20 Whimbrel, 3 Dunlin and a Common Sandpiper but all were nervous and flighty due to the constant disturbance.

The usual Wembury Dog-fest

Whimbrel

Whimbrel

Dunlin

4 Canada Geese, 4 Shelduck and 6 Mallard were also seen but a surprise sighting was a Sedge Warbler singing briefly in the scrub and reeds along the beach at the base of the cliffs.

Shelduck

Sedge Warbler

A Grey Seal was seen poking its head out of the water close to shore a few times and a lone Gannet was picked up offshore flying east. 2 Bloody Nose Beetle larva were found on the pathside vegetation and the usual Stonechats, Chiffchaff, Whitethroat, Swallows, Linnets and Cirl Buntings were also seen along the walk. 

I stopped off again at Laira Bridge on the journey home and walked along the Plym to Marsh Mills, it was very quiet on the low tide with a Whimbrel, a Curlew, a House Martin with Swallows, 2 Mute Swan, 2 Roe Deer, 2 Brown Rats and a male Orange Tip the only sightings of note. 

River Plym and Saltram Walk

Thursday 30th April and despite the heavy showers and cool temperatures I decided to take my usual walk along the River Plym and around Saltram Park. It's been nearly 2 weeks since my last visit and the trees were noticeably in fuller leaf and the grass greener and longer but in the cool and wet weather conditions there was little noticeable insect activity.

The tide was high when I arrived at Laira Bridge but I found a lone Whimbrel roosting on the pontoon opposite The Green House where I had seen one on my last visit. At Blaxton Meadow the Black-tailed Godwit was still present busily searching for food in the soft mud and there were 7 Oystercatchers, 2 Curlew and at least 8 noisy and mobile Whimbrels present too. The only other wader species seen on my walk was as I began my journey back home, a summer plumaged Dunlin which called as it flew under Laira Bridge on its way upriver.

 Whimbrel

Black-tailed Godwit

2 Willow Warblers were heard singing along with Chiffchaff and Blackcap and I was very pleased to find around 20 Swallow feeding over the cow fields and resting on the fences. Even better were at least 20 House Martins, my first of the year, which briefly joined the Swallow before moving on.

Swallows

Singing Skylarks, a male Mandarin Duck, Ring-necked Parakeets, 3 Little Egrets, Stock Dove, Canada Geese, a pair of Mallard and a male Pheasent were also seen with May (Hawthorn) in flower along with some colourful Spurge which I think is Sun Spurge.

 Pheasent

 Hawthorn

Sun Spurge

And so April comes to an end, Lock Down continues and life carries on and I have been very pleased and very surprised at the wildlife I have been finding so close to home although I'm missing my visits to Dartmoor and Wembury.

Monopsis obviella - Back Yard

The Edge of Dartmoor

I have had the moth box out in the back yard again and on the morning of Wednesday 22nd April I had a grand total of 4 moths - 3 Tachystola acroxantha and a smart Shuttle-shaped Dart. It's always slim pickings with the back yard moth box in spring (and autumn) but it does throw up some good stuff, quality if not quantity.

Shuttle-shaped Dart

I also found a moth flitting about in the living room on Thursday 23rd April, presumably one from the previous days moth boxing, I wasn't sure at first what it was but I've ID'd it as a Common Marbled Carpet.

Common Marbled Carpet

With the ongoing lock down situation I have been looking longingly at the limited internet reports of spring birding and trying to plan trips out to places within walking distance to try and see some of the usual spring migrants I usually go looking for. Wednesday 22nd April was another sunny day with little wind and high temperatures and I decided to take a long walk to Plymbridge and Cann Woods with a plan to walk up to Wotter on the edge of Dartmoor where Cuckoos have been reported. However it was hotter than I expected and further than I expected and I only managed to get to the northern edge of Cann Woods but I did hear briefly what I think was a calling Cuckoo although it was very distant.

Wotter and Dartmoor - so close!

It has been a while since I last visited Plymbridge Woods and I have only visited Cann Woods a few times before but I was very surprised at the birding and wildlife I saw on my walk despite the large number of cyclists whizzing along the trails.

I regularly scanned the clear blue skies and found quite a few Buzzards soaring on the developing thermals along with a Raven and a chittering Swallow but eventually I managed to arrive at the Red Kite party with 2 birds seen, 1 gaining height and drifting east and another heading east being mobbed by a Carrion Crow but at a much lower altitude than the previous bird and it was quickly lost behind the trees.

Red Kite

The warm temperatures meant there was plenty of insect activity and I finally managed to see my first Green-veined Whites of the year along with a female Holly Blue, a Peacock, male and female Brimstones, a male Orange Tip, Large Whites and Speckled Woods.

Green-veined White

Holly Blue

Large White

Large White

Speckled Wood

2 Speckled Yellow moths were too quick for the camera along with a Green Tiger Beetle which quickly flew away but there were lots of Grey Gorse Piercers ( Cydia ulicetana) flitting about the gorse bushes and I also found a smart looking Green Longhorn (Adela reaumurella).

Grey Gorse Piercer

Green Longhorn

Green Longhorn

Bird song was very noticeable on my walk and I was surprised at how many Willow Warblers were seen and heard in Cann Woods, making full use of the young stands of silver birch planted when the conifer trees were felled a few years ago. Chiffchaff and Blackcap were seen and heard but I was really pleased to see and hear Garden Warblers, a bird I wasn't expecting to see this year  - a male singing in the undergrowth with a few brief and obscured views had only, another male singing nearby in the undergrowth giving some better if still brief views with a female in attendance and another male heard only. Even better, and equally unexpected, were 3 singing Tree Pipits with 1 bird heard only, 1 giving brief views only and 1 showing very well.

Willow Warbler

Tree Pipit

Tree Pipit 

Tree Pipit 

Tree Pipit 

Other birds of note were a yaffling Green Woodpecker (unseen as usual), a Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 flyover Canada Geese, Jay, Nuthatch, Coal Tit, Mistle Thrush and Pheasent.

Plenty of flowers were in bloom with Bluebells, Ransoms and Wild Garlic all seen along with Violets and Primroses.

Bluebell

Ransoms

Wild Garlic

A hot, long and tiring walk but well worth it, no Cuckoo but very pleased to connect with 2 birds I wasn't expecting to see this lock down year - Garden Warbler and Tree Pipit - and I will certainly be visiting the area again soon.

Thursday 23rd April and while sitting in the sunshine in the back yard eating a pasty for lunch and trying to get into the right frame of mind for another looming night shift a nice surprise was my first Red Admiral of the year which dashed around the plants before disappearing off out of sight.

Sunday 26th April was warm and sunny (again) and so I decided to visit Boringdon Golf Course near Marsh Mills in Plymouth, somewhere I haven't visited before as it is usually closed to the public but currently accessible in the ongoing lock down. I had planned to visit in the early morning but after 2 night shifts and some very sad news from work I didn't get out of bed until gone 8am.

Cuckoos have been reported from the golf course but as expected there was no sight or sound of any on my walk but I did see and hear 2 male Whitethroat singing and song flighting, my first of the year. 2 Whimbrel were a surprise too resting out on the greens and looking quite tired, presumably newly arrived in the UK. 9 Wheatear were also feeding out on the greens but all had disappeared by the time I began the walk back home.

 Whimbrel

 Whimbrel

Wheatear

A male Kestrel, 2 Raven and Swallows were seen flying overhead and Blackcap and Chiffchaff were heard singing along with good numbers of Skylarks.

 Skylark

Skylark

A Peacock, Large White, Green-veined White, a Small Tortoiseshell and plenty of Orange Tips were flitting about - it's been a very good spring this year for Orange Tip, I've never seen so many before. I also found a Common Carpet and a female Muslin Moth.

 Common Carpet

Muslin Moth

2 Large Red Damselfly were also found in the grass surrounding a large pond, presumably recently emerged and yet to develop the red colouring of mature adulthood.

 Large Red Damselfly

 Large Red Damselfly

Large Red Damselfly 

A lovely walk close to home, somewhere new for me and with stunning views across Plymbridge and Cann Woods towards Wotter and Dartmoor - essential for my mental health on a sad day for me in these stressful and difficult times.

 Dartmoor Views

Dartmoor - again so close but yet so far! 

Double Striped Pug in the Marsh Mills Underpass