A Return to Wembury

A look for the reported Grey Phalarope at Siblyback Reservoir on Friday 8th October drew a blank, not surprising in the calm conditions and after it being present for a few days now, but we had an enjoyable walk anyway and I saw Teal, Wigeon, Coot, Greylag Goose, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe and Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Saturday 9th October and I headed out to Wembury again on a warm and calm morning. In the sunny spells it was really warm indeed and there were 2 Long-tailed Coneheads, 8 Common Lizards, 2 Small Coppers, Speckled Woods, Red Admirals, a Large White and 3 Common Darters making the most of the unseasonally warm conditions. 

Small Copper

Red Admiral

The tide was heading out and at The Point 62 Oystercatcher were roosting with 7 Little Egret, 5 Curlew, a pair of Mallard and 5 Mediterranean Gulls (1 adult, 2 2nd winter and 2 1st winter). Offshore a few Gannets were milling around and 3 distant Auks were seen flying west (probably Guillemots).  A surprise sighting was a flock of 14 male Common Scoter flying west, presumably the same birds I saw last Tuesday.

Cirl Buntings and Stonechats were as showy as ever and also seen were a Song Thrush, a Greenfinch, a Linnet, a pair of Kestrel, 8 Long-tailed Tits and a Collared Dove. It was also nice to see 2 Wheatears and at least 4 Chiffchaffs along with 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers (1 at The Pines, 1 over the Valley to the Beach).

Cirl Bunting

Stonechat

Stonechat

Wheatear

I had the moth box out in the back yard again overnight on Friday 8th October and for my troubles I had just one moth in the trap in the morning, a late Double-striped Pug. More sadly I found the remains of a Barred Sallow in a nearby spiders web.

Barred Sallow

I decided to try something new overnight on Saturday 9th October and placed the moth box lights in the dining room window to see what if anything would happen and bizarrely had 6 moths around the window and surrounding walls the next morning - Common Marbled Carpet, Tachystola acroxantha, Light Emerald, Garden Carpet, Rusty Dot Pearl and Feathered Ranunculus! Hopefully with this setup I might get to see a December Moth in the back yard later this year! 

Common Marbled Carpet

Light Emerald

Rusty Dot Pearl

Feathered Ranunculus

Wembury Sea Watch

Wednesday 6th October was the calm after the storm and so I headed out to Wembury for a walk in occasional sunny spells and a gentle breeze. I had packed my telescope into my rucksack and I'm very glad I did, Wembury isn't known as a good place to sea watch but I managed some good sightings albeit a little distant even with the scope

On arriving at the main beach at around 09:45hrs I noticed a feeding frenzy of Gulls near The Mewstone but on checking them out with my scope I could only find Herring, Black-headed and Mediterranean Gulls amongst the throng. Gannets were noticed further offshore moving west, a mix of adult and immature birds, but more noticeable were Meadow Pipits close to shore moving west in a steady trickle with around 400 birds noted in total in around 3 hours before the movement totally dried up. (Large counts were also reported further east along the coast). 

A few Meadow Pipits were also grounded in the fields and along the beach where they were getting short shrift from Rock Pipits and Pied Wagtails. 

Meadow Pipit

Skylarks were on the move too with around 40 passing west overhead and a few again feeding in the fields. A male Blackcap and 5 Chiffchaffs were also noted in the bushes with 5 Swallows moving west along the coast and the Great Spotted Woodpecker still present in the pines at The Point. Stonechats and Cirl Buntings were very noticeable along the coast path as usual. 

Cirl Bunting

The tide was ebbing and out on the rocks with the usual Oystercatchers were a Curlew, 3 Little Egret and 5 Mallard (2 males) and assorted Gulls including Mediterranean Gulls.

By the time I had walked to The Point the feeding frenzy of Gulls had dispersed somewhat but I set up my scope anyway to scan over the virtually flat calm sea. I picked up some Kittiwakes feeding offshore including a few juveniles and there were still small groups of Gannets further out moving west. Two male Common Scoter flew west and were shortly followed by another 2. A flock of 10 then flew west and not long after that a flock of 14 then flew east, presumably the 14 birds already logged. 

A Balearic Shearwater was picked up flying west and then 2 more were seen heading west before they settled on the sea and were lost from view. An Auk species was seen flying west too before settling on the sea, probably a Razorbill, and 2 more Auks were seen further out also flying west, probably Guillemots. 

A distant and dark, wader-like bird was picked up flying low over the water heading towards shore before it suddenly upped a gear and sped towards a feeding group of Kittiwakes, a dark phase Skua species, probably an Arctic as it was a very similar size to the Kittiwakes it had started to chase and harass. It eventually settled on the sea and was lost to view but later 2 dark phase Skuas were seen flying low over the water together before also settling on the sea. A final scan and a very dark looking Skua was picked up distantly harassing Kittiwakes, it was really giving chase to the Kittiwakes in an energetic and acrobatic aerial display before finally getting a regurgitated meal and settling on the sea. 

Long-winged Coneheads, Common Lizards and Ivy Bees were also seen along with a few butterflies flitting about. 

Ivy Bee

Walking back up the hill to the bus stop for the journey home and a Firecrest was picked up calling in the bushes, eventually it gave some brief and obscured views before flying off when a car passed by, my first sighting of a Firecrest this autumn. 

With some warm and humid weather forecasted overnight on 6th/7th October I had the moth box out in the back yard. Unfortunately it was also quite wet with unforecasted misty mizzle all night and in the morning the box was soaked but there were moths in it! - 2 Lesser Yellow Underwing, a Light Brown Apple Moth, a Garden Carpet and a Double-striped Pug were usual fare but I was pleased to find a Feathered Ranunculus, an unfortunately quite faded Large Ranunculus and an L-Album Wainscot with a nick in its left wing similar to the one I caught in the garden on 26th September. 

Feathered Ranunculus

Large Ranunculus - faded but you can still just make out the copper flecks

L-Album Wainscot - the same as 26th September? 

Back Yard Moths

Birds really are taking a back seat at the moment with the current hot weather but back yard mothing is keeping me occupied.

It was back to work on Tuesday 20th July after my annual leave and with the hot weather it was not a joy.  I must have drunk my body weight in water from the cooler but my pee was still like toothpaste and after 12 and a half hours of hot and sweaty work I arrived home tired and cranky. I wasn't going to get the moth box out but it was a very hot and airless night and so I decided to make the most of it. 

I was up early the next morning, around 5am, and it was delightfully cool as I sorted out the moth trap. It was nice to see Birdy 2021 on the flat roof enjoying a drink from the water bowl put out for him and he was joined by one of the adults which kept very quiet for a change. 

The moth box was full, the best night of the year so far, and the most obvious moths were 5 Jersey Tiger Moths flitting about in the trap, my first of the year. 

Jersey Tiger Moth

Also present were 5 Peppered Moth, again my first of the year and much more docile and accommodating than the Jersey Tigers.

Peppered Moth

There were a total of 34 species in the trap with the highlights being 2 Marbled Green, 4 Coronet, Swallow-tailed Moth, Brussels Lace, Knot Grass, Clouded Border, Cabbage Moth, Nut Tree Tussock, Common Carpet, Bird Cherry Ermine, Acrobasis advenella, Dioryctria abietella and Cydia splendana. 

Swallow-tailed Moth

Brussels Lace

Knot Grass

Nut Tree Tussock

Common Carpet

Bird Cherry Ermine

Acrobasis advenella

Dioryctria abietella

Cydia splendana

The biggest surprise was a Black Rustic, a moth that is usually on the wing in September/ October.

Black Rustic

Despite the pleasent and cool conditions at such an early hour it quickly became another baking hot and sunny day and so I had a quiet time trying to keep cool before heading off to work for a night shift. I had hoped it would be a bit cooler at night than the previous days shift had been but it didn't prove to be so and it was another hot and sweaty and uncomfortable shift and I was glad to get home the next morning. Yet another hot day ensued but with cooler and breezier weather forecast for the following day I had the moth box out in the back yard again that night and on waking at 5am on Friday 23rd July the moth box was full yet again. 

It was indeed noticeably cooler and with quite a strong breeze as I sorted out the trap and it was all very refreshing. The trap held just 2 Jersey Tiger Moths and a Peppered Moth this time but there were a total of 28 species all together.

The highlights were 2 Marbled Green, a Coronet, a Dot Moth, a Dunbar, a Single-dotted Wave, a Dingy Footman, a Common Footman, a Buff Ermine and a Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing.

Single-dotted Wave

Dingy Footman

Common Footman

Buff Ermine

Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing

Spindle/Apple Ermine

After sorting out the moths I headed out to Wembury for a walk, enjoying the fresh breeze and cloudy skies although it still felt quite warm. Gatekeeper, Ringlet and Meadow Brown were flitting about but in much lower numbers than seen in the heat and sunshine of last Monday and a single Speckled Wood was also noted. A single Common Lizard was also seen basking on a wooden fence post, probably enjoying the cooler weather conditions as much as I was.

I wasn't expecting much in the way of bird life but was very pleasently surprised with a definite feel of autumn in the air despite the heat wave weather. The tide was dropping and along the beach were the usual Oystercatcher with a Whimbrel, 2 Common Sandpiper, a Redshank, 2 Sanderling, 2 Turnstone and 12 Dunlin along with 3 Little Egret and 4 female Mallard.

Gulls were roosting on the rocks and amongst the mostly Herring Gulls of various ages were Great Black-backed Gulls including a few juveniles, a few dark looking juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gulls, quite a few juvenile Black-headed Gulls mixed in with the adult birds and at least 5 Mediterranean Gulls including a nice looking juvenile.

Mediterranean Gulls with Herring Gull

Black-headed Gull

Despite scanning through all the Gulls with my tired eyes I couldn't find any Yellow-legged Gulls this time but I did find something yellow, a very smart juvenile Yellow Wagtail feeding along the beach and being constantly harassed by the Pied Wagtails also feeding nearby. It was very flighty due to all the attentions from the Pied Wagtails and I eventually lost sight of it when it was flushed off by a walker.

Yellow Wagtail

Another interesting sighting was a family group of 5 Mistle Thrush feeding in the horse field, 2 adults with 3 well grown fledglings and presumably locally bred.

Mistle Thrush

Stonechat, Whitethroat, Cirl Bunting and Linnet were all noted along the footpath too and despite having a very interesting and enjoyable walk I was glad to return home for a quiet afternoon of just mooching about after all the recent heat.

Cirl Bunting

Yet Another Holiday-less Holiday!

Monday 15th March and yet again another period of annual leave from work begins during a Lock Down. However there seems to be light appearing at the end of what has been a very long and very dark tunnel as I have now had both my Pfizer COVID jabs, my weekly COVID swabs since October last year continue to be negative and the Nations road map out of Lock Down appears to be on track. 

Monday was a breezy but dry day with sunny spells and so I decided to do my usual River Plym and Saltram walk. The tide was ebbing and out on the mudflats were 5 Dunlin, 4 Greenshank, at least 10 Curlew, an Oystercatcher and Redshanks along with Common Gulls and 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls amongst the roosting Gull flock. A pair of Goosander were also busily diving for fish near the rowing club.

Little Egret

The park held the usual stuff but the highlight was a Green Woodpecker seen flying into the top of a tree, it was so nice to actual see one instead of just hearing the usual mocking yaffling.

Green Woodpecker

Stock Dove, Goldcrest, Song Thrush, Skylark, Buzzard and Ring-necked Parakeets were also noted along with a Meadow Pipit in the cow field and the pair of Stonechat in the same spot as last week. 

There was no sign of the Red-crested Pochard on the duck pond but there were 7 pairs of Mandarin Duck and an unpaired male present. A very smart looking male Pheasant was feeding around the pond side on the seed and bread being put down by passers-by along with a very confiding Dunnock.

Pheasant

Dunnock

5 Roe Deer were resting under a tree in the cow fields, the first time I have seen them here, a nice male with antlers and 4 females.

Roe Deer

There were flowers beginning to show all around the park with Sloe Blossom, Alexanders and Wood Anemones all noted along with the usual Daffodils, Primroses and Violets.

Sloe Blossom

Alexanders

Wood Anemone

White Poplar Catkins

Tuesday 16th March and we decided to head out to Stoke Point for a walk, something we only did once last year. It was a dry day with increasing cloud cover but it was as fantastic as always with the usual stunning views and interesting wildlife.

Chiffchaff and Blackcap were both heard singing away and a brief and flitty Peacock butterfly was a nice sight. Two Green Woodpeckers were heard with one seen in flight and a Marsh Tit showed well in the usual woodland area near the village of Noss Mayo. A male Kestrel, 2 Raven, Stonechats, Cirl Buntings, Yellowhammers, a Gannet, a Red-legged Partridge and Pheasants were all seen as well.

Yellowhammer

Cirl Bunting

Kestrel

There was as expected no sign of the recent Chough even though I checked out all the corvids I saw,  possibly it's still around in the area although with 3 patrolling Peregrines seen on the walk it may have moved on or may have ended up as a tasty meal.

Peregrine

A really enjoyable day out, unfortunately no lunch again in The Ship Inn for us but sandwiches, crisps and a glass of wine were just as tasty sat on a bench in the community orchard of Noss Mayo. And I felt so much happier that evening watching TV on the sofa after having done something normal for a change.

Wednesday 17th March was forecasted to be a warm and sunny day and so I headed out to the outskirts of Plymouth again to have another look for Goshawks. It was cooler and breezier and cloudier than expected but I had a successful walk and it was far less muddy than my previous visit. 

I had a brief and distant view of a Goshawk flying over the trees as I negotiated the country lanes and muddy footpaths towards my raised vantage point overlooking the valley and shortly after setting up my telescope at my watch point a pair of Goshawk circled overhead before drifting off with the noticeably smaller male having a half hearted skirmish with a Buzzard soaring nearby. 

Over the next couple of hours as I scanned over the treetops of the valley I had some distant scope views of 1 or 2 displaying Goshawks along with Buzzards, Ravens and Sparrowhawks. 2 Peregrines were also noted. 

Stock Doves, a Common Sandpiper, 4 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls, a Marsh Tit, Pheasants, Red-legged Partridge and Skylarks were also noted on the walk along with 2 Peacock butterflies. 

While watching a Red-legged Partridge feeding in a field as I neared the end of my walk the calls of Rooks overhead made me look up and amongst the crows and panicked Woodpigeon flying around I picked up a juvenile Goshawk flying through them, a distinctive looking bird with buff toned underparts and looking very Honey Buzzard-ish with an elongated looking head. It all to soon drifted off and out of sight but a very nice end to my walk. 

Red-legged Partridge

Thursday 18th March and a sunny but cool day saw me heading off to Wembury to meet Mavis for a walk. It wasn't too busy with people despite the good weather and the footpath was much less muddy than of late and we had an enjoyable walk.

The Bar-tailed Godwit was still present feeding on a sandy stretch of the beach with Oystercatchers and a 1st Winter/Summer Mediterranean Gull. At least 2 Curlew were out on the rocks with 2 Little Egret and a pair of Mallard were tucked down amongst the seaweed having a snooze.

Mediterranean Gull

Offshore a few Gannet were seen and on The Mewstone Fulmar were resting on the cliffs with Cormorant and Shag resting along the shoreline.

Stonechat, Cirl Bunting, Goldfinch, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Pheasant and 2 Long-tailed Tit were seen along the footpath along with 2 Canada Geese resting in the stubble field. A Chiffchaff was heard singing and 2 Buzzards were seen soaring overhead.

It was good to see my first Common Lizard of the year along with an Oil Beetle although not so nice to see 2 more Oil Beetles squashed on the footpath.

Common Lizard

Oil Beetle