Yellow Wagtails and a Plym Wryneck

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

Inquisitive Cow

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

Pectoral Sandpiper at Black Hole Marsh

My mate Mavis had a fantastic time at Black Hole Marsh at the Seaton Wetlands in Devon on Saturday 5th September and very kindly invited me out on a repeat visit on Monday 7th September. After my pickup at 8:30am at our usual meeting point in Plympton we headed off for the day, it was overcast but warm and humid and especially so out of the breeze and we arrived at the Seaton Wetlands at around 10am to begin our visit.

I've never visited the Seaton Wetlands before but it regularly features in the birding news and pulls in some great birds. It's a bit of a drive from Plymouth and also difficult to reach on public transport (but not impossible) and I have never managed to get there until today but what a fantastic place it is, certainly worth the effort.

Seaton Wetlands

We firstly walked out to the Island Hide at Black Hole Marsh and along the way we watched an Osprey flying high overhead and being mobbed by a Carrion Crow. When we arrived at the hide it was packed out due to the prescence of a very close and confiding Pectoral Sandpiper out on the mud, it was a bit of a rugby scrum in the hide but we did get some great views of the bird, my first in Devon and my sixth in the UK with the other 5 all being seen in Cornwall. There were a lot of Toggers in the hide (without binoculars) who were poking cameras with lenses bigger than the Hubble Telescope out of the viewing slots and who couldn't tell the Pectoral Sandpiper from the other waders present but even with my little camera I managed to get some decent shots although taking photos over their shoulders and the low light levels weren't my cameras friend.

Pectoral Sandpiper

Pectoral Sandpiper 

Pectoral Sandpiper 

Pectoral Sandpiper

Pectoral Sandpiper

There was also an excellent supporting cast of Waders present out on the mud and we had some great views of a Ruff, a Wood Sandpiper, 2 Curlew Sandpipers, 2 Spotted Redshank, a Snipe, 3 Ringed Plover, a Curlew, 2 Greenshank, 4 Common Sandpipers, Lapwing, Dunlin, Redshank and Black-tailed Godwit.

Ruff

Wood Sandpiper

Curlew Sandpiper

Black-tailed Godwit

Spotted Redshank

Another Osprey was sighted flying over and being mobbed by Carrion Crows and also seen from the hide were Teal, 2 Shelduck, Mallard, Moorhen, Black-headed Gull, Little Egret and a Grey Heron.

We then moved on to the Tower Hide overlooking the River Axe and the Seaton Tramway and settled down as the tide began to head in. A Water Rail was heard calling in the reeds and a distant Peregrine was noted circling high overhead while out on the estuary 2 Oystercatchers were seen  bringing the wader total for the day to 15 species.

The Island Hide from the Tower Hide

Seaton Tram passing in front of the Tower Hide

Mute Swan, Canada Geese, Mallard, 4 Curlew (1 with a yellow leg flag marked OL), Cormorant and Little Egret were also noted and in amongst the ducks feeding out on the water were a male Gadwall and 5 Wigeon. The hide was busy again with Birders and Toggers all hoping for an Osprey to appear and eventually Mavis picked one up high overhead and flying towards us. It then started to fish right in front of the hide and we had great views of it, at one point it took a dive into the water but we never got to see it as a Tram passed by just at that moment and blocked our view, the passengers on the Tram would have had an amazing view of it though.

Osprey

Osprey

It disappeared downriver with all the Gulls scattering along the way and the Carrion Crows mobbing it before it returned and flew past the hide with a fish in its talons. It eventually landed in a tree upriver where with my scope I could just see its head amongst the leaves as it ate its meal but what amazing and close views of what is a surprisingly large and long-winged bird we had had.

It was soon time to head home but it had been a brilliant day's birding - if only Blaxton Meadow on the River Plym was as good! (and with big thanks to Mavis as always for driving me there).