Dartmoor Frits and Cornwall Blues

It was forecasted to be warm and sunny on Monday 3rd June so I planned a trip out to Dartmoor to look for butterflies. However on waking up in the morning the forecast had changed and while it would still be warm it was going to now be overcast but I decided to head out anyway for a look about.

I arrived off the bus at around 11am to grey skies but it did feel warm and humid despite the lack of sunshine. A look about for butterflies drew a complete blank but I did get a good view of a Marsh Tit while Chiffchaff and Blackcap were heard singing away and Siskins songflighted overhead.

I decided to walk over to nearby Grenofen Woods and along the way picked up a Red Kite soaring high up in the sky and heading west, my first in Devon this year. Even better was a very pristine looking Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary trying to bask in the non-existent sunshine and also showing off its beautifully marked underwings at times.

Red Kite

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary 

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary 

A Garden Warbler showed very well as it sang in the top of a tall Oak tree while another 2 singing males were heard only and a further 2 silent birds showed briefly in the undergrowth. A pair of Stonechat, 3 Linnet, 2 Rook, 2 Swift, 3 House Martin, numerous singing Willow Warblers, 2 Raven and 2 male Yellowhammers were also seen but sadly there was still no sign of any Tree Pipits.

Yellowhammer

I also found a few more butterflies despite the lack of sunshine with 2 male Brimstone, 2 Holly Blue, a Small Heath, 2 Red Admiral and another 10 Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries all seen before I headed back home on the bus. And as usual by the time I arrived back at my front door the sun appeared!

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary 

Crambus lathoniellus - Hook-streaked Grass- veneer

It was still overcast on Tuesday 4th June but much cooler in the breeze. I caught the 7am bus to Wembury and with the tide ebbing I hoped to beat the dog walkers again but I was out of luck! However there was very little along the beach anyway, just the usual Oystercatchers and Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls along with a Little Egret, 2 Shelduck and 12 Mallard (including 2 females and 2 farmyard type males)

Mucky Mallards

The summer birding doldrums are now here and my walk was interesting and enjoyable but with the usual and expected birds present, the highlights being fledgling Robin, Blackbird, Great Tit and Stonechat, the singing Cetti's Warbler, 3 Ravens mobbing a Buzzard and 2 Swallows feeding over the sheep fields.

Stonechat

Stonechat 

The cooler weather meant fewer insects were about and I found just 2 Speckled Woods on the butterfly front with other highlights being a mangled Ruby Tiger Moth with just one wing, Drinker, Lackey and Depressia daucella caterpillars, Dark Bush-cricket nymphs, Common Carpets and a Celypha lacunana.

Speckled Wood

Common Carpet

Celypha lacunana

Thursday 6th June was forecasted to be warm and sunny after a cool start and so I headed off down to Hayle on the train for a visit to the nearby Upton Towans nature reserve. It was indeed a cool start to the day but by lunchtime it was more than warm, becoming quite hot despite the breeze.

I bought 2 train tickets again, a return to Saltash from Plymouth and a return to Hayle from Saltash and I saved myself £5.80 on the ticket price despite catching exactly the same trains! Madness! 

Upton Towans

I arrived at Upton Towans at around 11am and within a few minutes I had found a male Silver-studded Blue but it quickly dashed off. Eventually I began to see more and more of them flitting about and I ended up getting some very good and close views of them with at least 2 females also seen. It wasn't quite the butterfly-fest I've experienced on previous visits, probably because of the earlier date, but there were good numbers present.

Silver-studded Blue

Silver-studded Blue 

Silver-studded Blue - freshly emerged

Silver-studded Blue - female

Silver-studded Blue - another female

Silver-studded Blue 

Silver-studded Blue - with minimal studs

Also seen were my first Brown Argus and 2 Large Skipper of the year along with a Speckled Wood, a Red Admiral, a Small Heath, Common Blues (all looking very worn) and a Cream-spot Tiger Moth. There were also Pyramidal Orchids dotted throughout the dunes and coming into bloom along with a single flowering Southern Marsh Orchid.

Brown Argus

Brown Argus

It was quiet birdwise with a Sand Martin, a Little Egret, 2 Canada Geese and 2 Swallows flying over and Herring Gulls and a Fulmar seen offshore. A singing Whitethroat showed very well and Linnets, Stonechats, Meadow Pipits, a Starling, House Sparrows and Blackbirds were also seen.

Herring Gull chicks, Hayle Railway Station

All in all a very enjoyable couple of hours wandering around the dunes in the sunshine and with a tasty Philps pasty for a late lunch on the train journey back home.