Curlew Sandpiper at Wembury

Along with Glossy Ibis there is quite an influx of Curlew Sandpipers going on at the moment and with them being one of my favourite waders I've been keen to try and catch up with one. A single bird had been reported on The Plym but it must have moved on as I failed to find it there on my visit on Friday 12th September but there have been regular reports coming through of birds being seen at Bowling Green Marsh and so I planned a visit there the next day for the high tide roost.

The September weather continues to be dire, it's mostly cool, wet and windy but I figured I would at least keep dry in the hide at Bowling Green Marsh if it rained. However I had a message from local birder Jenny of a Curlew Sandpiper being found along the beach at Wembury and so I switched plans and decided to visit there instead. The weather may be dire but the forecasting isn't that great either, Saturday 13th September was meant to be breezy and dry with sunny spells but as I was getting ready to leave the house to catch the 7am bus a torrential downpour rattled through. Luckily I decided to take an umbrella with me and I was very glad I did as more heavy downpours passed through while I was on my walk at Wembury but at least it kept the majority of walkers and dogs at home.

On arriving off the bus at Wembury I headed straight out to the sewage pipe at The Point where Jenny had seen the Curlew Sandpiper the previous day. The tide was heading in and it was going to be another high spring tide with the onshore breeze pushing the water up even higher onto the beach. I had a look about but all I could find were a few Oystercatchers hunkered down on the sand along with a few Black-headed and Mediterranean Gulls. Eventually 4 Bar-tailed Godwits appeared from under the cliff where they had been feeding out of sight and with them was a small wader which turned out to be the Curlew Sandpiper - result!

Curlew Sandpiper with Bar-tailed Godwit

Curlew Sandpiper and Bar-tailed Godwit

It gave some great views as it fed along the beach in the company of the Godwits and was eventually joined by 2 Sanderlings with all 3 species often in binocular view at the same time and all showing very crisp and smart plumage. It is only my third Wembury sighting of a Curlew Sandpiper and so much better (and cheaper) than travelling up to Bowling Green Marsh to see one.

Curlew Sandpiper and Sanderling

Curlew Sandpiper and Sanderling

Curlew Sandpiper

Curlew Sandpiper 

Also seen along the beach were 6 Little Egrets, 2 Curlews, a Turnstone, a Common Sandpiper and a Wheatear but the biggest surprise was a Kingfisher which flew into the bushes on the cliff face before being chased off by a Chiffchaff, not a regular sighting at Wembury. 

Other sightings of note included Gannets offshore, 5 Cirl Buntings (2 males) in the stubble field with 2 Canada Geese and 2 Pheasants, overhead Kestrel and Buzzard, an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull amongst the Gulls in the stubble field and 3 Rabbits in the horse field. Best of all though was a Peregrine which swooped along the beach scattering the waders, it chased down one of the Bar-tailed Godwits out to sea before giving up and heading off towards The Yealm.

I walked up to the dead tree along Brownhill Lane again before catching the bus home, the Rose-coloured Starling hasn't been seen for a week now and it wasn't present today although the usual Starlings were perched up on the nearby telegraph wires.

And so I've achieved my Autumn Five quite straightforwardly this year with Curlew Sandpiper completing the set (although I did see the overwintering bird on The Plym back in January and February). I've also managed to see 4 out of the 5 in the Plymouth area as well (Osprey, Yellow Wagtail, Little Stint and Curlew Sandpiper) which is not particularly easy to achieve and I've never seen Wood Sandpiper in the Plymouth area before anyway.  However it does now feel like summer is done and I'm entering what is for me the quietest birding time of the year but who knows what is next?

Another Plym Osprey

The weather is very changeable at the moment, very unlike recent Septembers which have been mostly very pleasant affairs, and with Monday 8th September looking likely to be the best day of weather for the week I headed out to The Plym for a walk.

I didn't get going until late and arrived off the bus at Laira Bridge at just before 1pm on what was a very low tide. The usual birds were seen out on the mudflats including the 3 juvenile Shelduck when suddenly most of the Gulls took to the air although they made relatively little noise and quickly began to return back down to the mudflats. I had a good scan about but couldn't find anything to indicate what had spooked them and then I finally saw an Osprey quite high up in the sky and carrying a fish as it headed over Chelson Meadow towards Stag Lodge, loosing height as it went. I hadn't seen it catch the fish although the water level was extremely low on The Plym with it being a low Spring tide and it quite possibly is the same bird I saw on the 25th August as it took exactly the same route with it's fish.

I decided to take a walk up The Dell footpath towards Stag Lodge, a route I rarely take, and I checked out all the big trees along the way in the hope of finding the Ospreys feeding tree but I had no luck. 

The other highlight of my walk were 2 Whinchat on Chelson Meadow,  unfortunately they were very mobile and distant and viewing into the sun was tricky but I was glad to find them. A Small Copper, a Small Heath, Common Blues, Meadow Browns and 3 Clouded Yellows were also seen here along with a male Stonechat.

The tide was heading in by the time I arrived at Blaxton Meadow and from the bird hide I counted 30 Curlew, 17 Oystercatcher, 10 Greenshank, 2 Dunlin and a Common Sandpiper plus the usual uncounted Redshanks. The 3 juvenile Shelduck seen earlier out on the estuary were now roosting here and the juvenile Great Crested Grebe was back in its usual spot by the sluice gates.

Redshanks

I had the moth box out in the back yard that night, it was forecast to be clear and cool but again looked likely to be the best night of weather for the week so I gave it a go as my mothing endeavours will begin to wind down for the year now.

It did at least remain dry overnight and in the morning there were moths (and Wasps) in the trap. There were 6 Large Yellow Underwings, my highest catch of the year so far but way down on my usual back yard numbers and with them was a single Lesser Yellow Underwing. A Pale Mottled Willow was the highlight with a Box Tree Moth, a Mullein Wave, a Tachystola acroxantha, 2 Willow Beauty and a Garden Carpet making up the rest of a small catch.

Pale Mottled Willow

I had planned to be up and out of the door early on Friday 12th September and walk around Saltram and The Plym before the showers arrived but I couldn't get myself going, however news coming through of a juvenile Knot on Blaxton Meadow had me getting my arse into gear and heading out for a look.

I arrived at the viewing bench at The Meadow at around 9:30am as the spring high tide was reaching its zenith, water was pouring through the sluice gates but the breezy conditions were pushing water over the top of the sluice gate wall as well. Blaxton was a lake but amongst the roosting Redshanks along the back wall I eventually found the Knot, it was mostly sleeping but showed a beautiful peachy pink flush to its grey plumage along with a lovely pair of green legs.

There were also 2 Dunlin, 2 Common Sandpiper, 11 Greenshank, 21 Oystercatcher, a Whimbrel and 31 Curlew present along with the 3 juvenile Shelduck, a single Mandarin and an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull amongst all the usuals.

Whimbrel with Curlew

News of a Wryneck on Chelson had me heading over there for a look but as expected it was a no show for me (my third Wryneck dip here now) although I didn't spend as long as I should have looking for it especially as it was reseen later in the afternnon. Clouded Yellows were flitting about here though, at least 3 were seen, and also present were a Small Copper, a Small Heath, a Painted Lady, Large Whites, Common Blues, Red Admirals and Meadow Browns.

Clouded Yellow

Meadow Brown

I headed back to Blaxton Meadow and along the way sightings of note were 2 Green Woodpeckers, a Swallow, 2 Stock Dove and Ring-necked Parakeets while at the duck pond the female Wood Duck was present with a single Mandarin.

Back at The Meadow the Knot was still amongst the roosting Redshank, the regular juvenile Great Crested Grebe was seen out on the water and 2 Mute Swans were sleeping on one of the islands amongst the Canada Geese. On the walk back to Marsh Mills another Mute Swan was seen sleeping amongst the Canada Geese out on the mudflats by the gas pipe and along the river my first 3 Little Grebes of the autumn were noted, 2 adults still in breeding plumage and a juvenile bird.

Vapourer Caterpillar rescued off the footpath

Glossy Ibis

Friday 5th September was pleasantly warm and sunny after all the recent wind and rain and so we decided to take a walk from Thurlestone to Hope Cove and back. The summer school holidays are now finally over so it was fairly quiet on the people and dog front and therefore a much more enjoyable walk for it.

The walk to Hope Cove was uneventful with the only sightings of note being a Raven flying overhead and a lone Moorhen on South Huish Marsh where Swallows, House Martins and Sand Martins were flitting about over the water. 

South Huish Marsh

We had lunch in The Cottage Hotel in Hope Cove, we've never been there before and it was quite delightful with good food and beer, a calm and genteel old world charm and a lovely view of the sea from the terrace from where we watched a Grey Seal poking its snout out of the water just off the main beach before it disappeared beneath the waves. 

The walk back to Thurlestone was more eventful with a Kestrel and 2 Buzzards seen along the cliffpath and 2 Shags seen resting down on the rocks. With Glossy Ibis popping up everywhere in Devon and Cornwall at the moment I checked out a Glossy Ibis type bird flying over South Huish Marsh but it turned out to be just a Cormorant as I expected, however on scanning across the back of the Marsh I picked up an actual Glossy Ibis circling around and as it turned in the sky the sunlight caught the beautiful iridescence of its plumage. It landed and began to feed although unfortunately it soon moved into a ditch and was lost from sight but I was very pleased to catch up with one after having missed the 2 seen on The Plym on Wednesday.

I checked out the toilet block near the golf course, it used to be a good spot for moths but today only a Bloxworth Snout was present. I took a photo of it using my flash but everytime I pushed the shutter button the hand drier came on briefly, very bizarre, but I've often thought butterflies and especially moths can also detect the camera sensor as they will often fly off just as I take a photo.

Bloxworth Snout

It was forecasted to be another good day of weather the next day (Saturday 6th September) so I decided to head out to Wembury on the 7am bus for a look about. It was indeed a nice day but there was a stiff south-easterly breeze which hampered viewing a bit and I really should have had a lie in and caught the 9am bus instead but never mind.

The tide was ebbing and along the beach with the usual Oystercatchers were a Curlew, 3 Ringed Plover and a Turnstone. Also present were 4 Little Egret and 2 Wheatear along with Herring, Black-headed, Mediterranean, Great Black-backed and Lesser Black-backed Gulls. One of the adult Mediterranean Gulls was sporting a yellow leg ring but without my scope it was too far away to read, I moved closer for a better look but it had disappeared amongst the roosting flock when I tried to refind it.

Curlew

Wheatear

Gulls

Otherwise it was all much the same with the highlights being a few Gannets offshore, a Sparrowhawk, 2 Buzzards and 2 Kestrels overhead, a trickle of Swallows and House Martins moving east along with a Sand Martin, a Whitethroat sunning itself out of the wind at The Point and 9 Canada Geese feeding in the stubble field.

I decided to have another look for the Rose-coloured Starling before heading home although the news had been negative so far that morning. I had seen the Starlings in their usual dead tree earlier when passing by on the bus but on walking up the hill to the dead tree there wasn't a Starling in sight, Rose-coloured or otherwise. A flock of Starlings did fly overhead at one point but the Rosy wasn't in with them and it remained a no show until the bus arrived to take me home.

Rose-coloured Starling at Wembury

Meteorlogical Autumn has arrived and the weather on Monday 1st September was definitely feeling autumnal, all cool and breezy with sunny spells and occassional spits of rain, and with a Rose-coloured Starling having been found at Wembury over the weekend I caught the 7am bus out there to go and have a look for it.

The Rose-coloured Starling had been hanging out with a mobile flock of Starlings and was regularly being seen in a dead tree at the junction of Brownhill Lane and Mewstone Avenue, right opposite a bus stop, but on arriving off the bus there the tree was birdless. I walked to the other end of the lane and met local birder Paul checking out a flock of Starlings perched up on the telegraph wires but the Rose-coloured version was nowhere to be seen amongst them. The flock was very mobile and regularly flew back and forth along the lane but after an hour and a half of a no show I decided to go for a walk around the nearby streets for a look about. There was still no sign of it but on arriving back at the bus stop I suddenly saw it fly in with a few Starlings and land in the dead tree - result!

Rose-cloured Starling

Rose-coloured Starling with Starlings

Rose-coloured Starling with Starlings

It showed very well but was quite mobile at times, flying off and out of view before eventually returning to the dead tree and I enjoyed some good views of what is only my 5th sighting of one and my 2nd at Wembury, the others being seen at Exminster, Penzance and Paignton.

Rose-coloured Starling 

Rose-coloured Starling with Starling

I then headed out to The Point for a look about, there was a big feeding flock of Gulls close to shore in the choppy seas but I could only find Black-headed, Mediterranean, Herring, Great Black-backed and 2 Lesser Black-backed present. Gannets and Kittiwakes were more distant offshore and a single Auk species was seen heading west.

A Clouded Yellow, a Comma, a Common Blue, a Painted Lady, Meadow Brown and Large and Small Whites were seen despite the windy conditions and the only other sighting of note was a poorly looking juvenile Mediterranean Gull along the footpath which seemed unable to fly despite vigorously flapping its wings.

We had a walk around Saltram on Tuesday 2nd September, it was warm and humid with occassional mizzle spells in cloudy skies and the neap tide was heading in but with no water coming through the sluice gates into Blaxton Meadow. The usual birds were seen on our walk with the highlights being 9 Greenshank on the Meadow, a Common Sandpiper and a Kingfisher from the railway bridge, 4 Mute Swan along the river and the female Wood Duck on the duck pond.

Wood Duck

It was forecasted to be wet and windy overnight and so I decided to try a seawatch on Wednesday 3rd September. I did think of going to Berry Head but couldn't be arsed with all the faffing about to get there and I also considered trying Penlee for the first time but again the faff of getting there put me off and so I headed out to good old Wembury instead, that well known mecca for seawatching (not!).

I had heard heavy rain falling at times during the night but there seemed to be very little wind and when the alarm clock went off at 5:30am the rain was beginning to ease off and it was all very quiet. I caught the 6:30am bus out to Wembury and the rain had stopped by the time I arrived, the wind wasn't very strong either as I headed out to The Point to meet local birder Jenny. We began to scan about, the seas weren't as choppy as I was expecting but there was quite a swell and frequent heavy showers rattled through in the grey skies. We easily found Gannets moving about offshore as well as Kittiwakes, Mediterranean Gulls, at least 2 Fulmars and "Commic" Terns along with the usual Shags and Gulls but otherwise it seemed very quiet.

I did pick up a small Shearwater feeding closer in to shore, it flew short distances away from me before ditching down on the water and I eventually caught a glimpse of its dusky underparts indicating it was indeed a Balearic (or Mediterranean) Shearwater. A group of 3 Balearic Shearwaters were then seen feeding together in the same style and then later another single bird was seen a bit further out. There were also 5 Manx Shearwaters seen flying west, a pair and 3 singles and showing off their white underparts as they sheared over the waves.

I also picked up a pale phase Arctic Skua moving west but quickly lost sight of it, shortly after I picked up another pale phase bird harassing a Kittiwake, this one was darker looking than the first one I saw but I eventually lost sight of it as well.

The birds offshore started to fizzle out and Jenny headed home as I started the walk back towards the bus stop. Along the way I saw the usual birds with a Sanderling, 6 Sandwich Tern (3 adults, 3 juveniles), at least 120 Mediterranean Gulls and 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls of note before another hefty shower arrived and I sheltered in the lee of a hedge to avoid the worst of it. After it cleared through I had another scan offshore and picked up a feeding group of Gannet and Kittiwake and flying past behind them was an immature Great Skua which was a nice but sadly all too brief surprise.

I decided to go and have another look for the Rose-coloured Starling before catching the bus home, it was still being reported as present in the same area as on Monday and on arriving I quickly found it perched up on telegraph wires with the Starling flock and flying down into nearby gardens to feed on Elderberries. Suddenly everything took to the air and the flock flew off high to the south, probably due to the overhead prescence of 2 soaring Sparrowhawks, and the flock hadn't returned by the time my bus back to Plymouth arrived but at least I'd had another view of it.

Rose-coloured Starling with a Starling

Rose-coloured Starling

Whinchats, Yellow Wagtail and a Wryneck

I caught the 7am bus out to Wembury on Friday 29th August, it had rained heavily overnight although I had slept right through it but I hoped it might have mixed things up a bit on the birding front. It must have been quite an overnight deluge though as the stream by the road leading down to the beach had burst its banks and was flowing over the tarmac and the road surface was quite damaged in places. The footpath down the valley to the beach was quite seriously eroded away too and along my walk the steeper sections of footpath were equally the worse for wear.

Valley to the beach footpath - all eroded away down to a membrane after just one night of very heavy rain

I started off my walk by heading up to the church and I set up my scope for a look offshore, I nearly didn't bring my scope out with me but I'm glad I did as a flock of around 100 Kittiwake were resting on the water just to the east of The Mewstone before they took to the air and headed west. Later at The Point there were around 50 Kittiwake roosting on the western end of The Mewstone before they too headed west and while watching them another flock of around 100 Kittiwake flew through low over the waves heading west as well. This flock contained quite a few juveniles amongst it and as I scanned the trailing end with my scope I picked up the menacing prescence of a pale phase Arctic Skua following behind. It soon caught up with the flock of Kittiwakes which then flew up higher above the skyline with the Arctic Skua joining them before it passed the front of the flock and returned close to the water as it continued west.

Along the beach the usual Oystercatchers were roosting with a Curlew, 2 Whimbrel and 4 Little Egrets and I finally found a ringed juvenile Mediterranean Gull amongst the roosting Gulls, my first of this autumn following a total blank last year.

Whimbrel

Mediterranean Gull 3JJ5 - ringed in Belgium on 26/6/25

A Sparrowhawk buzzed low over the Bracken by The Pines, later presumably the same bird had a dash through the pines at the Radar Station in an attempt to catch any of the Wren, Long-tailed Tit, Chiffchaff, Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Robin or Great Tit feeding amongst the foliage although I didn't see if it was successful or not. A Grey Heron also flew overhead and was given short shrift by some Carrion Crows, it foolishly flew over to The Mewstone where it was given even shorter shrift by the Herring Gulls before appearing to land out of sight.

Just 1 Clouded Yellow was seen today but there were still good numbers of Common Blue, Meadow Brown, Small and Large Whites and Small Copper about. A Common Darter and a Southern Hawker were also seen.

Small Copper - a lovely and underrated butterfly and still around in good numbers

Southern Hawker

Other birds of note on my walk were a Jay flying over the hillside above the wheatfield, 2 Kestrels and 5 Buzzards overhead, Gannets offshore, 2 Fulmars on The Mewstone, 2 Grey Wagtails over heading west before 1 returned east and a noisy Green Woodpecker flying into The Pines.

On my previous visit to Wembury last Tuesday I had walked along the cliff path towards Noss Mayo but only as far as the farm ponds, I should have walked further as a report appeared on the Devon Birds website that afternoon of Osprey and Whinchat being seen near Clitter Woods. I've never walked that far along the path before so I decided to go and take a look about, I guess it's pushing the boundaries of my Wembury patch but it's still technically Wembury so I'm going to allow it. 

I eventually found the ploughed field mentioned in the report although it was a longer walk to it than I expected, there was no sighting of an Osprey along The Yealm for me but I did find at least 4 mobile Whinchat feeding amongst the furrowed soil along with 3 Wheatears, Stonechats and "Alba" Wagtails. The surrounding hedgerow contained Whitethroats, Cirl Buntings and Chiffchaffs and I thought the loveliest yellow thing I would see all day was a beautiful juvenile Willow Warbler that was feeding with them but then I found a Yellow Wagtail out in the field which gave some great scope views, an absolutely gorgeous bird and nowhere near as neurotic as Yellow Wagtails usually are.

Whinchat

Yellow Wagtail and White Wagtail

With a Wryneck being found at Turf on The Exe I thought it would be a one day wonder but 5 days later it was still present and often showing exceptionally well so I decided to go take a look on Sunday 31st August. I had planned to catch the 8:30am train but after imbibing a little too much fermented liquid the night before at our nephew Paul's 40th birthday party I didn't wake up in time and caught the 10:30am train instead!

It was a cool and breezy day with sunny spells and some heavy rain showers that rattled in on the wind and I did get a bit of a soaking on my walk from Starcross to Turf Locks. I had also been woken up in the night a few times by crippling leg cramps, something I don't usually suffer from, and my calfs were extremely sore the next morning and not ideal for a long walk but I took things slowly. I was surprised though to find out it's a 3 mile walk from Starcross to Turf, I knew it was a good way but hadn't realised it was quite that far.

Anyway, I quickly found the Wryneck on arriving at the lock gates when a helpful birder present pointed it out preening away in a bush right by the path. It then gave us a 5 minute fly around as it flitted from bush to bush and grassy area to grassy area until it finally settled on the stone work of the lock and began to feed in earnest on insects in the cracks. It gave amazingly close views and I could see it's tongue flicking in and out as it fed, I also got some good views of its fantastic looking feet and claws.

Wryneck

Wryneck

Wryneck

Wryneck showing off its tongue

This is now my 10th UK Wryneck with 9 having being seen here in Devon (6 at Wembury (3 self found there), 1 at Dawlish Warren, 1 at Ford Park Cemetery in Plymouth and todays bird) and 1 on The Isles of Scilly but it's by far and away the best views I've ever had of one, quite ridiculous at times as it fed unconcerned just a few feet away.

Wryneck

Wryneck

Wryneck

Wryneck

I walked on to the viewing platform overlooking the lagoon, I didn't have my scope with me and a quick scan around didn't reveal the reported Glossy Ibis but birds of note from here were 3 Lapwing, a Black-tailed Godwit, Sand Martins and Gadwalls.

I returned to the lock gates where the Wryneck was still showing very well but eventually I had to tear myself away and start the walk back to Starcross.

Wryneck

Wryneck

Wryneck

Wryneck

A very confiding Wryneck!

Along the way I had some good views of waders out on the mudflats as the tide receded and including a Whimbrel, Ringed Plovers, Dunlin, 3 Grey Plovers and 3 Black-tailed Godwits. A Kingfisher flew along the sea wall while in the nearby fields at least 15 Cattle Egrets were feeding amongst the cattle and long grass. An adult and noisy juvenile Sandwich Tern were feeding over the water and a poorly looking Golden Plover was seen on the mud near the lock gates.

Golden Plover

All in all a good day out and a nice end to the month of August!

Osprey and Whinchats

The August Bank Holiday weekend duly arrived and the weather was dry and sunny, perfect for our nephew Camerons wedding to Nieve on Saturday 23rd August at Rumleigh Farm in the Tamar Valley near Bere Alston. An overnight stay at the Wetherspoons in Tavistock and taxis to and from the Farm were all booked and off we headed to enjoy the celebrations. Being a very rural location and right by the River Tamar I hoped there would be some wildlife to enjoy amongst the festivities and indeed I had an interesting time.

I felt a little sorry for a nest of Swallows, it was just inside the entrance to the toilets with the bright lights and the noise from the live band keeping them awake until gone Midnight. They were a few days off fledging with adult feathering but still sporting yellow lined gapes.

Small Bats were flying around the farm buildings, probably Pipistrelles, and down by the river Bats were seen feeding over the water at dusk, presumably Daubenton's. I could hear Teal, Mallard and Common Sandpipers down by the river too as dusk turned to night along with the hootings of at least 4 Tawny Owls in the trees nearby and I also had to rescue a young Goat that had gotten its head stuck through a wire fence, a good grasp on its horns and some gentle manoeuvring soon had it freed and returning to the flock.

I had the moth box out in the back yard on Sunday 24th August and the next morning found 5 Box Tree Moths in the trap, 4 light forms and 1 dark. I'm not sure if I'll catch any next year as the topiary Box Trees in the nearby park have been totally decimated by their caterpillars. 

Box Tree Moth - white and melanic forms

Box Topiary in the nearby Park - or rather what's left of it

Box Topiary - totally defoliated

There were only 2 Large Yellow Underwing in the trap (where are they all this year?) along with a single Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing and also of note were a Marbled Green, 2 Mullein Wave, a very worn Maidens Blush and a Eudonia pallida plus quite a few Wasps.

Oak Eggar (male) - caught by David on the allotment

After sorting out the trap I caught the bus out to Marsh Mills for an early morning walk around Saltram, high tide was around 8am and with it being Bank Holiday Monday and a sunny day I was keen to get out and back before the hordes arrived. Blaxton Meadow was back to being a lake with water still streaming in through the sluice gates when I arrived there and the only small waders I found were 2 Common Sandpipers and a Dunlin. The usual Redshanks were roosting along the back wall and also present were 30 Curlew, 3 Oystercatcher, a Whimbrel, 8 Greenshank and a Black-tailed Godwit. The juvenile Great Crested Grebe was still present too and looking much more at home on the large expanse of water and a Kingfisher and 2 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls were also seen.

Blaxton Meadow becoming Blaxton Lake

I headed onwards to Chelson Meadow to look for Whinchats, noting a very active Spotted Flycatcher around the dipping pond along the way. The Meadow seemed very quiet at first with a Skylark and a Whitethroat the only birds of note until I picked up an Osprey flying over carrying a fish and very likely the same bird I saw last Friday. It was heading in the direction of Stag Lodge and I watched it in the hope it would land in a tree where I could get a good look at it but it kept going and I lost sight of it.

Chelson Meadow - not for much longer as solar farm construction very likely to be starting soon

With more scanning of the Meadow I eventually found 2 Whinchats out in the long grass along with at least 4 Stonechat (1 male), they were all very mobile and difficult to track as they seemed to just disappear before reappearing elsewhere but I was pleased to finally see my first Whinchat of 2025. I also found my first Plym Small Copper of the year and again there were quite a few Clouded Yellows flitting about which I gave up counting in the end. A Roe Deer and a Hummingbird Hawkmoth were also seen here before it was time to return home to escape the heat and the building crowds.

I headed out to Wembury on the 7am bus the next morning (Tuesday 26th August), it was cooler and breezy following a little overnight rain and I wished I had put on a jumper before leaving the house. The sun soon got going though and it became warm and humid and a jumper was no longer required.

Wembury

It was coming up to high tide and the breeze was whipping up the waves which were surging up the beach, the Gulls were loving it as they fed in the surf but the Oystercatchers and Little Egrets trying to roost along the beach weren't so keen. A Curlew, a Whimbrel and 6 Turnstone were also present along with the usual Mediterranean Gulls, none of which were sporting any leg rings. 

Whimbrel and Black-headed Gull

Mediterranean Gull

Little Egret

With The Plym throwing up some good birding in the past week I was hoping for Wembury to do the same but it was fairly quiet on my walk with the highlights being 3 Wheatear on the rocks below the horse field, 5 Swallows over heading west, a Moorhen heard at the farm ponds, Whitethroats flitting about in the bushes and a Sandwich Tern flying west offshore.

There were good numbers of Small Copper flitting about, they seem to have suddenly had a good emergence, and also seen were Common Blue, Meadow Brown, Large White, Speckled Wood, Small White, Red Admiral, a Peacock, a Painted Lady and a Hummingbird Hawkmoth. A male Beautiful Demoiselle was resting by the stream in the valley to the beach  and 3 Rabbit were feeding in the horse field.

Peacock

Small Copper