A Day Trip to Penzance

I decided to treat myself to a Dolphin and Seabird boat trip with my birthday money and after checking out dates, times, places and prices I picked a 4 hour Discovery Voyage out of Penzance with Marine Discovery on Monday 28th July.

Shearwater II - The Marine Discovery catamaran (photo courtesy of the Marine Discovery website)

I've been on trips with them before, the first 2 were in 2008 and 2009 on a RIB and not the most comfortable of experiences but my third trip with them in 2017 was on Shearwater II, a sail and motor catamaran, and it was a much more enjoyable trip.

I headed off to Penzance on the 8:09am train from Plymouth, I split the ticket and bought a return from Plymouth to Saltash and then a return from Saltash to Penzance in order to use my Devon and Cornwall Railcard and to save some money and I arrived in Penzance on time at around 10:10am.

With a Wood Sandpiper being reported at Marazion over the weekend I decided to go and have a look for it before my 1pm boat departure from Penzance. I caught the bus out to Marazion and quickly found the Wood Sandpiper feeding along the waters edge at the back of the scrape but it was distant, I didn't have my scope with me and the visibility wasn't great with an unforecasted rain shower suddenly arriving.

Wood Sandpiper

Having seen the Wood Sandpiper so quickly and with a Laughing Gull having been found along the beach at nearby Long Rock the previous day I decided to go and have a look for it. It had been seen again that morning but had flown off before it was later refound at nearby Eastern Green and so I kept my fingers crossed.

On arriving at Eastern Green the tide was heading out and along the beach were feeding groups of Gulls, mostly Herring, Black-headed and Mediterranean with a few Great and Lesser Black-backed Gulls mixed in but despite searching there was no sign of the Laughing Gull. A small flock of around 30 waders was also feeding along the beach and consisted of Ringed Plover, Dunlin and Sanderling but they were being constantly disturbed by copious dog walkers along with the Gulls.

It was eventually time for me to leave Eastern Green for the walk to the quay in Penzance for my boat trip but I figured I could have another look for the Laughing Gull on returning to shore before catching the train back to Plymouth.

We set sail on our Discovery Voyage on time, the sea was fairly calm but a bit swelly and despite the cloudy skies with occassional sunny spells there was no more rain.

It seemed pretty quiet to begin with but soon warmed up and despite not seeing any unusual sea birds I did have some great views of Kittiwake, Manx Shearwater, Gannet, 2 Fulmar and 2 Guillemot along with a very brief view of a probable Storm Petrel species. 

Gannet

Manx Shearwaters

There were 6 Grey Seals hauled out on St.Clements Island and Tuna occassionally made lots of splash at the water surface. Cetaceans were the stars of the show though with some nice views of 2+Risso's Dolphins and some even nicer views of a pod of around 20 Common Dolphins which came very close in to the front of the boat.

Grey Seals

Risso's Dolphin - photo courtesy of the Marine Discovery website

Risso's Dolphin - photo courtesy of the Marine Discovery website

Common Dolphin

Common Dolphin

It really was an enjoyable trip indeed with some great wildlife sightings and some informative commentary from the guides. It was just lovely being out at sea with the stunning Cornish coastline as a backdrop (we ended up about 12 miles out in the end) and the catamaran experience was really fun and quite relaxing.

The Pellew of Falmouth passing us by

The Laughing Gull had been refound just after I had left Eastern Green - typical! - and as our boat sailed out of Penzance harbour I could see a gaggle of birders on the beach at Eastern Green presumably enjoying good views of it. However it had flown off again by the time I arrived back from the boat trip, I did go and have a quick look for it anyway but as expected it was nowhere to be seen - such is birding but I can't complain as it had been a great day out and I would really recommend a trip with Marine Discovery.

Wembury Visits and a Dartmoor Day

I headed out to Wembury for a walk on Wednesday 23rd July, I caught the 9:05am bus and started my visit by walking along the coastpath towards the River Yealm. I checked out the farm ponds again for Moorhens, I didn't see any but I heard an adult calling along with the cheeping of 2 chicks. A bonus sighting along the path was a Peregrine circling over the cliffs before it drifted away, my first at Wembury this year.

I then walked back to Wembury Point, it was low tide and out on the rocks were the usual Oystercatchers along with 3 Little Egret, a Whimbrel and at least 17 Mediterranean Gull which included 2 juveniles and a ringed adult. Offshore a few adult Gannets were moving west including a group of 5 and there were 2 Fulmar still present on The Mewstone cliff face.

A juvenile Willow Warbler was very showy at The Point along with Cirl Buntings, Whitethroats, Stonechats and Linnets while a Meadow Pipit feeding in the horse field with Pied Wagtails was an early autumn sighting.

Willow Warbler

Robin

There were plenty of Butterflies flitting about with many Gatekeepers on the wing and it was good to see Wall Brown in continuing good numbers.

Painted Lady

Large White

A mating pair of Beautiful Demoiselle and a mating pair of Azure Damselfly were seen in the valley to the beach and 3 Common Lizard were basking in the sun on the wooden fences.

Beautiful Demoiselle

Azure Damselfly

Common Lizard

We had a trip to the beach at Cawsand on Thursday 24th July, it was warm and sunny and surprisingly our first trip of the year. It was quiet on the wildlife front but the usual Mediterranean Gulls were flying about along the shoreline and also further offshore and a few flyby Silver-washed Fritillary were noted along the coastpath along with Gatekeeper, Comma, Red Admiral, Meadow Brown and Large and Small Whites.

On our return home we found an interloper on the flat roof with Birdy, another juvenile Herring Gull but larger and able to fly. The parents were not happy about it's prescence and were making lots of noise and Birdy wasn't keen either and would half-heartedly peck at it if it came too close but the next morning they were both cosied up together and having a preen in the Ivy leaves. I'm not sure where he has come from, I don't think he belongs to our Herring Gull family but the adults eventually accepted him and have been feeding him while becoming very territorial again.

The Squatter (front bird) and Birdy

The Squatter (front bird) and Birdy

I have also noticed that one of Birdys parents has very dark eyes giving it a distinctive, eerie look. Maybe it's a genetic abnormality or possibly a sign of a previous infection with Avian flu.

Birdys Parents

We headed up to Dartmoor for a walk on Friday 25th July, it was a hot and sunny day and we hoped it would be a little cooler at a higher altitude which indeed it was somewhat. Before we left the house I had to rescue a Magpie which had flown into the bedroom through the open window and which was actually a lot easier to catch and release than I expected it to be.

We ended up at Warren House on Dartmoor for our walk and headed down the valley to Golden Dagger, it was our first visit here of the year and it was an interesting walk as we rarely visit Warren House in July. Very noticeable was how high and how extensive the Bracken was, also noticeable and a little concerning were the large number of dead clumps of Heather dotted across the landscape.

I had hoped to catch up with my first Whinchat of the year here but was out of luck, I hope they haven't gone the way of the Ring Ousel which are now extinct at this site. The highlight though were 4 Crossbill which flew north high overhead and giving themselves away by calling as they went. Other sightings of note were a Jay, a Reed Bunting, Willow Warblers, Stonechats and Swallows.

Butterflies were flitting about with a male Brimstone, a Small Copper and Small Heaths seen along with the usual Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Red Admiral, Common Blue, Peacock and Whites.

Peacock

Dragonflies were buzzing about too and amongst the Keeled Skimmers and Large Red Damselflies were 3 Golden-ringed Dragonfly and 3 Beautiful Demoiselle. Floral highlights were Bog Asphodel, Marsh Woundwort and Sundew.

Golden-ringed Dragonfly

Golden-ringed Dragonfly and mating Large Red Damselfly

Bog Asphodel and Marsh Woundwort

I headed out to Wembury again on Saturday 26th July, this time for the 8:00am high tide at The Point. It was overcast when I stepped off the bus at around 7:30am and I headed straight up to the church for a quick scan about offshore in the flat calm conditions but there was nothing much to see.

I carried on to The Point and managed to get there before any dog walkers arrived which was a bonus and along the beach with the Gulls and Oystercatchers were a Redshank, a Common Sandpiper, 2 Whimbrel, 4 Little Egret, 6 Mallard (4 males) and around 20 mobile Mediterranean Gulls, none ringed but with at least 4 juveniles present amongst them. A noisy juvenile Sandwich Tern with an adult bird were also seen and later 2 adults were watched diving for fish along the beach where a Grey Seal was seen poking its head out of the water.

Redshank

Sandwich Terns

Offshore there were Gannets moving west including a few juveniles which was nice to see with a small Shearwater also picked up too. A pod of 20+ Common Dolphin were also moving west, mostly unobtrusive at the surface but with occassional leaps into the air while 2 Kittiwakes were seen roosting on The Mewstone.

A Common Lizard, a Painted Lady, a Gatekeeper, a Magpie Moth and a Grey/Dark Dagger were the non-avian highlights but with the forecasted drizzle and mizzle duly arriving at around 9:30am the offshore visibility plummeted and it was time to head home before I got too soaked.

Batman enjoying a walk in the drizzle!

Local Summer Wildlife

I had a quick walk around Saltram and The Plym on Tuesday 15th July, it was much cooler than of late with the heatwave having dissipated somewhat although it was still warm and humid despite the overcast sky and stiff breeze.

I arrived off the bus at around 1pm and walked a loop starting from Marsh Mills. The tide was still heading out when I arrived although it was lower than I had expected it to be, however Blaxton Meadow was still full of water and there were 10 Curlews and 3 Greenshanks still roosting there while an Oystercatcher and Redshanks were feeding on the estuary nearby.

Other sightings of note were 4 Mute Swans along the river at Long Bridge where a female Mandarin was keeping an eye on 3 quite well grown ducklings, a Nuthatch feeding around the duck pond, a flyover Stock Dove and a pair of Shelduck with 6 very well grown ducklings roosting on the mudflats near the gas pipe.

Mandarin Duckling

Noon Fly

I headed out to Wembury for a walk on the 9am bus on Thursday 17th July, it was warm and humid and a little bit misty but as I arrived at Wembury it was a complete pea-souper of fogginess with hardly any visibility!

The main beach at Wembury!

The fog did eventually clear around Midday when offshore I picked up 2 distant small Shearwaters heading east. I also saw 2 distant Dolphins offshore heading west, one was breaching and making a lot of splash as it landed on its side and it was quite dark looking, both of them also had large looking dorsal fins so possibly Bottlenose Dolphins.

As the fog cleared there were a few butterflies flitting about in the overcast conditions including 2 Wall Browns, a Red Admiral, a pair of Common Blue and a Ringlet.

Wall Brown

Wall Brown

A Whimbrel and a Mediterranean Gull were roosting with the Oystercatchers at The Point along with 5 Little Egrets while a Common Sandpiper and a Sandwich Tern (or possibly 2) were heard but unseen in the mist.

A male Dartford Warbler was singing away and showing very well at The Point despite the fog but went silent and disappeared when the fog cleared.

Dartford Warbler

I headed up to Roborough Down on Saturday 19th July for a walk although I didn't arrive there off the bus until almost Midday. It was warm, humid and overcast with occassional sunny spells but as the afternoon wore on the breeze picked up and it cooled down somewhat with the odd mizzley shower blowing in on the wind.

There were plenty of butterflies on the wing though and I soon found my first Graylings of the year although they were just as flitty as usual.

Grayling

Grayling

Also seen were numerous Gatekeepers and Meadow Browns, a Silver-washed Fritillary, 2 male Brimstone, a Holly Blue, 2 Red Admiral, a Common Blue, Speckled Woods, a Wall Brown and a few Whites. A Hornet Robberfly was a nice find too.

Hornet Robberfly

I heard a Tawny Owl calling briefly, a nice surprise and my third Owl species of the year, usually I'm lucky to see or hear even one. I also heard 2 Green Woodpeckers while sightings included a Meadow Pipit, a Raven, a Buzzard, 2 Jay, at least 11 Swifts, 3 Bullfinch and a Song Thrush. It was also good to see a few juvenile Willow Warblers flitting about and looking very smart in their lovely lemony plumage tones.

Willow Warbler

Birdy continues to go from strength to strength but is surprisingly small in comparison to the adult birds when they arrive with food, presumably "he" is in fact a "she" although all our other previous chicks have been considered male. She is very cute looking, very inquisitive and very chilled and her parents seem as equally laid back but I don't think it will be long now before she flies off.

Birdy 2025

I had a quick walk around The Plym on Tuesday 22nd July, I caught the bus to Marsh Mills and walked to the duck pond and back via Blaxton Meadow. The estuary was already covered in water but the tide was only just entering the sluice gates of the Meadow and I found 28 Curlew, Redshanks, 9 Greenshank, a Whimbrel and 2 summer plumaged Dunlin feeding and roosting there amongst the assorted Gulls. Feral Pigeons, 3 Collared Doves and 2 Stock Dove were feeding out in the saltmarsh vegetation and there were just 1 adult and 2 juvenile Shelduck present this time. 

Blaxton Meadow

The female Red-crested Pochard was back on the duck pond amongst the Mallard, Mandarin and Moorhen but there was no sign of the male bird from the spring. Presumably she is here for her feather moult with the duck pond being a safe place to do so and with food from human visitors being readily available.

Red-Crested Pochard

More Moths

With our third heatwave of the summer in full spate I had the moth box out in the back yard on Thursday 10th July on what was a warm, still and humid night and early the next morning I had caught a good haul of moths including my first Jersey Tiger Moths of the year.

Jersey Tiger Moth - 1 of 3 in the trap

Coronet

Mullein Wave

Bird-cherry Ermine

Anania coronata (Elder Pearl)

Peppered Moth

As I was potting up the moths in the trap Birdy was watching me intently from the flat roof along with one of his parents, they both seemed very interested in what I was doing but there was none of the usual noise and aggression from the adult bird. 

Birdy 2025

Ever-watchful Herring Gull parent

I could also hear Ring-necked Parakeets screeching away as they were leaving their nearby roost while 2 Grey Herons, a Sparrowhawk and 4 Swifts were seen flying overhead, it certainly pays to be up at such an early hour sometimes. Later that morning David found a Hummingbird Hawkmoth buzzing around the flowers in the back yard, the first one we've seen in the garden for a few years now.

Birdy continues to thrive but there was quite the kerfuffle going on in the morning of Sunday 13th July, the adult birds were very twitched and very noisy and eventually we realised why when we saw that Birdy's sibling had leapt off our chimney stack and was now residing on the main roof of the building 2 doors down. Eventually things settled down and the sibling seemed settled there but at least we now knew that he's not going to appear in our living room grate. Interestingly he was much larger and more advanced than Birdy, maybe he hatched earlier or he is the more dominant of the 2 and has snaffled more of the food brought in by the adults.

Birdy watching with amusement the antics of his sibling on the roof

I had the moth box out in the back yard that night (13th July), it was warm and humid again but cooling down as the current heatwave begins to ease. I was woken up as usual at 5am the next morning (Monday 14th July) with the Herring Gulls making their usual racket  but I laid in bed for a while waiting for the daylight to improve. Around 6am I heard the sound of rain beginning to fall and so I leapt out of bed to sort the moth box out before it got soaked. Fortunately it was only a brief shower although it was enough to get everything wet and to spook the moths outside of the trap into flight.

I did have a decent haul of moths though but less than on my previous session and there were no Jersey Tiger Moths to be seen this time. However there were even higher numbers of Four-spotted Footman present, the most I've ever seen in the back yard, while the appearance of the first Large Yellow Underwing of the year blundering around the trap caused complete panic amongst the other moths and I lost a few of them before I managed to pot them up. 

Male and Female Four-spotted Footman

A Coronet and 3 Mullein Wave were good to see as always and other highlights included a Black Arches, 2 Dun-bar, a Dingy Footman and an Argyresthia goedartella.

Black Arches

Dun-bar

Argyresthia goedartella (Bronze Alder Moth)

While sorting out the moths an adult Herring Gull came in to feed Birdy, it yacked up a lurid orange blob of something which Birdy wouldn't touch so it swallowed it again and flew off. Perhaps this is why Birdy is smaller because he's a bit of a fussy mare with his food!

I also had a look and a listen out for Birdy's sibling up on the roof but there was no sight or sound of him and this continued as the morning wore on. I eventually went out into the street for a proper look about but there was still no sign of him and I was beginning to get a bad feeling about things. Sadly I soon found him dead in the middle of the road having been run over by a car, he must have continued his descent from the roof and ended up down on the ground. A tragic end to one of our Herring Gull chicks this year but at least Birdy is safe and sound (for the moment).