Pallas's Warbler and yet more of the Bonaparte's Gull

With the weather being a bit hit and miss at the moment and the weather forecasting even more so I haven't been out and about anywhere for a few days. I have also been feeling a bit under the weather myself but by Friday 17th April I was a bit more up to speed and so I headed down to St.Ives to look for a Pallas's Warbler and a Yellow-browed Warbler being seen there. The Yellow-browed Warbler had been found in a very small park in the centre of St.Ives and had given itself away by singing, a second bird was then found but it turned out to be a Pallas's Warbler and so it seemed a good opportunity for me to try and see both species together.

I caught the 9:13am train from Plymouth, the first train of the day on which I could use my Devon and Cornwall Railcard and as I headed down into Cornwall the forecasted rain arrived. It was drizzly and murky when I finally arrived at St.Ives at around 11:30am but it soon cleared up although it remained dull and overcast.

There were 2 birders already present at Trewyn Gardens when I arrived there and they quickly got me onto the Pallas's Warbler as it flitted about in the trees, it never stayed still for a second and ranged widely amongst the leaves and branches but I had some great views of it. It frequently hovered underneath the leaves to pick off insects but I never managed to get a look at its yellow rump although occassionally it showed brief flashes of it as it moved through the vegetation. The central crown stripe wasn't always that obvious either, not helped by mostly looking up at the bird but I did get good views of it at times when it moved down to the lower branches.

Pallas's Warbler - a jammy record shot

There wasn't any sign of the Yellow-browed Warbler though and it was soon time to head back to the railway station but I was very pleased with the views I had of the Pallas's Warbler, only my second ever sighting of one.

Against my better judgement I bought a Warren's pasty for lunch which as usual was pretty vile so I fed some of it to an adult Herring Gull with its tongue hanging of its chin, either a birth abnormality or a more recent injury. Whatever the cause it seemed quite fit and healthy.

Herring Gull 

Herring Gull

Herring Gull

While waiting at the station I watched 3 adult Gannets diving for fish out in the Bay along with around 15 Sandwich Terns, and from the train back to St.Erth I saw lots of Shags and a Grey Seal.

On arriving at St.Erth I headed down to the Hayle Estuary, the tide was out but I quickly picked up the long-staying 1st winter Bonaparte's Gull out on the mud and close off the causeway bridge amongst the usual Herring, Greater Black-backed, Black-headed and Lesser Black-backed Gulls. A 1st Summer Mediterranean Gull was also present amongst the Black-headed Gulls.

Bonaparte's Gull 

Bonaparte's Gull

Also seen were 6 Whimbrel, a Curlew, Oystercatchers, 19 Redshank, 3 winter-plumaged Bar-tailed Godwits and 2 Canada Geese. A Stock Dove feeding out on the saltmarsh was a surprise while along the river near the bird hide a pair of Reed Warblers were seen and a Cettis Warbler was heard. To round off the day my first Green-veined White of the year was seen along the roadside on my walk back to St.Erth station. 

Searching for Summer Migrants

I returned to Wembury on Friday 10th April, the weather had reverted to the more usual April conditions and it was overcast and cool with a gentle breeze. I caught the 9am bus and as the morning wore on the wind picked up, the temperature dropped and rain arrived and as a result I didn't see a single butterfly, in fact the only insects I saw were a few robust Bumblebees. It was therefore a surprise to see a male Adder in the usual spot despite the lack of sunshine but there was no sign of a female this time.

Adder

I've enjoyed quite a few sightings of Adders at Wembury this spring but have yet to see a Common Lizard or Black Oil Beetle following the National Trusts path upgrade and removal of the old fencing and hedgerow. I also haven't seen a Dartford Warbler since the National Trust cleared away a lot of Gorse in their usual breeding territory but apparently this is all so-called conservation management. At least the Green Hairstreaks are still present in their usual area following yet more Gorse clearance by the National Trust but there were none seen today in the chilly conditions.

The usual birds were seen and heard along my walk with at least 3 Whitethroats still present and singing away and 2 Swallows seen flying overhead and heading west. The highlight though were 2 White Wagtails feeding along the beach amongst the Pied Wagtails, a male and a female bird with the female showing a less demarcated line between the black head and light grey back than the male.

White Wagtail

White Wagtail

White Wagtail

White Wagtail

I had a quick walk along The Plym on Saturday 11th April, starting at Laira Bridge and finishing at Marsh Mills. It was mostly sunny but cool and breezy and again not a single butterfly was seen along my walk. All the usual birds were present though with Blackcap and Chiffchaff heard singing away and a single Swallow seen flying north overhead.

It was coming up to a high neap tide but Blaxton Meadow had even less water in it than on my visit on Monday and only Shelduck, Canada Geese, a Little Egret and Gulls were present roosting out on the mud with Redshanks and 6 Greenshanks choosing to roost on The Embankment on the opposite side of the river. 

Blaxton Meadow on the high tide - a thoroughly depressing sight

Blaxton Meadow

A single Curlew was present on the mudflats near the gas pipe along with 13 Oystercatchers and 2 Common Sandpipers,  the Curlew had a yellow leg flag on its left leg but it was too far away to read the code, presumably it is the headstarted Dartmoor bird J7 that is a frequent sighting along The Plym. It's ironic that the "habitat improvement" being undertaken by the National Trust on Blaxton Meadow to create saltmarsh for endangered Curlews has seen them vacate the site and the headstarted bird pushed off the Meadow to roost along the nearby river.

I had planned a quiet day for Monday 13th April but on waking up in the morning the sun was shining and so I caught the 9am bus out to Wembury for a quick walk. It was a beautiful morning and by midday had become very warm, helped in part by the recent cold and brisk wind having abated, and I had an enjoyable walk.

Wembury - Just Gorgeous

As the bus headed down into Wembury village I was pleased to see 4 House Martins over the rooftops, my first of the year, and along my walk other summer migrants seen or heard were 2 Sandwich Tern, Whitethroats, Blackcaps, 4 Swallows, a Whimbrel and Chiffchaffs. Also of note were 4 Red-legged Partridge feeding in the sheep field.

Stonechat

The warm sunshine brought out the insects too and I saw my first Orange-tips of the year along with Peacock, 2 Speckled Wood, 2 Red Admiral, a Holly Blue and 2 Green Hairstreaks. The female Adder was sunning herself in the usual spot but I again failed to find any Common Lizards, Black Oil Beetles or Dartford Warblers.

Orange-tip

Green Hairstreak

Adder

Adder

St.Marks Fly

Easter in Hampshire and a Mini Heatwave

It was off to Andover in Hampshire on Thursday 2nd April (Maundy Thursday) to meet up with my Mum and Sister for a few days away over the Easter break to celebrate my Mums 80th Birthday. The weather wasn't kind and it was cool, breezy, mostly overcast and damp but we had an enjoyable time and I had a few interesting wildlife sightings along the way.

"King Arthurs" Round Table, Winchester

The highlight was a sighting of a Brook Lamprey while out walking my sisters rescue dog Morse at Anton Lakes, it was swimming around in the gravel in the crystal clear water of the River Test and at first I thought it was an Eel before I saw it  moving small stones around with its suckered mouth, unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me! 

A close runner up though for the sighting of the trip were at least 3 Spotted Bee-fly seen while on another dog walk at Danebury Fort, they were buzzing around Primrose flowers in brief sunny spells while a Violet Oil Bettle was also seen bimbling along nearby.

Spotted Bee-fly

It was too chilly for a single butterfly sighting on our visit but it was great to  regularly see Red Kites soaring overhead and also to see plenty of Cowslip in flower and I was pleased to hear a Cetti's Warbler calling away on yet another dog walk at Rooksbury Mill.

We drove back to Plymouth on Easter Sunday 5th April and expected a nightmare journey along the A303 but the road was pretty clear, even around Stonehenge, and along the way I saw more Red Kites and a Roe Deer and sadly lots of road kill consisting of mostly Badgers, Deer and Pheasants.

Easter Monday 6th April was sunny but cool and breezy as I headed out to The Plym for a walk. It was high tide but Blaxton Meadow was virtually (and depressingly) waterless as usual although there were birds present and including 8 Greenshank, 3 Curlew, an Oystercatcher, Redshanks, 5 Black-headed Gulls and 2 very dark-backed adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls presumably of the Larus fuscus fuscus race.

At the duck pond the pair of Red-crested Pochard were present with the female looking much more relaxed around the male, maybe we will have baby Red-crested Pochards later in the year. It was lovely to see 3 Swallows flitting about overhead, my first for The Plym this year, and a female Great Spotted Woodpecker was seen in a nearby tree.

Red-crested Pochard

Other sightings of note were 4 Roe Deer (1 male), 4+ Linnet, a pair of Grey Wagtail, 2 Kingfisher, a Common Sandpiper, a female Brimstone and a Coal Tit.

Canada Geese

I headed out to Wembury on the 7am bus on Tuesday 7th April, it was a sunny day but there was a strong easterly wind, stronger than I had expected, and as a result the birding was a little heavy going. 

Along the beach I inadvertently flushed a roosting flock of Gulls when I peered over the cliff top, all were variously aged Herring Gulls except for an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull with very yellow legs and a very black back and presumably another fuscus type. Also along the beach were the usual Oystercatchers with 3 Little Egret, 3 male Mallard and 9 Turnstone.

I picked up 2 Swallows coming in off the sea with a further 5 seen heading east along the coast, 3 Sand Martins were also seen overhead and heading inland.

I had taken my scope with me in the hope of some offshore action and even though the winds were stronger than forecasted I had a good seawatch (for Wembury). The highlight were 3 flocks of Common Scoter (7, 12 and 8) all heading east, a high count for Wembury, and amongst the Gannets and Fulmars flying about were a few Manx Shearwaters, Auks and Kittiwakes although all were mostly distant. I also had a brief view of a Common Dolphin fin breaking the surface but in the choppy seas I failed to refind it or any others.

A male Brimstone flitted past me in the relative  shelter of the valley to the beach and an Adder was again sunning itself in the usual spot and presumably the same one I've seen on my previous visits.

Adder

With a Hoopoe being seen at Heybrook Bay in the afternoon after I had returned home and a weather forecast later that evening of a hot and sunny day to come I decided to revisit Wembury to have a look for it on Wednesday 8th April. Needless to say there was no sight or sound of the Hoopoe but it was a very hot and sunny day as forecasted and unlike the previous day there wasn't a breath of wind and I had a very interesting walk.

A Whimbrel roosting on the rocks amongst the Oystercatchers started things off well swiftly followed by a Peregrine seen perched up high on The Mewstone before it launched itself after a passing Woodpigeon which somehow managed to evade being caught. There were at least 4 Whitethroats singing away too, presumably fresh in overnight, and a Swallow was seen coming in off the sea. Offshore was much quieter than yesterday but at least 15 Manx Shearwater were picked up moving east and 4 Common Scoter flew west. At least 3 Common Dolphins were seen leaping out of the water before disappearing behind The Mewstone and at least 6 Harbour Porpoise were seen moving west and doing their usual blink and you'll miss it surface rolls.

Butterflies were on the wing in the heat and sunshine with a Wall Brown, a Small White, a Comma, a Speckled Wood, a Holly Blue and Peacocks seen but the best were at least 3 Green Hairstreaks, my earliest ever sighting of them and thankfully seen flitting about in the Gorse bushes in their usual spot despite The National Trusts clearance work.

Green Hairstreak

Green Hairstreak

Green Hairstreak

The Adder was in the usual place and enjoying the sunshine but today she was joined by an amorous male and I watched spellbound as the male entwined around the female although she didn't seem very receptive to his advances. The views were unfortunately obscured by the vegetation and so I quietly moved away and left them to it.

Adders

Adders

Flowering Pear Tree - not a Plymouth Pear

Dusky Warbler and Another Bonaparte's Gull

It was mostly overcast and cool as I headed out to The Plym for a walk on Monday 30th March, a flock of 8 Black-tailed Godwit had been present the previous day but as expected they had moved on although I can't help but wonder if The National Trust wasn't messing about with the water levels on Blaxton Meadow they might have lingered for longer.

Anyway, I started my walk at Laira Bridge, it was low tide and from the Bridge the usual birds were seen including a Mute Swan, a Shag, a Common Sandpiper and a Greenshank while a Sparrowhawk was seen flying over the river being pursued by a Carrion Crow.

From The Amphitheatre I scanned the mudflats and found the now long staying 1st winter Bonaparte's Gull roosting amongst a flock of 20 Common Gull along with a single Black-headed Gull, distant views only before something spooked them and they all flew off upriver and out of sight.

There were no Red-crested Pochards on the duck pond again but a male Mandarin was present before flying off and the pair of Grey Wagtail were still catching Flies from the pond edges. The blue Ring-necked Parakeet was also in the usual tree and defending the nest hole from all comers along with her green mate.

Syrphus Sp.

Ring-necked Parakeet

With a Dusky Warbler having been found at Boscathnoe Reservoir near Penzance in December last year and with it still being reported this month I decided it was high time I went to have a look for it on Tuesday 31st March as it has only been present now for over 3 months!

I caught the train down to Penzance and then the bus to Madron with the bus stop being very close to the reservoir entrance. It was cool and overcast again but within minutes of checking out the Willows where it is usually seen I had found a Chiffchaff closely followed by the Dusky Warbler. It showed ridiculously well as it fed in the Willows along the waters edge before moving up into the bare branches of a nearby tree where it caught a massive Fly, scarfed it down and promptly disappeared into cover, never to be seen again. 

Dusky Warbler

Dusky Warbler

It had been very showy for what is usually a bit of a skulky bird and I enjoyed my views of it, certainly better than the views I had of my only other sighting of one at Landguard in Suffolk in 2014 where I saw it flitting between Bramble patches being chased by Twitchers.

While waiting around for the Dusky Warbler not to reappear I also saw 4 Sand Martins overhead, a Green Woodpecker, 2 Jays, a pair of nest building Little Grebes, a Moorhen sitting on eggs and a male Blackcap before I caught the bus back to Penzance and then the train to St.Erth for a look at the Hayle Estuary.

On arriving at the causeway bridge there were plenty of the usual Gulls out on the mudflats - Herring, Common, Great Black-backed, Mediterranean, Black-headed and Lesser Black-backed - and I easily found the reported 1st winter Bonaparte's Gull amongst them. It showed very well and quite close to the bridge at first, sometimes busily preening and other times settling down on the mud for a nap. A Little Gull and a Ring-billed Gull had also been reported but I failed to find them although while scanning around for them I did see 2 redhead Goosanders, 9 winter plumaged Bar-tailed Godwits, 13 Sandwich Tern and 2 Greenshank before heading back to.St.Erth to catch the train back to Plymouth.

Hayle Estuary

Bonaparte's Gull with Black-headed Gulls