Looking For Butterflies And Other Winged Critters

Bystock Pools, Exmouth, Devon 
I had to pop to the recycling centre this afternoon so I decided to do a quick circuit of both the Meadow area and Pool areas of the reserve. I was hoping for a selection of Butterflies and Dragonflies. There were only Small White and Large White on the wing in the Meadow so I drove around to the pool area. It was rather busy so I knew my chances would be slim on seeing much but I continued to walk to the end of the boardwalk. None of the Butterflies settled so no pictures but did see a Brimstone and best of all large Fritillary species. As it was a flight view I couldn’t make out which one. The likely species here is High Brown or Dark Green but both aren’t usually on the wing until mid June. So is this something else or are they simply making the most of the nice weather? I also spied a ???? that rested on the boardwalk.

I also spotted a Terrapin. Now most people would say WOW! but not me. There must have been pet ones realised there a few years ago and as much as I like them, they cause severe damage to the ecosystem. I know the warden tries to eradicate them when discovered. The reason for this is they love to eat the dragonfly larva. With quite a number of important species breeding there, this can be devastating.

On the bird front it was rather quiet. A Common Buzzard was sat in the Meadow on arrival and a few Song Thrush were singing away. In the trees around the Meadow were a few Great Tit, Eurasian Blue Tit and European Robin and a European Green Woodpecker flew over.

Iceland Poppy  

Gorse   

Fairy Primrose  

Dog Violet  

Creeping Cinquefoil  

Wild Strawberry    

Common Sowthistle 

Small Red Damselfly (Female)

Terrapin 

Nightjars

Undisclosed Site, Near Exmouth, Devon

Our local European Nightjars are back on site. Sorry I’m not going to give exact location details due to the sensitivity of the species. All I will say is it’s a common on the outskirts of Exmouth. I guess that was a bit obvious! Tonight was not ideal conditions (cloudy and cool) but 2 birds heard Churring and calling. I do love listening to these birds. It’s such an amazing sound! I think the males haven’t yet arrived (the Females arrive back first) but there are a few Females waiting for them, so hopefully there will be a few territories onsite. If I recall correctly, there were 6 territories last year. Hopefully this year will be equally good and in the next few week or so there will be some good displays on offer.

Shrubby Cinquefoil

Nightingales, Bitterns And Lots Of Cool Stuff

Bridgewater and Taunton Canal near Lower Durston, Somerset
There is a little spot I know of on this canal that holds a few Common Nightingale. I got there to be greeted with the delightful song and encountered stonking views of 2 individuals. Also around the area were a few Eurasian Blackcap and Common Chiffchaff.

Common Chiffchaff

Eurasian Blackcap (Male)

Common Nightingale  

Common Nightingale  

Common Nightingale  

Common Nightingale   

Common Nightingale    

Common Nightingale  

Common Vetch   

Ground Ivy

Chinese Hawthorn  

Greylake, Somerset 
As this was just around the corner, I popped in for a quick look around. I didn’t stay long as I struggle with this reserve. I have only been a few times but I find the reserve hard work as I seem to be looking at head height reed all the time. I did see a few Eurasian Reed Warbler though.

Field Mustard  

Common Comfrey 

Ham Wall, Somerset 
My next stop was just up the road at Ham Wall. I have visited a few times this year but not seen Eurasian Bittern so this species plus Common Cuckoo were my priority birds. It was rather busy today but it didn’t deter the birds. The first bird of note was a Great Egret, I eventually racked up 10 by the time I left. I was treated to a Male Marsh Harrier next and numerous Common Swift were screaming above. In fact there were so many Common Swift I lost count of the numbers. Next I managed to get one of my 2 bogey birds of this year in the form of a Common Kingfisher... phew. Typically (once you see one the flood gates open) I ended up seeing 2 birds. I had heard both my target birds calling by this point so I kept going to the Avalon hide being treated to quite a few Garden Warbler and Eurasian Blackcap. There were no sightings of either species at the hide but I was delighted to see a ball of fluff... I mean Tawny Owl chick. A gorgeous looking thing indeed. I moved back to the Tor View Hide and I was instantly treated in flight views of a Common Cuckoo and within a minute 2 flight views of Eurasian Bittern (its like waiting for a bus). There were a lot of Eurasian Reed Warbler around the Reserve and several Cetti’s Warbler giving it large (as they do).I was surprised not to see a Eurasian Hobby though. With my boots filled I stopped for a coffee and ate my lunch before heading off elsewhere.

Common Kingfisher

Common Kingfisher 

Garden Warbler 

Tawny Owl (Chick)

Greylag Goose 

Common Swift

Great Egret

Great Egret

Maer Rocks, Exmouth, Devon
As I left Ham Wall I decided I would head back to Exmouth and check the sea as conditions looked pretty good. I watched for around an hour and half and managed a few good sightings. First off were 2 Great Skua that were rather distant and didn’t hang about but enjoyable all the same. Tern activity got good at one point with circa 20 Sandwich Tern and a couple of Commic Tern. In amongst this was a Little Tern, this surprised me a little as I though this should be on a breeding ground by now. Then I picked out a bird that looked to have a different jizz to it. It always stayed distant so I couldn’t get a full positive ID but it was looked a tad smaller than Sandwich Tern and looked to have shorter wings and a slower and shallower flight pattern. My only thought is a Roseate Tern. Looking at BirdGuides there have been a couple reported so it’s possible this was indeed one but as I mentioned, I couldn’t get enough on it. During my time there around 20 Manx Shearwater passed through, all heading west and 1 Auk species and a single Northern Fulmar.

When all is said and done, a rather productive and very enjoyable day out.

A Reported Red-backed Shrike

Undisclosed Site, Exmouth, Devon 
I popped back to see if I could pick up on my possible Tree Sparrow before work. No joy but did get a Common Firecrest. It’s an amazing site really as I had a number of species. The best of the bunch were, Eurasian Nuthatch, Eurasian Treecreeper, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, Eurasian Blackcap and the first fledged Conmon Chaffinch and Conmon Blackbird but no Spotted Flycatcher today.

Budleigh Common, Devon
After work, I received a message about a Red-backed Shrike that had been reported early in the day. I was at the Otter at the time but quickly got back to the car in hot pursuit. I met up with Matt Knott and we both scoured the area with no success. The only birds of note were a couple of Sand Martin, European Stonechat and Common Linnet. Still I enjoyed catching up with Matt and it’s always worth a look. At the end of the day, if your not out there looking your not going to see bugger all. I was only at the Otter for 10 minutes when I got the message so not much to report apart from a calling Cetti’s Warbler at White Bridge.

Some more flower pictures..... Yawn!

Hairy Bittercress 

Uncertain of this species

Pink Campion   

Common Chickweed       

Creeping Buttercup       

Bothriospermum Chinense

Wild Geranium

Missed Lifer But Some Great News

Davidstow Airfield, Cornwall 
Having heard news of 4 Eurasian Dotterel on the runway first thing. I decided to take a look as (weird as this sounds) I am yet to see one. I spent a few hours there with no joy and there were several other birders all doing their best not to see them too. A few birds of note though were, several Northern Wheatear, Northern Raven and Eurasian Skylark.

Undisclosed site, Exmouth, Devon 
Later in the day I popped to a local site (twice) that has Common Firecrest and Spotted Flycatcher. I didn’t have my equipment on me to take photos but 2 Common Firecrest and a single Spotted Flycatcher showed beautifully. Both species bred here last year too so it’s great to see them return. I also picked out a Sparrow call at close range. It’s not the sort of habitat I would expect to see a Sparrow in so the call stopped me in my tracks. Now here’s the interesting part as the call sounded as though it was a Tree Sparrow. I doubled checked the calls of all the other species in the area (just in case I was just hearing an odd call of another species) and at one point, walked away so I could double check the call on my Collins app without disturbing the bird. After all this, everything still pointed to Tree Sparrow! Try as I might I couldn’t locate the bird for a view of any sort. I will need to keep an eye on this area I think.

I seem to be taking an interest in wild flowers this year and snapped a few photos with my phone today.

Three-cornered Leak

Ivy-leaved Toadflax

Common Grape Hyacinth

House Martins And Flowers

Byron Way, Exmouth, Devon 
Our nesting Common House Martins have made their perilous migration trek back to the nest. There are several nests dotted around my street but last year was the first time a pair had built a nest on my house. Ive only lived in my current house a few years and after seeing a few nests around I was planning on putting up a box for them at the end last years breeding season ready for this year but they beat me to the job (or saved me the job) last year by building one from scratch whilst I was on holiday. Last years brood produced 2 successful fledglings. Let’s hope this year is a good year for them too.

The whole family felt a tad ill today but we did manage a little walk from my mum in laws along the footpath that leads from Pound Lane to Partridge Road. The kids enjoyed the flowers and butterflies and messing around in the stream. Butterfly species included Large White, Small White, Speckled Wood and Peacock. On the bird front the only notable bird species were a few vocal Common Chiffchaff. Whenever I walk along here I always think “This should be a great place for Spotted Flycatcher” but it never is. To keep me occupied. I took a few flower pictures but my wildflower ID skills aren’t terribly great so feel free to correct me.

Lesser Celandine  

Birds-eye Speedwell

English Daisy 

Common Bluebell

Dandelion

Cow Parsley 

Wild Garlic

Refreshments And Red Kite

Halfway Inn, Aylesbeare, Devon
A refreshment stop off after a family day out to the beach was quite good on the wildlife front. From the pub garden was a fly over Eurasian Jay, the song of a Garden Warbler but didn’t see it and a distant call of a Conmon Whitethroat. A few butterflies on offer in the form of Brimstone, Speckled Wood and several Orange Tip. Driving across the common back to Exmouth I spotted a Red Kite that was sat on one on the dead trees in the area that suffered a fire a few years ago.

Helmeted Guineafowl

Near Lympstone Common, Exmouth, Devon
Whilst driving on the road from the B3179 that leads to Bystock Pools (meadow car park) I heard the unmistakable racket of some Helmeted Guinefowl. The birds were getting ready to roost and I see these birds quite often here but I couldn't resist stopping and taking a look. They aren't on the official list but I still like to stop and see them from time to time.

Helmeted Guineafowl

Bonaparte’s Gull And Black Swans

Topsham Rec, Topsham, Devon
I’ve been a bit under the weather the last few days and felt dreadful leaving work but decided to have a quick stop off on the way home. Luckily the Bonaparte’s Gull was showing rather nicely and I managed to enjoy some great views. Also 2 Black Swan were busy feeding.

Bonaparte’s Gull

Bonaparte’s Gull

Black Swans

The Commons

Woodbury Castle and Surrounding Commons, Devon 
It’s been very busy in work this week so I’ve not been able to get but after I had time for an hours birding. I couldn’t decide where to go so I had reached Woodbury without knowing where to go. I opted for the commons and stopped at Woodbury Castle. In the Woods were a Song Thrush, Goldcrest and the usual Tit species. A quick look around the surrounding heathland gave 2 Willow Warbler And a probably Garden Warbler.

Model Airplane Car Park, Woodbury Common, Devon. 
Just a 20 minute look around the car park area produced several Eurasian Siskin, a pair of Eurasian Bullfinch and a few Common Linnet. Not much else of note

No Stilt

Exminster Marsh, Exminster, Devon

Having missed the Black-winged Stilt yesterday (however I think the Green Heron was worth missing it for) I decided to have a look pre work. Unfortunately but unsurprisingly it seemed to have done a bunk overnight. There were a lot more Eurasian Reed Warbler on site since my last visit and I did manage to see this very vocal and showy Sedge Warbler.

Sedge Warbler