Sunday 22 April 2018

Pale Pinion and Today's Birds

 
Nick trapped this Pale Pinion last night and very kindly popped over with it this morning. It's a brand new moth for me and has the distinction of being my 500th photographed 'macro'. You can see each and every one of them, should you wish, by clicking on the menu bar tab at the top of this page. It's a lovely moth that I've just not come across before, and a localised species which feeds on overripe blackberries in the autumn and sallow catkins in the spring, according to 'Waring and Townsend'.
 
It's requiring a real effort to get up and trudge around Orcombe at the moment. There's been no significant arrivals of birds all spring and it's getting a bit disheartening to see so few migrants on such a regular basis! This morning's efforts were repaid with just 3 Whitethroat, 3 Swallow, 1 House Martin, 1+ Meadow Pipit and 2 Willow Warblers. A Wheatear was present on a quick return trip mid-afternoon (along with the two long-staying White Wagtails) and 'bird of the day' was a Red-legged Partridge that was feeding on the Foxholes estate shortly after first light!
Maer Rocks was a tiny bit better with 1 Wheatear, 2 Common Tern, 1 Turnstone and 1 Purple Sandpiper, but the best place today was Mudbank, with 41+ Whimbrel, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1 Redshank, 31 Pale-bellied Brent Goose, 7+ Sandwich Tern, a Willow Warbler and a solitary Sand Martin.
 
 
This lost-looking Red-legged Partridge was wandering around the front lawns of the Foxholes estate at first light this morning. This species only puts in occasional appearances in Exmouth.
 

Purple Sandpiper and Turnstone on Maer Rocks.


Bar-tailed Godwits - Mudbank


At least 41 Whimbrel off Mudbank today.


 
Wheatear - Orcombe

3 comments:

  1. Loving the bird of the day! I still have yet to hear or see a Common Whitethroat over here, but ironically have seen Lesser Whitethroat! Patience will pay off as always Matt! I have faith...

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  2. Hi Chris - yep hopefully. I've learned a lot about patience birding Orcombe. There's usually about a 12 month gap between 'good' birds! Your Lesser Whitethroat seems to be getting twitched a lot! A sign of the times. Al the best. Matt

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  3. Interesting your Redleg fits in with the established vagrancy pattern of the species at the Warren. http://www.dawlishwarren.co.uk/April.html May be a week later than ideal but I'd put that down to the slow spring!

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