Whinchat

Whinchat - Orcombe Point

 

Whinchat, 7+ Wheatear and c50/100+ Meadow Pipit in the top fields after work late this afternoon.

Off Mudbank - 8 Knot, 1 Turnstone, 54+ Pale-bellied Brent Goose and a Kingfisher.

Rush Veneer

Flounced Rustic

Comma on Wych Elm

Sombre Brocade

A surprise discovery in the moth trap this morning was my first Sombre Brocade. I hadn't realised they'd reached Devon yet but according to Barry Henwood there are colonies in Teignmouth and Strete Gate. It's a very subtle moth but lovely all the same, and pretty similar to Brindled Green - a species I haven't trapped for a long time. This is a Mediterranean Species that, according to UK moths, was first recorded on Guernsey in 2006 and has since been recorded in Dorset.

 It's clearly spreading as our climate heats up.

 

All about the moths today - the only birds of note - single Wheatear late afternoon on Orcombe Point and 52 Pale-belied Brent Geese distantly off Mudbank. I suspect they're new birds moving through because a high proportion appeared to be adult birds.

Dusky Thorn

Cypress Pug

 

 

Rosy Rustic

Mullein Wave

 

 

Olive-tree Pearl - a beautiful immigrant species.

My first garden Portland Ribbon Wave but a moth I've seen a lot of on Orcombe. Other species trapped last night included 2 White Point, 2 Silver Y, 4 or 5 Rusty Dot Pearl, lots of Large Yellow Underwing, Lesser Yellow Underwing, a couple Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, Vine's Rustic, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Square-spot Rustic, Brimstone, Willow Beauty, Angle Shades, Southern Bell, Light Brown Apple Moth, Small Dusty Wave, Garden Carpet, Double-striped Pug and Six-striped Rustic.

P-b Brent Juvs

Of the forty Pale-bellied Brent Geese off Mudbank this afternoon, 22 were juveniles which feels like a pretty good ratio. Also off there - 10 Wigeon, 6 Mediterranean Gull and 5 Bar-tailed Godwit.

Pale-bellied Brents

Following a call from Mike about a north-bound flock of Brents in Torbay, I checked Mudbank and sure enough there they were - a flock of 35 birds. Predictably they were Pale-bellied Brent Geese, at least the majority appeared to be, although the distance and light meant that the possibility of some Dark-bellied birds being amongst them couldn't be ruled out. The first of the dark-bellied birds should start arriving next week or possibly the week after.

 

 

On Orcombe this afternoon - 7 Wheatear, c20/30+ Yellow Wagtails in with cattle and c20+ Meadow Pipit. Not a lot else.

 

 

Little Egret - Mudbank.

Neglected Rustic

Neglected Rustic - a beautiful heathland species trapped by the Devon Moth Group last night on East Budleigh Common. A big thank you to Nick who came over with it today. I released it safely back on the commons this afternoon. The larval foodplants are Heather, Bell Heather and Cross-leaved Heath.

 

Orcombe Point - 0635 - 0905 - 300+ Meadow Pipit west, 4 hirundine sp, 4 alba wagtail, 5 Swallow, 9+ Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler, 14+ Yellow Wagtail, 4+ Grey Wagtail, 1 Stonechat, 2 Whitethroat, 4 Tree Pipit, 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1+ House Martin, 1 Dunlin, 1 Coal Tit, 2 Wheatear and 4+ Blackcap.

Off Mudbank - 8 Bar-tailed Godwit, 2 Mediterranean Gull, 4 Dunlin, 2 Turnstone, 1 Peregrine, 1 Kingfisher, 3 Redshank, 1 Whimbrel and a Greenshank.

Yesterday - a similar stint on Orcombe produced 180+ Meadow Pipit (west), 1 Raven, 4+ Blackcap, 3 alba wagtail, 1 Starling, 1 Willow Warbler, 2 Whitethroat, c50+ House Martin, 1+ Chiffchaff and 2 Swallow. Otherwise, being back at work has meant much less time out this week but on Friday there were c50+ Sandwich Tern and 3 Common Tern off the seafront.

 

 

Southern Hawker - Orcombe Point

Centre-barred Sallow

Light Emerald

Field Scabious

Devil's-bit Scabious

Self-heal

Tormentil

My first Stonechat of the autumn on Orcombe Point early this morning.

Yellow Wagtail - one of at least 14 in with cattle on Orcombe Point today.

Kingfisher - Mudbank - the first one I've seen here this year. A relief to have one back after a long absence.

Grayling - Woodbury Common.

Common Blue on Greater Knapweed - Bristol Schools. Plenty of Red Admiral, Painted Lady, Small Copper and Speckled Wood seen. Also Comma and Small White.

 

One of two Portland Ribbon Waves beside a light in the Bristol Schools camp.

Hobby

One over Maer Valley lunch-time - my first in Exmouth this year.

Meteorological Autumn

At least four Willow Warblers on Orcombe this morning - the most I've seen for a while.

 

Nothing out of the ordinary amongst the migrants on Orcombe today, but a coolness in the air and a real feeling of autumn raised expectation levels. Counts included 3+ Chiffchaff, 6+ Blackcap, 1 Coal Tit, 11 Yellow Wagtail, 11+ alba wagtail, 7 Grey Wagtail, 1+ Tree Pipit, 4+ Willow Warbler, 4+ Swallow, 2 House Martin, 5+ Meadow Pipit, 3 Whitethroat, 8+ Wheatear, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 phyllosc sp and a Mediterranean Gull.

Thought at first this was Scarce Chaser but now thinking Keeled Skimmer, though pterostigma don't look that yellow. Saw this whilst walking Coco on Bicton Common. Also seen - 3 Dartford Warbler, 3 Mistle Thrush and 7 Yellow Wagtail.

One of at least 8 Wheatear on Orcombe today.