Ham Wall/Shapwick Heath

Barn Owl. A real novelty to watch at least two birds day-hunting. Hungry mouths to feed...

Time spent wandering around the Somerset Levels with Derek today. Always a wonderful place to be. Species totals included Great Reed Warbler (singing for prolonged spells close to Noah's Hide but never in view), 10+ Cattle Egrets, 2+ Cuckoos, 2+ Barn Owls, 1+ Bittern (booming), 6+ Marsh Harriers, 7 singing Garden Warblers, c25 Swifts, 11+ Great Egrets, 5+ Lapwings, c50 Gadwall, 13+ Black-tailed Godwits, 4 Pochard, 5 Tufted Ducks, 2 Little Grebes, 6+ Hobbies, c20 Sand Martins, 6+ Greylag Geese, 2 Egyptian Geese, 3 Shoveler, 2 Buzzards, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Jay, 2 Red Kites, 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, c70 Mute Swans, 1 Raven and 2+ Kingfishers. Two Common Cranes were seen on the way home.

Marsh Harrier.

Four-spotted Chaser. Masses of these took to the air as the morning warmed up.

Drake Pochard.

Greylag Goose, Gadwall, Black-headed Gull and Pochard.

Great Egret causing some consternation amongst the breeding Lapwings.

Variable Damselfly.

Marsh Harrier.

Grass Snake.

Common Cranes.

Broad-billed Sandpiper

Twenty-two years since I last saw a Broad-billed Sandpiper so the urge to see this beauty was quite strong! Strong enough for me to make the early morning trip across the river to Dawlish Warren. Also there - 3+ Turnstones, 8 Whimbrel, c40+ Sanderling and smaller numbers of Dunlin and Ringed Plover. Lovely to catch up with Lee, Andy and Pete too.

A small but pristine Striped Hawkmoth in the trap this morning. The only other immigrant species were nine Small Mottled Willow.

Small Mottled Willow.

Small Elephant Hawkmoth.

Small Spruce Tortrix Epinotia nanana.

Alexanders Straw Aethes deaurana.

This Goshawk flew over whilst on a walk (Pebbled Heaths) yesterday. Small so presumably a male.

It's so lovely to be seeing Painted Ladies everywhere at the moment. Exciting times!

Pyramidal (above) and Bee Orchids are now starting to appear in Exmouth.

Eastern Bordered Straw!

Eastern Bordered Straw has long been high on my 'most wanted' list so a massive thank you to Nick for messaging me having trapped this beauty in his Budleigh garden last night. The third or fourth for Devon. Absolutely fantastic!

Nick also trapped this gorgeous Ni Moth last night.

I trapped this Striped Hawk Moth a couple nights ago. Masses of quality migrants around at the moment! Large numbers of Small Mottled Willows are a feature of this current period of immigration. I've even seen them during the daytime along with lots of Silver Y, Painted Ladies, Diamondbacks and Rush Veneers.

Small Mottled Willow.

My now annual hunt for Bird's-nest Orchid resulted in this fine specimen. It took some searching but was well worth it after drawing a blank last year. 

North Hallsands and a distant Start Point. Lu and I spent a night on a campsite in Beeson and had a lovely meal at nearby Beesands (the Cricket Inn) to celebrate 25 years of marriage.

Beesands.

Yellowhammer.

Red Kites are seemingly everywhere at the moment. This one over Torcross yesterday afternoon.

Sunrise at Beesands this morning.

Start Point this morning. No migrant birds but masses of Painted Ladies.

Red Kites

Four Red Kites seen from the garden today. All moving very slowly in the heat. A single bird was seen yesterday. Otherwise time spent mooching around the pebbled heaths produced at least 2 Cuckoos and at least 2 Crossbills. Time spent on the evening of the 23rd watching at least 1 Hobby and a couple Nightjars on Exmouth heathland.

Heath Spotted Orchids are out in force on the pebbled heaths.

Masses of Early Marsh Orchids are out at the moment. I found loads in areas I've not seen them before.

Heath Spotted Orchid.

Roe Deer - Woodbury Common.

Lu, Maisie and I went for a walk along the Otter this evening. This Beaver put in a brief appearance.

Spoonbill.

One of at least two Cuckoos at the bottom of Woodbury Common this morning.