Italian Bark Moth

Italian Bark Moth Metalampra italica - a long overdue first for me.

Mudbank today - 5 Whimbrel, 12 Shelduck and 11+ Sandwich Terns. Yesterday off there - 5 Whimbrel, 62+ Curlew, 14+ Sandwich Terns, 6 Mute Swans, 1 adult Kittiwake (flew downriver), 2 Spoonbills (scoped way upriver), 1 Canada Goose, 1 Great crested Grebe, c30+ Black-headed Gulls and 1 Mediterranean Gull. Off Shelly beach - c30+ Sandwich Terns, 4+ Mediterranean Gulls and 1 Sparrowhawk.

16/6 - Mudbank - 30+ Black-headed Gulls, 10 Mute Swans, 4 Great Crested Grebes, 20+ Sandwich Terns, 3 Mediterranean Gulls and 1 Canada Goose.

Lackey

Clouded-bordered Brindle

Small Mottled Willow. Few other migrant species last night but 1 Striped Hawkmoth, 1 Silver Y and 2 Diamond-backs were logged.

Striped Hawkmoth.

Scarce Silver-lines.

White Satin.

 Spindle Knot-horn Nephopterix angustella.

Small Elephant Hawkmoth.

Wax Moth

Hedge Hook-wing Ancylis achatana.

Spotted Knot-horn Phycitodes bianaevella.

Silver-studded Blues

Yesterday off Mudbank - 1 Whimbrel, 1 Canada Goose, 2 Sandwich Terns and 2 Goshawk (across the other side of the river).
9/6 - Mudbank - 15 Sandwich Terns.
7/6 - Mudbank - 5 Whimbrel, 6 Curlew, 3 Black-headed Gulls, 1 adult Lesser Black-backed Gull, 3 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Sandwich Terns and 19 Canada Geese (upriver).

Broad-leaved Helleborine.

One of c60 Pyramidal Orchids in the usual spot.

Bee Orchid. Just the one found yesterday.

Common Spotted Orchid.

Little Tern, Stormies

Wet and windy today. Moderate SW wind and heavy rain first thing. Drier but still blustery later. A Little Tern with 1 Sandwich Tern on Cockle Sands around 9am this morning. Earlier - a sea-watch from the raised beach huts (0520 - 0720) produced 4+ Sandwich Terns, 4 Fulmars, 12 Common Scoters (including a flock of 10), 8 Great Northern Divers (south), 14+ Manx Shearwaters, 2 first-summer Mediterranean Gulls and 8 auk sp. Disappointed with the lack of stormies I was able to try again this afternoon (1430 - 1615) - 5 Great Northern Divers (on sea), 2 Fulmars, 2+ European Storm Petrels, 2+ Sandwich Terns, 2 'commic' terns (probably Arctics), c25 Kittiwakes, 2 or possibly 3 Arctic Skuas and c10+ Manx Shearwaters.

Balearic Shearwater

At least 1 Balearic Shearwater off the seafront this evening. A single bird flew west into the bay and then flew back east a little while later. What could easily have been a second bird flew west across the bay, further out, about 10 minutes later. I also counted up to 15 Manx Shearwaters, 11 Kittiwakes and 6+ Gannets in the short time I was looking.

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.

Lesser Emperor - Shapwick Heath. Many thanks to Kev for help with this one.

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.