32P1

Lee Collins very kindly contacted me with the history of this adult mediterranean gull sporting a white Darvic ring - 32P1. It was initially ringed in Przykona Reservoir, Poland on May 14th 2007, with a red Darvic ring (PAR7). It was seen at Dawlish Warren in July 2009.

On June 29th 2010 it was re-trapped in Antwerp, Belgium and, for some reason, a new Darvic ring fitted (32P1). It was again seen at Dawlish Warren in July 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2014. Lee saw it just recently on July 5th 2015. The bird has also been reported at Seaton (Dec 2010/Jan 2011); Somme, France (April 2011); Seaton (Feb 2012) and Rye, Sussex (April 2013). A fascinating history! Thank you Lee.

I had a quick look off the Imperial and Maer Rocks tonight, recording my highest mediterranean gull count so far this summer. There were 11 birds on the beach around Maer rocks (6 juveniles, 2 first-summers and 3 adults including 32P1) and 5 off the Imperial - a total of 16 birds. Also off the Imperial there were 45+ sandwich terns.

 

Many Moths

Plain Golden Y

 

A warm cloudy night and another big haul of moths. Counting them properly would have taken me at least 2 hours, so I didn't, but the species list, not including those photographed, included oak nycteoline, cloaked minor, swallow-tailed moth, brimstone, dark arches, heart and dart, uncertain, rustic, buff arches, buff tip, brown-tail, wormwood pug, elephant hawkmoth, silver y, double-striped pug, small magpie, common emerald, large yellow underwing, sycamore, dagger agg, minor agg, flame, shuttle-shaped dart, peppered moth, bright-line brown-eye, rosy footman, common footman, cream-bordered green pea, clay, white satin, heart and club, small fan-footed wave, single-dotted wave, buff ermine, light emerald, fan-foot, july highflyer, common/lesser common rustic, mecyna asinalis, angle shades, smoky wainscot, scalloped oak, snout, beautiful hook-tip, small dusty wave, barred straw and clouded border.

Coronet - love the combination of dark purple, dark olive-green and white - a gorgeous moth.

Scallop Shell

Bordered Pug - bird dropping mimic.

Hypsopygia glaucinalis - a common 'micro'.

V-Pug

Yellow Shell

Catoptria pinella

 

Crambus perlella

True Lover's Knot - a heathland species that has presumably wandered down from the Commons.

Small Fan-foot

Common Carpet

Same but Different

 

Burnished Brass

 

More common moths and more mediterranean gulls! I did about an hour's watch with Nick from Maer Rocks again this morning. A hulking great juvenile yellow-legged gull flew in and lingered around Orcombe Point for a while, before drifting off eastwards. Five mediterranean gulls were logged (2ad, 1 fs and 2 juv) and at least 8 common scoter were zooming around in the bay. The two marauding arctic skuas were seemingly permanently on view between the Lifeboat Station and the Warren and a great crested grebe, 1 whimbrel, 1 turnstone  and 2 manx shearwater padded out the notebook.

 

 

Spotted Magpie anania coronata

 

Phtheochroa inopiana

Knot Grass

Silver Y - one of two trapped last night.

Heart and Club

Rustic

Single-dotted Wave

Dwarf Cream Wave

 

Juvenile Mediterranean Gull

Meds and Moths

At last a load of seaweed has been dumped on Exmouth Beach! With it have come the black-headed gulls and with them this morning, 3 mediterranean gulls. It was still before 6am when I took these photos so the light prevented me getting some really nice shots. The above bird is ringed - right leg - white darvic ring 32P1 and a metal ring on its left leg.

Also this morning, 2 pale phase arctic skuas showed really well, at times over the beach towards Orcombe Point and then over Dawlish Warren Beach or out in the bay. One adult and one presumed sub-adult.

The moth trap contained a nice variety of species this morning - the highlights being two Pyralids - Olive-tree Pearl and Madder Pearl - the latter a new species for me.

 

The non-ringed adult Mediterranean Gull. A first-summer bird was also on the beach this morning.

Adult Mediterranean Gull - 32P1

Sandwich Tern

Sycamore

Buff Ermine

Rosy Footman

Small Emerald

Dun-bar

Green Silver-lines

Sandy Carpet

Shark

 

Common/Lesser Common Rustic

 Wormwood Pug

Olive-tree Pearl Palpita vitrealis - a smart-looking immigrant species.

Scarce or Hoary Footman and Common Footman

July Highflyer

Madder Pearl Mecyna asinalis - a new Pyralid for me and, I think, quite a scarce one.

A well-marked Uncertain

Grey Pug

 

Brown-tail

 

 

This moth played dead for ages before allowing me to photograph it in a resting posture. The brown hairs on its abdomen are an extreme irritant. It covers its eggs in them for protection. I was extremely careful not to get any on me.