Essex Skipper

We took Joel to a pre-season friendly against Bishop's Lydeard, in Somerset, this evening. Whilst they were warming up Lu and I went for a stroll along the edge of an adjacent arable field, and located a few Essex Skippers, still quite active despite the lateness and overcast conditions.

Cuckoo Brent

This Cuckoo was a very pleasant surprise on the seafront this morning. It flew from the direction of the Maer, over the lifeboat station and out to sea before turning back towards Orcombe point.

A similar mix of birds along the seafront this morning though it felt a bit less hectic - 1 juvenile Yellow-legged Gull, 8+ Mediterranean Gulls, 4 Common Terns, 8 Common Scoters and, most unexpectedly, a Cuckoo!
Off Mudbank a Dark-bellied Brent Goose was almost as big a surprise as the Cuckoo. Additionally - 15 Mallard, 3 Common Terns and 7 Whimbrel. Several small groups of small waders headed upriver as the tide dropped but I was only able to positively identify 12+ Dunlin and 4 Ringed Plovers.

I messed up with photos, as usual, but at least managed a couple record shots of what is a very unusual record in Exmouth.

One of at least eight Mediterranean Gulls along the beach this morning - this one a red-ringed Polish bird - PPJ1.

My first juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull of the summer.

It was a surprise to see yesterday's Yellow-legged Gull, again present in exactly the same spot this morning. It has been feeding on small invertebrates at the base of the sea wall, totally unfazed by passers-by. 

Silver-washed Fritillaries seem to be present in numbers in Liverton Copse.

A small number of Broad-leaved Helleborines are growing in Liverton Copse. They include the 'Var chlorantha' form which is pretty smart and all pale green - see below...

Broad-leaved Helleborine Var chlorantha - Liverton Copse.

Painted Lady at Blackhill Quarry yesterday.

Exmouth Beach YLG

A very lovely and extremely approachable juvenile Yellow-legged Gull on the beach this morning. A very pleasant hour or so, spent scanning the beach and offshore, produced 21 Sanderling, 2 Dunlin, 7+ Mediterranean Gulls, 4 Common Scoter, 7 Common Terns, 1 Whimbrel and 7+ Sandwich Terns.
Yesterday - at least 30 Whimbrel off Mudbank.

Second-summer Mediterranean Gull.

Juvenile Mediterranean Gull. At least three on the beach with a second-summer this morning. A further 3+ Meds offshore.

One of two Dunlin on the beach this morning.

Sanderling.

Juvenile Mediterranean Gull.

Dartmoor Bog Orchids

A 4am start and a considerable hike into deepest Dartmoor felt like a complete gamble, but I somehow managed to locate eight Bog Orchids in a remote mire. I didn't see another soul until my return as I approached where I'd parked, in Belstone Village, on the northern edge of Dartmoor.

Pale Butterwort.

Heath Spotted Orchid.

Silver-striped Marble Celypha rivulana.

Think these are Belted Galloways on Taw Plain.

Bog Asphodel.

Cotton Grass.

Juvenile Wheatear.

English Stonecrop.

Eyebright agg.

Seafront Stuff

An early look off the seafront, before work, produced at least 9 Mediterranean Gulls, 2 juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls, 6 Common Scoters, 4 Mallard, at least 5 Sandwich Terns, 2 Common Terns and an Arctic Skua that lingered to harry a sizeable gull flock out in the bay.

Silver-washed fritillary - Liverton Copse.

Some Moths

True Lover's Knot.

Golden-brown Tubic Crassa unitella.

Dichrorampha sp.

Red-barred Tortrix Ditula angustiorana.

Barred Red.

Pretty Chalk Carpet.

Orange Ladybird.

Muslin Footman.

Poplar Grey.