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Blog
29 June 2023
Bindon Hill
Spent this afternoon on "Bindon Hill" at West Lulworth, stunning location!
A bit later than normal this year and proved to be the right choice, Butterflies everywhere especially Lulworth but also Small and Large Skippers, Large White, Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Gatekeeper Small Heath, Marbled White, Comma and several Fritillaries Sp that wouldn't land, most probably Small Pearl Bordered but don't quote me!
Plenty of Wild Flowers and Birds singing, Skylark and Yellowhammer with Ravens, Woodpigeons and Peregrine flying by, not taking any notice of the noise of gunfire from the Army practicing with the big guns!
29 June 2023
Higher Hyde Heath
Spent this morning at one of my favourite reserves in Dorset, "Higher Hyde Heath". Not only is it good for Butterflies and insects, it's great for Reptiles as it has all 6, Common and Sand Lizard, Slow Worm, Adder, Grass and Smooth Snake. They have never been easy to take a picture of but I always saw several of them before they scurried away but today I didn't
see any which was a
disappointment. I did meet up with a couple of the Wardens and they said I was just having a bad day as there was plenty about-cheers!
I did see plenty of Insects though with Butterflies, Dragonflies, Beetles, Hoverflies, Wasps and Bees.
Several new Butterflies with several Silver-studded 
Blue, Grayling, Large Skipper and a Painted Lady, also saw Ringlet, Meadow Brown, Small Heath and Small Skipper.
A fresh male Emperor and Keeled Skimmer where great to see, but very few birds about today, just some noisy Goldfinches.
Still a great place to spend a morning!
27 June 2023
Corn Buntings
While in Dorset had my dinner at Maiden Castle Car Park surrounded by Bird Song, mostly by Skylarks but also Corn Buntings, one of my favourite Birds.
This is a bit of a strong hold but never seen so many close to the car before, 6 birds viewed from the car without bins. One came up close and sung its heart out, so pleased they are doing well here and hopefully they will be seen back in the west country!
27 June 2023
Butterflies at Alners Gorse
Should have been on my way to Cumbria today but the weather is not great to be climbing the hills in search for Butterflies so didn't waste my time and the plan is to stay local. So today, the morning was spent at Alners Gorse in Dorset, one of my favourites for Butterflies.
It was a bit cool and high cloud so unsure how the day would go, to my surprise a very good one with Butterflies everywhere, first new one for the year was a Comma,
surprisingly not seen one yet but three came along at once, just like London Busses! Other new ones were Ringlet, Gatekeeper, White Admiral, Silver Washed Fritillary, White Letter Hairstreak and a Purple Hairstreak which a very nice man let me look at through his scope as it was sat at the top of a tree and sat there for ages. So that's 7 new species for 
this year!
Others seen where Meadow Brown, Marbled White, Small Skipper and 
Speckled Wood.
Met some great humans, helpful as ever!
Still way behind last year 46 species this time last year and only 40 so far this year with Speckled Wood, Wall, Peacock, Red Admiral, White Admiral, 
Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, Wood White, Marbled White, Orange Tip, Brimstone, Duke of Burgundy, Dark 
Green Fritillary, High Brown Fritillary, Heath Fritillary, Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Glanville Fritillary, Marsh Fritillary, Silver Washed Fritillary, Green Hairstreak, Purple Hairstreak, White Letter Hairstreak, Adonis Blue, 
Common Blue, Small Blue, Holly Blue, Large Blue, Meadow Brown, Brown Argus, Small Copper, Small Skipper, Grizzled Skipper, Dingy Skipper, Small Heath, Comma, Gatekeeper, Ringlet and Small Tortishell.
Please excuse the crap picture of the White letter Hairstreak, taken at some distance!
20 June 2023
Day out
Staying sort of local today with my first stop around Teigngrace walking up the old Stover Canal which is part of the Templer Way to the River Teign at Ventiford Basin
I used to come here 30 years ago to see the nesting Sand Martins, there used to be 150-200 nest holes here in the river bank but over years they have been washed away 
and I counted 12, I think the Martins have been spread more up river but difficult to find due to lack of footpath and over growth. Managed to see a few and always great to see them glide over the water and as always difficult to take a picture!
Also while here saw a Female Mandarin Duck with 3 youngsters which were nice to see.
In the afternoon I went up onto Dartmoor for a look around, plenty to see and all the usual stuff plus a nice bonus for myself, while looking at some Tree Pipits a Female Goshawk came of the woods and perched on a dead tree and started to preen itself, stayed there for about 15 minutes before disappearing back into the wood again, sadly a bit too far to get a decent shot but managed a "record shot" from inside my car.
Good session today, better than I was expecting!
17 June 2023
Aylesbere
Managed to get over to Aylesbere for a couple of hours this morning, very little flying but lots of Bird Song and birds popping up on top of the Gorse and down again.
Single Swallow seems to be the norm of this summer with Woodpigeon the only other flyer.
Great to see and hear Yellow Hammers, always at a distance sadly, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Blackbird, Dunnock, Linnet, Stonechat and a few glimpses of Dartford Warblers and the odd call, still great to see.
Only Butterfly I saw was a Small Heath.
Bumped into a few humans and all happy enough!
16 June 2023
Beachcombing at Dawlish Warren
Today I went on some Beachcombing on Dawlish Warren Beach, started off at the Rock Pools at Langstone Cliff which unfortunately was full of weed which is normal for this time of year. It made looking for stuff and trying to take any pictures difficult.
Did see plenty of crabs both alive and dead as well as some remains of a Lobster that looked like it had been eaten out, probably by a Seal? Could only find Beadlet and Strawberry Anemones, Periwinkles, Limpets, Shrimps and some baby fish which I couldn't Id.
Walking along the beach towards the point there was lots of Seaweed washed up but thankfully very little rubbish which is not always the case. Found some very large Cuttlefish bones, ( bottom left pic ) Cuttlefish and Whelk Eggs cases. At the top end quite a few fish in close that looked like Grayling but might be wrong as no expert!
A few but wide range of shells, all the usual ones but today the Slipper Shell seemed to be the one most common.
Lots of humans on parts of the beach but at the top end it was only me, Bliss!!
13 June 2023
Butterflies at Aish Torr
Spent a very hot morning at Aish Torr on Dartmoor today, managed to see 3 new Butterflies today and because of the heat none settled with their wings opened while I was there.
High Brown and Dark Green Fritillary plus a Small Skipper the new ones to add to Meadow Brown and Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary which was also seen.
Also loads of Moths, Hoverflies and Hornets flying around.
Still way behind last year 37 species this time last year and only 33 so far this year with Speckled Wood, Wall, Peacock, Red Admiral, Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, Wood White, Marbled White, Orange Tip, Brimstone, Duke of Burgundy, Dark Green Fritillary, High Brown Fritillary, Heath Fritillary, Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Glanville Fritillary, Marsh Fritillary, Green Hairstreak, Adonis Blue, Common Blue, Small Blue, Holly Blue, Large Blue, Meadow Brown, Brown Argus, Small Copper, Small Skipper, Grizzled Skipper, Dingy Skipper, Small Heath and Small Tortishell.
09 June 2023
Large Blues
Although it's not the only place to see Large Blue I think it's one of the best places. Today though I was a later than I expected due to issues on the road which made me an hour later than hoped.
I did see several Large Blue but all with wings closed trying to stay cool, still great to see. Green Down is also good to see Butterflies full stop and did see fresh Marbled White and Meadow Brown as firsts for the year, also saw Common Blue and Small Heath.
Also plenty of flowers and Orchids here to add to the bird song making this place a great place to visit. If you do I would recommend you wear good sturdy boots due to the ground conditions and don't do what I did, I wore shorts and got stung by nettles and cut by brambles, ouch!
Met a few nice humans, many I only see on a yearly trip!
04 June 2023
Dartmoor
Went on to Dartmoor today looking for Birds rather than anything else and had a very fruitful day.
Drived around quite a bit but also walked around Challacombe and Soussons and saw a wide variety of birds and pleased I remembered my bins as many at a distance!
Saw all the corvids, Raven, Carrion Crow, Rook, Jackdaw, Magpie and Jay. 
With the exception of the Jays I saw all where on the floor pecking at the pasture. Also in large numbers doing the same thing was Herring Gulls so not sure what was the food source?
A couple of Buzzards loafing about and 2 distant Red Kites were the only Raptors seen.
The largest number of Swallows I've seen this year were seen at Challacombe Farm, good numbers of House Martins seen in several places during the day but Sand Martins or Swifts.
Saw and heard a couple of Cuckoo as well as Pied and Spotted Flycatcher, Redstart, Linnet, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Tree Pipit, Wheatear, Whinchat, Stonechat, House Sparrow, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Pied and Grey Wagtail, Wren, Great, Blue and Coal Tit, heard but not seen Crossbill.
Met lots of nice humans enjoying the moors but also sadly a few idiots in cars.
03 June 2023
Cold Trip
As normal for this time of year I travel up to Norfolk area to see the Swallowtail and recently the Chequered Skipper at Fineshade Wood, part of Rockingham Forest, where it has been reintroduced from overseas stock.
This last couple of years I have stayed in Peterborough and fanned out from there but unfortunately this year because of the weather I only saw a Spotted Wood, no Dragonflies but a few Birds.
The temperature had dropped to 11 with the North Sea wind especially around Hickling Broad and it wasn't much better at Strumpshaw fen. A few Marsh Harrier floating over the reeds in the distance and good numbers of Swift especially at Hickling.
Plenty of Warblers at all sites and great to hear all the Grasshopper Warblers, never heard so many before.
At Fineshade Wood, good numbers of Red Kite about, but didn't see any over Norfolk while I was driving, apart from 1 Buzzard that was it!
Very sad to see all the road kill on the side of the roads, especially Deer with Roe and Muntjac. Also too many Foxes, some look like small cubs!
Met lots of very nice Humans in every form, all good company.
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