Blog

29 July 2023

Yarner

Yarner looking around looking around the woods this morning and very quiet on the Bird front, apart from Blackbird, a few Tits and the flyover of a Grey Heron that was it!

Just like Soussons, small amount of Fungi, Some Butterflies, many with damaged wings, Silver Washed Fritillary in good numbers by the bridge, Holly Blue, Gatekeeper, GVW, Red Admiral and Meadow Brown.

The Wood Ants had some impressive nests and an Emperor Dragonfly over the reservoir.

There was probably a lot more there even though I spent plenty of time looking but the tree and ground cover was thick and impressive!

Again very few Humans, probably down to the weather!

28 July 2023

Soussons

Spent the next couple of days looking around woods on Dartmoor, not so much for Birds but all the other stuff. First stop was a walk up one of the firebreaks/lane going through Soussons.

This particular walk has a bit of water in puddles and ditch which attracts flies which in turn attracts predators such as Birds and Dragonflies. Also the damp areas in the woods attract Fungi which were also present today.

Did see some quite fresh Dragons which looked like to me to be Southern Hawkers which like heavily forested areas.

Also saw a few Butterflies such as Holly Blue, Gatekeepers, Red Admiral and Meadow Browns.

Did see evidence of mammals with Badger scratching and Deer footprints. Didn't see one Squirrel or signs which could be down to predation from Goshawks as this used to be a common place to see Squirrels!

Also saw a few birds, not much bird song with Siskins in the top of the trees with Coal and Blue Tits. Fly over from a couple of Crossbills was nice, so was watching in the distance both Spotted Fly and Redstart catching flies over the ditch, not to forget Robin and a very noisy Wren!

It being a bit wet not a Human in sight!

25 July 2023

Dartmoor

Had several visits to Dartmoor over the last couple of weeks, the weather hasn't been the best with lots of rain and wind, spent a lot of time in the car using it as a hide, seen plenty of things but mostly at a distance.

Dartmoor has a lot of babies, not only Juv Birds but Lambs, Foals and Calves everywhere, Flowers in bloom and the Trees and hedgerows full of leaves, the place looks stunning, even in the rain and wind!

This morning up there quite early and sat close to a south facing wall which was catching the sun which brought insects which in turn brought the insect eating birds, within half an hour had seen Spotted Flycatcher, Redstart, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Robin, Wren, Swallow and Blackbird.

Not many Raptors, manly Buzzards with a distant Goshawk over the woods. All the Corvids you would expect, family of Jays was great to see but also Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, loads of Rooks and several Ravens.

Wood and Feral Pigeons, Stock and Collard Doves. Pheasant, Herring Gulls, Song and Mistle Thrushes, Great, Blue, Coal, and Long-tailed Tits, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Yellowhammer, Meadow and Tree Pipit, Skylark, Wheatear, Winchat, Stonechat, Dunnock, House Martin, Swift, House Sparrow and Starling were also seen.

Even though the weather was bad plenty of humans about and the crap driving!!

18 July 2023

Chasing Butterflies

Had an excellent day chasing Butterflies, seeing 16 species around Portland and Radipole in Weymouth. Only one a new one for this year, a Chalkhill Blue which took some time to find, eventually found a couple of Males at Tout Quarry on Portland.

Totals for this year so far is 46 compared with 50 for last year at the same time, the list so far is- 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, Chalkhill Blue, Common Blue, Small Blue, Silver Studded Blue, Holly Blue, Large Blue, Meadow Brown, Brown Argus, Small Copper, Large Skipper, Lulworth Skipper, Small Skipper, Grizzled Skipper, Dingy Skipper, Small Heath, Comma, Gatekeeper, Grayling, Painted Lady, Ringlet and Small Tortishell.

13 July 2023

Seaton Marshes

Went to Seaton Wetlands in Devon this morning and there was plenty to see. It was supposed to be a fine day but rain stopped play for about half an hour and enjoyed a cup of tea in the Observation hut catching up with all the exciting news and watching the camera that was on both the Swift and Sand Martin Nests.

The Kestrels had fledged a couple of weeks ago from their box and they could be seen further over the marshes flying around so a good news story there!

I remember when they put the Swift boxes up years ago and the Sand Martin Wall which also has Bat boxes as well some 11 years ago and this year was the first time it had been used, the Swift box had been used last year by one couple apparently but more in there today.

Another good story is the Avocets which had nested there, the Adults where busy cashing other birds away while the 3 chicks were asleep on the island, the first in Devon apparently.

There looked like there had been a very good year for the Shelducks as young were everywhere!

So had a good list of Birds with Swallow, Swift, Sand Martin, Robin, Wren, Dunnock, Blackbird, Great and Blue Tit, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Linnet, Sedge and Reed Warbler, Woodpigeon, Rook, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Herring, Black-headed, Great and Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Moorhen, Avocet, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Lapwing, Godwits, Curlew, Redshank, Mute Swans, Mallard and Shelducks.

Met plenty of humans, all enjoying the place especially the nursery school kids enjoying the pond dipping, great to see.

07 July 2023

Around the Exe

Day off today and its sunny, high tide 10.45 at Topsham so after a Bacon Butty and a visit to a few places along the Exe which was very quiet, very little apart from the odd Gull and Cormorant I ended up at the Hide at Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham.

The hide was busy and great to see Dave B and Dave S who were both in good humour.

Plenty to see overall, the list with birds seen on the way over and at the hide are.

Grey Heron, Little Egret, Moorhen, Coot, Mallard, Shoveler, Teal, Shelduck, Woodpigeon, Stockdoves, Redshank, Greenshank, Ruff, Spotted Redshank, Curlew, Whimbrel, Common Sandpiper, Godwits, Canada Geese, Sand and House Martins, Swallow, Swift, Reed Warblers, Magpie, Jay, Raven, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tits, Robin, Wren, Blackbird, Dunnock and a Buzzard loafing about.

A good morning and great to catch up with the Daves!

© Simon Thurgood 2024
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