Wednesday 6th October 2021.
A pair of Blackcaps popped into the garden early this morning and enjoyed a few berries, including this male bird.
It was a much calmer morning when the sun arose from the east, with hardly any wind and yet another stunning sunrise over the sea, viewed from the window from our Cottage. Quite amazing. I had the moth box on overnight, but to be honest, I was a little disappointed at the low turnout of moths present. A couple of Dark Sword-grass were the only immigrant moths present among the following:
- 2 Black Rustic
- 6 Lunar Underwing
- 2 Dark Sword-grass
- 4 Feathered Ranunculus
- 1 Common Marbled Carpet
- 1 Setaceous Hebrew Character
After grabbing a cup of coffee, I went downstairs to view the back garden and the birds passing overhead. As expected, good numbers of Meadow Pipits flew through plus a few Skylarks. The garden got a lot more interesting when a pair of Blackcaps were seen enjoying the garden berries and a few Chiffchaffs dropped in also. One individual was singing somewhere nearby. The Grey Wagtail landed on a nearby rooftop and it was most unusual to see a Great Spotted Woodpecker perched on a television aerial! I am not sure if I have ever seen one do this before.
Both the male (below) and the female Blackcap (above) posed nicely for me in the back garden.
As well as all the usual birds, a small flock of Siskins flew over as did several Linnets and the Raven was seen yet again flying over the fields to the east. As it was such a nice morning, after breakfast, I then made my way with Scruff down to Prawle Point for a nice leisurely walk along the coastline.
I flushed a Common Buzzard from a fence post as I was driving down to the car park at Prawle Point, though only having a split second to see the bird while I negotiated this tricky bit of road. The car park was alive with bird calls including a Blackcap, several Linnets and Skylarks high overhead as I made my way to the coastline path. A quick look over the sea produced a good stream of Gannets heading west and I could also see several Shearwaters passing through, though quite distant and seeing I was not packing my scope, I can only assume they were Balearics. I think I wasted a possible Bonxie sighting too, but the bird was really too distant to be totally sure.
Above and below, Cirl Buntings down at Prawle Point this morning.
The whole area was alive with birds including good numbers of Cirl Buntings throughout my walk. At least two birds were heard singing, though near impossible to find in all that vegetation, but I did see many others along the way. Yellowhammers were also in good supply and stood out well in the morning sunshine. Another numerous species were the Stonechats. Easily double figures were obtained of this species either on the footpath or in the neighbouring fields. The Cows were in the fields by the footpath, but they did not give Scruff and I any trouble, but I assume the electric fence would probably deter them anyway.
Above, one of hundreds of Meadow Pipits seen this morning and below, this female Kestrel rested briefly to the north of the footpath until moving off west.
Overhead, the air was alive with Hirundines with Swallows, House and Sand Martins literally everywhere, whether it be over the fields hawking for insects or low over the rocky shore doing exactly the same thing. Large flocks of both Meadow Pipit and Linnet were enjoying the field's rich insect bounty, but I could not find anything scarcer than these two species among them. Down on the rocks, a few Rock Pipits were joined by Pied Wagtails around the rock pools, but no sign of any Wheatears in the area.
From top to bottom: the eye-catching structure of the rocks below the Weather Station; one of many House Martins feeding over the fields and a large flock of Linnets also in the same field.
A pair of Kestrels were hunting along the rocky area, but the local Crows did not let them settle as they soon drifted off west. A pair of Ravens soon followed, showing reasonably close as I was making my way back to the car park. Another pair of Siskins flew through and though there seemed to be a lot of Blackbirds around the rocky area to the north, there was no sign of any other thrush species. Surely, both Redwing and Ring Ouzel should be making their way through now? I have to say that I really enjoyed watching the Hirundines flying just feet away from me by the footpath, close enough that you could see all their tiny details of their plumage.
Nearing the car park, I joined a couple of birders checking out the slopes for interesting passerines. More Blackcaps were noted and a few Chiffchaffs too among them, but little else to get the pulse racing. Four species of butterfly seen here this morning were abundant, including Red Admiral, Large White, Small White and Speckled Wood; while a lone Small Tortoiseshell fluttered across a field and landed right next to me but suddenly disappeared into the grass never to be seen again!
Top photo, Gannets streamed through across the sea heading west throughout the morning. Below, one of the pair of Ravens flying west past the rocky outcrop.
A cracking morning walk with Scruff and fingers crossed, I hope to give it another go before we head off home on Friday. Another Stonechat was seen as I was driving back to the Village, while more Hirundines flew low over the hedgerows. Tonight's weather looks to be a bit unsettled, but very little wind as well, so I shall put the moth box out again tonight. Below, a flock of Gannets heading west off Prawle Point. Such underappreciated seabirds and in my opinion, always worth watching.
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