Tuesday 26th August 2025.
I never had the Moth Box on overnight due to the fact it was going to rain for several hours and so I gave it a miss. Sadly, there is no rainguard on this particular Moth Box and I cannot take a chance that the bulb will blow should it get wet. Never mind, there is always tonight. Today, Becky and I, along with the dogs, were going to make the most of a gorgeous looking day and take a trip to Appledore on the North Devon coast and then, over to Hartland Point; a place I have always wanted to look at ever since I have been going to Devon.
‘Over the back’:
When I mean ‘over the back’, it means the fields behind our Cottage where I can let the dogs run free, knowing they are safe from harm (although I have to keep an eye out for anyone else's dogs who get a little too playful). My morning walk at 7am this morning held a few notable sightings as we walked the circumference of the first field behind our Cottage. A male Yellowhammer kicked off proceedings and obligingly allowed me to walk below it when it was stationary on an overhead wire. Nearby, a Chiffchaff was heard calling within the hedgerow and eventually, out it popped but it flew off back down the hedgerow before I could get a photo.
A small flock of Swallows flew overhead as did a single Raven, but too quick for a photo! Fume! Three Goldfinches were heard and then seen flying into the hedgerow, but too distant for a decent photo. More obliging was a group of three Pied Wagtails of which were two adults and a juvenile perched together on overhead wires. We walked in the opposite field, but there was very little of note around the hedgerows and so with wet feet, we made our way back to the Cottage for breakfast.
Hartland Point, North Devon.
We had earlier spent a lovely morning in the gorgeous little village of Appledore where we had a lovely coffee on the quayside, a quick tour of the shops and then back to the car. Most certainly is a place we will come back to next year. Lovely to see all the kids ‘crabbing’ along the quayside with their parents and everyone so friendly too.
After Appledore, we made our way to Hartland Point. It was a bit of a drive and the roads narrowed an awful lot on the way there. There was a £3 parking fee to be paid to a young lad on the entrance to Hartland Quay, of which he asked us to be very careful walking down the footpaths as there was a large ‘Black’ Adder spotted this morning and it was most certainly not safe for dogs. We kept the dogs in the car till we got to the Car Park anyway and then first of all, had lunch in the lovely pub called the Wreckers Retreat Bar.
After lunch, we walked slowly by the car park perimeter, enjoying the superb panoramic views of the rocks and cliffs and the size of the waves coming in were amazing to say the least. A few Herring Gulls were seen below by the rock pools and a few sailed past us, but when a Fulmar flew in, it showed superbly close to where we stood and I was lucky enough to grab a few photos of this amazing seabird. A Rock Pipit was heard to call, but I failed to locate the bird.
On our way back to the Cottage, we briefly stopped off at the Lidl Supermarket in Great Torrington for supplies and while I looked after the dogs while Becky did the shopping, a Yellow Wagtail flew low over the Car Park and over the nearby houses. Becky said, that this was easily the best day so far of our trip here; two superb locations and the weather wasn't too bad either. It looks like a good night for the Moth Box with no rain reported, so fingers crossed, another good haul on its way?
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