Monday 4th October 2021.

Dawn over East Prawle this morning. I wonder what goodies lay in store for us today. 

A bright morning kicked off another day on my week long break here in East Prawle, though the wind is still blustery. There is going to be more rain showers again today, but first thing this morning, I checked out the moth box in search of more goodies! I woke early this morning (4am in fact!) and simply could not fall back to sleep, so I went on my blog and updated some of the recent entries. I am no author/novel writer and so I have to re-read sometimes what I have written so it makes sense!

Top photo, a collection of some of the moths present in and around my moth box today. Bottom photo, my first Rush Veneer of the year.

Again, there was a nice sprinkling of moths to entertain this morning, though the only moths new for the year was a Rush Veneer, a common immigrant moth that does fluctuate in numbers every year. Still, a welcome addition to my year list. A Silver Y was present on the white sheet and there were again, good numbers of both Feathered Ranunculus and Lunar Underwings. The following moths were present this morning:

• 10 Feathered Ranunculus
• 6 Lunar Underwing
• 1 Beaded Chestnut
• 1 Silver Y
• 1 Black Rustic
• 1 Brindled Green
• 1 Large Ranunculus
• 1 Angle Shades
• 2 Light Brown Apple Moth

Angle Shades.

Beaded Chestnut

 There was a lot of visible migration going on outside the Cottage as streams of Meadow Pipits, Pied Wagtails and Swallows were flying through and as I write this up, I am looking out of the kitchen window watching lots of birds flying over the Cottage. I shall be taking Scruff out for a walk after breakfast and hopefully grab some bird photos this time!  

Some stunning moths & a visit to Prawle Point.

Sunday 3rd October 2021.

A gorgeous pastel coloured sunset rounded off a very wet Saturday, but plenty of wildlife seen today. 

Yesterday’s rain finally fizzled out around 4pm and so I took Scruff for a walk down the lane again, though it was certainly a lot cooler of late. There was a nice sunset too over the English Channel and though I scanned the sea for distant seabirds, all I could find were the expected Gannets drifting low over a dark grey sea. A large flock of Herring Gulls were resting on the rocks on the foreshore with a few Oystercatchers flying over, though nothing out of the ordinary among them. 

Photos from top to bottom: the Herring Gulls resting on the rocks on the shoreline; Dark Mullein plant  growing by the side of the road and the small road leading to the Cottages and the viewpoint.

Beside the roadside, I could hear a few Chiffchaffs calling deep within the vegetation and the occasional Meadow Pipit and Linnet flock flew over the fields in front of me. There was no sign of any moths at the last Cottage front entrance as I slowly made my way up the steep incline, back up the road, checking out the vivid yellow flowers of the Dark Mullein and the purple Verbena growing there as I passed. We stayed in yesterday evening, relaxing in front of the telly with my moth box on and thankfully, the transformer was still dry after all that rain. Before we ‘hit the sack’, a quick check of the moth box revealed a few moths had already arrived. These included a Bloxworth Snout, 2 Common Marbled Carpet, Rusty-dot Pearl and a Lunar Underwing,  however, I was in for a big surprise the following day!  

Two new 'lifers' for me. Top photo, the Radford's Flame Shoulder and below, Dark Chestnut. Both moths have been 'potted' and will be released when it gets dark tonight. I was glad to chat to some of the 'moth-ers' who trap here over the years and to be congratulated by them on Facebook.  

I had a rather nice lay-in this morning as the light streamed through the bedroom window plus it was also dry and sunny outside. Grabbing my ‘moth pots’, I was pleased to find a lot of moths outside the box and on the two chairs I was using for my white sheet. Both Feathered Ranunculus and Lunar Underwing moths were easily he most numerous moth species this morning. A couple of Large Ranunculus were also present, looking distinctly larger than the Feathered variety. Then I found what I thought was a Radford’s Flame Shoulder, a rare immigrant moth from the Continent. I quickly ‘potted’ the moth and got it confirmed later on Facebook that it was indeed my first ever of this species.

Photos from top to bottom, Brindled Green (with an upside down Lunar Underwing!), Rosy Rustic (top) and Square-spot Rustic and finally, a Large Ranunculus.

Other moths new for the year included Rosy Rustic, Beaded Chestnut, Brindled Green and what I believe is my first ever Dark Chestnut! That was some stunning catch from last night and the scoreboard clearly shows:  

• 1 Radford’s Flame Shoulder
• 10 Feathered Ranunculus
• 2 Large Ranunculus
• 8 Lunar Underwing
• 1 Black Rustic
• 2 Square-spot Rustic
• 2 Common Marbled Carpet
• 1 Delicate
• 1 Beaded Chestnut
• 1 Brindled Green
• 1 Dark Chestnut
• 1 Setaceous Hebrew Character
• 1 Rosy Rustic
• 1 Rusty-dot Pearl
• 1 Eudonia angustea

Well, that was most certainly one of the best Autumn hauls of moths I have ever had and yet, it was only Sunday! Though today started brightly, it looks as though it's going to be a bit of a mixed bag of weather again this afternoon as it is hammering down with rain as I write this blog up this afternoon. So I shall check the weather forecast for tonight and with a bit of luck, it might be clear.

Photos from top to bottom: Delicate moth; Black Rustic and a real mixture of some of the moths that were in the moth box and nearby. Truly, an amazing catch by my standards.

After a superb cooked breakfast by my lovely wife, she sent me packing to go off to Prawle Point to do a bit of sea-watching, though things didn't go totally according to plan. I had left my camera memory card back at the Cottage, therefore no photos! F***! So all my photos had to be done via my mobile phone! Sorry! Becky is convinced I have Alzheimer's, but on a positive note, I did notch up 3 ‘year-ticks’ during my three hours there.

Welcome to Prawle Point. Once you have negotiated a nerve-wracking drive down the single track lane, one is then greeted with a tight turn into the spacious car park (on quiet days!). There is a row of Cottages nearby, so spare a thought for them driving up this road day in, day out!

Negotiating the long single track road (with a few passing places, thankfully) to the car park at Prawle Point, is always tricky, but I made it without a hitch as I parked in the near empty car park. A female Bullfinch greeted me briefly as I got out of the car and a Chiffchaff was briefly seen flitting about in a nearby bramble. Swallows skimmed low over the trees as Robins ‘ticked’ deep within the vegetation. This car park has held some almighty rare birds in the past, but nothing of that note of that flavour here today.

As I left my camera memory card back at the Cottage (doh!), the next lot of photos are going to be some scenic photos of Prawle Point taken by my mobile camera.

My target species here were both the Cirl Buntings and the Balearic Shearwaters and fortunately for me, the ‘Birding Gods’ were smiling down. It was very blustery by the coast, with a strong westerly buffeting me as I walked down to the old Air Raid Shelter. It was too windy to stand on this and so I climbed down and got behind it to view the sea. What made things worse was the glare of the sun on the sea and my hopes sank briefly. However, a thick band of cloud came in and all was good again as I got stuck into some serious sea-watching. 

Gannets were easily the most numerous seabirds passing through west, but I was really enjoying the juveniles going through with their smart brown and white plumage. Just a shame about the camera! A few Kittiwakes went through (2 adults and a juvenile) and the occasional flock of Guillemots belted low across the sea. It was around 30 minutes after my arrival when I caught sight of my first Shearwater of the morning. Quickly grabbing the scope, I zoomed up the magnification and I was in no doubt that I was looking at my first Balearic Shearwater of the year. The bird was seen very well through the scope and a second bird drifted into view as well. Later that morning, a third bird was seen passing west low over the waves. Quite a few went past nearby Slapton Sands yesterday and therefore I was fairly confident that at least one might show this morning.

In all the years I have been coming here and standing on this mound to sea-watch, I never knew that you can stand inside the mound, which is concrete by the way, and keep out of the rain should it become heavy! Yes, a bit dirty and muddy inside, but its better than getting soaked to the skin as it did rain a few times while I was there this morning. Even Dark Bush Crickets were calling beside me!

Apart from the usual Shags and common Gulls by the shoreline, all was pretty quiet and so I took a walk along the footpath to Langerstone Point to see what I could find. It didn’t take long to find my first Cirl Buntings as at least four birds shot up off the neighbouring field and perched up in nearby bushes. Grabbing the scope, I was looking at my first male bird of the trip, which was joined by at least three female/juvenile birds. A few more were seen later, but the unwary birder must make sure they know what they are looking at as I found a flock of around 10 Yellowhammers nearby. The Cirl Bunting was my second ‘year-tick’ of the trip (although the bird I saw down the lane back in the Village was probably an individual too) and then my third ‘year-tick’ quickly homed into view - a superb female Merlin (my 192nd species of the year). Though the sighting was brief, the bright sunshine clearly lit up the bird's plumage as it sailed over the tall rocks behind me and then quickly disappeared into the countryside fields behind. 

Possibly one of the most photographed views of Prawle Point and though very windy here today, it was simply breathtaking. Another reason why I love coming here year after year.

There was not that much visible migration going on though a large flock of Linnets took flight as they headed off low over the fields. A few Meadow Pipits, ‘alba’ Wagtails and Skylarks flew overhead, while at least two Stonechat were seen (male & female). A pair of Ravens quietly flew past majestically, heading in the direction of the car park and a few Rock Pipits were flying about on the rocks below on the shoreline. I regularly scanned the sea for any more possible Shearwaters, but apart from the one single bird mentioned earlier, all was quiet apart from streams of Gannets going through.

This Rusty-dot Pearl was found last night by my moth box, though gone by the morning.

I picked up a few butterfly species here including a Large White, Red Admiral and a Speckled Wood and a few Bees and Hoverflies were attracted to the flowering Ivy and on the few remaining flowers present. My first trip here turned into a good one and hopefully, I shall be back for more.  

 

A handful of moths and a bit of overhead passage on a very wet morning.

Saturday 2nd October 2021.

Feathered Ranunculus. A common species at this time of year especially down here in East Prawle.

Well, last night or should I say the early hours of this morning didn’t start as expected as our Scruffy simply could not settle and so we ended up kipping in the front room instead at 3am! I had stayed up until 11pm last night after enjoying a few beers and Fish & Chips in the Pigs Nose Pub and couldn't resist a check of the moth box before retiring to bed. A Common Marbled Carpet, Feathered Ranunculus and an odd brown job were present of which the last two I quickly potted to take a better photograph the following day. Also present was a Bronze beetle and a Caddis Fly, which also took a liking for the bright light. 

Photos from top to bottom: Twenty-plume Moth, Bronze Beetle and a Common Marbled Carpet.

I awoke on the settee this morning at just after 7am and noticed rain tapping on the window and not only tired, I really did not fancy checking the moth box in the rain; so I got up and dragged my sorry soul outside while Scruff relieved himself. Bloody dog! Though nothing really present to set the heart racing, there were a few moths present as well as numerous Crane Flies, which were literally everywhere. As I was checking the moths, something caught my eye and it was a Robin flying to my moth box and picking off the moths that I had placed on the rain guard! More than likely, it had been doing this before I got to the moth box; so I might try a different place tomorrow to place the moth box.

The following moths were present last night / this morning:

• 3 Feathered Ranunculus
• 3 Lunar Underwing
• 3 Common Marbled Carpet
• 1 Square-spot Rustic
• 1 Light Brown Apple Moth
• 1 Rusty-dot Pearl    
• 1 Twenty-plume Moth (in the cottage)

This Robin surprised me as I was checking the moth box. How many did he pinch before I got to look at the moths? 

Once I was indoors, I made some hot drinks for both Becky and myself and then went downstairs to do some 'Vis Migging' (watching visible migration taking place overhead). It looks as though today is going to be a very wet day with very heavy rain forecast all day, but this didn't put me off checking what bird life was moving overhead. 

Despite the consistent rain, this Robin was showy enough in the back garden to have a quick sing while searching for insects. 

This male Blackbird was making the most of the berries in the back garden. Simply a good harvest here for both migrant and resident thrushes. Thanks goes to the owner of the Cottage for making it wildlife friendly

Though nothing unexpected happened during the hour and a half I was observing, there was a trickle of birds passing overhead, which included plenty of finches, Meadow Pipits and Hirundines; while in the very large berry-laden garden, a Robin, male Blackbird, Wren and a few Blue Tits took a liking too. Armed with my binoculars and Camera, the following species and numbers were seen (with a time-out for breakfast in between):

• 16 House Martins
• 55 Swallow
• 5 Chaffinch
• 15 Greenfinch
• 26 Linnet
• 38 Goldfinch

This was one of three Lunar Underwing moths by my moth trap this morning.

I did check Birdguides this morning via the App on my mobile phone and a few days ago, there was a good movement of Balearic Shearwaters off Prawle Point. Should the weather improve tomorrow morning, I shall get down there nice and early and try my luck. It should be good for good views of Cirl Buntings, but you never know what else one could find at this superb place.

Swallows passing through heading south over the Village this morning. They will be gathering in good numbers here over the coming weeks. I hope to check them out very carefully in case of something much rarer amongst them.

Back at East Prawle for a week.

Friday 1st October 2021.

The amazing view from the bottom of our road. I hope to spend many more superb moments at this fabulous place, enjoying the many migrants and wildlife that is so abundant here.

At last, Becky and I are spending a week at East Prawle; the gorgeous quaint little village on a Devon headland jutting out into the English Channel and just screaming out for a rare bird to be discovered as many have in the past. Maybe it's my time for something very rare to grace my presence here, although I will happily enjoy a juicy Cirl Bunting or two. Not only the birdlife I am looking forward to, but also the moths for I have brought my moth box along for the ride too and as I write this, it is up and running already!

Photos from top to bottom: the cottages overlooking the English  Channel at the bottom of the road; Herring Gulls checking out the fields close to the cliffs and a very distant female Cirl Bunting in the late sunshine.

I have already taken a walk down the lane to view from one of the best viewpoints in the area and visible migration was most evident. Meadow Pipits, ‘alba’ Wagtails, Linnets and good numbers of both House and Sand Martins were all around, while flitting around the roadside bushes were several Chiffchaffs that occasionally showed. I stood with Scruff overlooking the superb viewpoint from the end of the Cottage where I had a conversation with a family member staying there. A large number of Gulls, mostly Herring Gulls, were feeding in a field by the cliffs along with good numbers of Carrion Crows, while more passerines were passing through in good numbers, notably Linnets, Meadow Pipits and more House Martins.

The above photos: A few Chiffchaffs were seen along the road leading to the viewpoint; Verbena plants were still flowering and House Martins were abundant around the cliffs and Cottages.

I checked the sea for anything of note, but it was mostly distant Gannets I could clearly see flying low over the calm sea, while closer to the shoreline, several Oystercatchers were flying over the rock pools. Earlier, I noticed a large moth by the front entrance of the Cottage I was watching from and on closer inspection, it was a Dark Sword-grass; my second of the year. With my moth box on, it will be interesting to see how many I shall get here this time around. Of course, I always check what is along the roadside as there are plenty of plants and insects on show. Verbena plants was still in flower as were a few sprigs of Dark Mullein, while Dark Bush Crickets were calling everywhere along the thick vegetation. It is only Friday and hopefully, more interesting sightings have yet to come. 

Photos above: The Dark Sword-grass moth I found at the Cottage at the bottom of the road from our Cottage. The front and rear view of our Cottage, The Shippen, with Scruff having a good old sniff round! 

Black Rustic moth added to my year list.

Thursday 30th September 2021.

The weather has now become very Autumnal as the temperatures have dropped by at least 20 degrees compared to last week and also quite a bit of rain around. Early this morning, it was very overcast and rain threatened all day, but it wasn't till the early evening that the rain finally came.

Above, some of the moths that were in the moth box this morning: Lunar Underwing, Feathered Ranunculus, Black Rustic and L-album Wainscot.

My moth box held not that many moths, but it did hold my first Black Rustic of the year (top photo); a typical Autumn moth and most welcome in my moth box. Up to two Feathered Ranunculus were present along with 3 Lunar Underwings. In total, the following moths were present:

• 2 Feathered Ranunculus
• 3 Lunar Underwing
• 1 Black Rustic
• 2 L-album Wainscot
• 6 Box Tree Moth
• 2 Willow Beauty
• 1 Rusty-dot Pearl
• 2 Common Plume

 While  I was checking the moths in the garden, there was a passage of Meadow Pipits moving south and I counted at least 18 birds in various size flocks passing through. One Meadow Pipit was flying with an ‘alba’ Wagtail (Pied or White Wagtail) and looked good for being companions (or so I thought!). Still, it's always good to see visible migration first hand and against a grey sky, it was easy to pick the birds out.

Above, there were few 'macro' moths at Portchester Crematorium including this Large Yellow Underwing. 

While at my Fratton branch, I heard more Meadow Pipits passing overhead and watched several going over and also a male Sparrowhawk flew over too, much to the annoyance of the local Starlings. I was working over Portchester Crematorium this morning and checking out the moths (as per usual), I found the following moths:

• 1 Large Yellow Underwing
• 1 Box Tree Moth
• 8 Beautiful Plume
• 6 Common Plume

I was somewhat surprised that I thought there would be a lot more moths than this, though there were literally hundreds of Crane Flies around instead. Plenty of food it seems for the local birds and Spiders! While I was driving to the Crematorium, I noticed several  large skeins of Canada Geese passing through low overhead, all heading east; whether it was to nearby Lakeside in Cosham or possibly Farlington Marshes? I must have counted at least 50 birds in all along with a few smaller individuals that could have been hybrids. It didn't end there either as about 30 minutes later, more birds passed by while I was at the Crematorium and making quite a din as they passed over. The only other bird of note seen at the Crem was a lone Swallow flying over.

Above photo: Water Rail, Ringed Plovers and Sanderling taken at Titchfield Haven and Hill Head by local birder, Christine Whiffen, who kindly allowed me to post these lovely photos on my blog.

From the Whatsapp group I have recently joined, yesterday’s juvenile Grey Phalarope was still at Blashford Lakes, on Ibsley Water today; though mostly keeping its distance in the middle of the lake.  A small flock of 4 Manx Shearwaters passed through Selsey Bill this morning, but mostly quiet throughout the south coast. 

Two Red Underwing moths at Portchester Crematorium.

Tuesday 28th September 2021.

There has been a big weather change here on the south coast with a large band of low pressure directly over us causing a good deal of heavy rain at times today and yesterday. The UK is now going through an alleged fuel shortage, which has consequently got all the idiots panic buying fuel for their cars (which, incidentally, the awful UK media instigated!) and causing long tail-backs around the forecourts. Like the toilet-roll fiasco a year or so ago, it's the same again only it seems a lot worse.

Above and below, one of the Red Underwing moths I found at the Crematorium today, showing a bit of the red underwing itself.

With all that mayhem going on, I still kept an eye out for anything interesting to mention on my blog and today, while driving along James Callahan Road along the top of Portsdown Hill, I pointed out to my co-driver, two hovering Kestrels and a large flock of around 20+ Meadow Pipits, seen from the comfort of the car I was driving. A lot of heavy rain had fallen on Portdown Hill and the roads were a tad flooded in places. I was also sure I saw a Raven flying away from me and though I was driving, another quick glimpse kind of confirmed it.

The familiar Box-Tree Moth, which is now a common sight around Portchester Crematorium and seen regularly by day as well as night.

I was working at Portchester Crematorium both this morning and early afternoon and it was on my second visit that I had a check around the flower bays for moths. Though not many were found, I did find TWO Red Underwings moths near the South Chapel exit, of which one allowed me a close approach to take a photo. The only other moths I could find were one Box Tree Moth and at least 8 Beautiful Plume and 2 Common Plume’s. Also around the flower bay, was a roosting Red Admiral butterfly. Not much in the way of bird life, but a Robin was in full song close to where we park the cars to take the family home.

Checking the local websites, it was reported that a ringtail Hen/Pallid Harrier was seen and photographed by Sidlesham Ferry Pool, West Sussex around 1pm and could possibly be the same bird that was flushed off the beach at Church Norton early today. The Harrier was seen to hunt and catch a Red-legged Partridge and apparently, another hybrid type was seen in Norfolk. Off Selsey Bill, 3 Balearic Shearwaters were seen to head west as well as a Great Northern Diver. In Hampshire, both Black-necked Grebe and a drake Common Scoter were off the Hayling Oysterbeds this morning and our Brent Geese are back with at least 92 birds counted in the north-west corner of Langstone Harbour.