Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas
Canon Powershot A640
Small Copper, North Bank
One of my favourite butterflies and in cracking condition. There were also Small Tortoiseshell, Migrant Hawker and Common Darter out in the mild conditions.
Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas
Canon Powershot A640
Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas
Canon Powershot A640
A Week in Cornwall
My autumn pilgrimage to West Penwith was as enjoyable as ever with the added bonus of two planet earth ticks for me. On arrival at the cottage my phone went to inform me of a Blyth's Pipit not more than half a mile from where I was standing. I was straight there and immediately saw everyone watching a large pipit with a flock of Meadows. That was it but I couldn't tick that. It then showed several more times in flight, calling before a Richard's Pipit started putting in an appearance too.
The calls were pretty easy to distinguish and I was surprised how different they looked in flight too. The Blyth's lacked the really long-tailed hefty look of the Richard's and proportioned more like a Meadow Pipit.
Later in the week I tried several times, unsuccessfully, to see an incredibly ellusive Pallas' Warbler in Kenidjack Valley when there might have been up to three present at times. Eventually one started performing well with a Yellow-browed Warbler near the top of the valley and I was able to enjoy superb scope views of both birds.
These were the only birds I twiched but in the course of the week I came across a couple of Woodlarks flying over near Gwynver, an assortment of Mediterranean Gulls at Sennen Cove, Black Redstarts in a few places, a hybrid Hooded Crow a few times past Carn Towan, a Short-eared Owl, fly-over Bramblings, Arctic, Pomarine and Great Skuas offshore, 2 Choughs at Nanjizal, a Little Egret on Cowloe and a couple of Wheatears.
Cetaceans were confined to a single Common Porpoise off Cowloe on 21st.
The seals shown below put on an amazing show at Nanjizal. The two at the top were wrestling together for ages. There were five in all, often coming very close to the beach.
Grey Seals Halichoerus grypus, Nanjizal
Stonechats Saxicola torquata
Gribba Point
Cape Cornwall
Common Buzzard Buteo buteo, Nanquidno
Digiscoped with Canon Powershot A640 and Leica APO77 x20
The calls were pretty easy to distinguish and I was surprised how different they looked in flight too. The Blyth's lacked the really long-tailed hefty look of the Richard's and proportioned more like a Meadow Pipit.
Later in the week I tried several times, unsuccessfully, to see an incredibly ellusive Pallas' Warbler in Kenidjack Valley when there might have been up to three present at times. Eventually one started performing well with a Yellow-browed Warbler near the top of the valley and I was able to enjoy superb scope views of both birds.
These were the only birds I twiched but in the course of the week I came across a couple of Woodlarks flying over near Gwynver, an assortment of Mediterranean Gulls at Sennen Cove, Black Redstarts in a few places, a hybrid Hooded Crow a few times past Carn Towan, a Short-eared Owl, fly-over Bramblings, Arctic, Pomarine and Great Skuas offshore, 2 Choughs at Nanjizal, a Little Egret on Cowloe and a couple of Wheatears.
Cetaceans were confined to a single Common Porpoise off Cowloe on 21st.
The seals shown below put on an amazing show at Nanjizal. The two at the top were wrestling together for ages. There were five in all, often coming very close to the beach.
Grey Seals Halichoerus grypus, Nanjizal
Stonechats Saxicola torquata
Gribba Point
Cape Cornwall
Common Buzzard Buteo buteo, Nanquidno
Digiscoped with Canon Powershot A640 and Leica APO77 x20
Migrant Hawkers, Tanholt
Masses of insects around here again today but rather few birds.
Migrant Hawker Aeshna mixta
Canon Powershot A640
Migrant Hawker Aeshna mixta
Canon Powershot A640
A weekend in Sheringham
Started at West Runton on Saturday; seawatching while eating cheese toasties: Gannets, a few Little Gulls, 1 juv Arctic Tern and a few Razorbills were all going east; 4-5 Red-throated Divers passed in both directions; Brent Goose parties heading west. On land a Goldcrest was on the slipway having just arrived; an adult Mediterranean Gull at the carpark and an unseen Snow or Lapland Bunting went over but unfortunately call rather faint.
A bit later walking the beach west from Sheringham a couple of Shags on the sea with 5 Razorbills, 2 Guillemots and a Common Seal lingering close in.
Sunday morning was beautiful. 3 Turnstones were on the beach and a Purple Sandpiper was feeding around the beach huts. This spent most of the time behind the huts but was amazingly tame and ran inches past me at one point. Another recently arrived Goldcrest was on the seafront before finding it's way to the nearest vegetation.
Beeston Bump provided a nice Snow Bunting, a Wheatear, a few Redwings and a couple of Stonechats. There were more Redwings and Goldcrests at Priory Gardens along with Common Darters, Migrant Hawkers, Comma butterfly, Silver Y and Vapourer moths.
Finally lunch at Weybourne beach produced much the same as the previous day on the sea but more Little Gulls with about 16 passing.
Goldcrest Regulus regulus, West Runton
Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus, West Runton
Turnstone Arenaria interpres, Sheringham
Purple Sandpiper Calidris maritima, Sheringham
Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo, Sheringham
Comma Polygonia c-album, Beeston Bump
Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum, Priory Gardens
Digiscoped with Canon A640 and Leica APO77 x20 (final shot with camera only)
A bit later walking the beach west from Sheringham a couple of Shags on the sea with 5 Razorbills, 2 Guillemots and a Common Seal lingering close in.
Sunday morning was beautiful. 3 Turnstones were on the beach and a Purple Sandpiper was feeding around the beach huts. This spent most of the time behind the huts but was amazingly tame and ran inches past me at one point. Another recently arrived Goldcrest was on the seafront before finding it's way to the nearest vegetation.
Beeston Bump provided a nice Snow Bunting, a Wheatear, a few Redwings and a couple of Stonechats. There were more Redwings and Goldcrests at Priory Gardens along with Common Darters, Migrant Hawkers, Comma butterfly, Silver Y and Vapourer moths.
Finally lunch at Weybourne beach produced much the same as the previous day on the sea but more Little Gulls with about 16 passing.
Goldcrest Regulus regulus, West Runton
Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus, West Runton
Turnstone Arenaria interpres, Sheringham
Purple Sandpiper Calidris maritima, Sheringham
Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo, Sheringham
Comma Polygonia c-album, Beeston Bump
Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum, Priory Gardens
Digiscoped with Canon A640 and Leica APO77 x20 (final shot with camera only)
Tanholt GP
These gravel pits were swarming with insects in today's warm sunshine. Most abundant were caddisflies but there were many others. Here are some studies of cooperative insects.
Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum
Canon Powershot A640
Comma Polygonia c-album
Digiscoped with Canon A640 and Leica APO77 x20
Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum
Canon Powershot A640
Comma Polygonia c-album
Digiscoped with Canon A640 and Leica APO77 x20
Meadow Pipit
At Maxey GP (where else?). Nice light this morning. Worth clicking on this one.
Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis
Digiscoped with Canon A640 and Leica APO77 x20
Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis
Digiscoped with Canon A640 and Leica APO77 x20
Raptors at Dogsthorpe Star Pit
Not much of a photo but it is digiscoped in flight from the other side of a huge reedbed. This bird joined 3 Common Buzzards and 3 Sparrowhawks overhead at one point.
Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus
Digiscoped with Canon A640 and Leica APO77 x20
Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus
Digiscoped with Canon A640 and Leica APO77 x20
Harlequins
Not the duck, the ladybird. Two different forms made their way into my office today. There was another succinea here back on 13 Sep.
Check out the Harlequin Survey Website.
Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis
f. spectabilis
f. succinea
Canon Powershot A640
Check out the Harlequin Survey Website.
Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis
f. spectabilis
f. succinea
Canon Powershot A640
Stonechat, Maxey GP
Stonechat Saxicola torquata
Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum
Both Digiscoped with Canon A640 and Leica APO77 x20
Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum
Both Digiscoped with Canon A640 and Leica APO77 x20
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