Pennington Marsh - 4th September

As I drank a coffee at the corner of Lower Pennington Lane on a very still early September morning it was evident that there were large numbers of hirundine overhead, I scanned the flock which comprised mainly House Martin moving at some altitude. There were small numbers of Swallow and Sand Martin present but numbers were overwhelming dominated by House Martin. Until around 09:00 the hirundine constantly chattering overhead was a constant feature of the morning and as I reached the seawall at the jetty and scanned back north the numbers present were uncountable, probably several thousand birds present seemingly mainly feeding but with a general westward drift of birds. But, at around 09:00 the wind slowly gathered pace from a north-east direction and the majority of birds vanished with only small numbers left feeding low over the reedbeds and lagoons. I was not sure whether this was a movement of birds as such or whether these represented birds that had roosted in the reedbeds before dispersing - certainly Portland had nowhere like these numbers while at Hengistbury there were 430 House Martin counted.

After parking at Lower Pennington Lane a quick look at Efford Lagoon produced 25 Teal, 10 Tufted Duck, two Wigeon, a single Whimbrel and 11 Snipe but little else. I wandered over the Old Tip where in the Brambles were seven Whitethroat, a single Lesser Whitethroat and three Sedge Warbler. There were good numbers of Yellow Wagtail around the cattle with approximately 30 present. From the seawall, other than the hirundines it seemed fairly slow. The lagoons are still remarkably dry although there appears to be sufficient water to entice small numbers of wader. On Jetty Lagoon were a single Spotted Redshank and four Black-tailed Godwit and a single Reed Warbler was 'pished' from the reeds. On Butts Lagoon numbers were higher with 15 Teal, 45 Black-tailed Godwit, 18 Dunlin, single Greenshank, Spotted Redshank and five Snipe. I scanned to sea from the corner of Butts Lagoon for a while, there was a little to be seen but for a female/immature Goosander feeding around the saltmarsh edges and the summering male Common Scoter still present. On the mudflats were 40 Turnstone, 25 Grey Plover and 30 Ringed Plover. While the male Peregrine sat and scanned the saltmarsh from its favoured perch.

Continuing my journey west along the seawall, Fishtail Lagoon was very quiet but for a couple of Black-tailed Godwit including a superb juvenile in fresh plumage and adult winter and juvenile Spotted Redshank which showed very well as they fed in unison in the shallows. A single Sedge Warbler was skulking in the sedge beds. At Keyhaven Lagoon there were 11 Avocet, 125 Teal, 175 Lapwing and my first Knot of the winter, a small flock of seven juvenile birds. It was 10:00 and time to head to work but it had been a very pleasant morning.

 

Adult winter Spotted Redshank - Fishtail Lagoon, Pennington Marsh

Adult winter Spotted Redshank - Fishtail Lagoon, Pennington Marsh

Juvenile Spotted Redshank - Fishtail Lagoon, Pennington Marsh

Juvenile Spotted Redshank - Fishtail Lagoon, Pennington Marsh

Juvenile Spotted Redshank - Fishtail Lagoon, Pennington Marsh

Juvenile Spotted Redshank - Fishtail Lagoon, Pennington Marsh

Juvenile Black-tailed Godwit - Fishtail Lagoon, Pennington Marsh

Juvenile Black-tailed Godwit - Fishtail Lagoon, Pennington Marsh

Juvenile Black-tailed Godwit - Fishtail Lagoon, Pennington Marsh

Lapwing - Keyhaven Lagoon, Pennington Marsh

Lapwing - Keyhaven Lagoon, Pennington Marsh

Moorhen Lapwing - Jetty Lagoon, Pennington Marsh

There are lots of Goldfinch on the Teasel but they are in heavy moult and looking pretty scrappy - Pennington Marsh

And here are a couple of my favourite autumnal moths which have just appeared on the wing and caught in my trap at our cottage in the Cotswolds over the weekend.

Feathered Gothic - Cowley, Cheltenham

Frosted Orange - Cowley, Cheltenham

Cornwall - 23rd to 30th August

We had a week booked at our cottage in Cornwall, four nights of which were to be camping in the garden as we had family staying in the house. The weather for much of the week was hot, sunny, still and generally glorious, great for camping and the beach but not so good for birding - and in particular seawatching.

On 25th I was up early and went to Pendeen for a brief seawatch and then on to Kendijack. At Pendeen the sea was like a millpond and I saw relatively little a single Sooty Shearwater and a Balearic Shearwater plus 1000's of Manx Shearwater moving west. At Kenidjack the highlights were three Tree Pipit moving west, Blackcap, Whitethroat, 12 Chiffchaff, a single Common Sandpiper and a Greenshank over. The resident pair of Chough put on a good show at the seaward end of the valley.

Chough - Kenidjack

Chough - Kenidjack

Sleeping in the garden in a tent overnight was fantastic, not a breath of wind and lovely mild evenings. During the four nights we had Barn Owl over the cottage and Little Owl and Tawny Owl calling a little more distantly plus we heard Curlew, Whimbrel and Dunlin during the night.

On 28th I walked out from the cottage and west along the coast path, it was absolutely still and I didn't see many birds. Highlights being thrree Yellow Wagtail and two Tree Pipit plus a couple of family parties of Stonechat. Offshore there were large numbers of Manx Shearwater many becalmed and loafing around in large rafts. There were around 25 Common Dolphin (including at least five calf) and two Bottled-nosed Dolphin offshore while an lovely female Adder was new for the patch.

View from Pen Enys Point west towards Carn Naun Point. This is the nearest stretch of coast to our cottage

Stonechat (juvenile male) - Pen Enys Point

The parasol mushroom Macrolepiota procera - Pen Enys Point

Speckeld Wood - Trowan

Common Dolphin off Trowan

Common Dolphin off Trowan

On 29th the forecast was for a force 4-5 north-west wind and so I headed for Pendeen and spent the morning seawatching. It was not as busy as I had hoped but 18 Sooty Shearwater, five Balearic Shearwater, one Storm-petrel, one Arctic Skua and a Bonxie plus a constant stream of Manx Shearwater made the morning enjoyable.

I ran the moth trap at the cottage on four nights but it was fairly slow going. Highlights were Frosted Orange, Small Wainscot and up to six Delicate, a species often thought of as a migrant but it certainly breeds around Trowan. A list of species recorded is provided below.

Frosted Orange - Trowan

Frosted Orange - Trowan

Delicate - Trowan

Small Wainscot - Trowan

Rosy Rustic - Trowan

Macro-moths

Angle Shades

Brimstone Moth

Burnished Brass

Common Carpet

Common Rustic agg.

Common Wave

Dark Arches

Delicate

Double-striped Pug

Early Thorn

Flame Shoulder

Flounced Rustic

Frosted Orange

Garden Carpet

Green Carpet

Hedge Rustic

Knot Grass

Large Yellow Underwing

Lime-speck Pug

Lychnis

Mullein Wave

Orange Swift

Peach Blossom

Pinion-streaked Snout

Poplar Hawk-moth

Purple Bar

Rosy Rustic

Ruby Tiger

Setaceous Hebrew Character

Sharp-angled Peacock

Shuttle-shaped Dart

Small Square-spot

Small Wainscot

Snout

Spectacle

Square-spot Rustic

Straw Dot

Micro-moths

Acleris comariana

Acleris variegana

Agapeta hamana

Agriphila straminella

Agriphila tristella

Agrotis segetum

Celypha lacunana

Elophila nymphaeata

Epiphyas postvittana

Evergestis forficalis

Lobesia littoralis

Nomophila noctuella

Udea ferrugalis