Shark! Shark!

Friday night is the night chosen for co-ordinated moth trapping for those who submit their records to the Garden Moths Scheme (GMS).  This gives a nation-wide comparison of the diversity and abundance of moths throughout the year.  This week, (22nd May) was unseasonably windy, which is not the best weather to catch moths, and continued the same through Saturday.  So, I delayed my GMS until Sunday night when the weather was expected to improve.

I was not disappointed.  The wind had dropped and there were no clouds.  This meant that it was not very warm overnight, but with a minimum of 7℃ it was not too cold for moths.

My trap is a Skinner design 20 Watt twin blue light bulb type.  As such, it will never attract the multitude of moths that a Robinson trap with Mercury Vapour bulb does.  Over Sunday night, it did not do too badly attracting 26 moths of 11 species.

The largest number of  a single species trapped, was eleven Heart and Dart - named somewhat imaginatively for the two dark marks on each wing of a dart shaped mark above a heart shaped mark.

Heart and Dart 

Next in number came four of the prosaically-named Treble Lines, named for the three horizontal lines across both wings.

Treble Lines

Apart from three Flame-shoulder (not illustrated) the remainder of the moths were all single records.  Moving away from the predominantly brown moths, there was a very attractively marked, and appropriately named, Broad-barred White  

Broad-barred White

Other single specimens were Pale Tussock, Common Pug, Brimstone and Flame.  The final three were huge moths.  Those who visit Lundy or walk the North Cornwall cliffs may be familiar with the large, brown, hairy caterpillars that feature there for most of the year.  These are the caterpillars of the Fox Moth, but the moth itself is more elusive.  It is a big moth with 34mm long wings and has a large fat body and similar colouring to a Fox.

Fox Moth

Another large 34mm long moth is the aptly-named Great Prominent.  As well as having big wings and a large body it has heavy hairy legs.

Great Prominent

Finally, a slightly smaller moth around 30mm in length but much slimmer and more streamlined.  This is  a grey finely marked moth - the Shark.  It is so named because of the prominent crest projecting over the head of the moth resembling the fin of a Shark.  It was not Jaws, but a shark in the garden is a most unexpected first for me.

The Shark

Of course, it being May, there were three of the almost obligatory large Maybugs or Cockchafers.

Weather wise?

After the fabulous weather that brought all the butterflies out, I was not sure that the last couple of days would come anywhere near that.

Yesterday it was so hot that we shortened out usual walk.  We did not see many invertebrates at all but were very pleased to see this newly hatched batch of Garden spiderlings Araneus diadematus</.  They can easily be dismissed as a flower head until tickled with a piece of grass when they disperse symetrically from the centre.

Garden spiderlings - Araneus diadematus

Today (22nd) was even less promising with quite a strong wind and overcast.  Nevertheless we completed out usual walk and were delighted to find new invertebrates along our normal route.

A Blood-vein moth Timandra comea was sheltering deep in the roadside vegetation and made no move while I took an extreme clos-up.

Blood-vein Moth - Timandra comae

Similarly, slightly further on,we spotted a Leaf beetle of the Chrysomelidae species.

And, just to round things off, a Wasp mimic Longhorn beetle Clytus areitis was found clinging on tightly to Hemlock Water Dropwort alongside the road near Stanbury Cross.  It is harmless without a sting, but uses its wasp-like colouring to deter predators

There is always something to be seen no matter the weather.

UNLOCK!

No, it's not the sound of Mr Speaker, Sir Lyndsay Hoyle MP, announcing the end of a division in the House of Commons.  It is what has happened over the last week in the surveying world.
British Trust for Ornithology were the first to announce the lifting of surveying restrictions which had been in place since late March.  They were followed by Riverfly and UKBMS.  All them caveated the lifting of surveying restrictions with government advice on social distancing and a maximum of two people surveying.

I must admit to slightly preempting the Riverfly announcement by surveying my Tidna site on 14th May.  Water levels were falling and I didn't want to risk missing the opportunity to survey while there was still some water flowing in the stream.  Despite my misgivings, there was an abundance of invertebrates in the stream giving an abundance score of 12, 4 over the trigger level with Baetidae contributing an abundance score of 3 with over 250 individuals counted.

My Riverfly survey site on the Tidna - May 2020

On Sunday 17th I completed my first WeBS (Wetland Birds Survey) since March at Maer Lake.  Water was in very short supply here with this seasonal lake drying rapidly. 

Maer Lake drying out May 17th 2020

The lack of water and time of year limited the number of birds seen, but I was able to add Mute Swan and Whitethroat to my personal species list for this site as well as seeing a pair of Shelduck.  These bred last year, so with a little luck, and some rain, we may see more Shelduck chicks this year.

Maer Lake - Mallard, Mute Swan, Moorhen and Black-tailed Godwit.

Maer Lake - a pair of Shelduck

I followed this with my survey of Lower and Upper Tamar lakes on Monday 18th.  Again, water levels and species diversity was down.  But Mallard and Canada Geese have bred and young were seen as well as the spring migrants such as Chiffchaff and Willow and Sedge Warblers.

Canada Geese and Goslings at Upper Tamar Lake

Sedge Warbler at Upper Tamar Lake

All these synchronised BTO WeBS surveys were one week later than previously planned due to the length of the lockdown.

My most recent survey was today, the 20th, probably the hottest day of the year and ideal for my butterfly transect unlocked and now made possible by  UKBMS (United Kingdom Butterfly Monitoring Scheme).  This is normally a weekly survey which I last undertook during the last week of March.  What an excellent survey, 73 butterflies of 12 species - Large Skipper; Brimstone; Large, Small and Green-veined Whites; Orange Tip; Green Hairstreak; Small Copper; Common Blue; Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary; Speckled Wood and Small Heath.  What a wonderful range of species.

Green Hairstreak Tidna Valley

Small Heath Tidna Valley

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary Tidna Valley

Common Blue Tidna Valley

I plan to complete my monthly suite of surveys with my two other Riverfly surveys in Coombe Valley and Duckpool/Stowe Woods Bee Walk (although this latter has only just been authorised by Bee Conservation Trust).
It the weather continues as it looks to be, sunny and dry, it is looking like and excellent year for invertebrates now we are unlocked.

Bude’s Natural Treasures

          

On 10^th January I had an hour or so to fill in Bude so decided to look around Summerleaze Dunes in winter.

I was pleasantly surprised to see strong, fresh and vigorous growth from masses of Sea Spurge Euphorbia paralias plants.  The skeletal remains of Sea Holly Euryngium maritinum  decorated the bare sand but promised new growth later in the year.

Sea Holly

I was pleased to see that the invasive Hottentot Fig Carpobrotus edulis had been removed except for a few dropped leaves.  These were, nevertheless trying to root so I pulled them up and piled them upside down to die away. 

Hottentot Fig

Among the Spurge and Marram  Ammophila arenaria was a specimen of Rock Samphire Crithmum maritimum previously unreported on these dunes and quite out of season.  I also re-found the small but thriving patch of Sand-hill Screw-moss Syntrichia ruraliformis.

Sea Spurge, Marram Grass and Rock Samphire

Sand-hill Screw-moss

Still having some time left, I wandered towards Petherick’s Mill.  In December Bude Marsh and Valleys Survey Group had a rare sighting of a Water Rail not far from the River Life Café.  I hoped to repeat the sighting so headed there along the path from the canal basin.  As I crossed the small bridge walking towards the river bridge, I looked along the drainage channel towards the bird hide.  I was delighted to see two Water Rails between the reeds and water channel, happily feeding and tolerating each other’s company.

Water Rail

After having my fill of watching these two birds, I walked over the river bridge and spotted a Kingfisher perched in the reeds on the river bank.  My camera battery chose that moment to die.  As I changed batteries, I missed photographing a Little Egret that flew up river under the bridge.  The Kingfisher stayed long enough for me to get a photograph though.

Kingfisher

What a bounty of treasures to be found in an hour in such a small area.

Summerleaze Dunes under threat?

Looking eastward over Breakwater Drive

From the Dunes to Breakwater Drive

Bude Marsh and Valley Survey Group recently completed their annual survey of Summerleaze Dunes. July is always seleced as this is the month when most dune plants are in flower. And they were. The recently levelled area in front of the RNLI station was expected to be a barren desert, but plants are beginning to recolonise the area. It was formerly a home to many wasteland species and some garden escapes. The car park edges still host many of these species which is the seed bank for recolonisation of the bare sand.

Sea Holly

The larger natural dune area continues to be a delight. Sand dunes are the most natural remaining habitat in the UK and this area comprises both Embryo and Mobile Dune habitats. It is host to typical species of these habitats; Sea Holly, Sea Spurge, Marram, Sea Bindweed, Restharrow and Morning Primrose to name but a few. It is the only remaining dune habitat between Perranporth in the south and Braunton Burrows in the north.

The Sea Holly is an amazing colour and obviously important and attractive to bees. We observed tens of Red-tailed and hundreds of White-tailed Bumblebees nectaring on these plants.

Dune Chafer on Marram

The Survey Group continues to record all of these typical dune plants and invertebrates which are unique to this habitat. Silvery Leaf-cutter bees were again identified. They need the soft un-compacted sand in which to nest, Restharrow for nectar and Bird’s-foot Trefoil leaves to line their nest all of which are only to be found together here. We also added an endemic dune species for the first time; Dune Chafers which were busily producing another generation in the Marram grass.

Silvery Leafcutter Bee approaching her nest

This year we recorded 66 species of plants, birds, butterflies and beetles in this tiny 1.2 hectare area of Bude bringing our running total in three years of survey to 120 species.

It is one of Bude’s hidden jewels, a secret treasure that should be cherished.

Week Six – Full House?

Week six of my butterfly transect, the weather was perfect.  No clouds and 100% sun, virtually no wind, just a slight breath of air from the southwest and a temperature of 18C in the shade.

Green-veined White

Orange Tip

I began the survey on the first sector with three Green-veined Whites followed by two more and a Speckled Wood and my one and only Orange Tip on the second sector.

I began thinking that I might have sightings on all ten sectors after the first five very sparse weeks.

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary

Speckled Wood

I continued to record Green-veined Whites and Speckled Woods until I emerged from the woods to where the Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries appear.  And appear they did.  I saw one and photographed it and another appeared later in this sector (No 6).  Walking along the valley towards the sea I could see a bank of sea mist hugging the cliffs.

24-spot Ladybird on Sea Campion

Wall 

It was Sector Eight that let me down.  Here the footpath ascends the cliffs and the sun was hidden by the mist just overlapping the cliff edge.  So no full house although I did search for and found four 24-spot Ladybirds.  They were where they always are in season, on the Sea Campion that grows all the way up the cliff path.  So the sector was no a total loss although no full house this time.

Once at the top of the cliff I turned inland with the mist behind me and the sun fully blazing once again.  The last two sectors produced butterflies, notably three Wall Brown, another first species of the year.

Nine out of ten sectors produced 26 butterflies of 6 species giving me a target of a full house for next time.

Bring a sense of adventure.

Despite staying on Lundy many times over the last 25 years, we had never been for Christmas.  In the week up to our planned flight day, we were seriously wondering if we would manage it this time.  Helicopters can fly in just about anything, but fog and the forecast was mist, low cloud and fog!

We had been watching the weather all week. It was getting warmer but we all knew that promised mist for days to come. Late on the evening of Wednesday 20^th, I received a Facebook PM from Derek asking if we could be at Hartland International Airport by 6:45 on Friday. This was soon followed by further exchanges of messages with cryptic comments from him and Shelley warning us to be prepared for an unusual trip. “Don’t wear your best clothes and bring a sense of adventure.” was the message.

We duly arrived at HIA at 06:30 to find a large queue of vehicles lit by headlights with “Auntie Wainwright” causing chaos, dodging between cars and refusing to open the car park gates until everyone had paid her charges, given registration numbers and names. She did miss out her usual refrain of “Have you been here before?” though.

Waiting at Clovelly quay

Thirty-six people left our luggage and boarded the waiting coach bound for Clovelly. At the coach park we transferred to 3 landrovers to be ferried down the back road to wait for our next transfer in the Red Lion. This had been opened specially for us and offered toilets and hot drinks while we waited.  

Our boat the Carrick Lee

Shelley N

Blue Fin

We were the first wave of 60-odd passengers to be taken by small boat to Lundy. A little later than expected, the 3 boats arrived and we climbed down the slippery quay steps helped by Derek, Graham, Dean and Zoe. With 12 people in each of the Shelley N, Carrick Lee and Blue Fin we were slightly delayed by Blue Fin developing an engine fault en route from Ilfracombe that meant she was much slower and less maneouverable than the other two boats.

After a much less bumpy ride that we normally get in the Oldenburg, we arrived at the jetty around 10:00. Those leaving the island were waiting with their luggage and we swapped places with them and said bon voyage to them and Rob and Sue who were going to the mainland for a short break. We then headed up the hill for our complimentary breakfast and got to know our fellow travellers in the much quieter atmosphere of the Marisco Tavern.

Leaving misty Clovelly

The delays meant that the tided was out when the 3 boats returned to Clovelly. What was planned as a quick and simple transfer for both sets of passengers turned into a Herculean effort to complete the task. Low tide meant the Oldenburg was way off shore and the 3 small boats could not get into the quay. Passengers and luggage had to be transferred from the shingle beach into small boats, then to RIBs then to the bigger boats. This all took time and effort as not everyone was as agile as the patient staff who got soaked.

The job was completed when the last boat, Blue Fin arrived at the same time as the Oldenburg at the jetty. The tide was now so low at 16:30 that the Oldenbug tied up and the Blue Fin tied up alongside her. Passengers climbed from Blue Fin into the Oldenburg’s passenger hatch, through and up the stairs to cross the gangway onto the jetty thus avoiding the vertical ladder climb.

Oldenburg and Blue Fin - 16:30 final load

Lundy staff finally finished work after 13 hours non-stop at 19:00 when they delivered out luggage and pre-ordered shopping.

I had always wanted to travel from Clovelly to Lundy.

This was the best Christmas present ever.

Christmas Day lunch in the Marisco Tavern