Natural History Week June 2014

The observation and pursuit of natural history does occupy much of my time, but occasionally there comes a week crammed full – this is one such.

Ringlet

Sunday 15^th was my monthly Wetland Birds Survey.

Summer surveys don't record many water birds on Tamar Lakes and this month was no exception being dominated by the few breeders that use the lakes – families of Canada Geese, Mallard and Moorhen featuring. Terrestrial breeders were also present – Reed Bunting and Sedge Warblers were very obvious. It was a butterfly day too with a mass emergence of Meadow Brown, some Speckled Wood and a beautiful single Ringlet seen.

Large Skipper

Monday 16^th – CWT meeting

We hosted an evening with friends on the committee of Cornwall Wildlife Trust Tamar Group where we planned the activities for summer and the forthcoming winter season. In advance of the meeting we took our dog around our usual walk and were delighted to see the first Large Skippers of the year. 

Tuesday 17^th – Ponds and fields with year 3 of Bude Junior School.

Water Scorpion

72 enthusiastic 8/9 year old in four groups. It was a most hectic and challenging session, but the children were very adept at catching mud! They did catch lots of interesting creatures though ranging from Newts, through Eels, Damselfly larvae, Dragonfly larvae, water louse, freshwater shrimps, chironomid worms, water boatmen and backswimmer and the stars of the show, water scorpions. All were eagerly observed before finally being repatriated into the Bude Tourist Information Centre pond. 

Bee Orchid

Thursday 19^th – Bude Marshes quarterly transect and annual Bee Orchid count.

Although circumstances left us with only 4 on the walk, and we were accompanied by the children from Adventure International in kayaks on the canal and bikes on the multi-use footpath, we managed to record 22 birds species,

The orchid count went well too – despite the vigorous grass growth, the Bee Orchids are maintaining their numbers 33 plants as compared to last year and the Marsh Orchids, previously uncounted were counted as 69 plants. It is obvious the preferred habitat of the latter is on the short sward between footpaths and the dense grassy layer, whereas Bee Orchids are happy in the mixed flower and grass habitat growing in loose groups of 2 or 3 plants.

Friday 20^th – ERCCIS Dragonfly workshop.

Keeled Skimmer

What a fantastic couple of sites. Great Wheal Seton is a post industrial contaminated area with small shallow ponds but is host to Scarce Blue-tail Damselflies – the last remaining site in Cornwall where we were privileged to count around 30 of both sexes.

The old settling pits at Bell Lake Marsh in the Red River Valley have been transformed from overgrown Willow scrub to a shallow marshy area with scrapes and was host to Small Red Damselflies, Keeled Skimmers as well as patrolling Emperors. 13 different species was a very good workshop.

Saturday 21^st – Sandymouth BBS butterfly transect

Hummingbird Hawk Moth

Vixen and 6 cubs

Accompanied by two naturalist friends we were able to count 8 species of Butterfly – 38 in total (Meadow Brown, Small Heath, Common Blue, Speckled Wood, Small Tortoiseshell, Large Skipper, Red Admiral and Painted Lady) 2 moths (5-spot Burnet and Hummingbird Hawk Moth) and a Golden Ringed Dragonfly. They agree that this is a Beautiful Square (op cit). To cap it all, as we finished the transect, we noticed that we were being watched intently by a Vixen about 400 metres away whilst her 6 cubs played!

Sampling at Marsland Water

Sunday 22^nd – Fox Club “Dung Ho!” at Marsland Nature Reserve.

Together with a friend from Cornwall Wildlife Trust, a small group was entertained by his description of what pollutes our waterways. This was followed up by our catch of myriads of invertebrates kick sampled from Marsland Water. We used the excellent wildlife centre courtesy of Devon Wildlife Trust in the idyllic setting of Marsland nature reserve.

Marmalade Hoverfly

Monday 23^rd - Equinoctial walk on Bude Aqueduct from Moreton Bridge to the junction with the Holsworthy branch is about 2½ miles of absolute quiet taking in woody shade and open walks and Bursdon Moor Nature Reserve. We were lucky to not only hear birds but to see them too – including two Treecreepers. The stars of the show had to be the dragonflies and damselflies along with lots of butterflies. We were fortunate to capture a picture of a strikingly decorated, striped hoverfly which we identified later as a Marmalade Hoverfly. 

Read my other blog at budeaqueductwalks.blogspot.com

As I am writing this, over my left shoulder I am watching the wind ripple a field of grasses, docks and sorrel. The weather has been dry and very hot and as the wind stirs the stems of the plants, millions of seeds are blown from their heads into rolling, billowing clouds looking like smoke. They roll slowly over the field, a perfect demonstration of natural seed dispersal. They are now next year's plants in waiting.

LFS on Lundy

Bideford's Mermaid

A long planned Lundy Field Society visit to Lundy took place from 17^th to 20^th May when most of the Committee held their first meeting on the Island for 20 years.  Derek Green, the Lundy Manager and Beccy MacDonald the warden and her seasonal assistant Chloe were also invited to attend.

17^th Saturday – we left our cars at Bideford and assembled on the quay for an early 8am sailing when the conditions were described as winds 2-3 lights to variable which lead to an uneventful crossing.  It was so smooth that almost all the 210 passengers kept the galley busy making bacon sandwiches.

Black Guillemot

Sedge Warbler

We were met on arrival in the Landing Bay by the single Black Guillemot that had returned to Lundy for the third consecutive year.  We were welcomed by a rapturously singing Sedge Warbler at the top of Millcombe steps and after lunch in the Tavern were soon safely ensconced in our allocated rooms in Millcombe.

A quick tour of the island to Middle Park showed most of what we wanted to check out.  The deer were around Middle Park Pond and a multitude of Dwarf Adder’s Tongue fern had emerged.

A communal evening meal in the Marisco rounded off the day which had been very long for those travelling from up country since dawn.

Twitching for Golden Oriole

Turtle Dove

18^th Sunday – this was the day of the Devon Bird Watching and Preservation Society’s annual trip to the island.  I had promised a south end tour to those who wanted it, but this had to be heavily curtailed due to the excellent weather.  The charterers decided to take their round the island trip before disembarking so it was creeping up to midday when they had all disembarked.  Many dashed off to look for the Black Guillemot and Turtle Doves that had been reported as well as an elusive Golden Oriole.  We had seen two Turtle Doves on Saturday and Sunday morning as well as the Guillemot in the bay.  Breeding birds confirmed were a pair of Crows in the trees near Millcombe gardens and Blackbirds above the wall to the east of Millcombe House.

Diving Beetle in Ackland's Moor Pond

19^th Monday – the day of the committee meeting where we took advantage of Lundy manager and warden directly to discuss all issues affecting the island with them.  We just about managed to fit into the dining room of Millcombe House and completed the agenda around the agreed time to have lunch in the Marisco Tavern.

In the afternoon, I surveyed Ackland’s Moor Pond which was gin clear to the bottom, a unique view I have not seen before.

Pizza night at Old House South

20^th Tuesday – today most of the committee were returning home and we were homeless while Old House South was being prepared for us.  Before we left Millcombe, we were able to add a Spotted Flycatcher and Blackcap to our bird total.  Ever busy, Andrew showed the moths caught the previous night to visitors in the tavern and led a wild flower walk around the south end.

That evening we enjoyed the comforts of Old House South with a pizza evening provided by Sandra.

Painted Lady

21^st Wednesday – a beautiful day for a walk northwards.  We aimed for Jenny’s cove and watched Puffins on land and sea for quite a while.  There were pods of cetaceans moving north a couple or three miles out in the Atlantic too

We decided to continue north and in Middle Park found lots more Dwarf Adder’s tongue Fern in a new location west of the west side path slightly north of the Black House.  It is doing very well this year.

We counted yet more puffins and offshore cetaceans at St Phillip’s stone and saw the first Painted Lady butterfly of the year near Squire’s View.

Long Roost Pond

Sea King at North End

We had traveled so far north on the west side, we decided to go to the north end.  On the way André showed me a pond he had found in November of last year.  It took a little searching out, but is definitely new to us freshwater biologists.  It is a natural hollow in the granite almost on the west cliff edge with a granite gravel bottom and brown tinged water.  How permanent it is, only summer visits will determine, but Long Roost Pond will certainly be surveyed some time soon.

As we returned we observed a circling Sea King helicopter which eventually touched down right at the north end, a crew member chatted with a visitor then it roared off south.  The story was that the pilot’s daughter from Georgeham School was on a school visit to the island and he had called in on his way south to drop her off a small gift.  How big is her street credibility?

Joint meal in Millcombe

22^nd Thursday - our first very wet day.  We had hoped to at least walk along the quarries but by the time we reached them, the heavens opened and we spent a convivial hour talking to various walkers who also took shelter in Gade’s hut until we made a very wet way home. We were heartened by being invited by bellringing friends of Michael to share our evening meals in Millcombe.

Mirror Carp and Golden Orfe 

Horse Leech

23^rd Friday – a damp day but not enough to prevent us walking.  The slight rain seems to bring out the Horse Leech – we saw four in the pools on the path near to Quarter Wall.  Our route took us over the top of the quarries east of the Hospital where we were surprised to count around 50 Rhododendron seedlings there.  No were flowering, unlike the one that had been secretly growing in a thicket near the Heligoland trap and was instantly cut down by the ranger, but all have been reported for treatment.

In the afternoon, we visited Rocket Pole Pond at the request of Jenny George who had seen fish there the previous week.  Our stale bread brought a flurry of activity when we were able to count at least two Mirror Carp and up to 20 immature blue Golden Orfe.

24^th Saturday – a sad day as it was our last, but I had arranged with Simon Dell to help lead a group of TARS (The Arthur Ransome Society) members to Jenny’s Cove.  The small clump of Wood Vetch was had begun to bloom and Lundy Cabbage was displaying its attendant Flea Beetle. 

Lundy Cabbage and Flea Beetles

Moon Jellyfish

Whilst waiting for the Oldenburg, I was able to photograph three different types of jellyfish from the jetty Moon Jelly Aurelia aurata, Comb Jelly Ctenophore sp and Predatory Comb Jelly Beroe cucumis.  The walk was most successful; around 20 people were route marched to Jenny’s in 1 hour, spent their lunch hour observing puffins and then back via Punchbowl Valley, Earthquake, Battery and Old Light for a welcome pint in the Marisco Tavern.

Red in tooth and claw

I caught sight of a Magpie as I was working at the table in front of the patio doors. I thought a Magpie that close to the house being very brave. Then I heard a lot of noise from squawking birds.

The Magpie had gone for a juvenile blackbird and mother was having a fit.

I rushed out, followed, by the dog to rescue the unfortunate bird – the magpie flew off after giving it a hefty peck, the dog ran around barking and mother blackbird flew away alarm calling while one of our chickens determined to have a go too.

I picked up the young bird which was still but moving and placed it in a place of safety but it slowly expired.

So my actions still resulted in a dead blackbird but also deprived magpie nestlings of a meal.

In future, I will just let nature take its course

Hundreds of Hawking Hirundines

Wild Strawberry

Today was really very windy with a strong westerly wind blowing off the Atlantic. Nevertheless a walk around Upper Tamar Lake in the bright sunshine was worth trying.

The first 10 minutes was quite cold with the wind chill, but around the more sheltered eastern branch, amongst the trees it was quite sheltered. Here were many Wild Strawberries – much taller and with bigger leaves than the early flowering Barren Strawberries and with the equal length terminal serrated tip to the leaf.

Canada Goose and goslings

The lake had lost most of its wetland birds with only a few Herring Gulls, a pair of Great Crested Grebe and a family of Canada Geese; parents and five goslings. The lake was host to hundreds of hawking Hirundines replacing them. There was over a hundred of them – almost exclusively Swallows skimming the lake and fields hoovering up the emerging flying insects. Among them were a few House Martins and Swifts though.

Green-veined White

The strong wind blew most of the butterflies beyond recognition distance for they were all “whites”. At least one of them sheltering amongst the foliage was a Green-veined White.

I was pleased to put me recent bird ringing experience to good use. I had handled a few Sedge Warblers so was able to identify, first by song then by sight one by the edge of the lake. The lemon supercilium above an olive eye-stripe and orange-yellow gape as it sang made identification certain.

A Beautiful Square

Ammonite in Stowe Barton wall

I think I have the best Breeding Bird 1 kilometre square of all. Yesterday I finalised the two transects I will walk in early May and late June to record the species that I identify as breeding birds. The start of my first transect is near Stowe Barton the home of one of England's great military families – the Grenvilles. The wall famously features an ancient piece of natural history, a fossilised ammonite. 

Snails

 Sir John Grenville served with Drake at the time of the Armada and his grandson Sir Bevil lost his life at the battle of Stamford Hill during the English Civil War. My picture shows typical Brown-lipped snail activity, climbing to the top of any vertical natural feature with satellite dishes in the near distance. From here it crosses cliff top farmland before crossing two streams that empty into the Atlantic near Sandymouth on the North Cornish Coast.

The second transect commences from the the National Trust café at Sandymouth and follows the South West Coastal Footpath north towards Duckpool. The ground is open, grassy and occasionally dotted with Gorse. I was fortunate to see carpets of Spring Squill on the cliff top as well as Dove's-foot Cranesbill. Although I was concentrating on establishing the 10x200m legs of the transect; where they start and finish and the habitat, I did note a few birds, the most obvious were Buzzard, Wheatear, Linnet, Skylark, Robin, Blackbird, Herring Gull, Swallow and Jackdaw. No mammals were about in mid afternoon, but Badger setts and Rabbit warrens along the cliff hold out promise on my early morning surveys. I am expecting lots of species on the close-cropped cliff tops and adjacent Atlantic rocky beach and cliffs if I can keep my eyes away from the scenery.

Green Tours

Yesterday, 26^th April, I joined 19 walkers and my fellow guide aboard the Oldenburg bound for Lundy to lead them on one of the North Devon Walking Festival walks.

We had travelled to Ilfracombe in torrential rain and expected cancellation, but the clouds had cleared, the sun was out and we all embarked.

Simon with salt encrusted glasses

The purser announced that 118 passengers were aboard but that the forecast was for Force 5, with a “rough” passage against a West South West wind.   Experience dictates that this forecast should be increased to the next level, it is always understated!  This was just as we were leaving the shelter of Ilfracombe harbour and feeling the first effects of the swell.

The voyage started in sun, then we had rain and always the strong wind.

Before too long it was like being on a hospital ship under fire, almost everyone was sick and movement on the ship was difficult due to it rolling, yawing and pitching – often all at the same time! Bow waves were crashing over the top of the ship onto the aft deck so only those who could not stomach going inside were left clinging to supports and receiving regular soakings.

Indoor picnic at Old Light

While we did see sea birds all the way over to the island, the majority of Manx Shearwaters, Razorbills, Guillemots, Kittiwakes and Herring Gulls were close to land probably not taking shelter but feeding close to potential nesting sites.

I think everyone was thankful to arrive in the lee of the island, but disembarkation was not easy either. We left ship thankfully, only to be advised to walk quickly up the centre of the jetty to avoid the buffeting south wind which could easily have pitched anyone near the edges into the sea.

We were lucky with our walk which encompassed the South end, Castle, Rocket Pole, Cemetery, Old Light and Quarter Wall. Our walkers were amply exercised and informed on all aspects of Lundy's History and Natural History. We were fortunate to miss heavy rain which commenced as we entered the Old Light for the traditional bad weather indoor picnic. Our final leg before returning to the Village was to go as far north as Quarter Wall to see the Lundy ponies and 8 Highland Steers where they were also lucky enough to see 20 Sika does ruminating with the cattle in Brick Field. We headed back into the teeth of the wind and rain to a welcome pint and retail opportunity in the Village. Heading back to the Jetty, another of Lundy's mammals were spotted, the Castle Goats put in an appearance appropriately near the goat path.

Devil's Kitchen - boiling

The return journey was just as eventful. We were met at the Dive Shed and advised that we were to expect a difficult journey back. Our tickets were collected and we were allowed to proceed down the jetty in pairs spaced 5 metres apart and then embarked one at a time as the gangplank was alternately wet and dry and the tide ebbed and flowed.

The return was as eventful as the outgoing voyage with many ill people. Sitting in the aft saloon we realised that the alternative light and darkness was caused by the sea covering and uncovering the starboard portholes as the southerly swell rose and fell.

I think everyone was relieved to arrive in the shelter of the North Devon coast but this trip should be renamed from North Devon Walking Festival to Green Tours!

Butterflies and Spring Flowers

Early Purple Orchid

We don't often see Siskins in our garden so when one turned up on this beautiful sunny morning, thoughts of going out to see what else was about determined us to go into Stowe woods in Coombe Valley.

Bluebells 

The afternoon was hot and sunny, with lots of newly opened flowers, including our first of the year Early Purple Orchid near the mill. There were lots of fresh Wild Garlic, Bugle, Broom, and troops of real English Bluebells under the newly opening leaf canopy.

As we walked out of the shelter of the trees into the open sunny ride the butterflies began to appear. We counted five male Orange Tips, three Brimstones, a Small Tortoiseshell, a Small White, a Comma and six Peacocks. Brimstones while common in north and east Cornwall, are rarely found in the south of Cornwall. There is no mistaking their beautiful yellow colouring which is supposed to have given rise to the original naming of “butter” fly. And, among all these butterflies was a day flying moth a beautifully coloured Speckled Yellow which looked just like a dead leaf when it landed and hung down from a bush, but flashed brilliantly yellow and checkered brown in flight.

Peacock

Comma

Both the Comma and some of the Peacocks were obviously last year's awakened from hibernation, their colours faded and markings almost transparent. One pair of Peacocks were obviously keen to propagate their species spiraling and displaying to each other in a shaft of sunlight.

It was most certainly a day for butterflies but the keening of Buzzards and songs of Tits, Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers could not be avoided. Spring has sprung and summer is a promise – once we get through tomorrow's forecast storms.

Look out for news of my day trip to Lundy – if the Oldenburg sails in the morning taking the brave North Devon Walking Festival visitors.