23rd-27th August

Invertebrates

South Paignton - Brown House Moth & Canestrini’s Harvestman

Fleet Street, Torquay - Hornet Mimic Hoverfly
Hope’s Nose - Painted Lady
Barton - Eyed Hawkmoth caterpillar
Coffinswell - Small Copper
W Brixham - Common Blue
Wellswood - Dull Four-spined Legionnaire
Haytor Avenue, Paignton - Orange Swift
Lots of Red Admirals and Small Whites around Torquay.


Vertebrates

Yesterday morning - the 27th, I did a small seawatch from Wall’s Hill, which was always going to be difficult as all seabirds pushed up by the southwesterlies get pushed past Hope’s Nose and then go out more distantly into Lyme Bay, so for me to see shearwaters from Wall’s Hill I had to scope over a mile down to Hope’s Nose. In the end a small total of 1+ Manx Shearwater and c5 Balearic Shearwater was the best I could manage. These were joined on the sea by 10+ Kittiwake, 100+ Gannet, 2 Mediterranean Gull (1 adult + 1 juvenile), 3 Lesser Black-backed Gull, & an egret flying far out. Plus overhead were 3 Yellow Wagtails and 10 Swallows, although a proper vismig would yield much more.

They did much better yesterday morning at Hope’s Nose unsurprisingly, with a report of 60+ Balearic Shearwaters, plus 60 Manx Shearwater, 25 Common Tern, 5 Sandwich Tern, 6 Sand Martin, 5 Mediterranean Gull, & Grey Seal.
Also on the 25th they had 1 Rock Pipit, 2 Oystercatchers, & 7 Shags.

Berry Head - 3+ Black Terns, 1 Little Gull, 2 Sooty Shearwaters, & 129 Balearic Shearwaters flew past yesterday (27th) between 6:00 and 14:00.

Torquay Harbour had a Shag photographed, and a cool sighting in the harbour was an appearingly decent sized houndshark species! Will update blog if species is identified.




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Notable sightings near Torbay

Lots of rare birds about at the moment with autumn migration fully underway now. Mostly a large passage of wading birds outside of Torbay, Wood Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint, Green Sandpiper etc., however Torbay has basically no good marshy/bare mud areas for migrating waders to stop by, which is quite unfortunate for seeing rare waders.





Mediterranean Gull

Scoping from Wall’s Hill



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