Paul's Birding Diary

Saturday 2nd - Sunday 10th July 2016 Puffin with puffling, Bempton Cliffs On Sunday (10th) I went on another West Midland Bird Club field trip with 'Team Kestrel', this time to East Yorkshire. First stop was RSPB Bempton Cliffs, and what a treat. This was my first visit here, and I can't remember how long I have wanted to go. The impressive hard chalk cliffs here are home to nesting Puffins , Gannets (only mainland breeding colony in England I believe), Guillemots , Razorbills , Kittiwakes and Fulmars . It was also nice seeing c10 Tree Sparrows around the visitor centre feeders - they seem to have disappeared from Gloucestershire. I heard a Grasshopper Warbler reeling briefly from long grass near one of the cliff viewpoints, the first of the year for me. Puffin, Bempton Puffin, Bempton Puffin, Bempton Puffin, Bempton Gannets, Bempton Gannet, Bempton Gannet chick, Bempton Guillemots, Bempton Guillemots, Bempton Fulmars, Bempton ...

Tuesday 7th - Saturday 11th June 2016 Glanville Fritillary, Compton Bay Here are some highlights from my recent holiday on the Isle of Wight staying in Shanklin: Glanville Fritillaries at Compton Bay, Wall Lizards at Ventnor, Red Squirels at the hotel, Painted Ladies everywhere, and generally everything else - I do love the IoW. Glanville Fritillary, Compton Bay Glanville Fritillary, Compton Bay on Sea Thrift Compton Bay Ribwort Plantain, Compton Bay, Glanville Fritillary larval foodplant Painted Lady, Shanklin Bee Orchid, Shanklin Diamond-back Moth, Sandown Southern Marsh Orchid, Shanklin Common Spotted-orchid, Osborne House Wall Lizard, Ventnor Botanic Garden Wall Lizard, Ventnor Botanic Garden Red Squirrel, Shanklin Red Squirrel, Shanklin Wall Brown, Ventnor Downs Speckled Yellow, Ventnor Downs

Sunday 5th June 2016 Heath Fritillary, Haddon Hill, Somerset The forecast looked ideal, but when I arrived at Haddon Hill it was, although bright and warm, cloudy. The roads showed signs of it having rained earlier. This wasn't what I wanted. An initial search for the rare butterfly I had come to see was fruitless; just a couple of Small Heaths .I found lots of Common Cow-wheat , the food plant of the target species. Tree Pipits , Stonechats , a Willow Warbler and a singing Redstart provided further interest. With conditions not improving I adjourned to the main car park to eat me picnic and check the weather app. It didn't look promising despite the glorious weather I had left behind, but I went for another look. Patches of blue sky were beginning to appear, and my spirit raised. This butterfly is only active in bright sunshine and at last. this was appearing. A Green Hairstreak fluttered by and landed close by. And then, at last, a Heath Fritillary . It was the only o...