Lizard, Cornwall pt. 4 - Thurs 14th and Fri 15th Oct

A morning's birdwatching walk via Pistil and Lizard Point marked a small change in vis-mig - in the fields above Pistil whilst still full of meadow pipit - the white wagtails had been replaced overnight by pied wagtails - and scanning through the flock, not a white wagtail was to be seen.

Pistil itself produced a small flock of 6 Greenfinch. Although the birds were assumed to be resident rather than vis-mig - for me it was a notable sight and my diary entry reads: "I can't remember the last time I saw a flock of Greenfinch? - Just lovely!".

Taking breakfast at Polpeor Cafe, we were joined by another resident species, the local House sparrows whose brazen behaviour suggested that they were well used to tit-bits from the Cafe tables.

Later that evening, a short walk to Housel Point produced grey wagtail, and several Chiffchaff.

The last moth trap of the holiday was by far the most productive - helped no end by the mild temperatures and cloud overnight. The trap was also returned to the front garden as weak southerlies brought migrant promise. We were not to be disappointed.

Angle shades

Delicate

Radford's Flame shoulder

Sorting

Gem

Lunar underwing (36)
Feathered ranunculus (11)
Black rustic (3)
Rusty dot pearl (12)
Common marbled carpet (3)
Large yellow underwing (3)
Silver Y (1)
Feathered brindle (2)
Light brown apple moth (2)
Angle shades (2)
Delicate (1)
Red-line quaker (1)
Setaceous Hebrew character (2)
Radford's Flame shoulder (1)
Double-striped pug (1)
Bloxworth snout (1)
Gem (1)

By coincidence the first migrant bird of the week had been a fem/juv type Black redstart which flew from Barnside Cottage garden to the neighbour's roof. As we said goodbye to T on the drive of Pen Cairn, a male Black redstart flew from his roof to Barnside Cottage.

Black redstart (fem/juv) Oct 9th

Lizard, Cornwall pt 3. - Moth Trapping and Vis-Mig - Tues 12th and Wed 13th Oct

Birding Tues 12th AM

Chiffchaff (2), Blackcap (1m) - Housel willows
3 Jay and a single Chough flyover
Goldcrest (1), Chiffchaff (1) - Bass Point
Bullfinch and willow warbler

Later en-route to Ruan Holy Well - a merlin, and sparrowhawk were noted both harassed by corvids; Chiffchaff and a single Willow Warbler were in the hedgerows.

Ruan (St Grades) Holy Well

Moth Trap Tues 12th

The trap was moved from the front garden to the back garden.

Lunar underwing (19)
Feathered ranunculus (8)
Large yellow underwing (1)
Silver Y (1)
Common marbled carpet (3)
Green brindled crescent (1)
Setaceous Hebrew character (1)
Light brown apple moth (1)
Rusty dot pearl (3)
Angle shades (1)
Tachystola acroxantha (1)

However, the star of the day was undoubtedly the Brindled ochre - caught overnight by MV trap, at Pen Cairn.

Brindled ochre

Birding Wed 13th Oct AM 

Short walk to Caerthillian

Chiffchaff (Num)
Song Thrush
Blackcap
Siskin
White wagtail

The back garden now boasting up to 6 Chiffchaff, with Chaffinch, Goldfinch, and Blue tit moving through in a large mixed flock.

Moth Trap Wed 13th

The trap remained overnight in the back garden.

Lunar underwing (41)
Feathered ranunculus (6)
Rusty dot pearl (2)
Snout (1)
Black rustic (2)

Black rustic

Common marbled carpet (2)
Setaceous Hebrew character (1)
Feathered brindle (1)
Mallow* (1)

Both the latter two moths were new for me. Having read that Mallow "Comes to light in small numbers, otherwise seldom seen." (Waring, P., Townsend, M., Lewington, R., 2017), I felt chuffed to get this moth in the trap, although it was somewhat drab in comparison to the rather strikingly marked Feathered brindle.

Mallow

Feathered brindle

The Pen Cairn trap had produced another stunner overnight - a Radford's Flame Shoulder! A covetted moth for sure .. in fact having seen it for the first time, my simple response was "I want one!".

Radford's Flame Shoulder

Addendum

December 2021. Having finally submitted my Lizard moth records to Leon Truscott, Cornwall's, County Moth Recorder - I received a very interesting reply regarding the Mallow record, confirming that: "The rarest moth (for Cornwall) on the list is the Mallow with only 12 previous records here. The last record for Cornwall (mainland) was in 2012. This year, Mick Scott recorded one from Scilly on 11 Oct! (only the 2nd for Scilly, the previous being in 2006)." (Pers comm Truscott, L., 20th Dec 2021).

Reference

Waring, P.; Townsend, M.; Lewington, R.; (2017) (3rd Edition) Field Guide to the Moths of Great Britain and Ireland Bloomsbury, London

Lizard, Cornwall pt 2 - Monday 11th Oct

We took a leisurely cliff-top stroll to Soapy Cove. Our first stop was at Pistil - where the only migrant was a vocal but elusive Chiffchaff. En route to Kynance a flock of 5 Pale-bellied brent geese performed a fly past, hugging the coastline as they flew north. At Kynance itself a Chough called repeatedly from a prominent rock - mobbed endlessly by Jackdaws it eventually relented and moved on.

A couple of Wheatear hunted the grassland above the Cove but apart from the ubiquitous Meadow pipits, we saw nothing else of note until reaching Soapy Cove.

Grey seal pup - Soapy Cove

Walking inland from Soapy, Willow Warbler, and Chiffchaff were in the scrub of the valley - we scanned a long time for anything else and found nothing. Before crossing the Ford to loop back inland to Kynance settlement - we stopped for our pasties.

"Ann's Pasties"

Kynance Settlement

We finished our walk, and quenched our thirsts, with a couple of pints of Proper Job at The Top House Inn.

Monday night's moth trap was a little underwhelming with 30 moths of 6 species - Feathered Ranunculus and Lunar Underwing joint first with 13 individuals apiece.

Lizard, Cornwall pt 1 - Friday 8th Oct - Sunday 10th Oct

An unexpectedly quiet week for migrants - both birds and moths - a calm week, with much sunshine and the slightest of wind. We were caught out. I had not even brought a pair of shorts or a sun hat with me, having packed mainly winter items - intended to keep me warm whilst sea-watching at the Point. However, sea-watching was all but pointless, so I did not risk a sore neck for little or no return.

The most intriguing vis-mig was a large flock of Jay that appeared on Saturday morning - comprising 30 or so birds moving around the village, and causing quite a stir with the local Jackdaw population - whom proceeded to mob them repeatedly. I have only seen Jays as singles or pairs in or around woodland - and not as large groups resolutely flying in a single direction. It was quite the spectacle.

As the week progressed smaller groups of Jay, were regularly encountered, and it seemed that each time they hit the coastline they faltered - before turning back inland - as if they did not quite have the confidence to head south to the continent.

Jay - one of a flock of Ca. 30

This year, I only borrowed one MV light trap from T the landlord of Barnside Cottage, and when we arrived at the cottage after dark on the Friday night - the trap was already set up and turned on in the front garden.

I ran the trap each night and ensured that I released the contents the following evening, at dusk some way away from the garden and into tussocky grass, in the hope of reducing predation and re-traps of the same moths.

Friday night's trap contained a Bloxworth snout, which flushed from the trap but landed in the hedge close by and allowed a "record shot" to be made. It was my first sighting of a Bloxworth and an auspicious start to the week's trapping.

Bloxworth snout

A single Large ranunculus, stood out from the dozen Feathered ranunculus which were also present. The rest of the catch comprising: Lunar underwing (28); Light brown apple moth (2) - and singles of Red-line quaker, Silver Y, Common marbled carpet, and Rusty dot pearl.

Large ranunculus

Saturday night's trap also included a single Large ranunculus, along with feathered ranunculus (4) and Lunar underwing (36). A splendid Frosted orange, and a couple of Angle shades added additional interest. Although one of the Angle shades came to grief when it flew from the trap, landing on the garden path and being instantly snapped up by an opportunistic Robin.

Frosted orange

Three Common marbled carpet were the only other multi-catch specie overnight. Singles of Black rustic, Large yellow underwing, Rusty dot pearl, Silver Y, Snout, Setaceous Hebrew character, and Eudonia angustea made up the rest of the haul.

On Sunday morning, the back garden of Barnside, attracted two chiffchaff, and a couple of Mistle thrush who flew through - the latter of whom I was advised was a good record for the Lizard. Sunday's vis-mig on the short morning walk added two goldcrest and a male Blackcap to the list - both species watched as they foraged through the Tamarisk at Pistil.

An overly confiding Turtle dove, allowed us views down to Ca. 3m - oblivious to our gaze, as it fed on a muddy field margin just north of the Lizard lighthouse. It was glorious to see the dove at such close range, and have the opportunity to get some frame-filling photographs.

A and I dipped on the cattle egret which was in with the sheep in the pasture below the playing fields. A wheatear at Housel, was the first of my year, having completely failed to see any on spring passage.

Later in the day, we picked through T's LED and Black-light moth trap, run over the Saturday night at Pen Cairn. The trap held singles of Green-brindled crescent and Rosy rustic, amongst the others.

Rosy rustic

Green brindled crescent

Although only 9 species were present in T's trap - there were 129 moths - and perhaps unsurprisingly 96 of those were Lunar underwing?

Sunday's moth trapping at Barnside Cottage produced Large wainscot (1), Angle shades (1), Lunar underwng (16), Feathered ranunuculus (3), Red-line quaker (1), Rusty-dot pearl (1), Large yellow underwing (1), Common marbled carpet (2), Setaceous Hebrew character (1).

Large wainscot