July and August Update - Post 1

So....... over a month I've been away from the computer with scarcely a moment to breathe with all the goings on down here in Cornwall.... the next few posts will (hopefully) cover it all, but if I miss anything out, I guess you wouldn't know anyway!

Swallow-tailed Moth (Ourapteryx sambucaria)

Since my last post I've been incredibly busy ringing, helping out with Seawatch South-West, hunting butterflies, trapping moths and even getting over to the Isles of Scilly for a few pelagics. During that time there have been some incredible moments and I've been fortunate to meet some brilliant friends, old and new.

During the rest of July and into early August the weather has been a little turbulent, some really nice sunny days, some not so and pretty wet which has meant my moth trap hasn't seen the light of day (well.... night) for most of the time. I have managed to get it set up a few nights, hoping for the odd migrant moth but the main new ones I've been getting have been pretty standard fair.... very nice moths though like the Swallow-tailed Moth, Rosy Footman, Purple Thorn and of course the regular hawks.

Elephant, Poplar, Lime and Privet Hawk Moths (L to R)

Rosy Footman (Miltochrista miniata)

Purple Thorn (Selenia tetralunaria)

It's been so busy down at the Youth Hostel with loads of campers coming down, that I've felt a little worried about leaving the trap out too much either, but on the odd occasion I've been doing my RSPB thing and giving morning talks on the nights catch for anyone who's interested. As it quieten down in the next few weeks I'll leave it out more often (weather-dependant) and hope for something like a Silver-striped Hawk Moth to come in.

Wood Warbler (Phylloscopus sibilatrix)

Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus)

This time of year is quite a special time down here in in the south-west, with the right winds anything can occur..... south-westerlies give us seabirds close to the coast, easterlies give us our migrant passerines so whichever comes our way I go to one of two places.... Porthgwarra for the seawatch or Nanjizal to go ringing for the birds passing through. We had some great easterlies in the end of July, so I spent alot of time going round the nets. Mostly we had Whitethroats, Sedge, Reed and Willow Warblers, Chiffchaff, Blackcaps with the odd surprise like a Wood Warbler that popped into the net on the 9th. They are probably my favourite of the Phyllosc warblers... the bright lemon yellow supercillium (eyebrow) and upperparts mixed with the snow-white underparts really make this a little gem, so getting to see one in the hand was a real highlight. Kester (my trainer) is one of the only ringers in the country who rings Green Sandpiper as they come through on passage, so far we've done 47 this year which has beaten his personal record for his site. The way that they are caught is by a spring trap, which is left on the floor inbetween a line of chicken-wire to funnel the Green Sands over the tripwire releasing the trap over them.

Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus)

There was to be quite a huge surprise when I went down to the valley on the 29th though, on the way I found a flock of 50 hirundines - Swallows, House Martins and Swifts - flying over hawking for insects. As I watched them, 2 smaller birds zipped straight through the middle only 30m above my head. In appearance they looked like Swifts but with thinner wings and a more attenuated body. As one dived sideways to catch an insect the notch in it's tail could be seen clearly and it was much deeper than that on the Swifts. With most small swifts, their rump is usually white, but these birds were uniform brown all over. This left me reeling.... I continued to watch them as they disappeared into the distance, memorizing everything about them that I could..... Running back to the car with the images flashing through my head I couldn't think of what they could be, until looking through my Collins bird guide and getting to the swifts I found them staring back at me...... Plain Swifts..... $*@#...... These birds have been claimed in Britain before, but no records have ever been accepted..... I don't know what my chances are of mine being accepted either, but I can't be more certain of their identification. If it does go through it'll be a ''first for Britain''.... something that I've wanted to find as a boy.... we'll just have to see in the next few months if they go through.

Plain Swift notes