Tony Marchese
@tonyvicenza
Socialist, birder, proud father and grandfather. Widower.
Visiting a friend in Derriford Hospital this afternoon,pleasantly surprised to see at least 5 Painted Ladies nectaring on Buddleia. Here's a photo of one of them.
Worth a trip to my old patch Prawle Point yesterday to see the recent Red-billed Chough 'invasion'. The two birds still in field behind Langerstone Point. Feeding happily until local Corvids saw them off,temporarily. My 3rd or 4th sighting here since the 1990s. Are they Cornish birds on holiday?
Well foot recovered.No hospital appts a trip to Gloucs was in order. 4.5 hours as it turned out with my sat nav going ape past Michael Wood.Reached area and a kindly man in a big Suv directed me to the site. Once there a friendly chat with a farmer+combine meant I could park..and chap let me see it!
Could any of you clever mothers in 'blue sky world' help me id this moth please? Landed on my house last night. Thanks.
Lovely walk y'day at Langaford Farm with Butterfly Conservation. Perfect weather. Entitled 'Marsh Fritillaries and Narrow Bordered Bee Hawkmoth' and we saw them! Also Mother Shipton's and other moths and Painted Lady,Orange Tip. Pearl Bordered Fritillary ( in a jar).
Plans for today to do ironing went kapput once news of birds at Skern,N.Devon. Was it the LRP or Pec Sand? So arr. 11.20am. Lovely day and so visit risky with the number of dogs off leash! Saw Pec Sand. With 4 s.p. Dunlin. Later an adult and 1st s.LRP. plus Wheatear and 2 white wagails.
U3A trip y'day to Hannafore. Day of many weathers incl sunshine ( my first ice-cream of the year!) Some distant Manx Shearwaters and did see a male Eider Duck,so not all gone! Today a trip to Exminster to see a male Green Winged Teal plus male Marsh Harrier gliding over Station Road. Chiffs calling.
Thursday 19th March. Trip to South Huish 9.15am. Bright,blue sky..but very windy! Scoped 3 male Wheatears in sheep field-nice. 1 Water Pipit in breeding plumage. Imm.Greenland WF Goose.Avocet,Redshank,Redshank,Oystercatcher. On sea 15 Common Scoter,2 Great N Divers in bay. Crap photos due to wind.
Female Blackcap,2 Brimstones and a Red Admiral in backyard enjoying sunshine at last. And yesterday trip to Truro to add the Lesser Yellowlegs to birds seen in 2026...and a couple of Black Swans thrown in for good measure seen at BGM at the weekend. Next stop Egypt.
Tuesday 24th trip to Newlyn didn't disappoint. My 5th Ross' Gull,a 2nd cal yr/1st winter. All previous adults. Love the neat black bill,hint of rosy hue on flanks. Later a Pacific Diver, my 4th (1st in Yorks,2007) Amazingly a brief view of the diver and gull in same scope view! +Curlew Sand Hayle.
A smattering of January bird sightings. Killdeer a very long awaited UK 1st plus obligatory Great-Tailed Grackle ,presumed ship assisted,but pretty. Cornwall for ducks.Yesterday Brixham and a Devon tick : Caspian Gull (luscious legs) supporting cast plus seals incl a 2nd/3rd yr on beach.
Y'day braved the ice to visit Efford Marsh (used to visit most winters) Only a nano second rear view of a Yellow-browed Warbler at Prawle in 2025 so hoped for better. Excellent views and some ok photos. Plus Firecrest,3 Goldcrests, 2 Siberian type Chiffs and 5/6 Collybitas and 2 Grey Wagtails.
After the storm (Bram), a lovely sunny day and a trip to the Turf Inn via Powderham (8500 steps!) For a better/2nd look at the Lesser Crested Tern that's been gracing the Exe Estuary. Well worth the effort as the only UK 1st I've seen this year. Note how the bill colour changes with angle of light.
Yesterday late pm trip to Slapton. No sign of reported phylloscs but did see the juv Greenland WF Goose with c 30 Canadas albeit afar in field. 3 Cattle Egrets flew north over bridge. To sea a Diver sp. Features of both Black and Great Northern dep on angle and light. Shade of neck collar so GN?
November 14th 2018. Trevose Head, 1st year female Pied Wheatear. A much longed for rare bird. Thanks to Pete Roseveare and Bob Bosisto for relocating and putting the message out, I managed to get there by 1pm. And I'd just bought a new Canon 100-400 camera lens so an ideal christening.Magic!
Had to join the party at Gunwalloe,Lizard on Sunday having had a rubbish passerine October. Last saw this species/subspecies in 2014,Burnham Norton. Like that formerly called Bogdanov's. But windy ( my excuse for crap photos). Then to Truro for 2nd time Lesser Legs. Met up Ironfists and Tim P.
Finally caught up with a White-rumped Sandpiper at Siblyback yesterday.My 3rd American wader of the season (having missed Baird's and Semi-palmated) Strange that no Least Sand/ Lesser Yellowlegs/Long-billed Dowitcher in the South-west this autumn.
Phalaropes move very quickly when feeding on flies. Hard to video! But fun to watch.
Tues 30th Sept back to Gwithian to see the Snow Bunting ( fun birds) and Red-necked Phalarope (rarely see both this and Grey in an autumn) nice chat with Billy Nason about sewatching.
Late Sept trip to Hayle and Gwithian. Prolonged views of Pectoral and Curlew Sandpipers. Then to see Grey Phalarope. And at last a trip to Prawle on Sunday 28th. On arrival a mini-fall. 60+ Chiffchaffs,30+Blackcaps, 1 Garden Warbler,1 Reed Warbler,1 Spot Fly. Wall Browns,2 breaching Tuna.
@microsoft.com How do you justify this 15% increase in your annual charge given the current international rates of inflation? Or is it politically motivated?
Waders seen at Davidstowe in between torrential rain on Saturday 20th September. No Pec Sand for me but 1 Little Stint, 4 Ruff, 40+ Ringed Plover, Dunlin and 1 Lapwing. And 2 Wheatears.