Pushing Metaphors Beyond Sense.

I'm not going there with the title of this one.

To get on with it;

At least the forecast of vaguely useful weather had me to the Nose early doors two days in a row, though reality having other ideas meant I only watched for one and two hours respectively...

1hr, Glonk Corner;

 

8/2 Manx

10 Gannet

3 Kittiwake

1 Fulmar 

1 Stormie

1 Little Grebe  [Nose Tick!!!]

2hrs, Glonk Corner;

 

121/13 Manx

1 Balearic

22 Gannet

10 Kittiwake

1 Fulmar 

65 Common Scoter [incl. flock of 56!]

1 Med Gull [+ another post-watch]

Nothing spectacular, but gems amongst the gravel.

That scoter flock was caught on camera, which is how I got a sure count.

That weekend I also took a meander about the lanes the other side of the Haldon Hills, but nothing of note was found, aside from a male Broad-thighed Beetle, which stowed away in my car and so was transported to a whole new area [there's lots at the Nose, so he wasn't totally doomed, btw]

The weather got hotter and hotter, and with seawatching off the table, all that remained was bug-hunting.

 

So at it! 

I'd long meant to get to Oreston Drive nr Plimoth, where White-letter Hairstreaks could be 'seen at eye level and there's loads'.

 

Well, it was worth a try.

 

I found one, plus at least four Purple Hairstreaks, but the views were more or less eye level [usually looking down at 'em, really!] and certainly the best I'd had of WLH, with photos even being taken ::faints:: 

Being Over There, I had a choice to make, but as it was rather windy, I decided to try the site with at least some shelter.

 

It was actually a lot windier at the theoretically more sheltered Slapton, and while there were Norfolk Hawkers flying about, they weren't stopping in view, the jade-eyed fiends...

 

 

I gave it a long while, but the best thing I saw was a massive - 46!!! - flock of mixed adult and juvenile Long-tailed Tits streaming over. As I was limping off [yep. again.], I tried the little bit by the bridge for one last time..

 

Oh hello.  

Pics Over There, worth a look.

 

I stayed to have a look at the sea [you never know, there might have been terns]. There weren't.

Another weekend, and again only on one day was it cool enough to even think about going out bug hunting.

 

The wind was blowing the other way and less vigourously, so I went after Southern Damselfly. I was off up North, and it got verrrrry hot - 30°!! - but I saw a host of the teeny blue darlings. In one 10m stretch of runnel [just one of several at the site; which I will not publicise as they're protected] there were 8 pairs in assorted tandems and seven more single males searching hopefully. That's by far the highest density I've ever seen there or indeed anywhere else.

To celebrate - and get out of the heat - I relocated to t'Moor, where I got all reminiscencey about Spain as I climbed up a handy tor, before spending two hours not seeing soaring anything...

 

But the views were wonderful, and an A400M burned by at eye level; weaving through the wind turbine obstacle course the countryside is these days. 

Eventually, a juvie Wheatear turned up, so that was all ok.

I would have stayed longer, but my car was in the Sun and I feared it might melt, so I called it a 'day I was so glad to have aircon in this one!' and went my way homewards.

There will be more, and there will be seawatching.

Be Seeing You...