By Tara McEvoy-Wilding
I'll start my Thursday blog with Wednesday evening, as the conservation team took an excursion to the South Light area to take moth trapping on tour! The aim was to trap a Netted Pug who favour Sea Campion, and there is lots of plants around South Light. We split the trap into parts and carried a bit each up the very long set of steps! After setting up the trap we attempted to herd the group of 8 goats out of the area... Unfortunately we were outsmarted.
Being heckled by the Wingnuts
On Thursday morning we met at South Light at 6:30 to check the trap, sadly there were no Netted Pugs. We caught 3 moths, 1 Marbled Coronet and 2 Mullein Waves. Today was a Bideford boat day and we had divers arrivng so at 11, me and Simon headed down to the Landing Bay to collect the divers' luggage and and see the Oldenburg in. After lunch, helping the shop with their stores arrival, and a bit off office work, we headed back down to the Landing Bay to fill the divers' cylinders and see off the Oldenburg.
In the bird world, Greg spotted a Golden Oriole at Pointless Wall! It was decided that it was a different individual to the Golden Oriole seen a few days previously. Quarter Wall Copse was full of singing birds including Dunnock, Chaffinch, Goldfinch and Wren. A Wood Pigeon was seen on the West Coast near Aztec Bay and a Garden Warbler on the Terrace. At Belle Vue Cottages a Yellow Wagtail was seen by Thomas and Greg spotted a ringed Female Pied Flycatcher in Millcombe. Off the west coast both Common and Risso's Dolphins were sighted!
Golden Oriole at Pointless Wall by Greg Lee
In the village, a Sedge Warbler was caught- which we later learned was ringed as a juvenile in Dorset last year!
In the evening the conservation team headed out to the west coast to ring Manx Shearwaters. It was a busy night and we ended up catching 56 Manx Shearwaters, including 24 new birds and 32 retrap birds- a successful night!
Manx Shearwater ringing on the west coast