June 2023

30th. Dipper on the River Frome at Iford, and red kite near Newton St Loe.

22nd: better views of the white-spotted bluethroat at Slimbridge, though conditions were very hazy and the bird never came close. The black-winged stilt showed well from Discovery Hide, and 4 green sandpipers, 3 little ringed plovers, a summer-plumage spotted redshank, and a cuckoo still calling.

Avocet and green sandpiper below.

18th: St Ives Island: (11:30-13:00) 1 Arctic tern, 2nd summer Mediterranean gull, 5 kittiwake.

16th. The first-summer night heron flew into Marazion Marsh just as it was getting dark around 21.00h this evening.

11th. Slimbridge - I caught up with the male WHITE-THROATED BLUETHROAT at last, and it perched up singing occasionally at Middle Point. Five bar-tailed godwits and a cuckoo from here too. A male black-winged stilt, 3 little ringed plovers and 2 green sandpipers were on South Lake.

5th-9th. An enjoyable field course at Dale Fort in almost unbroken sunshine with great students and colleagues.

Rock pool life in Castle Bay included fan worms (Branchiomma bombyx?) and light bulb ascidians.

Breadcrumb sponge.

Andy Wakefield took a photo of a comb jelly.

On the last day there was a greater pipefish on the strandline at Castle Bay, and we tried to resuscitate in in a rock pool.

Ruby-tailed wasps visited holes around the field centre in their attempts to parasitise solitary bee nests. .

On 6th I visited Dale Airfield, which as some great grassland habitat. I had brief views of the calling short-toed lark, and photographed a skylark. A European golden plover and a chough were also present, and 2 choughs were seen regularly from the field centre.

We had a great day on Skomer island on 7th, seeing the usual auks and great views of a harbour porpoise under the water. A short-eared owl flew past the old farm.

This one appears to be flying with its nictitating membranes covering its eyes.

4th. Lots of dragonflies in the Botanic Gardens, including several emperors, broad-bellied chasers and this recently emerged four-spotted chaser.