Wednesday 30 May 2012

Choughs at Martin's Haven cliffs

Chough, Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax
Chough numbers have been rising in this area of Pembrokeshire and I heard that wardens had counted 26 at Martin's Haven so far this season. The cliffs are a short uphill walk from the National Trust car park at Martin's Haven which fills up in the morning for the Skomer Island trips. The cliff walk is wonderful and I used to spend a few hours there every day enjoying the magnificent views and seeing new things such as the Sea Campion and Spring Squill. It was also a delight to see Common Blues, mainly females, fluttering around the Bird's-foot Trefoil. Plus on the small inland cliff wall below the white hut I saw two Walls and a Small Tortoiseshell battling it out. They were there every day so the  fighting was futile! The Tortoiseshell always saw off the others. One Wall had a chunk of hind wing missing. One day Swallows dived down past the cliff and the Tortoiseshell headed straight up to see them off. This happened four times then the Swallows got the message and did not return. Amazing - the butterfly should have been a snack!

Buzzard, Buteo buteo
Choughs, Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax
Chough, Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax





Choughs, Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax

Chough, Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax

Choughs, Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax
Choughs, Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax

Chough, Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax
Choughs, Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax
Choughs, Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax


Cicindela campestris, Green Tiger Beetle
Common Blue, Polyommatus icarus, female
Common Blue, Polyommatus icarus, female
Cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo
Cuckooflower (Lady's Smock), Cardamine pratensis
Four-spotted Chaser, Libellula quadrimaculata
Foxglove, Digitalis purpurea
Green-veined White, Artogeia rapae
Herring Gull, Larus argentatus
Martin's Haven
Martin's Haven
Martin's Haven
Skomer Island in background


Skomer Island in background

Where the Wall and Tortoishell played
road to Martin's Haven

Sea campion, Silene maritima
looking out to Martin's Haven from track to the cliffs
Skomer Island
Jackdaw, Corvus monedula
Kidney Vetch, Anthyllis vulneraria
Meadow Pipit, Anthus pratensis
Navelwort, Umbilicus rupestris
Ragged Robin, Lychnis flos-cuculi
Small Tortoiseshell, Aglais urticae
Spring Squill, Scilla verna
Spring Squill, Scilla verna and Primrose, Primula vulgaris
Stonechat, Saxicola rubicola
Thrift, Armeria maritima
Thrift, Armeria maritima
Violet
Wall, Lasiommata megera
Wall, Lasiommata megera
Wall, Lasiommata megera on Thrift



Primroses, Primula vulgaris
Bluebells, Hyacinthoides non-scripta