Dart Valley Nature Reserve and Vogwell, Devon: 11 June

Rachel and I spent much of the day walking the pipeline trail through ancient sessile oak woodland along the Dart Valley near Bench Tor. Highlights were 4 Wood Warbler (including a ringed male), 4 (2m, 2f) Common Redstart (including a pair bringing food to a nest hole), 2 (1m, 1f) Pied Flycatcher, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Eurasian Treecreeper, 3 Siskin, 1H Cuckoo and several Speckled Woods Pararge aegeria. On the open moor around Bench Tor 1 Tree Pipit, 2 (1m, 1f) Stonechat, a female Clouded Buff Diacrisia sannio and 2 Small Heath Coenonympha pamphilus were logged.

Wood Warbler, Dart Valley Nature Reserve

Wood Warbler, Dart Valley Nature Reserve

Ringed male Wood Warbler, Dart Valley Nature Reserve

A late afternoon visit to a private hay meadow at Vogwell with Kevin Cox and John Walters failed to locate any Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk-moths Hemaris tityus in cool heavily overcast conditions, but 4 docile Marsh Fritillary Euphydryas aurinia, several Chimney Sweepers Odezia atrata and huge numbers of Heath Spotted Orchids Dactylorhiza maculata more than made up for it. A fantastic site; I could spend days exploring this meadow.

Marsh Fritillary Euphydryas aurinia, Vogwell

A detour to Bovey Heathland Local Nature Reserve this evening on the way back from Vogwell produced excellent views of a male European Nightjar roosting in a tree and a single Bee Orchid Ophrys apifera.