Orange Tip Anthocharis cardamines (f) at Berry Head.
Snake in the grass, a dark Adder pretty well hidden.

Thanks Jake. They seem to be going crazy over Forget - me not and Lungwort. Re video - I think Hamza can relax

Dotted Bee-fly Bombylius discolor nectaring on Forget-me-not in our garden.

Clouded Yellow this morning in the quarry at Berry Head, South Devon. Amazingly this is the second seen on this headland in the last couple of weeks and this is probably a good 2 months earlier than ususal. Its said that they are unable to survive a UK winter.

Thanks John Walters for the intoduction to the Triungulin

Triungulins of Violet Oil Beetle

Triungulins of Violet Oil Beetle

Violet Oil Beetle Meloe violaceus

Triungulins, larvae of the Violet Oil Beetle on L. Celandine.
3-clawed feet used to attach themselves to female bees, probably mining bees. Once in the bee's nest they will eat the bee's food store and larvae, after pupating they will emerge in spring as Violet Oil Beetles Meloe violaceus (pic 3)

Minotaur Beetle (m) Typhaeus typhoeus on a Devon Heath.
Nest burrows up to 1.5 metres deep with side chambers prepared and stocked with dung for the larvae to eat.
New adults will emerge in autumn. Lots of Rabbit droppings in the area and its possible that this is being pushed into the nest.

Taken at risk of life and limb ☠️😄

Cheers Nick. Was quite a day with John W. showing us the Blue Ground Beetles as well!

Common Dolphin and Calf. Berry Head

Common Dolphin and Calf. Berry Head

Common Dolphin and Calf sticking close together as they and the pod get into the fish at the end of Berry Head.

Panzer's Nomad Bee (f) Nomada panzeri seen entering the nest burrow of a Tawny Mining Bee (f) Andrena fulva at Berry Head. Panzer's Nomad are cleptoparasites of Tawny Mining Bees (pic 4). Their grub will feed on the egg/grub and food store of the Tawny host.
Thanks John Walters for the ID.

Wow Leon!!

Quantities of Octopus still caught and sold through Brixham fish market. 1st week of May was the earliest I have seen Risso's Dolphins off Berry Head. Risso's have already been seen off W. Cornwall, so it may not be long before they're off S. Devon to feed off Octopus, as they did last year.

Kestrel in hover over the cliff edge at Berry Head.
This pair of Shelduck like visiting the brackish pond area in the old quarry.

Goldfinches, lots of them, on Berry Head.
First sighting this year of a very fresh looking Wall butterfly.

Only talking about these the other day Mark at Yarner...

Berry Head this morning:
Whitethroat next to the S. Fort gate just where Bill MacD said it would be.
A Linnet amongst a flock on the way to N. Fort.
Down in the quarry a male Wheatear had just flown in.
The Raven was on the edge of the cliff waiting to be fed.

Would like to see any human being fast enough to catch one 😆

Fast running, fast flying, very aggressive and having mouthparts described by AI as "large sickle shaped and razor sharp mandibles for grabbing, slicing and crushing prey"
Green Tiger Beetle Cicindela campestris can inflict a painful bite on humans if picked up. Seen on Bovey Heath.

I stopped by the pond at Bovey Heath and saw this Adder moving down the path and through some rushes so that its head was by the pond. It was a hot day 20deg c and I guess the Adder was taking in a little water. It stayed still as in pic 2 for 10 mins. before turning back into the heath.

Tree Pipit at Bovey Heath this morning giving voice to a song now and again.
Siskins in the trees in Yarner Wood also this morning always a delight to see.

Brimstones Goneptteryx rhamni flying in Yarner wood this morning. A wonderful sunny day reaching 22c.

1. Chocolate Mining Bee Andrena scotia f. thorax and abdomen covered with brown hair.
2. Mourning Bee Melecta abifrons - black abdomen with white lateral spots. Cleptoparasite of Hairy-footed Flower Bees.
3. Female Hairy-footed Flower Bee Anthophora plumipes on Borage.Host to above Mourning Bee.

Yellow-legged Mining Bee Andrena flavipes - an aggregation in the soft cliffs at Prawle Point.
Dotted Bee-fly Bombylius discolor, a cleptoparasite of Andrena species.
Painted Nomad Bee Nomada fucata is a cleptoparasite of Yellow-legged Mining Bees and was found flying close to their nest burrows.

Manx Shearwaters pictured on a pelagic trip a couple of years ago and more Manxies feeding off Berry Head today at some distance. There were at least 100 of them.

Cliff Mining Bee Andrena thoracica on the cliff top at Prawle Point. With its shiny black abdomen its not easy to confuse with many other species. The soft cliffs at Prawle offer ideal nesting opportunities for these bees.

Hedgehogs aren't always sweet creatures like Mrs Tiggy-Winkle from Beatrix Potter. They can tussle over territory and food supply or even another hedgehog of the opposite sex.
They both came back later to feed separately in peace.

Hairy-footed Flower Bee f. (Anthophora plumipes), shiny and industrious. Berry Head.
Cms. away (pics2+3) Common Mourning Bee (Melecta albifrons) has emerged,a cleptoparasite, she will lay an egg in a Flower Bee's nest cell. The resultant larva will destroy the host egg/grub and eat its food store.

Berry Head quarry this afternoon - a female Kestrel hunting from the rock face.
Three of four Red-throated Divers leaving Torbay and flying south.
Manx Shearwater passing an incoming trawler and lastly a Gorse Shieldbug Piezodorus lituratos. Thanks Judah B for the ID.

Lovely bird, great shots Graham.