Landshipping area and Castlemartin peninsula 25th July

A butterfly transect walk to Landshipping yesterday (25th) provided 22 redshanks and a few curlew at Landshipping and also on the way back an independent juv kestrel (from where?). On the butterfly front the highlight was not less than 3 silver-washed fritillaries (normally quite scarce here).

Later in the evening we led a guided walk through Castlemartin Range. Ringed Plovers have two small chicks from a second brood at their usual nest location. The first brood probably did not fledge. Chough numbers are starting to build up a bit - a flock of 22 at Linney Head and a few other pairs noted along the coast.

At Cabin Door Bay an adult male kestrel still near his nest site - he was looking pretty tatty in wing-moult. No sign of the female or of 4 juvs that fledged a few weeks ago. At Stackpole recently there has been an equally tatty female kestrel in wing and tail moult, but no sign of juvs.

At least one or two juv guillemots were still on the cliffs to the west of Elegug Stacks calling loudly to adults calling back. At least one male was flying around in circles anxiously calling - probably trying to urge its youngster to jump for it.

We ended the evening helping to monitor greater horseshoe bats. Record numbers of births and adult this year, at the second largest breeding colony for this species in Britain.