Devon – Spirit of Nature

My family and I were blessed to have a week in Brixham, Devon, again this summer (end of July to early August): a part of the world we’ve enjoyed and explored a number of times before. An area rich in wildlife and biodiversity – food for the soul.

This year, where we were staying, I had the delight of finding Painted Lady caterpillars on leaves of the giant Echium plants in the garden.

In some ways, not a surprise. It’s been declared a ‘Painted Lady year’, with vast numbers of these butterflies migrating from as far south as sub-Saharan Africa to the British Isles, where they breed and lay eggs, the larvae feed, and the resulting adults migrate back south later in the year in a marvellous multi-generational phenomenon. More details in this Guardian article.

Painted Lady on Red Valerian, Berry Head

In the same way, continental heatwaves, warm winds, and possibly a reduction in food sources in Europe due to drought conditions, have created a bumper year for Hummingbird Hawkmoths here in the UK. Personally, I’ve never seen so many articles about these fascinating furry friends in mainstream media as I have this year (such as this ITV article, for example).

I never get tired of seeing Hummingbird Hawkmoths, although I have to admit, this year, with their possible record abundance, even I haven’t reached for the camera every time I’ve spotted one. Sometimes I do, though!

Hummingbird Hawkmoth on Red Valerian, Berry Head, Devon

These surges in migration to our shores (this year has also seen increases in other visitors such as Queen of Spain Fritillary, Striped Hawk Moth and Crimson Underwings, for example), are always, I feel, somewhat tainted by the reminder they bring of the realities of global warming.

Nevertheless, like many other people, I will continue to welcome and revel in their colourful and diverse presence, as I do human visitors from distant lands.

A lifetime first for me was this Cirl Bunting. Although still scarce and Red-listed, successful conservation and reintroduction efforts have led to a resurgence in its numbers in South Devon and Cornwall.

Goldfinches are of course a common sight for many people across the UK, but I’ve included these photos, just ‘cos I like them!

And I don’t often get close enough to a Bullfinch to grab a snap, so this was a rare treat..

Here are some of the other wildlife encountered and enjoyed during the week, many of which were, for me, unusual sightings that made my heart sing…

Common Whitethroat joined by a Stonechat for a photo opportunity

However, probably the greatest excitement for me, as a butterfly lover, was stumbling across a colony of Small Pearl-Bordered Fritillaries (SPBFs) amongst a huge flurry of other butterflies, feeding on Hemp Agrimony at Soar Mill Cove.

Small Pearl-Bordered Fritillary with Meadow Browns

The SPBFs, like the Cirl Bunting, were a lifetime first for me.

Apparently, in warmer years, SPBFs sometimes produce a partial second brood in August. This is definitely a warm summer, and we found these butterflies at Soar Mill Cove on 31^st July (a day early!), so we were very lucky to see them!

Thank you, Brixham and South Devon, for enriching my soul once again.

In August, as in a few previous years, we had the privilege of staying in Brixham, Devon. An opportunity for physical, emotional and spiritual refreshment. To connect with ourselves, each other, the Divine, and Nature – the latter, of course, being the focus here.

Hummingbird Hawkmoth, Berry Head Country Park

Hummingbird hawkmoths, those miraculous migrants from mainland Europe, have become an increasingly frequent sight in England – possibly as a result of global warming. Whatever the reason, they are such welcome visitors. Last year (2022) was a bumper year for them in Southern England. One day we had FOUR(!) on the buddleia in our back garden (in Hastings) at the same time.

And yet, every time I see one, they still mesmerise me and I reach for the camera. This photo, taken in Berry Head Country Park, which borders Brixham, is one of my favourites – and quite an unusual one for me: I normally see them feeding on flowers like buddleia or verbena, but this moth was scouring the undergrowth – possibly looking for a suitable larval foodplant to lay eggs on.

Viper’s Bugloss and other wildflowers at Berry Head Country Park

Another privilege we enjoyed was seeing dolphins on a couple of occasions, including these from quite a distance – hence, not a brilliant photo – from the top of Berry Head.

Sticking with the Berry Head theme, these next few images were taken on a boat trip we took as a family with the expectation of seeing dolphins and other sea life. We didn’t actually see any dolphins on that occasion but, on the gorgeous day we had, with the picturesque views, the excursion was still utterly worthwhile.

Back on dry land.. the light trap turned up a few interesting and handsome moth species, including this rather dashing Lackey:

…this Ruby Tiger:

…and this Four-dotted Footman:

Other local invertebrates that drew my attention during the week included this Garden Spider:

…and this Hornet Mimic Hoverfly:

Hornet Mimic Hoverfly – the UK’s largest hoverfly and often (understandably) mistaken for an actual hornet. These have been quite prolific this year.

There was also some more urban wildlife…

such as this gull that had its eye on my daughter’s scampi and chips through the restaurant window:

…and this seal in Brixham Harbour:

Ironically, what might be my best picture of the week was taken with my basic phone camera one evening when (sod’s law) I’d decided not to bring my ‘proper’ camera out with me.

A low, rolling sea-mist had turned Fishcombe Cove into a quite ethereal seascape – so breathtakingly unusual, I guess it would have been hard to take a bad photo!

Hope you’ve enjoyed this tiny taste of Devon’s riches.

Tag: Devon

Devonly Riches

A Taste of Devon