Sooty Shearwater (Ardenna grisea)

OTHER NAMES: Muttonbird
Latin Etymology: Ardenna ("of Ardennes") grisea ("grey")

Adult Sooty Shearwaters (Ardenna grisea) on Half Moon Bay Pelagic - September 2022

Featured Subspecies: None - monotypic
Weight: 650-980g  /  Length: 40-51cm  /  Wingspan: 94-110cm
UK GREEN LIST / IUCN Red List: Near Threatened

The sooty shearwater is a somewhat strange species to quantify; it had a vast range that covers much of the Atlantic, Pacific and South Seas ranging from Iceland to nearly Antarctica, and circumnavigates the world. Yet it also has a very very small number of breeding locations - limited entirely to some at the Southern most tip of South America, the East Coast of Australia and a number around New Zealand. Yet because of their pelagic lifestyle they wander the globe hunting for fish and squid, often following whales. They are one of a number of all-dark shearwater species globally, but the only one found in the UK, where they are best seen in late Summer.

Related Species:
Order: Procellariiformes
Family: Procellariidae
Genus: Ardenna
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A somewhat uncommon pelagic passage migrant.

 - One bird seen on a boat trip off The Lizard, Cornwall, 

UNITED STATES 
Found off Pacific and Atlantic Coasts, including Hawai'i
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Abundant on the Half Moon Bay Pelagic Trip

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Dartford Warbler (Sylvia undata)

OTHER NAMES: Furze Wren

Latin Etymology: (bird mentioned by Juvenal)  undata ("wavy")

Adult male Dartford Warbler (subspecies C. u. dartfordiensis) at Shoeburyness, Essex - February 2015

Featured Subspecies: Curruca undata dartfordiensis

Weight: 9-12g  /  Length: 13cm  /  Wingspan: 13-18cm

UK AMBER LIST / IUCN Red List: Near Threatened

In my opinion, the most visually striking UK warbler - unlike the normal shades of brown of most of them. They are found on heathland in the south of the country and as a warbler they are told apart by the very long tails and the unique for Britain blue-grey and reddish brown colour scheme, combined with the dramatic red ring around the eye.  They are one of our few warblers that can be found in the winter (small numbers of species like blackcap and chiffchaff can be found in Winter but the majority leave), unfortunately, this makes them very vulnerable to hard Winters and will frequently cause the population to crash, particularly with multiple such Winters in succession.  As such though, this is potentially a bird which will actually benefit from global warming as far as extending it's Norther range goes and so may well increase.   My first sighting of this species was a coincidental glimpse in Cornwall while searching for choughs, the second, much better view was a by-product bonus of an equally failed attempt to see serin at Shoeburyness, where one of these birds was following a stonechat.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sylvidae
Genus: Curruca
Subspecies: C. u. dartfordiensis, C.u. undata, C. u. toni

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A rare and local breeding resident to Southern England (3,200 pairs) whose numbers fluctuate widely with Winter severity

 - A single bird seen fleetingly on The Lizard, Cornwall, much better views of a single male at Shoeburyness in February 2015

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Common Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus)

OTHER NAMES: Dark Clouded Yellow, Clouded Yellow

Latin Etymology: Colias (named after goddess Kōlias) croceus ("yellow/golden")

Adult Common Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus - unknown subspecies) at Donana, Spain - July 2011

Featured Subspecies: unknown
Length: ?  /  Wingspan: 52-62mm

UK Status: Least Concern / IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated

The Common Clouded Yellow is one of the two large bright yellow butterflies found regularly in the UK along with the more greenish Brimstone.  It is fairly scarce in Britain, but is more common in Europe, and I found several around Donana in Southern Spain at a point in the year where only a few butterflies remained. 

Related Species:
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Pieridae
Genus: Colias
SUBSPECIES: C. c. chinensis, C. c. cremonae, C. c. edusina, C. c. helice

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - An uncommon scarce annual migrant.

 - Butterflies seen at sites including The Lizard and Oare Marshes.

SPAIN - Common to locally abundant resident in appropriate habitat.

 - SEVILLE 2011 TRIP: Seen near El Rocio

Further Notes:  BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Short-beaked Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis)

OTHER NAMES: Common Dolphin
Latin Etymology: Delphinus ("dolphin") delphis ("dolphin")

Adult Short-beaked Common Dolphib (Delphinus delphis) at The Lizard, Cornwall - September 2020

Featured Subspecies: Delphinus delphis delphis
Weight: 100-136kg  /  Length: 1.5-2.7m
UK STATUS NOT EVALUATED/ IUCN Red List: Least Concern 

Between them, the two species of Common Dolphin are the most abundant cetaceans in the world with an estimated 6 million individuals.  The two species relationship to each other is somewhat disputed, with current suggestions being they hold a more taxonomically complicated relationship to each other than originally thought. They are an incredibly social species, where I saw numerous groups of individuals together, they have been recorded coming together in hundreds and even thousands.

Related Species:
ORDER: Artiodactyla
Family: Delphinidae
Genus: Delphinus
SUBSPECIES: D. d. delphis, D. d. ponticus

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A locally common species on the coast

 - Several pods seen on a boat trip off The Lizard, Cornwall, 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Small Pearl-Bordered Fritillary (Boloria selene)

OTHER NAMES: Silver-bordered Fritillary, Small Pearl Border Fritillaria
Latin Etymology: Boloria (?) selene (Moon)

Adult Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary (Boloria selene) at The Lizard, Cornwall - June 2011

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Length: ?  /  Wingspan: 35-44mm
UK Status: Near Threatened / IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated

In my opinion, one of the most attractive butterfly species in the UK. Care should be taken so as not to confuse it with the (non small) pearl-bordered fritillary, or, for that matter, any other fritillary. It is apparently mostly confined to the South West, Wales, the Lake District and Scotland.

Related Species:
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Genus: Boloria
SUBSPECIES: None - monotypic

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - Scarce and local resident

 - Single individual seen on The Lizard

Further Notes: BirdGuides, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Grey Seal (Halichoerus grypus)

OTHER NAMES: Atlantic Seal
Latin Etymology: Halichoerus ("sea piglet") grypus ("hook nosed")

Herd of Adult Grey Seals (subspecies H. g. atlantica) at Farne Islands, Northumbria - July 2009

Featured Subspecies: Halichoerus grypus atlantica
Weight: 250kg  /  Length: 195-250cm
UK STATUS NOT EVALUTATED / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The more common of the two species of seal resident to the UK, it can be seen relatively easily in quite a few locations around the British coast. Although individual seals may be seen in many stretches of water, including to some degree, up estuaries, the real best views of them are when they are out on the rocks, and there are boat trips in many places which will grant spectacular views, such as the one I took this photo upon in the Farne Islands.

Related Species:
Order: Carnivora 
Family: Phocidae 
Genus:Halichoerus
SUBSPECIES: H. g. atlantica, H. g. grypus

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - Locally common resident

 - Seen on Trevose Head, The Lizard,  and Farne Islands.

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .