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Red campion

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Plant of the Day

Tuesday 13 May 2025

Resilient in the face of coastal winds the short-lived perennial Silene dioica (red campion) is flowering on the cliffs and dunes. This species has male and female flowers on separate plants.

Jill Raggett

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Looking back on our wild mini break in the West Country over the past few days

I was in my element far out to sea on an AK Wildlife Cruise from Falmouth, Cornwall as we were allowed an intimate glimpse into the life of a carnival of seabirds; a festival of shearwaters with the familiar and much loved by us Manx Shearwaters and our first ever spectacular and mammoth Great Shearwaters and a Cory’s Shearwater, unmistakable and enchanting Sooty Shearwaters and a quick view of an alluring Balearic Shearwater in flight, rafting on the water and taking off with the Great Shearwater heard which was powerful. I saw a seabird I had dreamt of seeing as well as I was ecstatic to catch glimpses of minute and animated Storm Petrels dancing over the sea. I got five bird life ticks in a day for the first time in seven years, taking me to twelve for the year now the highest amount of new birds I’ve seen a year for eleven years and it was momentous taking me to 301 bird species seen in my life the Balearic Shearwater my milestone 300th. My year list is up to 233, after it becoming my highest ever by getting beyond 220 my previous highest in August and me getting a few more year ticks after I wanted to try and get to 230 so it feels amazing to do it.

We did not know where to look at times on the boat trip on Tuesday, earlier on we were surrounded by sumptuous Risso’s Dolphins with their big bodies, firm shape and immaculate white colouring of the older ones. They broke the surface of the water many times allowing for sensational views and I was so happy and felt so privileged to be close enough to see water coming out of their blowholes. These were thrilling cetacean encounters which I had craved and I’d certainly never been this close to dolphins, Risso’s Dolphins has to be my mammal of the year after seeing my first ever on Orkney back in April. Mysterious Bluefin Tuna sparkled like stars as they briefly broke the surface too.

Keith and Jake our guides from AK Wildlife Cruises were fantastic as their expert knowledge, infectious enthusiasm and upmost care for their guests allowed us to see as much stunning wildlife as possible and have a really fun time. It was so good spending time out on the water in such an enchanting and beautiful part of the country which I love with other great people met in the time away too.

On the boat trip on Tuesday and Monday other highlights were Gannets, Fulmar, Sandwich Terns, Mediterranean Gulls, juvenile Kittiwakes, Little Egrets, Oystercatcher and top views of Grey Seals. Jay, Dunnock and Swallow on a great walk around Pendennis Point taking in the castle, raucous Rooks opposite where we stayed in Falmouth and Peregrine and excitedly only our second ever Cirl Buntings in the rain on a stop off at RSPB Labrador Bay in Devon on the way on Sunday were other great birds seen on the trip. Rush Veneer moth and wasp were nice insects to see. Key plants from the time away included red campion, red valerian, fox-and-cubs, common toadflax, rock samphire, burdock, yarrow, knapweed, polybody, blackberries and hawthorn berries. What a start to our week off with one of my best days ever yesterday.

The photos I took from the trip in this set are of; a tree in nice autumnal red colour opposite where we stayed in Kimberley Park in Falmouth, polybody and spreading pellitory and red campion at Pendennis Point, one of the Risso's Dolphins dorsal fins, the lovely St Anthony's Lighthouse and view from the boat, wet view at Labrador Bay and Magpie at Pendennis Castle.