I headed out on Monday 12th January to The Plym for a look about, catching the bus to Laira Bridge and walking up to the sewage farm near Marsh Mills before returning back to the Bridge. It was an overcast and mild morning with mizzle at times and there were relatively few people around after all the Christmas crowds.
It was coming up to high tide as I started my walk and I was pleased to find the very smart looking drake Goldeneye still present on the river off the Rowing Club. A pair of Red-breasted Mergansers nearby were looking equally as smart but a Great Northern Diver was very mobile and elusive and only gave brief and distant views between dives.
Blaxton Meadow actually had a bit more water on it than of late, I had assumed that the sluice gates were blocked again but the National Trust has plans to revert the Meadow back to saltmarsh and has closed the sluice gates to prevent water flooding in. The vegetation along the retaining wall has been removed too, the wall is in a bad state of repair and the vegetation has been cleared for surveying work to be undertaken. Whatever the plans are for the Meadow it is having a detrimental effect on the birdlife currently using it which is a massive shame and a little bit irresponsible on the part of the National Trust.
Anyway, at least today with the slightly higher water levels on the Meadow there were good numbers of Dunlin and Redshank roosting on the high tide along with Curlew and Oystercatcher and a good sized flock of Gulls which included quite a few Common Gulls, mostly adults, and an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull.
At the Wet Wood a Treecreeper was a good sighting although I quickly lost track of it spiralling up the trees while another good sighting was of a Mistle Thrush which noisely flew into a treetop. Redwings were vocal but skulky here too and I had a brief view of a Grey Wagtail before it flew off.
We had a walk around Plymouth Hoe on Tuesday 13th January and again it was quieter now that the Christmas crowds have dissipated. A single Purple Sandpiper was playing hide-and-seek on the rocks at Rusty Anchor where 2 Dunlin were much more obliging although the Black Redstart nearby was a no show for me.
We had our post-Christmas walk around Burrator Reservoir on Wednesday 14th January, a little bit late but better late than never, and we very luckily completed our circuit before yet more mizzle arrived. It wasn't too busy with people and cars but there wasn't much in the way of birds either as seems to be the norm in the winter for here these days. The highlights were 2 Raven soaring high overhead, a hovering female Kestrel, an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull amongst the Herring Gulls roosting on the buoys, a pair of skulky Bullfinch and 4 Mistle Thrush (1 heard, 3 seen). The 2 white farmyard Geese were also still present amongst the Mallards and keeping themselves apart as usual.
Thursday 15th January was forecasted to be a wet day so plans were made for a quiet day at home, however it wasn't that bad in the morning so we headed out to Wembury for a quick walk. It was a bit mizzley at times and apart from the very muddy path at The Point it was a pleasant walk and mostly dog and people free.
The highlights were a Grey Plover and a Kingfisher out on the rocks on the incoming tide, both are uncommon visitors to Wembury so I was pleased to find them. Also along the beach were 2 Redshank, around 40 Turnstone, 2 Little Egret, a Curlew, 3 Mallard (2 male), Oystercatchers and a Grey Wagtail along with the usual Pied Wagtails, Rock Pipits and Meadow Pipits.
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