Sunday, 1 April 2018

Whimbrel and Water Pipit at Wembury

Despite the grey skies and chilly wind a walk along an extremely muddy footpath at Wembury on Easter Saturday March 31st was very welcome after the recent fraught and emotional times.

I was glad I picked up my hat and gloves on leaving the house as it was surprisingly cool and as a result there were no butterflies, moths or lizards to be seen and the only insect life on show were 2 bloody-nosed beetles, 1 of which showed its bloody nose when I picked it up off the footpath and placed it in the nearby vegetation.

Bloody-Nosed Beetle - with drops of "blood"

A chiffchaff was half-heartedly singing in the valley to the beach with another bird seen near the bus stop and the only other summer migrant was a lone whimbrel on the rocks at Wembury Point, looking a little tired and bewildered before it flew off towards Plymouth.


 Whimbrel

 Whimbrel

Whimbrel

A curlew feeding on the rocks with oystercatchers, 5 little egrets along the foreshore, 3 male and a female mallard dabbling along the water line, 2 soaring buzzards being mobbed by rooks and herring gulls, a flock of around 50 linnets flying around, 2 black headed gulls roosting on the rocks, gannets milling around offshore, 2 male and a female stonechat and a male red breasted merganser flying west offshore were also seen.

Stonechat

A few plants were in flower to remind me it was indeed Springtime with the sloe bushes beginning to blossom and a cowslip showing by the first horse field although it looked more like a garden centre hybrid type.


 Sloe

 Sloe

Cowslip

Cowslip

The wintering water pipit was again feeding along the beach near the sewage pipe with rock pipits, meadow pipits and pied wagtails, looking very pale and scruffy as it moults into summer plumage.

Water Pipit

The ponies are back at The Point busily munching away at the coarse vegetation, they were quite frisky with each other and one decided to check me out before trying to eat a bit of my coat.

Wembury Point Coat Nibbling Pony

My first Chunk pasty of the year from the cafe on the beach was very tasty and on walking back to the bus stop the horsetails were putting on a good show by the road side.

Horsetails

A very enjoyable walk despite the cold weather and muddy path, I hope it warms up soon though.

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