Exminster Marsh Revisited

I decided to visit Exminster Marshes again on Saturday 18th May to see if I could get any better views of sedge warblers than I had managed on my last visit 3 weeks ago. It was a grey and cool morning as I stepped off the bus at around 9:30am, having had a hassle free train journey to Starcross with distant views of Herbert the Slavonian grebe off Cockwood as we travelled along the River Exe being the highlight, but it did warm up later with occasional spells of sunshine too.

Swifts and house martins and a few swallows were buzzing over the marsh as I arrived at the car park and I could hear reed warblers, sedge warblers, chiffchaff, blackcap and a whitethroat.

I started off along the back path, keeping an ear and eye out for a lesser whitethroat but without any success. I did hear a Cettis warbler though and saw a male reed bunting in the reeds while out on the marsh lapwings, grey herons, shelducks, mallards, coots, moorhens and mute swans were seen. A cattle egret was seen distantly flying off towards Topsham and a few little egret were also seen.

Grey Heron

Grey Heron

Reed warblers were heard and were surprisingly very showy, giving some good views, and sedge warblers were also heard but were surprisingly unshowy, proving difficult to see in the vegetation. Eventually I found a song flighting male and later another very showy and confiding male which both gave some lovely views.

Sedge Warbler

Sedge Warbler

Sedge warbler

Sedge Warbler 

Sedge Warbler 

I had planned to walk around to the Powderham Marsh viewing platform but decided to stay on Exminster Marsh and view Powderham Marsh looking over the railway line while sat on some railings and I was surprised to find a female pochard out on the water. Even more surprising was a Brent goose feeding amongst Canada geese along with a snow goose and 3 barnacle geese.

Pochard

Brent Goose

Brent Goose with Canada Geese

Barnacle Goose

A lapwing making a bit of a noise over Exminster Marsh caught my attention and I managed a good view of a hobby flying low over the marsh before gaining height and drifting off towards Topsham. A second bird was also seen soaring high overhead before drifting off north and out of sight.

A few insects were also seen including a beautiful demoiselle, azure damselflys, speckled wood, green-veined white and 3 glow worm larva.

Beautiful Demoiselle

Azure Damselfly

Glow worm Larva

Glow worm Larva

Exminster Marsh Cow

I caught the bus and train back to Dawlish Warren for a quick look around but it was very busy with people and there was nothing to see on a flat calm sea so I had a portion of chips for lunch which I had to guard from assorted maurading herring gulls and great black-backed gulls before I caught the train back to Plymouth - a very successful day out.

Great Black-backed Gull

Herring Gull

Herring Gull

Herring Gull

Herring Gull