River Plym and Wembury Walks

Sunday 22nd March was a gloriously sunny day and despite a biting Easterly wind it was a day just begging to be out and about and walked in. It was also Mother's Day but with the COVID-19 pandemic escalating we are all advised to stay inside and not visit our Mums, easy for me as she is 300 miles away, but I really wanted to get outside before we are placed in total lockdown. And with cryptic news on the Internet of a Stone Curlew found that morning at a private site in Plymouth my mind was made up and I headed out for a walk along the River Plym. We are being advised to maintain social distancing when out and about, keeping at least 2 metres away from others, and this is what I did although there weren't many people about anyway. I also walked there and back, avoiding the bus and saving some money and helping my waist line in the process.

The tide was low when I arrived at Laira Bridge and I watched 3 Little Egrets feeding out on the mudflats, grabbing lugworms out of the mud and snaffling them down while a Chiffchaff sang in the nearby trees.

 Little Egret, River Plym

Little Egret

Skylarks were singing over Chelson Meadow as I walked along The Ride and Greenfinches were songflighting overhead, a lovely sight and sound as they appear to be getting more common again.

I wandered around Saltram and managed to find a flyby Brimstone while at least 4 Peacocks and 3 Commas gave some good on the deck views.

 Peacock, Saltram

 Comma

Comma

A Mistle Thrush, at least 4 mobile and flighty Stock Doves and 7 flyover Redwings were also seen and it was lovely to hear and see my first Willow Warblers of the year with 2 individuals feeding on insects in amongst the catkins. 3 Wheatears were also good to find but they were mobile and flighty and soon disappeared from sight.

I met local birder Chris and he had seen the Stone Curlew a few minutes earlier but had lost track of it when some dog walkers had walked past and despite us both scanning around we couldn't refind it. Chris eventually had to leave (we maintained social distancing the whole time), and I wandered around a bit more but just as I was about to give up and head off home I found it, unfortunately a bit distant as it walked around in the long grass. I walked closer towards it but I lost sight of it in the grass until it eventually flew off as I approached. I followed its flight path and eventually found it again and managed to get some great views of it although I really wished I had taken my telescope out with me as it was still distant. It was attracting some unwelcome interest from the nearby Carrion Crows and Jackdaws and eventually was chased off by them, flying off and out of sight again but after having had such good views of it it was time to head home.

 Stone Curlew 

 Stone Curlew 

Stone Curlew

As I was walking back I heard a Peregrine calling and on scanning around I found it as it stooped at the Stone Curlew which was flying over the nearby hillside - what! The Stone Curlew pitched down into the vegetation but the Peregrine kept flying around, calling and stooping at the ground in an attempt to flush the Stone Curlew but as I approached it gave up and flew off. The Stone Curlew then flew off too and out of sight, having had a lucky escape thank goodness.

A great bird to see, my first in Devon and probably some of the best views I have had of one. And thanks to local birder Martin for getting the cryptic news out so promptly although I guess only 3 of us managed to actually see it.

Monday 23rd March was another sunny but windy day and with the lockdown of the UK imminent and my going back to work tomorrow I wanted one last wildlife walk and so I caught the bus to Wembury. There were only 4 of us on the bus and we all spaced ourselves out in seats away from each other but it felt very strange.

At Wembury Sloe was in full blossom and it was a relief to find the Sea Kale along the beach beginning to emerge from the sand after all the damage to the beach from the winter storms.

 Sloe Blossom, Wembury

Sea Kale

It was quiet on the bird front but it was great to see and hear Chiffchaffs, Skylarks and Cirl Buntings singing.

 Cirl Bunting

Cirl Bunting

A female Kestrel was nice to see hovering over the hillside and Stonechats, Dunnocks and Linnets were noticeable along the coastal footpath. 2 Canada Geese were noisily resting on the rocks at the low tide and Gannet and Fulmar were seen offshore. 2 Mistle Thrush in the horse field were a surprise find.

3 Common Lizards, 6 Oil Beetles, Bee Fly, Bloody-nosed Beetles and a Peacock butterfly were also seen before David met me for a lunch of sandwiches and Pepsi Max sat out on a bench along the footpath (the cafe, as are all cafes, was closed) before we drove home in the car - a nice but breezy walk and maybe my last wildlife walk for some time to come.

 Common Lizard

 Oil Beetle

 Oil Beetle 

 Oil Beetle

 Bee Fly

 Bee Fly

Shield Bug

Enoplops scapha