Wednesday 3rd February and a look for Purple Sandpipers on my usual lockdown Plymouth Hoe walk drew a blank, not helped by a dropping tide and a lot of disturbance along the shoreline by swimmers, walkers and dogs. However I was rewarded with an even better prize, a Chough no less, which flew over calling and heading north towards the city centre before being lost from view behind buildings.
I heard it first, giving its characteristic call as it flew over my head and I watched it for around 30 seconds before it was gone but noting its long and down curved red bill and broad based wings with "fingered" primaries as it went. Presumably it is the bird that has been seen at nearby Rame Head since December last year and it will be interesting to see where it ends up next. A first for Devon for me, one of my favourite birds and a complete and utter surprise - I must admit to expressing a few expletives when it flew overhead! And as I haven't been able to get out to Rame Head to look for the Chough due to the lockdown it was very nice of it to come and see me in Plymouth!
That evening I read an interesting report on the local newspapers website of an injured Otter being rescued by the RSPCA in Central Park in Plymouth and taken to a wildlife hospital in Somerset for treatment. An odd place to find one with the only water habitat in the Park being just a small pond but presumably a young Otter bring kicked out of its parents territory and wandering off to find its own territory. I would assume it has come from the Plymouth waterfront or River Plym area or even the River Tamar and I hope it gets returned to Plymouth when it has recovered.
Thursday 4th February and it was off to the River Plym and Saltram for my usual walk. It was cool and showery but improved as the day progressed although the footpaths were a complete mudbath after all the recent rain we have had. It was actually quite quiet with fewer people around than usual which was quite nice.
The usual birds were seen with nice views had of 10 Goosander (4 males), 3 Red-breasted Merganser (2 males) and 2 Little Grebe along the river with the usual Gulls (LBB, GBB, H, BH and C), Curlew, Redshank, Dunlin, Shelduck, Mallard and Oystercatcher.
It was a high tide and Blaxton Meadow was water filled and bird covered with 7 Greenshank and 13 Wigeon (6 males) the highlights before all the birds headed out to the estuary on the dropping tide including the Wigeon. A Snipe was a nice find as well as it hunkered down along the shoreline of the meadow.
The Barnacle Goose was found amongst the large flock of Canada Geese feeding in the cow fields but I didn't visit the duck pond to look for the Red-crested Pochard and Mandarin Ducks.
Ring-necked Parakeets were noisy and flighty in the trees with at least 6 birds seen including a pair feeding on seeds low down in a tree and close to the footpath.
A Firecrest showed well in the bushes above the Amphitheatre and at least 6 Goldcrest were found too. A Jay flew silently between the trees and I found a few Scarlet Elf Cups and Jelly Ears growing on dead branches amongst the leaf litter.
Around 30 Siskin were feeding in the alders near the sewage farm outlet, very inconspicuous in the top of the trees but giving themselves away by their constant twitterings. A Common Sandpiper was perched on the sewage farm settling beds with a Grey Wagtail and a male Mallard while noisy Black-headed Gulls flew about.
A lovely walk as always but it does feel a little like Groundhog Day with very little change in the birds present. A very cold snap is on its way again, bad for the birds but it may shake things up a bit.
Friday 5th February and a quick walk around Plymouth Hoe was quiet for a change with 9 Turnstones the only birds of note. A poorly Brown Rat was a sorry sight sitting on the pavement while people walked past and sadly only a few breaths away from going to rat heaven and becoming food for the large Gulls lurking nearby.
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