Monday 9th August was warm but overcast and so we took a walk around Burrator Reservoir on Dartmoor. It was relatively quiet but by the time we left the cars and crowds were beginning to arrive.
A winter plumaged Great Crested Grebe out on the reservoir was a nice find (a presumed immature bird), 6 noisy Raven were displaying overhead and 6 Cormorant were roosting on the barrage but the highlight were at least 3 Silver-washed Fritillary flitting about despite the lack of sunshine.
Tuesday 10th August and a sunny morning and an 8am high tide on the River Plym saw me heading out for my usual Plym/Saltram walk. It has been 9 weeks since my last visit and it was nice to be back on site.
The high tide roost on Blaxtons Meadow provided the most interest with 2 Common Sandpiper, 4 Greenshank, 3 Oystercatcher, 37 Curlew, Redshanks, 2 juvenile Shelduck, 2 Kingfishers, an adult winter plumaged Mediterranean Gull, 2 Grey Heron and 14 Little Egrets all noted with 4 Ring-necked Parakeets and 2 Stock Doves flying around overhead with Swallows.
I had a good scan through the assorted gulls out on the Meadow as Yellow-legged Gulls have recently been reported here but other than the Mediterranean Gull I couldn't find anything more unusual.
Around the Park a Treecreeper, a Whitethroat, a Swift and a juvenile Willow Warbler were the highlights with a yaffling Green Woodpecker and a mewing Buzzard also heard.
Speckled Wood, Red Admiral, Small Heath, Meadow Brown, Common Blue and Peacock were flying around and 3 Emperor Dragonflys were seen (2 around the duck pond and 1 over the grassland). 3 juvenile Moorhen with 2 adults and 2 Mandarin Ducks were also noted around the duck pond with 13 more Mandarin Duck noted along the river.
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