Post COVID walks

After 24 hours of feeling awful and a further 24 hours of feeling rough I finally felt much, much better, just tired and a bit nasally congested. I self-isolated and stayed at home for 5 days even though there is no longer a legal requirement to do so but by Tuesday 19th April I was feeling fine and was starting to crawl up the walls and so I decided to do my usual lock down River Plym and Saltram walk. I was up and out early at 07:30, much earlier than I usually am, but I figured there would be fewer people around then and I would be back home before the Easter school holiday crowds arrived. I had my mask with me and crossed over roads to avoid passing close to other pedestrians and I had a very enjoyable walk although I had to stop frequently for a short rest and I felt knackered by the time I eventually got back home at around Midday.

It was a cool start but became pleasantly warm and I managed to see my first Green-veined White of the year along with a few Speckled Wood and a Peacock.

Green Veined White

It was the high tide and on Blaxton Lake (Meadow) were a few waders trying to roost on the little areas of uncovered ground - 6 Redshank, 5 Greenshank, 4 Dunlin and a Curlew. A Mute Swan looked right at home out on the water and also present were 21 Shelduck, 6 Canada Geese, 2 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 25 variously aged Black-headed Gulls in various plumage states and a Grey Heron. The highlight was a female Pintail busily feeding with a pair of Mallard, present for a few days now and my third Plym sighting of one. It stayed distant and spent most of its time with its head underwater but it was nice to see all the same.

Pintail

A Willow Warbler was quietly singing in trees near the Wet Wood before flying off and it was good to see 3 Swallows around the duck pond with a further 4 seen flying purposefully up along the Plym. Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Skylark were all heard singing away and a pair of Linnet and a pair of Bullfinch were also seen.

Skylark

Wednesday 20th April and I was feeling so much more better again and so we drove up to Roborough Down for a walk, keeping well away from any other people out and about on the Down. It was a sunny but breezy day although the wind eventually eased and it became quite warm in the sunshine. It was sad to see huge swathes of the Down turned into blackened stumps following probable arson fires a few weeks ago but there was still plenty of wildlife to see.

Brimstones were flitting about everywhere and also seen were a Red Admiral, 2 Peacock and a few White species, probably Green Veined. I had my Emperor Moth lure with me and managed to attract at least 2 males to it, one of which showed very well. Bizarrely a Wall was attracted to the lure as well before eventually dashing off and out of sight.

Emperor Moth

Emperor Moth

An Adder was a nice sighting, beautifully coloured as it slithered through the blackened vegetation and the first one David has ever seen before.

Adder

Adder

Bird sightings included a songflighting Whitethroat, a male Wheatear, singing Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps, 4 Swallows over heading north, Stonechats and Linnets.

I felt fine again on Thursday 21st April and with the sun shining we headed off to Yarner Wood for a walk. David dropped me off while he went garden supply shopping at nearby Trago Mills and I had a 2 hour wander about, keeping away from the few people I met while on my walk.

It has been 3 years since I last visited Yarner Wood, primarily due to COVID lock downs but a lack of public transport and the demise of breeding Wood Warblers here have meant I visit other sites for Dartmoor woodland birds instead. However it does remain a brilliant place to see Pied Flycatchers and on my visit I saw and heard quite a few males singing and checking out the nest boxes along with just a single female. 

Pied Flycatcher

No Wood Warblers as expected but I didn't see or hear any Redstarts either and a look for Lesser Spotted Woodpecker drew a blank too. A Tree Pipit showed very well on the heathland doing its songflighting thing while Willow Warblers cascaded in the shrubbery and Siskins and Redpolls flew overhead. 

A big surprise was a Goshawk flying over, a monster of a bird so presumably female and a very distinctive looking bird indeed. A Swallow swooped in to give it some hassle and it looked miniscule beside the Goshawk but it did make the Goshawk flinch and drop down over the treetops and out of sight. 

Brimstone were flitting about everywhere and a Speckled Wood and a Green Veined White were also seen along with at least 2 Green Tiger Beetles. 

Brimstone

Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Long-tailed Tit, a Coal Tit, a pair of Stonechat and at least 8 Buzzards were also seen before my time was up and David arrived back at the car park for the ride back to Plymouth but it has been a very enjoyable walk.