Whimbrel on The Plym - Finally!

This year spring has been a little slow, it has been quite a dry spring as it has been for the last 2 years but the winds have not been very conducive for migrating birds. 

Saturday 23rd April and it was off to Saltram and The Plym for a walk starting from and returning to Marsh Mills. High tide wasn't  due until around 12:30pm but the water was quite high when I began my walk at around  9:00am with no mud at all on show along the Estuary. 

There was however a small patch of exposed mud near the gas pipe where 2 Oystercatchers, 5 Greenshank, a female Pintail, a Mute Swan and 8 Common Sandpipers were feeding with Herring Gulls, 12 Canada Geese and 3 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

The sluice gates appear to have been cleared at Blaxton Meadow and there was actually mud on display for a change. 34 Shelduck, 6 Little Egrets and Black-headed Gulls were seen here but the highlight were 3 Whimbrel, the first of the year here for me, and busily feeding away although unfortunately resolutely silent.

A look around Chelson Meadow also found me my first Wheatear of the year here, a female which was mobile and often elusive.

Wheatear

The usual Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps were heard along with a Green Woodpecker and a Nuthatch and a total of 6 Swallows were seen overhead (3 east, 1 north and 2 around The Stables). 

A white Mallard at the duck pond was keeping an eye on around 7 very small and fluffy ducklings and 7 Moorhen and 6 male Mandarin Duck were also present. 

Mallard Duckling

On my return to Blaxton Meadow the female Pintail had moved here from the river and was showing well but the 3 Whimbrel had unfortunately moved on.

Pintail

With a mild and cloudy night I had the moth lights on in the dining room window for a couple of hours before going to bed and managed to attract a few moths in - a Light Brown Apple Moth, 4 Double Striped Pug, a Shuttle Shaped Dart, a Monopsis obviella and a Common Marbled Carpet.

Sunday 24th April was a quiet day but we had our usual walk around Plymouth Hoe, something we haven't done for a few weeks now. It was a very nice surprise to find a lingering Purple Sandpiper on the rocks at high tide in the usual place below the Pier One Cafe, the latest date I have seen one here before.

Purple Sandpiper

Purple Sandpiper

Purple Sandpiper

Purple Sandpiper 

It was back to work post Covid on Monday 25th April, a long (and exhausting) day, and with Tuesday 26th April free I headed out for a gentle walk at Wembury. It was sunny but breezy with the continuing easterly wind blowing and it was another quiet day with the highlight being at least 26 Whimbrel along the beach - they were mobile, flighty and delightfully vocal but it was difficult to get an accurate count of them.

Also along the beach were 7 Oystercatcher, a pair of Mallard and 2 Shelduck. Offshore was quiet too with just 3 adult Gannet seen together heading east and the usual Fulmars wheeling around The Mewstone.

A large looking and very brown toned Peregrine, 2 Buzzard and a male Kestrel were noted overhead along with 2 Swallows swooping around over the wheatfield. The Red-legged Partridge residing in the wheatfield have increased in numbers again with 6 now present.

Orange-tip, Holly Blue, Peacock, Wall and Speckled Wood were flitting about and just 1 Common Lizard was found basking on the fences. Bees were buzzing about everywhere in the warm sunshine out of the wind but they were very fast and difficult to ID as usual.

Common Carder Bee

I felt knackered on arriving back home, this COVID malarkey sure leaves you feeling washed out. I'm glad I've had it and it's out of the way but it's been one nasty little beast.