Thursday 17th November and we had another lunchtime walk around Plymouth Hoe, there still were no Grey Phalaropes to be found and this time there were 8 Turnstone feeding on the rocks but with them was a Purple Sandpiper, the first of this winter.
Purple Sandpiper
Purple Sandpiper
Friday 18th November was dry and sunny but surprisingly cool in the breeze and I decided to have a quick River Plym and Saltram walk. The tide was heading in but it was to be a low high tide and Blaxton Meadow remained water free with no water coming in through the sluice gates at all. However waders were roosting on the Meadow with the best find being a Grey Plover asleep amongst the assembled Curlew, Oystercatcher, Dunlin, Greenshank and Redshank.
Out on the River a Great Crested Grebe and 3 Little Grebe were seen along with 2 Shag, 2 male and 3 female Goosander, 2 female Red-breasted Merganser, 2 Common Sandpiper and 2 Kingfisher. A Dipper was a nice find as it dived into the water just above Long Bridge and the female Red-crested Pochard was back in residence on the duck pond.
Red-crested Pochard
There was no sign of any Reed Buntings on a quick look around The Tip but a Whinchat was still present along with a pair of Stonechat. Another male and 2 female Stonechat were also seen near the dipping pond. A skulky Chiffchaff was calling deep in cover near the railway bridge and 5 Ring-necked Parakeets screeched around the tree tops when a Buzzard passed overhead.
Saturday 19th November was bitingly cold as I stood in the dark waiting for the 7am bus to Wembury. It was even colder when I arrived at Wembury and my fingerless gloves were not the best fashion choice of the day as my fingertips were painfully numb within just a few minutes but as the sun rose and did its thing it began to warm up nicely. It was a beautiful day with sunny skies and no wind and the sea was totally flat calm but after all the recent rain the footpath was back to its usual winter mud bath state as I headed off towards The Point.
The Cetti's Warbler was again singing away in the valley to the beach, louder and more confident sounding than a few weeks ago when it first arrived. On a quick scan of the fields above the horse stable I found 2 Mistle Thrush chasing each other around, surprisingly my first for Wembury this year. A male Cirl Bunting showed exceptionally well in the lovely sunlight as it sang quietly in a tree while a noisy Green Woodpecker flew across the hillside.
Cirl Bunting
A Grey Wagtail was briefly seen along the beach before flying off and amongst the Pied Wagtails, Rock Pipits and Meadow Pipits I was really pleased to find a Water Pipit. November seems to be a good month to see Water Pipit at Wembury, not the usual habitat for Water Pipit but maybe they are just passing through although they sometimes overwinter here. It wasn't as striking as the bird I found last year but it was very distinctive and as usual was flitty and mobile and regularly chasing off any other Pipits that came near.
Water Pipit
Water Pipit
Water Pipit
Water Pipit
Water Pipit
I had a look for the reported Black Redstarts in Wembury village with no luck but I did find a male Blackcap before catching the bus back to Plymouth, alighting off the bus at Laira Bridge for another River Plym/Saltram walk.
It had clouded over and had cooled down somewhat but the Whinchat was still present on The Tip along with 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Green Woodpecker, 2 Snipe, a pair of Stonechat, 2 Redwing and 8 Roe Deer.
Whinchat
Whinchat
It was a higher tide than the previous day and water was coming through the sluice gates into Blaxton Meadow. The Grey Plover was still present amongst the Curlew, Dunlin, Redshank, Oystercatcher and Greenshank along with a Bar-tailed Godwit, a Turnstone and at least 3 Snipe while out on the river the Great Crested Grebe and the female Red-breasted Merganser were still present along with a Little Grebe, 2 Mute Swan, a female Wigeon and a male Goosander.
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