Tuesday 17th January was dry and cold with a frosty start and so I bit the bullet and wrapped up warm to go for a walk at Wembury in the hope that the frosty weather might have frozen the mudfest that is the path. Unfortunately it hadn't made any difference to the path, it was as horrendous as expected and my new walking shoes were well and truly christened but it wasn't too bad, I have seen it worse.
I checked out the garden in the village where I saw the Fieldfare and Redwing before Christmas, there were still apples on the trees and on the ground and a few Blackbirds were feeding on them but there were no other Thrushes present. A Chiffchaff was flitting about on the grass looking for insects but a surprise was a juvenile Moorhen lurking in the undergrowth before disappearing into cover, only my second ever Wembury sighting of one.
It was quiet offshore with a few adult Gannets noted and a Fulmar seen flying around The Mewstone. Mediterranean Gulls were also feeding offshore and resting along the beach, I counted a maximum of 21 birds, 16 adults along with 5 1st winter birds, but more were undoubtedly present.
The tide was heading in and amongst the roosting Oystercatchers were 3 Curlew, 2 Little Egret and 25 Mallard (13 male, 10 female and 2 farmyard type males) but the highlight was a smart looking Grey Plover, my first here for a few years now.
I spent some time looking for the Water Pipit on the seaweed mass near the sewage pipe, eventually I found it amongst the flitty and mobile Rock and Meadow Pipits present and it gave some nice views, appearing less nervous than previously, possibly due to the cold weather. It was certainly more arsey than before, regularly chasing off any other Pipits nearby.
The Pheasants were being blasted to death on the hillside above the wheatfield with a mini shoot going on which spooked the birds along the beach at frequent intervals. There was unfortunately no sign of any Cirl Buntings either but that isn't unusual at this time of year.
I had another look for the Moorhen on the walk back to the bus stop but there was no sign of it, however I did find a female Blackcap feeding on fat balls in another garden nearby, and just before I got on the bus to head home a male Sparrowhawk buzzed through on full hunting mode, a nice end to my muddy walk.
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