Chilly!

It was freezing cold (literally) as I set off in the dark on the 7am bus to Wembury on Friday 1st December. The first proper cold spell of the winter is here and it became a beautiful day when dawn arrived, all blue skies, still air and chilly temperatures and I had a very pleasant walk.

Wembury at first light - and no one else there! (But not for long)

After stepping off the bus I walked down the road to the beach and despite the poor light had some good views of 2 Firecrests feeding in village gardens, they were keeping together but were constantly getting into skirmishes with each other. Sadly there was no sign of them on my return walk when the light was better.

It was high tide and unusually the Oystercatchers were roosting on the rocks below the horse field. I was pleased to find 3 Knot amongst them but even better was finding 2 Purple Sandpiper amongst the 30+ Turnstones feeding on the seaweed mass on the beach nearby.

Knot with Oystercatchers

Purple Sandpipers

Purple Sandpiper

Purple Sandpiper

Also along the beach were 5 Little Egret, a Curlew and an adult Mediterranean Gull plus the usual Rock and Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails, I had a quick look for the Water Pipit but with no luck although a Grey Wagtail was a nice find.

Offshore Gannets were diving for fish and further out small flocks of Auks were flying around low to the water but too far out to ID. 2 Stock Doves heading out to sea was a surprise and at least another 3 were seen flying around the fields above the wheatfield.

Cirl Buntings, Stonechats, Skylarks and Meadow Pipits were showy but flighty, not helped by 2 female Sparrowhawks passing by in a low to the ground parallel flight which seemed to be some sort of stylised display. A Chiffchaff was seen at The Point with another later in the village gardens on the walk back to the bus stop, a male Blackcap was seen in the Valley to the Beach where the Cettis Warbler was heard calling briefly and a male Bullfinch was seen at the Church. A pair of Roe Deer and 4 Rabbits also added some non-avian interest to an enjoyable morning.

Stonechat

Stonechat

Roe Deer

It was even colder the next morning (Saturday 2nd December) as I headed off in the dark again but this time for a visit to The River Plym and Saltram. It was just getting light as I stepped off the bus at Long Bridge and it became another beautiful winters day with a lovely heavy frost everywhere.

It was high tide and Blaxton Meadow held the usual roosting birds with counts of 23 Snipe, 40 Curlew, 16 Oystercatcher, 9 Greenshank, a Turnstone, a Black-tailed Godwit, a male and 2 female Teal and 51 Wigeon amongst the Redshank, Dunlin, Shelduck, Canada Geese, Mallard and Gulls.

Blaxton Meadow at dawn

Oystercatchers

Around The Park a male Stonechat, Redwings, 2 Goldcrest, 2 Coal Tit and a Green Woodpecker were the highlights along with a distant flock of around 30 Golden Plover which I viewed from above The Amphitheatre as they wheeled around in the sky above Boringdon before heading north towards the Moors.

Frozen Teasel

Frozen Nettle

Out on the river there were 12 Goosander (4 males), 5 Little Grebes and a scruffy looking presumed 1st winter male Red-breasted Merganser which was happily displaying to itself (as you do!). A Common Sandpiper, a Kingfisher and a Grey Wagtail were also seen.

I failed to find a reported Great Northern Diver but hopefully it will stick around and reappear and maybe the current cold snap will bring in some more birds too, here's hoping.