Garganey and Pintail

Saturday 18th May saw me heading off on the train and bus to Exminster Marsh on what started off as a sunny and warm morning. It was around 9am when I stepped off the bus at The Swans Nest Pub and the sun was shining but it soon clouded over although it remained very warm and became increasingly humid. By 1pm the thunder rolled in and the heavens opened resulting in me getting quite a soaking but it didn't dampen my spirits and I had a very interesting and productive walk.

Mute Swan with 8(!) Cygnets

It seemed very quiet on the bird song front when I first arrived but eventually I heard Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Cetti's Warbler along with Sedge Warbler and Reed Warbler, the Reed Warblers were very skulky and I only managed brief views but the Sedge Warblers showed amazingly well.

Sedge Warbler

Sedge Warbler

Reed Buntings were vocal and showy too while Swift, Swallow and House Martins hawked for insects overhead.

Reed Bunting 

A male Tufted Duck and a male Shoveler were seen out on the Marsh along with a Redshank, 3 Black-tailed Godwit and at least 5 Lapwing which were regularly chasing after passing Carrion Crows. A Little Ringed Plover was a nice find, bizarrely it was in the company of a Ringed Plover despite a bit of tension and aggression between them both, another Little Ringed Plover then appeared before they both flew off out of sight leaving the Ringed Plover to itself.

Up to 3 male Garganey have been seen on the Marsh recently, I kept an eye out for them and eventually found a male busily dabbling away out on the water quite close to the road, certainly the most prolonged views I've had of Garganey before.

Garganey

A Peacock, a Red Admiral, a female Brimstone and Green-veined Whites were flitting about along with Blue Damselflys but a nice find was a Scarce Chaser looking freshly emerged.

Scarce Chaser

Even better was finally finding my first Alabonia geoffrella, a stunning little micro moth that I've been hoping to see for ages.

Alabonia geoffrella

Alabonia geoffrella, aka "Geoff"

Carabus granulatus

It was dry and sunny the next day on Sunday 19th May, I had considered an early morning walk to Saltram and The Plym and I was up and awake at 7am but I dillied and dallied about so that didn't happen. I was then going to give it a miss but I eventually headed out anyway, arriving off the bus at Marsh Mills at around 10am and it was already quite warm in the sunshine.

It was low tide and Blaxton Meadow was devoid of birds but out on the river I was surprised and delighted to find a pair of Pintail asleep on the shoreline on the opposite bank from the amphitheatre. They occassionally awoke for a preen and to move position as the tide headed in, a most unusual sight in May on The Plym.

Pintail

Pintail

Pintail with Canada Geese

Mandarins, Marsh Mills

I had a look in the Wet Wood for the Spotted Flycatcher but without any luck although 2 Treecreepers feeding together there was a bonus. Other sightings of note were a pair of Siskin together in a pine tree, a Green Woodpecker heard yaffling away, 2 House Martins flying overhead and a briefly songflighting Whitethroat.

Small Heath were on the wing along with 2 Common Blue, a Red Admiral, 2 male Orange-tip and a few Speckled Wood. There were also a few Bee Orchid and Southern Marsh Orchid coming into flower as well.

Small Heath

Bee Orchid

Southern Marsh Orchid