A Cold Snap

The high pressure system eventually moved away and the wet weather duly arrived followed by the colder temperatures and it was dry and bright and crisp as I headed out to Wembury for a walk on Wednesday 20th November. It was wet underfoot though and the coastal footpath at Wembury was again becoming its usual quagmire, it was also finally cold enough for me to wear my big winter coat for the first time this season.

It was all very much the same on the bird front with the usual Wembury species seen, the highlights being 15 Turnstone, a Curlew, 3 Little Egrets and a Grey Wagtail along the beach, a single Gannet offshore and 2 Firecrest (1 in a village garden and 1 or possibly 2 along the riding school lane).

Meadow Pipit

There was some clearance work going on at the back of the wheatfield, I'm not sure if it is the National Trust doing it but the trees are being thinned out and cut back and the branches are then being piled up along the ground. It may make for some more interesting habitat but I think the Sparrowhawks are going to love hurtling through there after a meal.

Wembury Wheatfield Hedge Clearance

We actually had some of the white stuff here in Plymouth on Thursday 21st November, it was very cold and wet and for a brief time in the morning we had some sleety snow before it reverted back to rain. Dartmoor had some proper snow though and my mate Mavis sent me some lovely photos after it had cleared through and the sun had appeared.

Dartmoor Snow by Mavis

Dartmoor Snow by Mavis

It was bright and cold when I headed out to The Plym for a walk on Friday 22nd November, I had planned to be up and out early but the house was cold and my bed was just too warm so I didn't arrive at Marsh Mills until around 8:45am. It was frozen underfoot and very slippery in places but I managed not to fall over before the sun gradually lifted the temperatures a little and the ice melted. It was lovely to be out and about though in such fresh conditions for a change, it's rare that we get such frosty cold weather these days in Plymouth.

A Dipper showed very well at Long Bridge as I stepped off the bus and also seen along the walk down to Blaxton Meadow were a Grey Wagtail, 2 Common Sandpiper, 3 Little Grebe and a male Goosander.

Dipper

The sluice gates at Blaxton Meadow were clear and water was flowing in on the rising tide and out feeding/roosting on the gradually diminishing mud of the Meadow were Oystercatcher, Curlew, Redshank, Dunlin, 9 Greenshank. 2 Snipe and a Knot. I had hoped that the cold snap may have moved something in to The Plym but the Knot seems to have been the only bird likely to have arrived due to the weather. Also present were 52 Wigeon, a pair of Teal, Shelduck, Mallard, a lone Canada Goose and a female Goosander and amongst the Herring and Black-headed Gulls were 2 Common, 3 Great Black-backed and a Lesser Black-backed.

Around the Park the highlights were a male Stonechat, 2 Green Woodpecker, a Raven, a Kestrel, a Stock Dove, 2 Chiffchaff, skittish Redwings, a Sparrowhawk and 5 Ring-necked Parakeets. A Grey Squirrel in the trees at the main car park and 7 Roe Deer out in the fields nearby were also seen.

Green Woodpecker

Roe Deer

Roe Deer

The cold spell came to an end on Saturday 23rd November as Storm Bert arrived and exerted his influence. It was wet and windy although we didn't get the full brunt of the storm here in Plymouth but the temperatures certainly lifted and it was back up to 14°c!

The rain had eased mid-morning so I headed up to The Hoe for a look about, it was still blowing a hoolie though and the sea was rough and I hoped for Leach's Petrels, Grey Phalaropes, Little Auks and Pomarine Skuas - of course I was very disappointed but amongst the Herring, Black-headed and Great Black-backed Gulls and Cormorants whizzing around in the strong winds I was pleased to pick up a single adult Kittiwake and I also saw a lone Brent Goose flying past Drakes Island and heading towards the River Tamar.

The gales and heavy rain continued overnight but by first light on Sunday 24th November the wind was beginning to ease and so I headed up to Plymouth Hoe again for another birding-slash-torture session. It was still wet and windy and the sea was rough but again there was very little to see with the highlights being an adult Mediterranean Gull out in The Sound and a Great  Northern Diver in The Cattewater.

Azorean Gull

With news of an adult Yellow-legged Gull of the Azorean race (Larus michahellis atlantis - Azorean/Atlantic Gull) being found at Newlyn Harbour and with it sticking around and showing well I decided to head down to Cornwall for a look on Saturday 16th November. Yet again it was a grey and claggy day but mild and with no breeze and I kept my fingers crossed on the 2 hour train journey to Penzance that the bird would still be there as Gulls can be very fickle and very mobile.

Gulls delight and frustrate me in equal measure and I very much have a love to hate to love to hate relationship with them. It can be fun trying to pick out a rare or unusual species amongst a large flock of Gulls or it can equally be a total nightmare and the range of plumages Gulls can exhibit can be totally baffling but fascinating. The photos being posted on the sightings pages of the Azorean Gull showed it to be smart and distinctive looking bird and I was keen to see it for myself and with Herring, Caspian and Yellow-legged Gulls having been fairly recently split from 1 to 3 species and with the current trend of Macronesian birds being upgraded to full species there may be a UK armchair tick in the offing someday in the future for me.

I arrived in Penzance at just after 9:30am (the train ticket was just £9.35 return with my £12 a year Devon and Cornwal Railcard) and news had already been posted online to say the Azorean Gull was still present and showing well so I headed off straight away along the coastpath to Newlyn. As I neared the village I scanned across to the fish quay roof and easily picked out the Azorean Gull asleep amongst the assorted Gulls present and so I was able to breathe a sigh of relief.

On arriving at the harbour it was still present on the roof and I enjoyed some nice views of it as it wandered around and occassionally settled down for a nap. It was a typical Yellow-legged Gull, mostly keeping itself apart from the other Gulls but also being arsey and aggressive, any nearby Herring Gulls mostly moved out of its way and those that didn't got a peck on the butt although it very wisely avoided any of the nearby Great Black-backed Gulls. 

A very interesting bird and one I had to do some reading up on when I returned home that evening which is something I always enjoy doing, everyday's a school day with birding.

Azorean Gull

Azorean Gull

Azorean Gull

Azorean Gull

Azorean Gull

After enjoying some good views of the Azorean Gull at the harbour along with a Kingfisher and a Grey Wagtail I walked back to Penzance and along the way I found a group of Turnstones feeding on the beach with 8 Ringed Plovers and 4 Purple Sandpipers.

Purple Sandpipers

I then walked out along the coast path towards Long Rock to look for a Snow Bunting which has been present along the beach here for a while now but there was no sign of it, however just as I had given up and was heading back to Penzance I found it and enjoyed some great views as it fed just a few metres away from me with 2 Meadow Pipits for company.

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

I then caught the train back to St.Erth and walked down to the causeway bridge over the River Hayle where there were plenty of birds present on the low tide. I quickly found the reported Avocet, only my second sighting of one here, and also of note were 3 female Goosanders, 100+ Golden Plovers, a Black-tailed Godwit and 5 Bar-tailed Godwits amongst the usual birds.

Curlew

Little Egret

Teal

There were plenty of Gulls out on the estuary mudflats, mostly Herring Gulls with Lesser and Great Black-backed, Black-headed and Mediterranean Gulls amongst them. I couldn't find any Common Gulls but I did notice this Gull below, distant views before it flew off and I hadn't brought my telescope with me. It had a very white head and breast and a dark eye and bill and was giving off Caspian Gull vibes, it was also keeping itself very much to itself within the throng of nearby Herring Gulls. I think it was just an odd looking Herring Gull although with Caspians propensity to breed with Herring Gull it could be a hybrid bird? Who knows? And this is why I love to hate to love to hate Gulls!

Gull Sp. - but probably Herring Gull

All too soon it was time to head down the estuary towards Hayle to catch the train back to Plymouth. I had a quick look at the Carnsew Pool along the way and found the returning juvenile Spoonbill from last winter busily feeding away and still sporting its green leg ring. There were also 8 Little Grebe out on the water or so I thought, a closer look revealed a smart Slavonian Grebe amongst the 7 Little Grebe. 

Slavonian Grebe and Little Grebe

I thought that the Slavonian Grebe would be a nice end to my day but as I was waiting for the train at Hayle station 4 Pink-footed Geese flew over in the fading light towards Copperhouse Creek to finish my day off properly.

It was bright but breezy on Sunday 17th November and with the weather forecasted to become wetter and colder in the coming days I decided to make the most of the sunshine and headed out to The Plym for a look about. I didn't arrive at Marsh Mills until around 12:30pm and I only walked a quick lap as it was very busy with walkers, cyclists and dogs also enjoying the good weather but I did have some interesting sightings along the way.

A Dipper along the river at Long Bridge was a nice sighting until it was flushed by a dog jumping in to the water but a nearby Grey Wagtail was less nervous and stayed put. I headed down towards Blaxton Meadow and found a Firecrest in the trees by the footpath near the sewage farm outlet, it showed very well although it didn't stay still for a second as it moved through the remaining foliage on the trees. Further downriver 4 Little Grebes, a Moorhen, a Common Sandpiper and a pair of Teal were seen, the Teal were hunkered down in the seaweed covered rocks and fast asleep and I almost overlooked them. A flock of 47 Wigeon were also roosting further downriver along the mudbank by the waters edge and were almost as easy to miss.

It was low tide but Blaxton Meadow was a lake as the sluice gates are blocked yet again and there was no sign of the recent Brent Geese or for that matter anything else here. I also had a look at the roof of Saltram House but there was no sign of the Black Redstarts either. However the Wood Duck was back on the duck pond amongst the Mandarins, it seems to be commuting between here and Plymbridge as the Mandarins also do.

Wood Duck

Wood Duck and Mallard

And so a nice end to a busy birding week with some interesting sightings had in dry and mostly sunny weather, I don't think next week will be quite so good with the forecasted rain but the colder temperatures may move a few more birds down to the south west for the winter.

Brent Geese, Black Redstarts and a Purple Sandpiper

The "Dirty" High eventually became a "Clean" one and the sun finally appeared from behind the gloom. It was mild when the sun shone and there was still very little breeze but the nights were chilly in clear skies which made for a refreshing change, it actually feels much more autumnal now.

I caught the bus out to The Plym again on Wednesday 13th November, it was a gorgeous day although I didn't head out until gone 11am. The tide was low but beginning to head in as I walked from Marsh Mills to Blaxton Meadow and I noted a Common Sandpiper and 5 Little Grebe along the way. 

It was pretty much empty of birds on Blaxton Meadow on the low tide and there was no sign of the 5 Brent Geese from Monday (although they had still been present on the Tuesday) so I headed up to Saltram House to look for the Black Redstart.

I had remembered to take my National Trust membership card with me this time and so was able to enter the gardens, I set myself up in position in front of the house and scanned the rooftops where I quickly picked up the Black Redstart dashing about after insects in the warm  sunshine. I enjoyed some nice views of it and was very surprised when it was joined by another bird although they were not happy about the other one being nearby and regularly chased after each other. A few Pied Wagtails and a Grey Wagtail were also chasing after insects across the rooftops too but they seemed to tolerate the Black Redstarts presence.

Saltram House

Black Redstart

Black Redstart

It was business as usual elsewhere around the Park with a Green Woodpecker, a Jay, 3 Goldcrest, a Treecreeper, 2 Stonechat, a Stock Dove and a Coal Tit of note. A Rabbit, a Grey Squirrel and 3 Roe Deer were also seen but despite the warm conditions no butterflies were found this time. There was also no sign of the Wood Duck on the duck pond either.

Sunbathing Ring-necked Parakeet

I then headed back to Blaxton Meadow for the incoming tide, the water levels were rising and birds were coming in to roost. The 5 Brent Geese were now present out on the Meadow and were busily feeding away and never staying still for very long. Again they were noticeably more wary when they saw any dogs nearby and at one point flew out onto the river before returning to feed on the Meadow.

3 of the 5 Brent Geese

Also of note here were a pair of Wigeon, 43 Curlew (with the yellow leg-flag bird present among them), 19 Dunlin, 9 Greenshank and 4 Common Gull amongst all the usual birds present.

It was back to the clag on Thursday 14th November, I had planned to catch the 7:07am bus to Wembury for a walk but it left early and I missed it despite being at the bus stop a few minutes earlier than it's scheduled time! Instead we headed up to Burrator Reservoir for a walk, it was cool, overcast but dry and it wasn't too busy either, maybe the clag was keeping people away.

Not much was seen on our walk around the reservoir but the highlight were Crossbills heard calling in the top of the pine trees with some nice views had of an immature male bird when it briefly flew into the top of a bare tree before flying back into the pines.

Siskins were also heard along with a Green and a Great Spotted Woodpecker and the resident White Goose was seen hanging out with 17 Canada Geese before we headed back to Yelverton for a Dartmoor Swirl and a coffee for lunch.

I headed out to Wembury on Friday 15th November on what was again a beautiful sunny day. I caught the 7:07am bus, this time I was at the bus stop earlier than yesterday but I only just caught it! I asked the driver if the timetable had changed and he confirmed it had, the bus now leaves Royal Parade at 7:00am and not 7:05am although the Citybus website hasn't been updated since the timetable changed on the 4th of November!

On arriving at Wembury I walked down to the church and managed to pick out a Firecrest, Great Tits, a Goldcrest, a Chiffchaff, Blue Tits and 3 Long-tailed Tits feeding in the gardens along the way. The views were poor though in the gloomy half-light and they were very active and mobile amongst the branches of the bushes hampering viewing.

From the church there was very little to see other than a flock of around 100 Starling flying west. A few Woodpigeon, Chaffinch and Skylark flew over too but again seemingly local birds and not migrating ones.

Offshore a few Gannets were picked up along with 8 Kittiwake but the views were distant. Cormorants, Herring Gulls, Shags and Great Black-backed Gulls showed a bit closer to shore and there was just 1 Black-headed Gull along the beach with Mallards, Oystercatchers, a Little Egret and 2 Curlew.

Around 8 mobile and flighty Turnstone were feeding amongst the rocks on the dropping tide and amongst them was a very nice Purple Sandpiper which I nearly overlooked as it slept amongst the rocks before it woke up and joined them to feed. Eventually they all flew off further out on to the rocks and I lost track of them all.

Purple Sandpiper and Turnstone

Purple Sandpiper

The Mistle Thrush was seen again in flight at The Point, Cirl Buntings, Stonechats and Linnets showed well along the coast path, a Grey Wagtail was seen along the beach with Pied Wagtails, Meadow Pipits and Rock Pipits, 3 Stock Dove flew over heading west, 3 Feral Pigeons flew over heading east and a Kestrel hovered overhead. A Coal Tit and 3 Song Thrush were also of note and at least 4 flitty Red Admiral were enjoying the sunshine and the last of the Ivy flowers.

Stonechat

A Dirty High

The UK has been under the influence of a "Dirty High" weather system for a while now and it looks set to be so for a little bit longer yet. It is keeping things dry and mild and mostly calm but is so called due to the grey and claggy skies it is also producing with very little sunshine on offer.

Despite the gloom I headed out to Wembury on Thursday 7th November for a walk, it was mild and overcast but there were a few chinks of blue sky to be seen now and then and it was quite breezy for a change. The weather may be a little bit static but so is the birding with very little change in the bird sightings from my recent visits to Wembury although at least the footpaths aren't very muddy in the dry conditions.

I was pleased to see the Mistle Thrush again, assuming it is the same one from Saturdays visit, and I watched it a couple of times flying around at The Point. It will need to be careful though as a Sparrowhawk was hunting in full stealth mode in the area while a Kestrel was hovering in the wind too.

Sparrowhawk

Kestrel

Along the beach on the dropping tide were the usual Oystercatchers with 9 Turnstone, 1+ Curlew, 6 Little Egret, a 1st winter Mediterranean Gull and Mallards while offshore 7 adult Gannet were seen moving east (4 singles and a group of 3).

Curlew, 1 of possibly 2 present

The sunflower field at The Point still held a flock of around 100 Linnet and the fields above the sewage farm held at least 20 Stock Doves which showed themselves amongst the Woodpigeon flock when they were regularly spooked up into the air. 

Rooks - beautiful in the sunshine 

Cirl Bunting, Stonechat, 2 Chiffchaff and a Grey Wagtail were also of note and 2 Red Admiral and a Speckled Wood were still on the wing in the mild conditions.

Speckled Wood on its final campaign

The "Dirty High" was still in place on Sunday 10th November as I headed out to The Plym and Saltram for a walk, it was grey and claggy but surprisingly mild and later a bit of blue sky and some sunshine did occassionally appear from behind the murk.

The birding was again as static as the weather with the usual birds seen but I did enjoy my walk despite it being very busy again with people and dogs, not surprising on a dry Sunday.

Along the river a female Goosander, a Common Sandpiper, a Little Grebe and the family party of Mute Swans were seen, the Swans were chased off by a dog but they didn't appear to be too fazed by it as they calmly swam away leaving the dog splashing around in their wake.

A Kestrel, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Jay, a Nuthatch, at least 5 Song Thrush and a Redwing were the highlights around the Park and a surprise sighting were 2 male Roe Deer feeding together out in the open in a field near the car park despite all the people and cars milling about. A Red Admiral was also seen dashing past and a single Wasp was still active around the nest in the mild conditions.

Wasp

Blaxton Meadow was filling up on the incoming tide and the usual waders, gulls and ducks were present - 40 Curlew including the yellow flagged bird, 11 Dunlin, 14 Oystercatcher, 11 Greenshank, 28 Shelduck, 5 Wigeon and a Common Gull were the highlights here.

A surprise find was a female Wood Duck on the duck pond, hidden in plain sight amongst the female Mandarin Ducks present out on the water and I think my first sighting of one here.

Wood Duck

I had a look around the lights in the underpass near Sainsbury's on the walk back to the bus stop and found 2 Rusty Dot Pearl's, a Herald and a Cypress Carpet - maybe one day I'll find myself a December Moth here.

Cypress Carpet

Herald

Rusty Dot Pearl

I met up with my ex-work friend Monica for a morning coffee and a catch up on Monday 11th November, it was another gloomy day but by the time I headed home the skies were finally beginning to clear. On arriving home I settled down to some lunch and started to casually check the bird news pages and saw a report of 5 Dark-bellied Brent Geese on Blaxton Meadow, I thought about heading out to look for them but the news was an hour old and I never have any luck with Brent Geese on The Plym so I decided to give it a miss as I expected them to have already departed. However another report of a Black Redstart on the roof of Saltram House changed my mind and I finished my lunch and headed out to Marsh Mills on the bus.

Along the river on the walk to Blaxton Meadow there were 8 female Goosanders roosting on the mud, 3 Little Grebe diving away, a Common Sandpiper and the family party of 4 Mute Swans.

Common Sandpiper

Mute Swan

The high tide was ebbing but Blaxton Meadow was still full of roosting birds with 11 Dunlin, 10 Greenshank, 8 Wigeon, a Kingfisher and 10+ Common Gull the highlights. I scanned around for the Brent Geese but there was no sign of them, however they eventually appeared from behind one of the islands and showed very nicely, finally my first sighting of Brent Geese for The Plym. They were constantly on the move, feeding here and there and swimming around the Meadow and seeming a little unsettled although they were noticeably more wary if they saw any dogs (although humans didn't seem to bother them so much).

Dark-bellied Brent Geese

Brent Goose

Brent Geese

I watched a showy Firecrest in the bushes by the hide for a while before heading up to Saltram House to look for the Black Redstart. Unfortunately in my haste on leaving the house I had very stupidly forgotten my wallet containing my National Trust membership card so I couldn't get into the house grounds without paying and so had to view the house roof from the perimeter fence. I watched Pied Wagtails, Goldfinches, a Chaffinch and a Grey Wagtail flitting about around the chimney pots but after half an hour there was no sign of the Black Redstart. It was beginning to cool down, the light was starting to fade and I was thinking of heading home when I suddenly caught sight of it as it fluttered around chasing insects and quivered it's red tail before disappearing from view again, a distant and brief view but very pleasing none the less and my first for The Plym.

Blaxton Meadow as the daylight begins to fade

Back to Local Birding

The start of half term holiday hell meant a return to local birding after all the Ring Ouzel, Snow Bunting, Long-billed Dowitcher and Whooper Swan excitement of last week on my visits further afield.

After some glorious weather over the weekend it was also back to rain on Monday 28th October. The following day did start grey and misty as I headed out to Wembury for a walk but by the time I arrived off the bus at 9:45am the mist had cleared and the cloud was breaking up and it became a pleasantly warm and sunny day.

A Firecrest, a Goldcrest, a Grey Wagtail, 3 Song Thrush, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Meadow Pipit and a pair of Stonechat were seen on the walk from the bus stop up to the church with a Great Spotted Woodpecker heard calling too.

Wembury Church

There had been quite the movement of Woodpigeons along the South Devon coast in the previous days but from the high vantage point of the church there were only local Woodpigeons flying around overhead with no sign of any properly migrating birds. However Stock Doves were on the move with 1 seen amongst a flock of Woodpigeon feeding in the field above the sewage farm (where a flock of Stock Doves wintered last year) and another seen flying up the valley to the beach. A further 2 Stock Doves were then seen flying west over The Point and later a flock of 9 flew over heading west too.

A few Skylark were seen flying about and calling but again seemed to be local birds moving around. However I did pick up 2 Siskins flying over the church heading west which were then joined by 2 more, only my second ever Wembury sighting. Later a flock of around 20 Siskins were briefly seen flying west over The Point.

Wembury Point

A Curlew, 3 Little Egret, 2 adult Mediterranean Gulls and Oystercatchers were seen along the beach and just a single adult Gannet was seen offshore. A male Dartford Warbler showed very nicely for a change at The Point along with a female Kestrel, a Green Woodpecker and a female Bullfinch while overhead 2 Sparrowhawks were seen. The sunflower field held a feeding flock of around 100 noisey Linnets while a few Red Admiral and Speckled Wood were still flitting about in the warm sunshine.

Kestrel

It was another beautiful sunny day on Friday 1st November as I headed off to Marsh Mills for a Plym and Saltram walk. With no breeze at all it was warm in the sunshine and at least 6 late Speckled Wood were seen flitting about and the Wasp nest was still very much active. The good weather and half term holiday hell meant there were swarms of people and dogs everywhere but I had an enjoyable walk anyway.

Speckled Wood

Wasp Sp.

It was very quiet on the bird front with the highlights on a low tide being singles of Redwing (flying over), Grey Wagtail, Common Sandpiper, Stock Dove, Sparrowhawk and Buzzard plus 2 Little Grebe, 2 Greenshank, 2 Rook, Mandarin Ducks, Jays and Ring-necked Parakeets. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was also heard "chipping" away.

It was overcast, warm and still as I headed out to Wembury again on Saturday 2nd November, however as the morning wore on an easterly breeze picked up and it noticeably cooled down. Despite this I did see a Red Admiral and a Speckled Wood on the wing and there were a few Wasps and a Black Slip Wasp (Pimpla rufipes) still making the most of the remaining Ivy flowers.

Pimpla rufipes

A Pheasant shoot was taking place in the fields above the sewage farm and I watched 2 male and around 15 female Pheasants flushed out by the beaters, all bar 1 female survived the guns. A further skulky male Pheasant was seen at The Point, he was very wisely keeping his head down. All the gun noise regularly spooked the nearby feeding Rooks and Jackdaws and Woodpigeons and amongst the swirling flocks I managed to pick out at least 4 Stock Dove.

The tide was ebbing and out on the rocks were 4 Turnstone, a Curlew, Oystercatchers, 37 Mallard, 2 Little Egret and 9 Mediterranean Gulls (8 adults, 1 1st winter). The highlight though were 3 Wigeon (1 male) briefly seen in flight along the shoreline at The Point before splashing down on the sea, only my second ever sighting at Wembury. They swam around for a bit before coming out of the water and onto the rocks where they promptly went to sleep, if I hadn't have seen them in flight I would have totally overlooked them.

Wigeon

The Mewstone

A pair of Kestrel were busily hovering away at The Point and a Green Woodpecker and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were both heard nearby. Stonechats and Cirl Buntings were very showy and other birds of note were a Grey Wagtail, a Bullfinch, 3 Goldcrest, 3 Blackcap (1 male) and 2 Chiffchaff. Another highlight of my walk was a Mistle Thrush in the trees at the back of the now ploughed stubble field, presumably a migrating bird and my first Wembury sighting of one since 2021.

Cirl Bunting

Before catching the bus home I had a walk around the village streets near the bus stop to check out the rooftops for Black Redstarts which had been reported here in the past week, no luck for me today but never mind.