I headed out to Wembury for a walk on Tuesday 23rd December, it was grey and claggy (and dark) as I stepped off the bus at 7:30am and as I walked up to the church I could hear Robins and Song Thrushes singing away in the darkness. I whistled (very badly) my Tawny Owl impression as I went, I didn't expect any response but low and behold a Tawny Owl silently flew in and landed on a branch above my head, checked me out and then silently flew off into cover! It was only a silhouette view in the dark but I've never seen a Tawny Owl at Wembury before, I've only heard one calling during the daytime back in 2010 and it's also the first Tawny Owl I've seen this year.
From the church I walked out to The Point as it began to get lighter, it was high tide and busily feeding away on a large mass of seaweed by the sewage pipe were 8 Little Egret, Oystercatchers and Gulls. A closer look revealed around 10 Turnstone also present, they were very well camouflaged against the seaweed in the dim light but suddenly took to the air and around 10 Turnstones became around 40. They flew around offshore and split into 2 flocks, 1 flock returned to the beach but the other flock headed off west and disappeared from sight. Unfortunately this disappearing flock had at least 2 Purple Sandpipers in amongst it, they sadly didn't return to the beach but were my second Wembury year first of the day.
All the usual birds were seen along my walk too but as I walked back towards the bus stop along the newly laid coast path a trio of Dark-bellied Brent Geese flew west into the Bay, circled around, almost landed on the beach, changed their minds due to the dogs and walkers present and headed back east, yet another Wembury year first.
I would have liked to have stayed longer at Wembury despite the cloud and mizzle but I had arranged to meet my friend Jan at Turnchapel for lunch where we had a good catch up, a few Christmas tipples and generally put the world to rights, a nice end to a pleasant pre-Christmas day out.
It was mostly overcast but dry and cold the following day (Christmas Eve) and so I headed out for a quick walk around Saltram and The Plym before I disappear down the Christmas Holidays black hole. I started at Laira Bridge and began my walk by looking for the recently reported Great Northern Diver but there was no sign of it out on the water although 2 adult Shags were resting on buoys upriver of the Bridge.
There were quite a few Gulls on the roof of the recycling centre again and I thought the recent near adult Yellow-legged Gull was present amongst them but it was too far away to fully confirm.
I had brought my Wellies out with me to have a look for Jack Snipe, only my first attempt to try and see one this year at Saltram but I was in luck with a single bird seen along with a single Common Snipe for comparison. Ring-necked Parakeets were their usual noisey selfs as I continued my walk through the Park and a pair of Mistle Thrush were seen flying overhead.
The female Red-crested Pochard was back on the duck pond with a few Mallard and Moorhen and at one point seemed to be displaying to one of the male Mallards but I wasn't sure if it was territorial or romantic.
The usual birds were roosting on Blaxton Meadow on the high tide but I didn't see any Greenshank here and there were only 3 Dunlin present with 1 bird showing the black belly of summer plumage. I had a scan through the Gulls present and was surprised to find the near adult Yellow-legged Gull now roosting out on the mud amongst them just before it flew over to the river, luckily it soon returned and showed very well. Presumably it is the same bird that I saw back in November as it continues to gain full adult plumage, quite a smart looking bird now but still with wishy-washy yellow-looking legs and a very nice end to my walk.
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