River Exe and River Plym bird days

Saturday 4th February and it was that time of year, my annual birdwatching boat trip on the River Exe with Mavis and Mike. It was an early start, 05:00hrs (!), and it was a cold and grey day but we had a good days birding. It was 3 degrees on leaving Plymouth but on arriving at Exmouth it had dipped to minus 2 degrees so a warmimg breakfast in the cafe on the quayside helped to warm us up for the 09:30 start to the boat trip.

A razorbill was busy diving for fish by the boat as we cast off, giving good views. Heading out to sea some sanderlings were seen on the sand bars exposed by the low tide. In the estuary the usual birds were seen, highlights being the resident Slavonian grebe preening itself near the wreck but seen distantly and an adult winter plumage Mediterranean gull amongst some black headed gulls. Also seen were a male tufted duck and a male shoveler along with the usual waders and ducks. A large flock of Brent geese were very flighty around Turf but I failed to find the red breasted goose amongst them. The resident common seal was seen swimming past the boat before diving under the water and out of sight.

Snow flurries eventually gave way to drizzle and then light rain which started just as we arrived back at Exmouth at the end of the trip which was lucky. We headed on to Bowling Green Marsh to find it frozen over. The American wigeon usually seen around Dawlish Warren had been reported from here the day before but only a few shoveler, teal and wigeon were seen roosting on the ice. 2 lapwing, a dunlin, a curlew, 2 snipe and some fly over black tailed godwits were seen as we ate our packed lunches. A fox was seen wandering along the hedgerow at the back of the marsh.

The viewing platform overlooking the River Clyst had been renovated but was fully exposed to the wind and rain so after only a brief look we headed off into Topsham via The Goatwalk where good views of avocets were had along with 10 coot bobbing about on the river, no doubt displaced from the frozen marsh. Cold and wet, we decided to call it a day and headed back to Plymouth but it had been a very enjoyable day as usual.

Sunday 5th February and I headed off to Marsh Mills to have a look for the yellow browed warbler that has been reported from here for a while now, this being the first free day I have had to go and have a look for it. I was out of luck despite the the help of the eyes of some fellow bird watchers but I did see 3 siskin, a male great spotted woodpecker, a male bullfinch, a female blackcap, goldcrest and good views of a very obliging and very handsome firecrest. A green woodpecker was heard yaffling and a grey wagtail flew over calling. Amongst the leaf litter were quite a few distinctive looking fungus, I'm not sure what they are called.

Fungus Sp.

After a couple of hours wandering around the small wood I headed off to the River Plym where the spotted sandpiper showed very well in its usual place on the mudflat opposite the sewage farm outlet and a greenshank fed nearby. Also seen were 2 little grebes, 3 Canada geese, a little egret and a male kestrel.

Spotted Sandpiper

Greenshank

Snowdrops were flowering in abundance,  a sign of Spring despite the cold but sunny weather.

Snowdrops

Snowdrop

Some violets were in flower by the footpath near the bridge over the railway line, another sign of Spring and quite fragrant when I got close down to them.

Violet Sp.

Walking back to Sainsburys I found an interesting fungus growing on a tree trunk, again I'm not sure what it is called.

Fungus Sp.

Fungus Sp.

And so off I headed to the city centre to meet David for lunch as he was working a long day and then I headed home, having had a very pleasent if yellow browed warbler unsuccesful morning.

Ipswich 28th Jan - 2nd Feb 2012

After finishing 4 night shifts on the Friday we headed up to Ipswich on Saturday 28th to spend a few days with my family. The weather was turning cold, heralding a Siberian cold snap, but it was dry and sunny as we headed across the country. From the train between Plymouth and London the best sightings were greenshanks on the River Teign and the River Exe, 4 fulmars prospecting the cliffs near Teignmouth, a roe deer and at least 10 red kites.

Sunday 29th and Mum had to work so we had use of the car for the afternoon. We headed out to Needham Market and David dropped me off at Needham Market Lakes, a small nature reserve, while he went to look round the antiques shop. It was odd to see miniature power boats racing on the lake considering it is a nature reserve and a great crested grebe was seen skulking at the back of the lake keeping out of the way of the boats. A kingfisher in a classic pose on a branch overhanging a small stream was a good sighting and also seen were a little egret and common gulls amongst the black headed gulls.

The antiques shop had closed down so after an hour David picked me up and we headed off to Risby for some more antiquing.  While David looked around the antiques shops at Risby Barns I headed off for a walk in the surrounding fields, passing my late Great Grandmothers and my late Great Uncles bungalows on the way. I saw a hare running across the fields before it appeared to just disappear as it settled down into its run. Also seen were quite a few fieldfares flying over and a small flock of golden plover feeding in a ploughed field with some common and black headed gulls.

While driving around the Suffolk countryside it was surprising to see buzzards soaring overhead or feeding on worms in the ploughed fields. They are a common sight here in Devon but I never saw buzzards when I lived in Suffolk. However since moving to Devon in 1986 they have spread ever Eastward from their strongholds in the West, supposedly due to a lack of persecution from gamekeepers.

We headed back to Ipswich and visited the hospital to have a look around the grounds for some waxwings that have been reported there for a few weeks now but we were out of luck. However the next day (30th) we returned to the hospital on the way to Woodbridge, this time with Mum as well, and we found a flock of around 70 birds as soon as we arrived at the main entrance. They were sat in the tops of some trees trilling away quietly and looking like fluffy pink starlings and I managed to get a few photos despite the poor light.

Waxwings

More waxwings

Woodbridge was cold and grey but I walked along the river path for an hour while Mum and David went shopping and I managed some nice bird sightings. A lone avocet was a surprise and a male tufted duck was bumming bread scraps amongst the mallards being fed by passers by. 2 bar-tailed godwits were seen amongst the black-tailed godwits along with grey plover, dunlin and redshank. Little grebes were diving out on the river, at least 8 were seen.

Avocet

Tufted Duck

Black- and Bar-tailed Godwit

Black-tailed Godwit

Tuesday 31st and David had to travel back to Plymouth due to work commitments but I went for a walk on Chantry Park, my old local patch and where I cut my birdwatching teeth in my teenage years. It brightened up as the afternoon wore on but it remained cold. I found a pile of feathers and a bill under a hawthorn bush which was all that remained of a goldfinch from a recent sparrowhawk kill.

Goldfinch feather

Stock doves were much in evidence feeding in the surrounding fields and flying overhead in small groups. Jays were very vocal and showy too. Numerous brown rats were seen and were quite oblivious to my presence as I walked along the paths around the small lake. A long tailed tit was seen carrying some lichen in its bill, a sign of Spring coming despite the cold weather.

The small lake at Chantry Park - my old local patch

Wednesday 1st Feb and Mum and I went for a walk at Trimley Marshes Nature Reserve with Mums friends Liz and John. It was bright and sunny but bitterly cold in the Easterly wind and large parts of the marsh were frozen over. A red-legged partridge was heard but I failed to see it. A woodcock was flushed from the side of the path, flying off over the trees and out of sight, maybe a recent arrival from the frozen continent. Pintail, wigeon, mallard and teal were resting on a small patch of unfrozen water with a male shoveler and a pair of gadwall. A lone black tailed godwit was feeding on the marsh and golden plovers were seen flying over nearby fields. Brent, greylag and Canada geese were also seen along with a single little grebe and single flyover snipe. On the way home we stopped off at Ipswich hospital to see the waxwings but were out of luck and they haven't been reported from here since we saw them on the Monday.

Thursday 2nd was sunny and bright again and I headed home on the train. Greenshanks were seen along the River Exe again but not the Teign. 5 red kites were seen between London and Westbury and a single roe deer was seen again.

 And so it had been a very pleasent but tiring trip with some good wildlife sightings.