Springtime Continues

Wednesday 10th April and a sunny but chilly morning saw us heading up to Dartmoor for a walk around Burrator Reservoir. It is Easter Holiday Hell time but it was surprisingly quiet and we had an enjoyable walk and by the time we returned to the car at the end of the walk it had become quite warm.

Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and Blackcap were seen and heard but there were no hirundines seen although I thought I briefly heard the chittering of a Swallow overhead. No Marsh Tits were seen either but there were Blue, Great and Coal Tits in the trees with Wren, Robin, Nuthatch, Siskin and Dunnock.

At least 3 Mistle Thrush were singing too, a pair of Goosanders were sleeping on a small island at the top end of the reservoir, a Raven mobbed a pair of Carrion Crows over the treetops, a Green Woodpecker was heard yaffling, Great Spotted Woodpeckers were heard chipping and I thought I heard a Redstart singing briefly but couldn't find it in the trees.

Also seen were 2 male Orange Tips flitting about and an Oil Beetle trundling along on the roadside verge.

Orange Tip, Burrator

Thursday 11th April and another cool and sunny morning saw us heading off to Slapton Ley for a walk, parking up near Slapton Bridge and walking to Torcross and back. Wildfowl numbers were much reduced out on the Ley but amongst the 30+ Tufted Ducks I finally caught up with the wintering adult male Scaup although the views were distant and heat hazy as it regularly dived near the opposite bank to the road. Also seen were a pair of gadwall, coots, mallards, mute swans, cormorant and great crested grebes but there was no sign of any of the recently reported Ring-necked Ducks.

Distant Scaup (left) with Tufted Duck (right)

After lunch at the Sea Breeze Cafe in Torcross we had a quick look at the Ley from the  nearby Stokeley Bay hide and I finally managed to get some distant views of the 2 male and 1 female Ring-necked Ducks busily diving for food. Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps were busily singing away along with Cetti's Warblers and I had a brief view of my first Swallow of the year as it flew over the roof tops at Torcross.

Walking back along the Ley to the Bridge and I managed to get some better but still distant views of the Ring-necked Ducks while Peacock Butterflys flitted about and basked in the sunshine. From the Bridge a Cetti's Warbler showed very well in the willows and as we walked up to the car a male Orange Tip flitted by.

Saturday 13th April and I decided to head out to Wembury for a walk. It was another sunny day but with a cold and brisk breeze and it made for some heavy going birding. Despite the wind I did find an Orange Tip hunkered down on a bluebell flower and the toilet block held an Early Grey and a Double-striped Pug.

Orange Tip, Wembury

Orange Tip

Orange Tip

Early Grey, Wembury

An adult Bloody-nosed Beetle and 2 larva, Ladybirds and Shield Bugs were also found lurking on the path side vegetation.

Shield Bugs, Wembury

Shield Bugs

Shield Bug

It was good to see 2 Whimbrel on the rocks at The Point with a Curlew, Oystercatchers and Mallards and offshore I picked up a Gannet heading slowly east into the wind. Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps were singing away and a Mistle Thrush feeding in the upper horse fields was a nice surprise. A very pale phase buzzard flying over being mobbed by a dark phase buzzard looked very osprey-like and a Kestrel hovered over the wheat field briefly before flying off.

Whimbrel, Wembury

Stonechats, Linnets, Goldfinch, 2 male Cirl Buntings, a Song Thrush and a female Pheasant were also seen before I decided to give up and head home, enjoying a Chunk pasty for lunch from the beach cafe before catching the bus back to Plymouth.

Cirl Bunting, Wembury

And so Spring is slowly marching on despite the recent chilly weather - and I can't wait for the Summer to arrive.

Springtime

Tuesday 26th March and we finally managed to get out for a walk along the coast path at Stoke Point, surprisingly for the first time since July last year. It was a mild and sunny day and an enjoyable walk with stunning views as always.

Chiffchaffs were singing away and amongst the numerous peacock butterflys flitting about I also saw a small tortoiseshell and my first speckled wood of the year. There was no sign of any Dartford warblers on the recently swaled cliffsides but plenty of stonechats and a pair of cirl buntings were seen along with flyover raven, kestrel, buzzard and peregrine. Best birds though were 2 marsh tit seen in the woodlands near Noss Mayo as we walked into the village for lunch at The Ship Inn.

Small Tortoiseshell, Stoke Point

Friday 29th March and I caught the bus out to Wembury for a walk on another sunny but cooler day. No moths were found in the toilet block but I did find a light brown apple moth in the bushes by the bus stop and I managed to see 4 speckled wood, 9 peacock, a small tortoiseshell and a male orange tip flitting about.

 Speckled Wood, Wembury

 Peacock, Wembury

Light Brown Apple Moth, Wembury

The usual birds were seen and heard - chiffchaffs, blackcaps, stonechats, cirl buntings, pheasents, rock pipits, mallards, little egrets, oystercatchers, etc, - but the best bird was a male wheatear at The Point looking very smart in the sunshine.

 Wheatear, Wembury

Cirl Bunting, Wembury

Sloe Blossom, Wembury

While at work on Saturday 6th April I received a text from local birder Russ regarding a ring ousel having been found by the River Plym that afternoon and so the next morning I headed out for a look but without too much hope. As expected there was no sign of it but it was a pleasant walk all the same.

I  caught the bus to Marsh Mills and walked through Saltram Park to Chelson Meadow before returning to Marsh Mills to catch the bus home. The tide was high when I arrived at Blaxton Meadow and a dunlin was roosting with the redshanks and 6 little egrets while along the river I found a common sandpiper and 3 greenhanks.

It was good to see the new viewing area overlooking the river near the meadow giving better views of the estuary but not so good to see a dog charging across the meadow on the high tide disturbing the birds.

Viewing Platform, Blaxton Meadow

In Saltram Park a single stock dove was seen along with a pair of ring-necked parakeets checking out nesting holes in the trees, hopefully there won't be too much competition between the 2 species. Nuthatches were vocal and showy in the trees and 2 house martins flew over heading north. Chiffchaffs, blackcaps and skylarks were seen and heard along with an unseen yaffling green woodpecker and 7 roe deer were feeding out in the open on Chelson Meadow. It was also good to see my first willow warbler of the year busily feeding away in the trees as it gave quiet snatches of song.

 Roe Deer, Chelson Meadow

Primroses, Saltram

The tide had dropped on my return walk and out on the estuary I found a 1st summer common gull amongst the gulls, a single greenshank  and bizarrely a pair of stock doves feeding out on the mud along with a sleeping pair of mandarin ducks by the stream near the Plympton road bridge.

 Greenshank, River Plym

Mandarin Ducks, River Plym

 Little Egret, River Plym

Little Egret, River Plym

A very restorative walk despite the Sunday crowds and with some great wildlife sightings right on my doorstep,