River Plym and Wembury Walks

May Day was another COVID restricted Bank Holiday weekend and with 2 night shifts looming large I decided to have a walk around Saltram and along the Plym on Sunday 2nd May. It was another dry and mostly sunny day but with a chilly feel as it has been for most of the time this spring.

I arrived at Blaxton Meadow just before the high tide and out on the rapidly disappearing mud were 21 Shelduck, 5 Whimbrel, 3 Greenshank, 2 Curlew, 2 Oystercatcher and the increasingly limpy Bar-tailed Godwit. 

Whimbrels

The Bar-tailed Godwit was feeding on the grassy areas on the Meadow but it had to rapidly flap its wings at times as it probed the soil due to being unable to brace itself on just its one good leg.

Bar-tailed Godwit

Around the Park the usual birds were seen including a pair of Stonechat, Swallows, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, a Kestrel, a Sparrowhawk with a small bird in its talons, Stock Dove, Skylark, Treecreeper and a Grey Wagtail. 

On the duck pond near Saltram House there were 3 male and a female Mandarin and 4 adult Moorhen with 5 chicks amongst the usual assorted domestic ducks. 

Moorhen Chick

Having survived my 2 nights I decided to head off to Wembury on Wednesday 5th May for a walk. It was another chilly day with a cold wind despite the occasional sunny spells. 

Thrift at Wembury

A lot of seaweed had been washed up on the beach following Mondays wind and rain and I managed to find 14 Sanderling, 10 Whimbrel, 4 Ringed Plover, 2 Turnstone and 20+ Oystercatchers despite the usual disturbance from dogs and walkers. 

Sanderling

Sanderlings

 Sanderling 

Sanderling

Whimbrel

Whimbrel

Ringed Plover

Turnstones

A male Mallard and a Little Egret were also seen along the beach while offshore Gannets were moving west and Fulmars were flying around The Mewstone. 

Whitethroat, Stonechat, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, 2 male Cirl Bunting, a pair of Pheasent, a male Kestrel, a female Sparrowhawk, Swallows, House Martins, Linnets and a Mistle Thrush (feeding in the top horse field) were all seen along the walk too. 

Only 2 butterflies were seen in the chilly conditions, a male Orange Tip and my first Green- veined White of the year. 

Orange Tip

Green-veined White

4 Common Lizards were seen basking in the occasional sunny spells. 

Common Lizard

Common Lizard

Common Lizard 

Common Lizard

A Chunk pasty for lunch from the cafe on the beach at Wembury was much appreciated in the cold conditions before I headed for home and this time I didn't stop off along the way for a River Plym walk. 

And the Birdtrack Bird Off for the Plym/Saltram versus Wembury now stands at 92 to 71. 

An Arctic Dartmoor Day Out

Friday 30th April and it was with great excitement as I headed up to Warren House on Dartmoor with my mate Mavis for our annual Dartmoor Birdy Day after missing out last year due to the COVID lockdown. It is hard to believe that it was 2 years and a day ago when we last did this walk together!

It was sunny but cool when I left home and by the time we reached the car park at Bennets Cross to start our walk the clouds were beginning to bubble up in the sky and there was a distinct chill in the air. The clouds continued to build and while it was pleasant when the sun shone for brief periods from behind them it continued to get cooler and cooler until eventually the heavens opened and we had a full on hail storm which blanketed the Moor with white patches.

Dartmoor in April!

Dartmoor Hail Storm

Despite the weather we did manage to see some excellent birds with at least 2 vocal Cuckoos being the highlight, mostly distant and very mobile but we had some good scope views of them. At one point they had a bit of an aerial tussle and a bit of a scrap in a tree top before heading off in opposite directions, something I haven't witnessed before.

Cuckoo, Warren House

Whinchat, Wheatear, Stonechat, Tree Pipit and Willow Warbler showed well and occassionally sang too and we also saw Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch, a Raven flying over, Wren, Robin and a male Reed Bunting.

We stopped for coffee at the ruins in Soussons Plantation and I put my Emperor Moth lure out but with no success. We could hear Crossbills calling in the pine trees and we had some good scope views of a female feeding on cones in the top of a tree while the others kept out of sight. Eventually 5 birds exploded out of the trees calling noisely before heading off down the valley. A Tree Pipit showed very well feeding on the ground and a single Chiffchaff was seen busily singing away. A small but steady trickle of Swallows passed overhead heading North despite the cool conditions.

We walked back to Bennets Cross and stopped for a short time to try the Emperor Moth lure again, it was very cold at this point stood out on the heather clad hillside but an Emperor Moth did appear before dashing off and out of sight.

We drove around to nearby Challacombe Farm for the second part of our walk and it was still pretty cold but again the birding was good with the highlight being a singing male Redstart which showed very well around the farm buildings.

Redstart, Challacombe Farm

A male Reed Bunting, Willow Warblers, a pair of Stonechat, a male Whinchat, a Marsh Tit, a Nuthatch, 2 Stock Dove and a pair of Wheatear were also seen with a Great Spotted Woidpecker heard drumming. Eventually though it was time to call it a day and head home to warm up but we had had a very enjoyable and bird filled if chilly day out indeed.

Wheatear, Challacombe Farm