River Plym Walk, 29th January2013

A wet and windy day but I decided to make the most of my day off work and headed off to the River Plym to look again for the reported Jack snipe and snipe. I walked from Laira Bridge to Marsh Mills via Saltram Park and then from Marsh Mills to Blagdons Meadow before heading home and I failed again to see any snipe, Jack or common.

I had a good search around the flooded woodland area in Saltram Park but with no luck. I did see a grey wagtail and a juvenile moorhen while in the nearby trees were good numbers of active goldcrests with long tailed and blue tits and a bedraggled treecreeper. 2 jays flew over along with a male kestrel while in the grassy fields 2 mistle thrush and 10 redwing were feeding with some starlings.

Mistle Thrush in Saltram Park

 



Blaxton Meadow was flooded and I had good views of a male pintail (rare on the Plym) with the male and 2 female wigeon (also quite uncommon on the Plym) along with a good count of 41 shelduck.

Male Pintail on Blaxton Meadow

 



On the river I found a little grebe and a male and 2 female red breasted mergansers while 3 cormorants were trying to dry their wings on the mudflats in the rain, 1 of which was in full summer plumage.

The only other indication that Spring is on its way were snowdrops and violets seen in flower.

 Snowdrops

 

Violet Sp.

 



Very glad to get home and in to the dry but it had been quite a productive walk despite the wind and rain.