While I was not seeing a Caspian Gull at Brixham an Avocet was reported on Blaxton Meadow at Saltram but I didnt expect it to stick around. However on waking up early the next morning on Sunday 2nd February it was reported as still present and so I hastily got myself organised and headed out to The Plym for a look.
I caught the bus to Marsh Mills and then headed straight down to the viewing platform at Blaxton Meadow with fingers crossed. The tide was dropping and there was just one bird present out on The Meadow and it was the Avocet, busily feeding away in the water - result!
Avocet, Blaxton Meadow
It's only the third time I have seen Avocet on The Plym and it was interesting to see it heading out onto the nearby mud, having a poop and then returning to the water to continue feeding, a behaviour I have also seen in Spoonbills and a White-billed Diver. I enjoyed watching it for a while, it seemed quite settled but as more people and dogs began to arrive it appeared more nervous until it eventually flew off over to the estuary.
Avocet
I decided to walk down the river towards Laira Bridge and search for the Avocet along the way but unfortunately I couldn't refind it. However I did finally see the reported Bar-tailed Godwit feeding out on the mudflats near Laira Bridge while a surprise was a Water Rail heard squealing away in the boggy Brambles along The Ride.
House Sparrow, The Ride
Over the past week when walking around Sutton Harbour a surprise sighting has been a Moorhen feeding on an old wooden pontoon out on the water, first seen on 29th January and still there on 4th February. I've seen Coot at Sutton Harbour before when the weather has been very cold and icy but never a Moorhen and I assume it was blown in by the recent Storms. It seems to be surviving quite nicely though as it picks at the vegetation thriving there due to all the poop the roosting Shags and Cormorants deposit on it. Strange to see a Moorhen in a saline environment and with very little cover available and also for it to stay for so long as well.
Sutton Harbour Pontoon
Moorhen and Cormorant
I headed out to Wembury for a quick walk on Wednesday 4th February, the forecast was for heavy showers but it stayed dry right up until I got on the bus to head home when it absolutely chucked it down. It was quite breezy though and the birding was slow but I had an interesting walk anyway.
Wembury
I arrived off the bus at around 9:45am and headed off to The Point on the dropping tide. The new path was easy to traverse but the remaining original path was a complete and utter mudfest and there is yet more cliff collapse near to the sewage pipe, however I arrived in one piece and without slipping over for a change.
Cliff Slip, Wembury Beach
The usual Oystercatchers were seen roosting along the beach as they waited for the tide to ebb and with them were a Curlew, 3 Turnstone and 10 Little Egret. A 2nd Winter Mediterranean Gull was hidden in amongst the roosting Black-headed Gulls and an adult Great Black-backed Gull was tucking in to a dead Shag.
A lot of the seaweed has disappeared from the beach around the sewage pipe, I guess the Storms giveth and the Storms also taketh away, but I did find the Water Pipit feeding around the rock pools at the top of the tideline, it was quite confiding for a change but I still find it quite an odd looking bird
Water Pipit
Water Pipit
No Cirl Buntings were seen, not unusual for Wembury at this time of year and especially on a breezy day but not helped by the National Trust chopping down the Sloe hedgerows along the wheatfield footpath which they used to skulk in. Only 3 male Pheasants were seen, maybe more shooting parties have been busy bringing the numbers down, and a surprise sighting was a Green Woodpecker apparently feeding on fallen apples in a village garden or maybe on the insects inside them.
The Plym Avocet has surprisingly stuck around and was still present on the 6th February, I had hoped to try and get out to see it again but the weather, teeth problems and life admin have gotten in the way. I'm glad it has stayed for a while though as it has given local birders a chance to catch up with what is an uncommon visitor to The Plym.
