Spring Slowly Marches Onward

Sunday 22nd March was another sunny but cool start to the day as I headed out to The Plym for a look about. It was a spring high tide but sadly no water was coming through the Blaxton Meadow sluice gates thanks to The National Trusts continuing misguided habitat management plans. There were birds roosting out on the Meadow though and the 1st winter Bonaparte's Gull was easily found amongst them, sitting out on the mud all on its own and occassionally flying around the Meadow before flying off upriver and out of sight.

The usual birds were seen along the River and included a male Goosander, a Common Sandpiper, 8 Greenshank and 4 adult and a 1st winter Common Gull. The usual birds were also seen around the Park and included a male Linnet, a single Rook and an unseen singing Mistle Thrush.

Comma and Peacock were flitting about and my first Small White of the year flew past me at Longbridge. I also saw my first Dark-edged Bee-fly of the year.

Comma

I headed out to Wembury on the 7am bus on Monday 23rd March, it was sunny but cool yet again but warmed up nicely as the day went on. The tide was starting to ebb and along the beach I found my first Wembury Dunlin of the year amongst a small flock of 12 Turnstone. A Stock Dove flying over the fields above the sewage farm was also a Wembury first along with a Feral pigeon flying over the village.

I took my telescope with me but a quick scan offshore with my binoculars revealed nothing! However on setting up my scope at The Point and having another look about offshore I picked up a pod of around 40 Common Dolphins moving west, some were closer in but the group further out had attracted inquisitive Gannets along with Manx Shearwaters, another first for the year and my earliest ever sighting. There were also Auks flying about offshore and resting on the sea, those close enough to ID were all Razorbills.

Spring arrives and so do the fishing boats in the Marine Conservation Area

Other highlights along my walk were 3 knackered looking Wheatear amongst the rocks below the footpath at The Point, presumably having just made landfall, and there were 2 nervous looking Red-legged Partridge in the wheatfield where Cirl Buntings were also being unusually showy.

Wheatear

Cirl Bunting

It was sunny but cool on Thursday 26th March as I headed out for a quick walk along The Plym. It was very quiet with a single Greenshank, a pair of Linnets, a male Goosander, a Shag, a pair of Mandarin, a Common Sandpiper and 2 pairs of Grey Wagtails the highlights with a single Peacock also seen despite the chilly conditions. I also saw a pair of Ring-necked Parakeets mating, a green type male and a blue phase female.

Mandarin

Ring-necked Parakeet 

I headed off on the train to Dawlish Warren on Friday 27th March, it was a last minute decision and I didn't arrive off the train until around 12:30 but I fancied a change of scenery. It was damp and claggy and I only spent a couple of hours there before returning home but I had an enjoyable walk.

It was quite calm offshore but quiet too and the highlight was a Great Northern Diver moulting into summer plumage and struggling to swallow a flat fish it had caught before the nearby Great Black-backed Gulls realised. A summer plumaged Great Crested Grebe, 2 Razorbill (1 in summer plumage) and Gannets were also seen and it was great to see returning Sandwich Terns patrolling back and forth along the beach.

Great Northern Diver

At the main pond 2 Little Grebes were heard trilling away with a third bird seen, a male Teal was dabbling away and a Chiffchaff was flitting about in the reeds. A Collared Dove in the nearby trees was a surprise while a pair of Cirl Buntings showed well out on the open grassland.

Saturday 28th March was sunny but cool and breezy again as I caught the 9am bus out to Wembury for a walk. Being a sunny Saturday and the start of the Easter school holidays there were dogs and people everywhere and with the National Trust now having completed the footpath upgrade all the way to the sewage pipe it was busy the whole way along my walk - I will have to avoid weekends and holidays in the future and catch the early morning bus if I want a less disturbed visit. Despite this I did enjoy todays walk and had some interesting sightings along the way although with it still being the early days of Spring it was quiet.

Upgraded Path, Wembury Point

I did however see my first Speckled Wood of the year and an Adder was again seen basking in the sunshine out of the wind while a few Peacock were seen dashing past in the strong breeze and a few Chiffchaffs were heard singing away. It was quiet offshore too with just 2 adult Gannets seen flying west and there were no Fulmars to be seen on The Mewstone while along the beach there were 11 Turnstone, 20 Oystercatchers, 3 Little Egret, 5 male Mallards and a 1st winter Mediterranean Gull.

Adder