Wildlife Walks

Lock Down UK 2020 due to COVID-19 continues and it really is "eat, sleep, go to work, repeat" with some wildlife walks thrown in here and there to mix things up a bit.

I have resigned myself to the fact that I will be unlikely to see certain summer migrants this year - eg, Wood Warbler, Pied Flycatcher, Little-ringed Plover, Sedge Warbler, etc. - but I was very pleased and surprised to find a Reed Warbler singing away in the hedgerow at the allotment on The Barbican here in Plymouth on May 7th, one of the summer migrants that I wasn't expecting to connect with this year. I have heard both Reed and Sedge Warblers in the past singing from trees and shrubs in Plymouth city centre at this time of year but this one I actually got to see, brief views only as it moved through the vegetation but a very welcome sight and sound.

Reed Warbler

I have also finally managed to get out on 2 long walks to the edge of Dartmoor, a long walk on May 1st and a very long walk on May 6th, and I managed to see a good selection of wildlife with Green Tiger Beetle, Early Purple Orchid, Wall  Brimstone, Green-veined White, Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Red Kite, Cuckoo, Tree Pipit, Redstart, Garden Warbler, Yellowhammer, Willow Warbler, Swift, Sand Martin, Common Sandpiper, Reed Bunting, Grey Wagtail, Kestrel, Slow Worm and Beautiful Demoiselle being the highlights in sunny but breezy conditions - very restorative in these continuing difficult times.

Green Tiger Beetle

Brimstone

Green-veined White

Green-veined White

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary

Small Pearl-birdered Fritillary

Willow Warbler

Tree Pipit (with tick behind eye)

Tree Pipit

Yellowhammer

Yellowhammer

Cuckoo

Cuckoo

Slow worm

Slow worm

Moth boxing in the back yard overnight on May 9th/ 10th produced my first Buff Ermine and Heart and Dart of the year along with a new moth for me, a Grey Birch albeit a very faded one (with thanks to ID help from @MothIDUK on Twitter). Best of all was a Buff-tip, one of my top 10 back yard moths, maybe I'll get all 10 of them this year? ( I've already got Early Grey).

Grey Birch

Diamond-back Moth (pale form)

Common Pug

Buff Ermine

Buff Tip

Heart and Dart

Sunday May 10th was warm and sunny and after an early start sorting out the moth box I took my usual weekly walk to the River Plym and Saltram. The vegetation was again noticeably more advanced than on my previous visit and bird song seemed to be lessened but it was still an interesting walk.

It was a very high tide and on Blaxton Meadow there were 3 Whimbrel roosting with 3 Oystercatcher and 2 Curlew along with a Little Egret, Shelduck, a Canada Goose and 3 Mallard (1 female).

Whimbrel and Curlew

Little Egret

Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Swallow, Ring-necked Parakeet, Stock Dove, Buzzard, Coal Tit, Song Thrush, Grey Heron and Skylark were seen and/or heard and I managed to find my first Small Heath and Common Blue of the year along with Orange Tip, Holly Blue, Red Admiral, Peacock, Green-veined White and Large White.

Grey Heron

Small Heath

Common Blue

Common Blue

A pair of Roe Deer passed very close by me as I sat quietly against a tree, the male looking very smart with his short antlers and giving a little bark as he ran off when he realised I was there.

Roe Deer

Roe Deer

Roe Deer

Grey Squirrel

I stopped off at Blagdons Meadow on the walk home where it continues to be very dry underfoot but I did find 3 Southern Marsh Orchids coming into flower in a damper area along with Early Purple Orchids which were small and stunted and mostly going over (and smelling like Tom cats).  It was also nice to see Swallows and House Martins collecting mud from the estuary for nest building.

Early Purple Orchid

Southern Marsh Orchid

House Martin

Nearing home and 2 Willow Warblers were heard singing on the waste ground by St.Judes church, a nice surprise and a nice end to an enjoyable walk.

River Plym and Saltram Walk

Thursday 30th April and despite the heavy showers and cool temperatures I decided to take my usual walk along the River Plym and around Saltram Park. It's been nearly 2 weeks since my last visit and the trees were noticeably in fuller leaf and the grass greener and longer but in the cool and wet weather conditions there was little noticeable insect activity.

The tide was high when I arrived at Laira Bridge but I found a lone Whimbrel roosting on the pontoon opposite The Green House where I had seen one on my last visit. At Blaxton Meadow the Black-tailed Godwit was still present busily searching for food in the soft mud and there were 7 Oystercatchers, 2 Curlew and at least 8 noisy and mobile Whimbrels present too. The only other wader species seen on my walk was as I began my journey back home, a summer plumaged Dunlin which called as it flew under Laira Bridge on its way upriver.

 Whimbrel

Black-tailed Godwit

2 Willow Warblers were heard singing along with Chiffchaff and Blackcap and I was very pleased to find around 20 Swallow feeding over the cow fields and resting on the fences. Even better were at least 20 House Martins, my first of the year, which briefly joined the Swallow before moving on.

Swallows

Singing Skylarks, a male Mandarin Duck, Ring-necked Parakeets, 3 Little Egrets, Stock Dove, Canada Geese, a pair of Mallard and a male Pheasent were also seen with May (Hawthorn) in flower along with some colourful Spurge which I think is Sun Spurge.

 Pheasent

 Hawthorn

Sun Spurge

And so April comes to an end, Lock Down continues and life carries on and I have been very pleased and very surprised at the wildlife I have been finding so close to home although I'm missing my visits to Dartmoor and Wembury.

Monopsis obviella - Back Yard