Easter 2021 was yet another Lock Down affair following last years cancelled plans for an Easter get together in Bristol for my Mums Birthday but at least this year we have had a little more in the way of freedoms.
Tuesday 30th March and my plan to visit Wembury for a walk was scuppered with news of the road into the village being blocked both ways by a car accident and so I headed off to Saltram and the River Plym instead. It was a beautiful warm and sunny day, too warm really with temperatures rising to 20°c+ but I had a very enjoyable walk anyway.
Blackcaps were noticeable singing away around the Park along with the usual Chiffchaffs and a brief and distant view of a male Wheatear was a nice find. A Green Woodpecker was heard yaffling and Skylarks were busily songflighting above Chelson Meadow.
Blaxton Meadow was fully covered in water and amongst the Canada Geese and Herring Gulls present were an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull, a 1st winter Common Gull, Shelducks, Redshanks, 3 Curlew, 2 Oystercatcher, 2 pairs of Mandarin Duck, 7 Greenshank, a winter plumaged Bar-tailed Godwit and 2 Black-tailed Godwit (one in full summer plumage, one in winter plumage).
Mandarin Duck
Black-tailed Godwits
Black-tailed Godwit
Black-tailed Godwit
Black-tailed Godwit
Black-tailed Godwit
Black-tailed Godwit
Other birds of note were a female Goosander along the Plym, a female Linnet briefly on Blaxton Meadow having a quick bathe and the usual Stock Doves in the Park with a/the pair of Stonechat.
Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell were flitting about with 3 Small White and 3 male Brimstone and I also thought I had a brief sighting of a Red Admiral.
Peacock
I was also very pleased to see my first Dark-edged Bee Fly of the year.
Dark-edged Bee Fly
I had the moth box out in the back yard and on checking it out in the morning of Wednesday 31st March I was pleased to have caught 6 moths of 5 species - 2 Common Quaker, a Light Brown Apple Moth, a Twenty-plume Moth, an Early Grey and an Oak Beauty.
Twenty-plume Moth
Early Grey
Oak Beauty
Later that morning we headed off to Hope Cove for a walk along the coast path. It was warm and humid but misty and along the walk between Hope Cove to Thurlestone and back we saw a pair of Wigeon, 2 Snipe, 2 winter plumaged Black-tailed Godwit and Teal on South Huish Marsh and a few distant Auks on the sea. Chiffchaffs were heard singing and Stonechats were vocal and showy in the path side scrub.
A Red Admiral was found nectaring on Sloe Blossom and a few Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell were seen flitting past. Bees and Flies were also busily nectaring on Alexander flowers.
Bee Sp.
Bee Sp.
Fly Sp.
Bee Sp.
Bee Sp.
Thursday 1st April and I planned to visit Wembury again but with news of the Chough being seen again at Rame Head that morning I headed out there instead. It was a warm and hazy sunshine day but with a strong easterly wind and needless to say there was no sign of the Chough but it was a good walk anyway (and a/the Chough was reported that afternoon at Bolt Head, about 30 miles west of Rame Head as the Chough flies).
I was very pleased to see my first Swallows of the year with at least 3 seen dashing around the coastal cliffs. Even better were my first Sand Martins of the year with 2 singles seen coming in off the sea.
A Peregrine, a male Kestrel, a Buzzard, 6 Oystercatcher, Gannets, a Fulmar, a Raven, 3 Shelduck, Stonechats, singing Chiffchaffs, an adult Common Gull and an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull were also noted along with Fallow Deer on the cliff sides and in the fields.
Peregrine
Fallow Deer
Butterflies were very noticeable in sheltered spots out of the wind with 2 Holly Blue, 2 Red Admiral, Speckled Wood and Peacock all flitting about and I also had a brief view of a probable Wall in the usual place below the Chapel before it disappeared amongst the gorse.
Holly Blue
Red Admiral
Speckled Wood
Peacock
Friday 2nd April was Good Friday but I worked a long day shift which was a shame as the combination of good weather, a Bank Holiday and the start of the easing of COVID restrictions meant many birders were out and about and some interesting birds were subsequently reported including Ring Ouzel, Red Kite and Willow Warbler at the Plym.
Saturday 3rd April and I had planned to have a quiet day at home before starting my 2 night shifts but with the Plym throwing up some interesting sightings I decided to go out for a quick look around. It was dry and sunny but cooler than the previous day in a north easterly wind and while it was relatively quiet bird wise I did see my first Plym Swallows and Sand Martins of the year with 2 Swallows noted around the stables and a single bird seen flying over Sainsburys and 2 Sand Martins seen hawking over Chelson Meadow before heading off north.
Chiffchaff and Blackcap were singing away and a Great Spotted Woodpecker was heard "chipping" in the top of a tree. Skylarks were in full song over Chelson Meadow and Stock Doves were seen flying around the Park with 2 seen together on Blaxton Meadow.
It was high tide and out on a water covered Blaxton Meadow were 3 Curlew, 3 Oystercatcher, a winter plumaged Bar-tailed Godwit, 5 Greenshank, Redshank, 5 Little Egret, Shelduck, Common Gull, Herring Gull, Black-headed Gull and Great Black-backed Gull.
Also seen on the walk despite the chilly conditions were a Red Admiral and 2 Small Tortoiseshell , 7 Roe Deer (a group of 3 and a group of 4) and Bluebells beginning to come into flower amongst the Primrose and Wood Anemone.
Red Admiral
Bluebells
