Duck_Pond
Professional Wildlife Photographer And Guide
I have just spent 2 glorious weeks in the southwest of England. The first week was based in Teignmouth (Devon) and the second in Fowey (Cornwall), with a stop off in Sidmouth (Devon) before coming back. Unusually, I managed to take more scenic pics than bird / wildlife ones, but I'll try to cover what I saw from the latter, over the weeks, here.
Teignmouth - last year, on a 30 min stop off, I managed to see a wheatear on the sea wall. This year, there was nowt to be seen from that particular bird, though a buzzard and kestrel were circling the sandstone cliffs. Out to sea were the usual gulls and cormorants, though on one misty day, gannets strayed pretty close to the shoreline, and a few terns were about one evening too. On the river Teign, I managed to spot a pair of red-breasted mergansers, heading upstream with the tide, which was a real bonus.
Dawlish Warren - this is a fantastic site, with a good range of habitats, and the species were numerous. I visited several times and over these trips saw sanderling, whimbrel, godwits, oystercatchers, ringed plovers, a peregrine, a kestrel, whitethroats, linnets, swallows and martins, dunnocks, canada geese (and goslings), dunlins, little egrets, coots, moorhens, mallards, chiffchaffs, wrens, blackbirds, skylarks, terns and gulls.
This was also the place where I had 3 good bird experiences. Firstly with a kestrel, which in the misty wet conditions was sat at the top of a bare tree, and simply looked down at me as I stood beneath, taking pics. Allowed me to get within 20 yards before taking flight. Shame the light was so poor.
On another day, whilst watching the distant flock of sanderlings, godwits and oystercatchers, all hell broke loose, and I spotted a peregrine attacking. Up and down, swooping through and chasing birds, all at amazing speed - was awesome to watch. Ultimately failed though, and headed off towards Exmouth, empty-taloned.
And finally some reward from waiting for a high tide. I had twice before gone when the tide was supposed to be coming in, only for it to only come in a very short way, and missed seeing any waders close up. This time it came right up, but the waders were nowhere to be seen. Leaving the hide, I wandered back along the side of the golf course, to spot them all scurrying about on the beach, with a local birder observing through his scope. Not wanting to disturb them, I tried to creep by, but they soon took flight... and as I crouched down in the hope they'd return, they did... right in front of me!
If anything they were too close to photo, as they leg-it around at a real pace! Was wonderful to see them so close (less than 5 feet away at times), with the sound from their mooching, peeping and scurrying. Fantastic.
Exminster Marsh - I don't really know the best areas to look at here, but still wandered around the outskirts of it, several times... I see there are routes across it, but I don't like bulls / cows, so stayed clear! Yeah, I know, feeble! Anyway, the main stars of the trips there, aside from normal stuff were 5 hobbies (on one day!), a bar headed goose, Cetti's, sedge and reed warblers, whitethroats, lapwings and buzzards. Though the distance between me and them made for tricky photography. I failed to see the American Golden Plover though.
Berry Head - having had a tip off about where to find cirl buntings, and then dipping out on them, I headed to Berry Head for a scout around, and managed to locate a few of them there instead. Also a good place for whitethroats (seemingly everywhere!), yellowhammers, guillemots, gannets and other seabirds, though they were at a fair distance due to the height of the cliffs. Strangely, there were no stonechats around.
Yarner Wood - was a great place for stonechats as usual, and also for a wood warbler. Though it was tricky to see in the forest gloom. Supposed to be Dartford Warblers about too, though I couldn't see any. And flycatchers, but as some of you know, I have masses of shots of them already!
Down the road at Parke, the centre for the National Trust, is a great spot for dippers, and I saw several, though as usual, only in the darkest areas of the river! A lovely walk along the Bovey though!
On to Cornwall, where Fowey was the base. I adore Fowey, not for birding, but for the tranquility and beauty of it. So relaxing.
Fowey - there is a coastal path from Fowey to Gribbin head, and is well worth a walk, even if you only go about a mile along. I saw buzzards, kestrels, a hobby, fulmars, gulls, stonechats, whitethroats and an oystercatcher on one of my walks. Most of which can be seen from the one area, Allday Fields I think it's called.
Gorran Haven - I had been told this was a great place for peregrine and ravens... must have moved out since, and I had no such luck, though I did see a fair few fulmars. Nice walk nonetheless, and some fabulous views.
Rame - a headland near Torpoint, Plymouth - promised to be quite good, but as I popped in on the way back from Fowey, I just wasn't in the right frame of mind, and after seeing some whitethroats and distant yellowhammers, I got back in the car and headed to Devon. I'm always gutted to leave Cornwall, whatever time of year... Maybe next year...
One bird to note from Cornwall though... jackdaws. Hundreds of them. So much for a shortage!
Back to Devon, and I popped into Budleigh Salterton for a quick walk along the Otter. Saw the usual martins and swallows, plus there were sedge and reed warblers in the reedbeds, and I heard a Cetti's too. Little egrets were on the river, though with the tide out, they were at a distance. And on leaving, I spotted a couple of linnets hopping about on the eel grass.
Sidmouth itself was a mass of herring gulls and cormorants, though there were a few terns fishing (diving) out to sea, which was nice to watch from the esplanade.
All in all, a beautiful fortnight in my favourite part of the UK. I was very lucky with the weather - the first 5 days were like the middle of (a good) summer, with temperatures in the high 20s. I'm slowly processing the images from the break, though with over 1000 to get through, don't hold your breath!
Cheers - and thanks to all those who suggested places for me to visit whilst I was there :t:
Pete.
Teignmouth - last year, on a 30 min stop off, I managed to see a wheatear on the sea wall. This year, there was nowt to be seen from that particular bird, though a buzzard and kestrel were circling the sandstone cliffs. Out to sea were the usual gulls and cormorants, though on one misty day, gannets strayed pretty close to the shoreline, and a few terns were about one evening too. On the river Teign, I managed to spot a pair of red-breasted mergansers, heading upstream with the tide, which was a real bonus.
Dawlish Warren - this is a fantastic site, with a good range of habitats, and the species were numerous. I visited several times and over these trips saw sanderling, whimbrel, godwits, oystercatchers, ringed plovers, a peregrine, a kestrel, whitethroats, linnets, swallows and martins, dunnocks, canada geese (and goslings), dunlins, little egrets, coots, moorhens, mallards, chiffchaffs, wrens, blackbirds, skylarks, terns and gulls.
This was also the place where I had 3 good bird experiences. Firstly with a kestrel, which in the misty wet conditions was sat at the top of a bare tree, and simply looked down at me as I stood beneath, taking pics. Allowed me to get within 20 yards before taking flight. Shame the light was so poor.
On another day, whilst watching the distant flock of sanderlings, godwits and oystercatchers, all hell broke loose, and I spotted a peregrine attacking. Up and down, swooping through and chasing birds, all at amazing speed - was awesome to watch. Ultimately failed though, and headed off towards Exmouth, empty-taloned.
And finally some reward from waiting for a high tide. I had twice before gone when the tide was supposed to be coming in, only for it to only come in a very short way, and missed seeing any waders close up. This time it came right up, but the waders were nowhere to be seen. Leaving the hide, I wandered back along the side of the golf course, to spot them all scurrying about on the beach, with a local birder observing through his scope. Not wanting to disturb them, I tried to creep by, but they soon took flight... and as I crouched down in the hope they'd return, they did... right in front of me!
If anything they were too close to photo, as they leg-it around at a real pace! Was wonderful to see them so close (less than 5 feet away at times), with the sound from their mooching, peeping and scurrying. Fantastic.
Exminster Marsh - I don't really know the best areas to look at here, but still wandered around the outskirts of it, several times... I see there are routes across it, but I don't like bulls / cows, so stayed clear! Yeah, I know, feeble! Anyway, the main stars of the trips there, aside from normal stuff were 5 hobbies (on one day!), a bar headed goose, Cetti's, sedge and reed warblers, whitethroats, lapwings and buzzards. Though the distance between me and them made for tricky photography. I failed to see the American Golden Plover though.
Berry Head - having had a tip off about where to find cirl buntings, and then dipping out on them, I headed to Berry Head for a scout around, and managed to locate a few of them there instead. Also a good place for whitethroats (seemingly everywhere!), yellowhammers, guillemots, gannets and other seabirds, though they were at a fair distance due to the height of the cliffs. Strangely, there were no stonechats around.
Yarner Wood - was a great place for stonechats as usual, and also for a wood warbler. Though it was tricky to see in the forest gloom. Supposed to be Dartford Warblers about too, though I couldn't see any. And flycatchers, but as some of you know, I have masses of shots of them already!
Down the road at Parke, the centre for the National Trust, is a great spot for dippers, and I saw several, though as usual, only in the darkest areas of the river! A lovely walk along the Bovey though!
On to Cornwall, where Fowey was the base. I adore Fowey, not for birding, but for the tranquility and beauty of it. So relaxing.
Fowey - there is a coastal path from Fowey to Gribbin head, and is well worth a walk, even if you only go about a mile along. I saw buzzards, kestrels, a hobby, fulmars, gulls, stonechats, whitethroats and an oystercatcher on one of my walks. Most of which can be seen from the one area, Allday Fields I think it's called.
Gorran Haven - I had been told this was a great place for peregrine and ravens... must have moved out since, and I had no such luck, though I did see a fair few fulmars. Nice walk nonetheless, and some fabulous views.
Rame - a headland near Torpoint, Plymouth - promised to be quite good, but as I popped in on the way back from Fowey, I just wasn't in the right frame of mind, and after seeing some whitethroats and distant yellowhammers, I got back in the car and headed to Devon. I'm always gutted to leave Cornwall, whatever time of year... Maybe next year...
One bird to note from Cornwall though... jackdaws. Hundreds of them. So much for a shortage!
Back to Devon, and I popped into Budleigh Salterton for a quick walk along the Otter. Saw the usual martins and swallows, plus there were sedge and reed warblers in the reedbeds, and I heard a Cetti's too. Little egrets were on the river, though with the tide out, they were at a distance. And on leaving, I spotted a couple of linnets hopping about on the eel grass.
Sidmouth itself was a mass of herring gulls and cormorants, though there were a few terns fishing (diving) out to sea, which was nice to watch from the esplanade.
All in all, a beautiful fortnight in my favourite part of the UK. I was very lucky with the weather - the first 5 days were like the middle of (a good) summer, with temperatures in the high 20s. I'm slowly processing the images from the break, though with over 1000 to get through, don't hold your breath!
Cheers - and thanks to all those who suggested places for me to visit whilst I was there :t:
Pete.
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