A morning walk from Powderham to Turf Lock
On a quiet post-lockdown morning, some 17 members of the Exeter RSPB met up at Powderham Church – not on their Zoom computer screens, but truly in real life! Lots of smiles, and even a few hugs, and cries of ‘bird on lower branch of the tree, nooo not that tree!’
So, normal service seems happily to have resumed, especially when we gathered in a semi-circle round Richard, and also the other Richard, to outline the shape of the day, with a gentle word of caution to keep a bit of distance as Covid is sadly not yet over, even if we were outdoors…
We walked, chatted, and connections were made…..for me this was particularly with a nice guy who had also worked in South Africa, and subscribed to the same African Birdlife journal as me with its glorious photography, and also in the Uni/ Nursing field too. Conversation spontaneously stalled, of course, especially when four red-breasted mergansers appeared, or even better a flock of several hundred golden plovers in sunlight!
The list of birds grew and grew, to a frustrating 49 birds – when finally a jackdaw was remembered by at least two of us to make a nice round 50 in total! I personally thought I had found the 50th, even a gold star bird, when a birder returning from the Turf Inn informed us ‘there are 3 cattle egrets just behind the hedge; you can’t miss them’. I did, grrr. Cries of ‘marsh harrier, or maybe it’s a kestrel’ similarly faded away, but…..
Overall it was an excellent day, and so thanks to both the Richards for gently guiding us and leaving us with reminders – our group Christmas meal shortly, and an invite to meet up yet again for birding, with several more walks to come – and not on Zoom either!
Mic Morgan
Birds – 50 species recorded: Pheasant; Brent Goose; Black Swan; Mute Swan; Shelduck; Wigeon; Mallard; Pintail; Teal; Red-breasted Merganser; Wood Pigeon; Moorhen; Great Crested Grebe; Oystercatcher; Avocet; Lapwing; Golden Plover; Curlew; Redshank; Greenshank; Black-headed Gull; Common Gull; Great Black-backed Gull; Herring Gull; Cormorant; Grey Heron; Little Egret; Kingfisher; Kestrel; Jay; Magpie; Jackdaw; Rook; Carrion Crow; Blue Tit; Wren; Nuthatch; Starling; Redwing; Blackbird; Mistle Thrush; Robin; House Sparrow; Grey Wagtail; Pied Wagtail; Meadow Pipit; Chaffinch; Greenfinch; Linnet; Goldfinch