Aylesbeare Common, 16th July 2026
It was already fairly warm as our group of 12 members set out from the car park at Aylesbeare Common, looking forward to possible sightings of heathlands birds, including the Dartford Warbler and possibly Yellowhammers. A few Goldfinches were spotted in the car park.
After crossing the busy main road, we soon reached more tranquil heathland where we enjoyed our first sightings of Linnets and Stonechats. A few obligingly stayed on their perches or hovered about long enough to give us a chance to identify the differences in the males and females of each species. As the walk progressed, we realised that a Stonechat perched on a twig or some gorse sometimes seemed to be a sign for nearby Dartford Warblers. However, you needed to be quick and in the right place to catch sight of them. That said, by the end of the walk, everyone had had the chance to get good views of at least one Dartford Warbler. A result!
A Great Spotted Woodpecker in flight, a Buzzard, a Kestrel and the odd Swallow or House Martin graced the skies as we walked. Then looking down, we enjoyed the challenge of identifying the various butterflies that accompanied us. They included the bright yellow Brimstone, Gatekeeper and Grayling, to name but a few.
When we reached the ponds at the lower part of the common, we were entertained by a wide variety of dragonflies. We pooled our knowledge to make a guess at the different species which we believed to include an Emperor Dragonfly, Azure Damselfly, Large Red Damselfly, Keeled Skimmer and Black Tailed Skimmer.
Towards the end of the walk, our delight at spotting a Yellowhammer turned into disappointment as we realised that it was too yellow and too still to be anything but a stem of gorse sticking up above the heather!
Many thanks to Steve for leading this very enjoyable excursion, during which we saw or heard 23 species.
Karen Adriaanse.
23 species identified (H – heard only)
Woodpigeon, Herring Gull, Buzzard, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Kestrel, Raven (H), Coal Tit, Great Tit, Swallow, House Martin, Chiffchaff, Dartford Warbler, Wren (H), Nuthatch (H), Blackbird, Robin, Stonechat, Bullfinch, Linnet, Goldfinch, Siskin, Yellowhammer (H), Whitethroat (H).
