Morning walk from Powderham to Turf Lock

Nine hardy souls set out, some with umbrellas expecting some pretty foul weather. In the event it was not too bad as the breeze was from the south and not too strong and it did not drizzle all the time.

Not much was found in the churchyard, so we went along the footpath beside the railway. A few bits and pieces in the bushes, not a lot. There were several smart stonechats on the posts beside the field and on the brambles. There were large numbers of jackdaws and rooks in the fields and overhead. We went over the monstrous bridge over the railway and then we were on the bank of the Exe. As we walked along there was the usual small group of shelducks paddling on the edge of the water and a flock of black-tailed godwits appeared. As the tide rose, we spotted wigeon and oystercatchers. Then we saw some mute swans with two black swans, which are often in the area. We could hear curlew, though it was a while before we could actually see one! There was a small flock of linnets in the field and on the path, with their bouncy flight. A pair of reed buntings turned up on the grass at the edge of the river. We thought that there was a distant flock of fieldfare on the top of some trees, but too far to identify. 

Once we got to Turf Lock, it got a lot more interesting. There were lots of geese on the sandbanks, mostly Canada and Brent. Careful searching revealed a snow goose and then the bar-headed goose. Both seem to appear every winter now with a flock of Canada geese. There were also two Egyptian geese, so we got our share of exotics! There was a group of three avocets and a grey plover. As we were leaving the area Paul saw a flock of golden plovers flying near the Goat Walk. We then explored the fields opposite Turf as Paul had promised us winter thrushes. There they were in the treetops. They were mostly fieldfares with the odd redwing. Then suddenly a yelp from Paul and the resident kingfisher flew across. I missed it and we had been looking for it for a while. In fact, it was an unusual walk in that there were several birds that appeared once for a short time and the went off, so I do not think everyone saw everything. It all makes it very challenging. On the way back it was really more of the same, but Paul found a small group of pintails and that was about it.

My thanks to Cat for ably leading us, Paul for bringing up the rear and for Richard and Paul for bringing and sharing their ‘scopes as the rest of us felt we could not cope with cold wet hands, rain covered glasses, and optics, umbrellas, all at the same time!

Ann Crawford

53 Birds identified: Pheasant, Brent Goose, Canada Goose, Bar-headed Goose, Snow Goose, Black Swan, Mute Swan, Egyptian Goose, Shelduck, Wigeon, Mallard, Pintail, Wood Pigeon, Moorhen, Water Rail (H), Oystercatcher, Avocet, Lapwing, Golden Plover, Grey Plover, Curlew, Black-tailed Godwit, Dunlin, Redshank, Black-headed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Cormorant, Grey Heron, Little Egret, Buzzard, Kingfisher, Jay, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Wren, Starling, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Redwing, Robin, Stonechat, House Sparrow, Dunnock, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch, Linnet, Goldfinch, Reed Bunting; H – heard only. Plus a Grey Seal.