The winter wading bird season has now come to a close, and as the bluebells bloom and song birds sing, we bid farewell and good luck to these beloved visitors. The mudflats of Tamerton Lake have been vital breeding and feeding grounds for many species. And now some will travel hundreds of miles to reach their summer destinations, areas such as Siberia, Iceland and Eastern Canada.
Join me as I reflect on the amazing birds (and people) I met at Ernesettle Creek, and hopefully when our feathered friends return, you will join me on one of our wonderful wader walks in the winter!
We had amazing sunsets, casting a warm golden glow across Tamerton Lake. It was in this magical moment we saw a group of eight Pied Avocet – a remarkable and elusive black and white bird with a long, up-curved beak which it swishes in the water, searching for insects.
The Little Egret, with its yellow feet and wide elegant wings was a common site also. We had the privilege of watching one spear a fish with expert precision.
The presence of these birds marks the site as a Special Protection Area (SPA) designation status and are there all year round.
There were red shank and green shank (their names derives from the colour of their legs) frequently foraging in the mud, a family of Swans that we watched grow up over the months, and Cormorants drying their wings in the crisp winter sun.
Mallards milled around the Millpond, Teals teetered along the banks of the river and Wigeons weaved in amongst the salt mash islands. Amongst the cry of Herring Gulls and the startled cry of Pheasants, people new and experienced to birding shared stories of Plymouth and Ernesettle.
For some, this was the first time they had ever been here. For others, they have been here all their life, and it was great to share stories of old sightings and hopes for the day! As always we took great care to make ourselves scarce to the feathered residents, so we would not scare them away from these vital feeding grounds. Any dogs that were with us were kept on leads and often made sure to remove any litter we came across.
Come cold rain, bitter wind or dazzling sun, the Creek always had something to offer and there was no chill that good company and a cup of tea couldn’t chase off. I can’t wait for the next wading season!
Though many of the wading birds have moved on, Ernesettle still has so much to offer, with a few resident birds sticking around. Perhaps you will join us on one of our foraging walks, history walk and talks (check out our events page) or simply nip down for a stroll to take in the views. And if I don’t see you there, I’ll see you when the redshank return.
One of our volunteers, Jenny videoed some of the birds we saw which can be found here.
See you on the shore,
Coastal Ranger Luke