Working backwards in time -
I suppose a winter's day wandering about the high[ish] Moor is never really likely to provide much in the way of birding spectacle. There is always the nagging thought that today might be one of those really special ones though... When you get treated to a Merlin, Hen Harrier, or Short-eared Owl. There is the possibility that every wet bit you traverse might conceal a Snipe, maybe even a Jack. Reality, of course, has other ideas, and 9 times out of 10 [or fewer] you get half a dozen species if you're lucky and being checked over by a Raven is the best bit. And that's just it making sure you're not about to die. You know, just in case...
Today the sun came out, the wind was pretty gentle [though sharp of tooth], and a Buzzard flew low east over the ridge north of Roos Tor, about 200m in front of us. A couple of warships were exercising in the haze off Plymouth Sound, and no less than 5 parascenders got airborne off the northwest slope of Cox Tor. We were duly impressed.
Saturday was a more overcast day, with a two-hat wind and the odd flurry of snow drizzle in the air. I spent 7 merry hours mooching about the back ways of Fernworthy - the idea was to have a look at the forested valleys south of the reservoir and hopefully also see a few Crossbills, Siskin, Bullfinches, and Redpoll. I'm sure I'm not the only one who, when going there, pretty much stays by the water - there's a good circuit to walk, lots of interesting habitat, a hide to sit in, and you're likely to see everything you're after. Wandering about the plantation means lots and lots and lots of tall dark trees, tracks that make your feet ache, interspersed with navigating the seas of mud and 3' deep furrows the tree-cutting machine makes. All that for extra Coal Tits and Goldcrests.
This is not entirely accurate, naturally. The areas of clearfell have on occasion attracted a certain Great Grey Shrike, there are sites of archaeological interest [ok, if you're not into circles of rocks, maybe 'sites of archaeological disinterest' might be more accurate..], Goldcrests are adorable... I'm straining for a fourth point.... Anyway, I've been around the northern bit before, but not the southern, and this has quietly bugged me for a while. The ground was pretty well frozen, which was a good thing, as wow there are some serious muddy bits up there! Wow also for the Crossbills, who put on a virtuoso performance :D I've seen a few in my time, heard quite a few more, seen the odd big group from a distance, but never had the privilege to see and hear a good sized flock up close. It started with 5 right by the perimeter road, including 2 gloriously resplendent males, and built up to a group of 25; flying right overhead - calling like a mass of sleigh bells - and descending on a couple of larches and feeding for a good 5 minutes, close and casual as you like..... I'm still grinning thinking about them now.
Redpoll were less obliging - a few flypasts and a single flyover calling were all they offered. Bullfinches - even less so, a group exited from the stream near the hide as I was arriving and all I got was their calls. The Siskin behaved better, one male even put on some subsong for me [ok, not for me, but I appreciated it more than his audience, as all he got was another male chasing him!] and a good dozen showed well feeding [also in larch]. On the hairier front, I was lucky enough to see a couple of Foxes - the twisty track meant I got to within 50' or so of them messing about in the ditch with something dark and tough [I have no idea what, exactly, and don't really want to speculate..]. I also met a group of Sika Deer right on the Moor edge - I was cutting from one moorgate to another, they saw me first and the nearest hind barked loudly enough to make me jump! I looked up [typical - watching my footing at the crucial moment!] and saw three of them, mouths full of grass, staring at me indignantly! A couple more barks failed to make me run away, and so the deer vanished into the trees. I think I'm saying wow too much.
It was a good day.
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