Coly Update

Dippers 12/05/2020 (Copyright T D Wright)

Dipper 12/05/2020 (Copyright T D Wright)

Common Whitethroat (Copyright T D Wright)

      Being concerned about our Coly birds after the recent pollution incident I took a stroll along it yesterday. It was great to see things looking more normal for mid-May with fledgling Dippers being fed by adults and other riverine birds about. Some Mayflies were on the wing but I didn't see any Demoiselles or Damselflies. Lots of Sand Martins still although I'm not sure if they are breeding birds. I will try to keep an eye on things and hope that some of you will let me know if anything comes to light regarding the river's condition and its wild inhabitants' welfare.
      Colyton Hill was disappointing today but there were birds about yesterday on the upper Axe. A showy Common Whitethroat was nice but star bird was a Turtle Dove settled in a ploughed field. I've had a few of these near Colyton before but they are getting rarer these days so who knows if we will still have them in the future? Mike Blaver found this one so well done to him on turning up so many birds on his exercise walks during lockdown. Let's hope he doesn't now start driving more and therefore misses all the birds!

Turtle Dove 12/05/2020 (Copyright T D Wright)