Dawlish Warren

Sketch map of Dawlish Warren Nature Reserve

Dawlish Warren Nature Reserve is a spit of land almost closing the Exe Estuary at its mouth. The combination of location and variety of habitat in a small area make it a birdwatching hot spot. The open sea to the South and the more sheltered estuary with its creeks  and sandbanks to the north provide for a variety of seabirds, waders and wildfowl. At time of writing the official 2019 year list for this site is 175 species.

Most of the reserve is sand dunes, grassed over and covered with light scrub in places. There is a small patch of woodland near the visitor centre and around the Greenland Pool which is next to it. In some points storms have pretty much destroyed most of the dunes and taken old paths with them so you'll need to walk along the beach to get out to the furthest point.

The old sand dune path to the hide. This path was washed away in storms.

I usually walk down past the amusements to do a bit of seawatching from the wall and Langstone Rock. The sea bed is gently sloping here and you'll usually find a couple of shag hunting for dabs and you might strike lucky with a great-crested grebe or red-throated diver. Further out you'll almost certainly see kittiwakes and gannets and perhaps a flyby skua or two. There are some mussel beds at the end of Langstone Rock and these attract eiders and scoters. It's worth checking out any stray individuals, I've seen surf scoter and velvet scoter here.

Langstone Rock

Red-throated diver

Between the amusements and the visitor centre there's a roughly-grassed area crisscrossed with decked paths and a very small wooded patch with rough paths working their way through it. This area's quite good for passage migrants, highlights for me over the years have been black redstart, yellow-browed warbler and Siberian chiffchaff.

Black redstart

Passing through the gates just past to the visitor centre, on your left there's the Greenland Pool surrounded by reeds and a bit of woodland, dead ahead it's sandy heath, and to your right there's some dunes and the beach. There are rough paths (and a couple of less rough ones) starting at this gate splitting off and becoming roughly parallel to each other then converging on another gate a few hundred yards along, where the golf course meets the sand dunes.

Greenland Pool

I generally go clockwise round the pool and follow the paths nearest the golf course. The hawthorn bushes on the boundary are popular with finches, sometimes with large flocks of linnets and goldfinches. Cirl buntings can be found in the nearby farmland so it's worth looking out to see if any are about here.

Linnets

Once you get into the open area you start to see more meadow pipits and there's usually a pair of stonechats about and every bramble thicket has its dunnocks, robins and wrens. There are plenty of rock pipits on the beach and dunes to add to the small brown bird collection.

Stonechat

Rock pipit

The gate at the end brings you onto the dunes. Until recently there was a path here running along the boundary with the golf course then turning and dropping down into the bight and on to the hide. This has been destroyed by storms so you now have to drop down to the beach and walk down to Groyne 18 near the end of the point.

Sanderlings

The beach is good for a bit more seawatching — the river cuts a channel out  to sea and the deeper water brings kittiwakes and sea ducks closer to shore, and sometimes you might find a great northern diver. A Bonaparte's gull was a Winter fixture here for a few years.

Ringed plovers, sanderlings and dunlin can be found on the beach around high tide. Further along these may be joined by grey plovers. Gulls — mostly herring and black-headed — loaf about at the end of the point.

At Groyne 18 the grassy dunes drop down to the beach. There are a few rough paths leading into what is almost a small island of sandy heath. I was once lucky enough to find a Dartford warbler in one of the hawthorn bushes a few years back so I always look twice at any dunnocks lurking about.

One of the paths leads nearly straight to the golf course and down towards the hide. It's a two-story hide facing up the estuary, on a clear day you can see up to Countess Wear. The water's calmer on this side of the Warren and the bird life is different. Wintering brent geese feed and roost here. Wigeon and teal can be seen in the salt marshes on your left. The mound directly in front of the hide is a roosting point for waders at high tide. Sometimes the number of oystercatchers and knots here is huge. Looking out into the deeper channels in the estuary you might see red-necked mergansers and in Winter if you look over to the left towards the railway line you've a good chance of seeing "the usual" Slavonian grebe (I've no idea if it's always the same one every year).

Oystercatchers and cormorants from the hide

Brent geese from the hide

The hide's best at high tide, though you have to time your journey carefully now the only path is via the beach. At low tide it's less productive and most of what's around is pretty distant, but every so often something special will tag along with the linnets, pipits and wagtails feeding on the mud. My best bird from this hide was a Richard's pipit, donkeys years ago, being chased around by pied wagtails here at low tide. More usually it's wheatears.

The way back is the way you came, though there are enough paths around for you not to have to exactly retrace your steps all the way.

Seawatching weather at Dawlish Warren

The excellent Dawlish Warren blog provides latest sightings and past records, as well as useful links to other Devon wildlife blogs.

Leasowe

Kestrel, Moreton

A late afternoon stroll round Leasowe Common, timed to avoid the rain. Walking down Pasture Road from Moreton Station I was pleased to find a male kestrel fly up and perch on top of a lamppost. It watched me take a few photos and then walk past with every evidence of not being much fussed about it.

The hedgerows by Kerr's Field were busy with house sparrows and goldfinches and a mixed tit flock which included goldcrests, a chiffchaff and a dozen long-tailed tits. The horse paddocks were quiet, just a few magpies and carrion crows and half a dozen mallards in a big puddle.

Leasowe Common

Leasowe Common was quiet. Plenty of crows, magpies and gulls but just a couple each of robins and wrens to be found amongst the trees. Interesting to see that somebody's built a hide screen overlooking the open bit of the pool amongst the reeds.

Leasowe Common: the view from the screen

It was low tide on the beach so most of the birds were pretty far out. They included herring, black-headed, lesser black-backed and common gulls, with just the one great black-back lumbering out to sea. A couple of large groups of oystercatchers were dotted with redshanks, a couple of little egrets and four curlews. Something interesting must have been out at the tide line as a dozen carrion crows were gathered round it.

Curlew, Leasowe beach

Walking back it was nice to see a couple of buzzards in Kerr's Field. Strangely, it was an overflying heron that spooked the mallards.

Heron

Railway journeys: the Exe Estuary from Exeter to Dawlish

Sketch map: Exe Estuary

This is probably my favourite stretch of railway in this country, and certainly the best for birdwatching from the train.

The view from Exton Station

The service runs from Exmouth to Paignton, working its way along the coast from Exmouth to Lympstone then along the seawall to the River Clyst just past Exton, along the back of Bowling Green Marsh then, turning inland through Topsham then via the Exeter stations, south alongside the Exminster marshes then along the seawall past Starcross, through Dawlish Warren and Dawlish then bobbing back inland through Teignmouth and onward to Torbay. The insane thing is that thanks to Dr. Beeching that stretch of sea wall is the only rail connection to England West of Dartmoor.

Railway and seawall going from Langstone Rock to Dawlish

After the train leaves Exeter St. Thomas the line runs roughly parallel to the Exeter Canal and the River Exe and out into open marshy countryside. Back in the old days the pools and creeks along this stretch were the first hints that you might strike lucky and see your first little egret of the year. They still have their fair share of little egrets, and herons and Canada geese. Pretty soon the marsh land thins and the river widens and the railway line becomes the Western edge of the estuary.

Exe Estuary at Starcross

This journey's particularly rewarding in Autumn, Winter and early Spring when huge flocks of waders and wildfowl settle in the estuary. You'll need to sit by a window on the left-hand side to get the best of it.

At low tide the mud is peppered by distant dark shapes that usually turn out to be redshanks, oystercatchers and curlews and you may also see a few flocks of brent geese. At high tide the waders huddle by the railway line, the geese tend to stay out in the main channels of the river. Past Starcross you start to see more black-tailed godwits, dunlins and wigeon. If you're lucky you may get a close view of the regular wintering Slavonian grebe. As the train approaches Dawlish Warren the line runs by the side of the bight, then through a bit of salt marsh, alongside the golf club and into the station.

Oystercatchers, Dawlish Warren bight
Note the white-headed individual at the back

Brent geese, Dawlish Warren bight

Dawlish Warren is worth a few hours' (or even a few days') wandering round. It's a spit jutting about a mile into the mouth of the estuary. A large part of the northern side is a golf course, the rest of the Warren is a mixture of open heath and dunes with some small patches of light woodland at the landward end. The bight on the northern side is great for wintering geese, waders and ducks. The beach on the southern side is great for waders and seawatching. And every shrub or patch of brambles could hold an interesting passage migrant. My list for Dawlish Warren is 114 species with highlights including Bonaparte's gull, Richard's pipit, Dartford warbler and Siberian chiffchaff.

Sanderlings, Dawlish Warren beach

Pulling out of the station the train turns away from the estuary, joins the seawall and goes past Langstone Rock on to Dawlish.

Langstone Rock

Langstone Rock

It's definitely worth keeping a close watch on the sea here at high tide: the gently sloping sand attracts flatfish which then attract shags, great-crested grebes and, if you're lucky a diver may come close. The mussel beds at the end of the rock attract eiders and scoters, with the occasional nice surprise. If the weather's not awful it's a nice walk from Dawlish Warren station along the seawall to Dawlish Warren and worth it for the seawatching. If the weather is awful, it's worth trying to find a bit of shelter (there's not a lot of it, all at the Dawlish Warren end) and dig in to see what gets blown by.

Red-throated diver, Dawlish Warren

Velvet scoter, Dawlish

From Dawlish the line goes on to Teignmouth and on to Torbay, terminating at Paignton.

The Wirral

Red Rocks half an hour before high tide

Gave up on the cricket early enough to only catch the first two wickets. Set off to do the first seawatching of the year over on the Wirral. I was early for high tide so I stopped off at Moreton for a stroll round Leasowe Common. Lots of swallows about the paddocks in Kerr's Field but no sign of any of the stonechats that were there a while back. A very obliging buzzard posed for photographs.

Buzzard, Kerr's Field

Buzzard, Kerr's Field

A lot of dunlin, turnstones and ringed plovers on the beach with the gulls and little egrets.

Dunlins, Moreton Beach

Dunlins and little egret, Moreton Beach

Then over to Hoylake for a walk up to Red Rocks. A fairly low high tide today so everything was a bit distant but still managed to add kittiwake, gannet, Manx shearwater, bonxie and my first ever pomarine skua (a juvenile, I think) to the year list.

There were a lot of distant dark shapes flying past the wind turbines; statistically they were almost certainly juvenile lesser black backs — there were plenty of these kicking about. The bonxie was only half a mile out and high enough to be out of the heat haze. The pom was twenty minutes later and required a long process of elimination: roughly the same size as the juvenile lesser black-backs but a lot heftier and with a lot of chest about it but smaller and with more back end than the bonxie.

I only managed to see the shearwaters because they passed in front of a buoy. There were a lot of indistinct smudges moving through the heat haze which may have been more or could just have been shadows of waves.

Hodbarrow

Old iron workings, Hodbarrow

I had a free return to anywhere by Northern Rail ticket (in recompense for being left stranded more than an hour at Edale the other day) so decided I'd have a push out to Millom for a nosy round the RSPB reserve at Hodbarrow. Nice, but not overly hot, weather for a stroll.

Oystercatchers, Hodbarrow

Sandwich tern, Hodbarrow

Amongst the hundreds of nesting black-headed gulls and sandwich terns were a couple of dozen common terns and, eventually, I spotted fourteen little terns hiding in plain sight in the gravel rubble. 

A dozen nesting little terns hiding in plain sight, Hodbarrow

Also good to see a lot of eider ducklings and a single, rather unseasonal pink-footed goose.

Eiders

Pink-footed goose, Hodbarrow

A pair of bar-headed geese brought an exotic touch to the whole thing.

Bar-headed geese, Hodbarrow

The spit of land poking out from the water sports area hosted good numbers of nesting lesser black-backed gulls and a couple of pairs of nesting great black-backs.

The Wirral: West Kirby and Hoylake

Sketch map of West Kirby, Red Rocks and Hoylake

The North Wirral Coast is very productive for birdwatching, has some excellent walking and is easily accessible by bus and train (the trains run every quarter of an hour). There are a few waders on the estuary all year round, the numbers increase enormously on passage and in Winter. At this time of year it's always useful to take a turn around the marine lake at West Kirby for sea ducks or even divers. The Red Rocks area is a good place to check out passage migration and do a bit of seawatching. Hoylake offers a big sandy beach popular with gulls, ringed plovers and white wagtails.

Hoylake beach looking towards the Dee Estuary

You can walk to Hilbre Bird Observatory from Red Rocks or West Kirby. Being an overly-cautious sort with one eye on the train timetables home I've never got any further than Middle Eye, the island before Hilbre so I don't cover it here.

West Kirby on the Dee Estuary is at the end of one of the Merseyrail lines. Cross the road from the station and go straight down Dee Lane and you'll get to the marine lake. There are generally a few gulls and a wader or two loafing round on the slipway if it's not in use by the sailing centre. The South Parade makes up one side of the lake and a retaining walkway takes you around the outside. Towards the southern end check out the rocks by the small concrete platform, this is a favoured roosting spot for redshanks and turnstones. Any sea ducks will tend to be at this end of the lake.

Scaup, West Kirby Marine Lake

Redshanks, West Kirby Marine Lake

Walking round the perimeter of the lake gives you a chance to check out both the lake and the Dee Estuary. Most of the waders near the lake will be dunlins and redshanks, black-tailed godwits and curlew will be further out. And there's always the chance of something else being out there if your luck's in. Brent geese winter off Hilbre, sometimes a few will come in to graze on the edge of the lake.

Light-bellied brent geese, West Kirby Marine Lake

Walking north from West Kirby to Red Rocks the paths run through a thin strip of sandy marsh. A high path runs alongside the golf course, if you're doing this walk in Summer look out for lizards basking on the boardwalk. There are a couple of lower-level paths running parallel to this that work better if you're not steady on your pins. Most of the passerines will be skylarks and meadow pipits, as you approach the reedbeds around the small pond you'll bump into a few reed buntings, in Summer you'll find reed and sedge warblers.

Walking from West Kirby to Red Rocks

In Spring and Autumn the trees and bushes along this stretch are always worth checking out for passage migrants.

Red Rocks

Red Rocks is a small outcrop of the local red sandstone. It's a good vantage point for a bit of seawatching on the turn of the tide.

From Red Rocks you can walk down to Hoylake's North Parade either along the beach or, if the tide's in, along Stanley Road then turning left and down King's Gap. This is the beginning of a long stretch of roads and paths that would eventually take you over to New Brighton. Look out for wagtails on the beach and by the golf course: pied wagtails are around all year round, in Spring they're joined by white wagtails on passage.

Ringed plovers, Hoylake.

Quickest way to Hoylake Station from the beach is to go down from King's Gap: the road takes you straight there.

Useful links:

• Hilbre Bird Observatory blog
• Dee Estuary Birding latest sightings

A few walks around Southport (1) Marine Drive to Marshside

Sketch map of Southport

Southport's easy enough to get to by train (so long as the services are behaving themselves!) and there's some good birdwatching within very easy reach of the railway station. There are also good bus services from Liverpool and Preston to the town centre. I don't claim to be a local expert — I try to get over there about once a month — these notes describe some of the routes I've explored and found useful.

This walk is the purple line on the map. If you have the time and energy the full 4½ mile walk through to Crossens can be very productive, though it can be a bit of a slog if the weather turns nasty. (If the weather does turn nasty you'll at least have the usual wind behind your back.) Otherwise you can just take a walk round the marine lake; turn off at Hesketh Road and get a bus back from Hesketh Park; or turn off at Marshside Road and get the bus back from the stop opposite the school.

Turn right as you come out of the station, walk to the end of the pedestrianised area and turn left onto London Road. Walk straight down the road to the Promenade at the end. Cross the Promenade and walk down over the bridge. This is a good stopping point to check out the Marine Lake. You could easily spend a long while walking round the lake: in Winter it's good for ducks and gulls, in Summer check out the little egrets nesting on the island — it's surely only a matter of time till cattle egrets join them.

Southport Marine Lake

Continuing on from the lake, past the retail park, cross Marine Drive at the Guelder Rose pub and have a look around from the sea wall. When the tide's out it can look like the salt marsh goes on forever. Looking out you'll usually see shelduck, redshanks, linnets and the occasional little egret. The shared footpath/cycle path takes you the couple of miles or so to Crossens. As you walk north away from the pier the marsh gets thicker. In Winter there's usually a few small groups of pink-footed geese and be careful to take a good look at the flocks of linnets that are kicking around as a good few of them will actually be twite. It's more of the same as you continue walking, with skylarks and meadow pipits, sometimes a stonechat or two, joining in as the ground gets slightly higher and drier. For all that Marine Drive is a busy road and the path is well-used there's a lot of bird life close to hand.

The junction with Hesketh Road is the beginning of the RSPB's Marshside reserve. Crossing the road here (carefully! it's a very busy — and fast — road) there's a seat giving you a good, though slightly distant, view of this corner of the reserve. About a hundred yards up the road there's a platform giving a closer view of the pool and right across this half of the reserve. In Winter there are large numbers of black-tailed godwits and wigeon, it tends to be quieter in Summer but it's always worth checking out (I saw my first glossy ibis from here).

Walking back and re-crossing Marine Drive carry on walking north. This seems to be the point where the salt marsh to your left changes character: the Winter flocks of geese and skylarks get bigger and your chances of seeing a bird of prey get better, usually a kestrel though I've seen peregrines and hobbies flying low over this area.

Pink-footed geese

Looking ahead you'll be able to see a rough mound on the horizon. This is the sand works opposite the main hide. As you approach the halfway mark between Hesketh Road and the sandworks keep an eye on the opposite side of the road for Nels Hide. It's slightly back from the road, mostly hidden by bushes; you're as likely to notice the path to it as the hide itself.

Nels Hide overlooks a shallow pool with a few islands. In Winter there are large numbers of ducks — pintail, wigeon, teal and tufted ducks — and waders, mostly black-tailed godwits and lapwings with a few ruffs and redshanks. There are usually little egrets to be found and surprisingly often you may see one or more of the cattle egrets that have taken a liking to the Sefton coast. In Summer the water retreats and — if it isn't a scorcher like 2018 — this part of the reserve attracts passage waders. Sedge and reed warblers nest near to the hide and swallows have been known to nest inside the hide.

Little egrets and cattle egret

The path from Nels Hide takes you to the junction of Marshside Road. There's a viewing point halfway along. In Winter golden plovers join the lapwings in the wet grass away at the back. In Summer some of the reserves breeding avocets nest within electric fences (to protect against foxes). And if you're lucky you may get something unexpected.

Glossy ibises

At the end of the path is another viewing point by Marshside Road, this time overlooking Junction Pool. More of the same, and very nice too.

Marshside Road cuts the reserve in two. In the next post I'll explain how to get to this point by bus and I'll describe the rest of the reserve. In the post after that I'll complete the journey to Crossens.