Andrew
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Birding In Devon: Budleigh Salterton
OS Grid Reference : SY075825 (Click here for map)
Directions : There are a few ways of getting to Budleigh Salterton but the most direct route from the M5 would be to come off at Junction 30 and go east briefly along the A376 then join the A3052 to Sidmouth and Seaton. When you approach Newton Poppleford turn off south along the B3178 to Budleigh Salteron. Continue through Colaton Raleigh and East Budleigh until you reach the seafront. Now I can drive to the car park easily but can not describe it well enough. Basically you want the easternmost car park (Lime Kiln car park) at the end of the sea front adjacent to the reserve at SY074820.
Description : This is a reserve maintained by the Devon Wildlife Trust and supported by the Devon Bird Watching Preservation Society. The main feature is the mouth of the River Otter which is cut off from the sea by a shingle bank allowing the tide to creep through. The mouth provides estuary and small elevated clumps of salt marsh habitats that attracts gulls, waders and wildfowl. The river quickly narrows into a standard freshwater watercourse above White Bridge. On the west side of the estuary is a series of grazed fields and a large reedbed. At the southern end below the car park is a well maintained cricket field. You may walk long the river to Colaton Raleigh if you feel energetic enough. From the car park you can walk a path, to White Bridge, between the western features and the estuary itself. Along this path are two excellent viewing platforms provided by the DBWPS. These allow good views of the estuary. To the east of the estuary is an undulating path along the edge of some fields to the red sandstone cliffs. Half way along this walk is a DBWPS hide with just about enough room for four birders. The hide is situated high over the estuary and you can easily see every bird. At the end of this path you reach the cliffs with grassy meadows and brambles along the edge of the cliff. The cliff forms part of the South West Coast Path and you can walk as far as you like with good birds on offer according to the times of the year.
Species : Winter brings out the best in numbers on the estuary but there is always lots to see all year round. Present through the year are Moorhens, Coots, a few Water Rails, Kingfishers, Dipper, Reed Buntings, Pied Wagtails, Grey Wagtails, Grey Herons, Little Egrets, Common Shelduck, Mallard, Tufted Ducks, Dunlin, Redshanks, Stonechats, Meadow Pipits, Rock Pipits, Linnets, various Gulls, Buzzards and Kestrels plus many other common passerines. The cricket field is often good for Redwings and Fieldfares plus other thrushes. Winter sees high counts of Teal and Wigeon with a few Shoveler, Oystercatchers and a few other irregulars. There has been mention of Crossbills in the pines on the east side with various Tits and Goldcrests. Sea watching off the front should produce some sea duck, most notably Common Scoter with grebes and divers featuring too. A few grebes occasionally venture into the estuary at high tide. Summer has it's fair share too with breeding seabirds such as Fulmar on the cliffs and surprisingly Rock Pipits in the meadows on top of the cliffs. Sandwich and a few other terns frequent the area too. Warblers bring the trees alive in summer too. Budleigh Salterton is good for migrants at the right times of the year, it seems this place is not covered as well as say Bowling Green Marsh or Dawlish Warren. Research into past records or reports will be surprising. Migrants include various Sandpipers, Wheatears, ducks such as Gadwall, Yellow Wagtails, various birds of prey and passerines.
Advice : High tide does not really matter here as there are lots of birds to be seen both ways. It is a very compact reserve and the birds do not venture far. The ducks will remain on the water at high tide and on the salt marsh at low tide. The waders can usually be found in the adjacent fields at high tide or on the raised salt marsh patches. Allow plenty of time to walk around the estuary as well as up river. If there a re a few of you then a hide clamp would be best for the hide.
Disabled Access : Unfortunately most of the reserve is not suitable for wheelchairs but all is not lost as wheelchair user can easily negotiate the path from Lime Kiln car park to White Bridge and see the majority of the reserve and adjacent fields. This path also allows wheelchair access to the two viewing platforms.
Other places nearby : Exmouth (winter river cruises), Bowling Green Marsh and Aylesbeare Common.
County Recorder : Mike Tyler, The Acorn, Shute Road, Kilmington, Axminster, Devon, EX13 7ST. Email : [email protected]
Devon Bird Watching & Preservation Society Memberships : POB 71, Okehampton, Devon, EX20 1WF. Email : [email protected]
OS Grid Reference : SY075825 (Click here for map)
Directions : There are a few ways of getting to Budleigh Salterton but the most direct route from the M5 would be to come off at Junction 30 and go east briefly along the A376 then join the A3052 to Sidmouth and Seaton. When you approach Newton Poppleford turn off south along the B3178 to Budleigh Salteron. Continue through Colaton Raleigh and East Budleigh until you reach the seafront. Now I can drive to the car park easily but can not describe it well enough. Basically you want the easternmost car park (Lime Kiln car park) at the end of the sea front adjacent to the reserve at SY074820.
Description : This is a reserve maintained by the Devon Wildlife Trust and supported by the Devon Bird Watching Preservation Society. The main feature is the mouth of the River Otter which is cut off from the sea by a shingle bank allowing the tide to creep through. The mouth provides estuary and small elevated clumps of salt marsh habitats that attracts gulls, waders and wildfowl. The river quickly narrows into a standard freshwater watercourse above White Bridge. On the west side of the estuary is a series of grazed fields and a large reedbed. At the southern end below the car park is a well maintained cricket field. You may walk long the river to Colaton Raleigh if you feel energetic enough. From the car park you can walk a path, to White Bridge, between the western features and the estuary itself. Along this path are two excellent viewing platforms provided by the DBWPS. These allow good views of the estuary. To the east of the estuary is an undulating path along the edge of some fields to the red sandstone cliffs. Half way along this walk is a DBWPS hide with just about enough room for four birders. The hide is situated high over the estuary and you can easily see every bird. At the end of this path you reach the cliffs with grassy meadows and brambles along the edge of the cliff. The cliff forms part of the South West Coast Path and you can walk as far as you like with good birds on offer according to the times of the year.
Species : Winter brings out the best in numbers on the estuary but there is always lots to see all year round. Present through the year are Moorhens, Coots, a few Water Rails, Kingfishers, Dipper, Reed Buntings, Pied Wagtails, Grey Wagtails, Grey Herons, Little Egrets, Common Shelduck, Mallard, Tufted Ducks, Dunlin, Redshanks, Stonechats, Meadow Pipits, Rock Pipits, Linnets, various Gulls, Buzzards and Kestrels plus many other common passerines. The cricket field is often good for Redwings and Fieldfares plus other thrushes. Winter sees high counts of Teal and Wigeon with a few Shoveler, Oystercatchers and a few other irregulars. There has been mention of Crossbills in the pines on the east side with various Tits and Goldcrests. Sea watching off the front should produce some sea duck, most notably Common Scoter with grebes and divers featuring too. A few grebes occasionally venture into the estuary at high tide. Summer has it's fair share too with breeding seabirds such as Fulmar on the cliffs and surprisingly Rock Pipits in the meadows on top of the cliffs. Sandwich and a few other terns frequent the area too. Warblers bring the trees alive in summer too. Budleigh Salterton is good for migrants at the right times of the year, it seems this place is not covered as well as say Bowling Green Marsh or Dawlish Warren. Research into past records or reports will be surprising. Migrants include various Sandpipers, Wheatears, ducks such as Gadwall, Yellow Wagtails, various birds of prey and passerines.
Advice : High tide does not really matter here as there are lots of birds to be seen both ways. It is a very compact reserve and the birds do not venture far. The ducks will remain on the water at high tide and on the salt marsh at low tide. The waders can usually be found in the adjacent fields at high tide or on the raised salt marsh patches. Allow plenty of time to walk around the estuary as well as up river. If there a re a few of you then a hide clamp would be best for the hide.
Disabled Access : Unfortunately most of the reserve is not suitable for wheelchairs but all is not lost as wheelchair user can easily negotiate the path from Lime Kiln car park to White Bridge and see the majority of the reserve and adjacent fields. This path also allows wheelchair access to the two viewing platforms.
Other places nearby : Exmouth (winter river cruises), Bowling Green Marsh and Aylesbeare Common.
County Recorder : Mike Tyler, The Acorn, Shute Road, Kilmington, Axminster, Devon, EX13 7ST. Email : [email protected]
Devon Bird Watching & Preservation Society Memberships : POB 71, Okehampton, Devon, EX20 1WF. Email : [email protected]
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