Eight members of the East Devon branch gathered at Mutter’s Moor on a grey day with low cloud, which didn’t bode well for many bird sightings. None the less, we were rewarded with some close views of siskins adjacent to the main path and after pausing for a while to scan the open heathland area, a Dartford Warbler popped up and flew across the grass before disappearing back down again. A pair of Stonechats were hunting flying insects in the same area. The woodland areas furthest from the car park were very quiet but as we came back out, a pair of peregrines were calling as they circled briefly overhead. A few redwings were seen, a couple of flyover greenfinches, several goldcrests and a small flock of goldfinches towards the cliffs. A hunting Kestrel was seen over the heathland and then later near the cliffs. In all 24 species were seen, so given the conditions, quite a respectable total.
Martin Littlemore
