What to see in April!

Early April is a great time to see the birds of the Exe estuary. Migration is well under way with wintering birds heading north and east, while summer and passage migrants are arriving. The avocets and godwits will depart this month with perhaps a few lingering a little longer. The Brent geese will begin their incredible 6000km journey heading for Arctic Siberia. A visit to Topsham's Bowling Green Marsh RSPB hide at around high tide will provide a spectacle that even those with only a fleeting interest in birds will remember for ever. There are up to 50 species of waders, wildfowl, gulls and others with around 40,000 individuals on the estuary, creating one of England's top bird-watching venues. Special birds to look out for this month are spoonbills, whimbrel and ruff, look among the large flocks of dunlin for stints and curlew sandpipers.

Grey seals are showing on most days on Bull Hill (the big sandbank between Exmouth and the Warren) and look really cute on the sand.

Go and see the Green winged orchids at Orcombe Point there are thousands of these wonderful flowers, towards the end of the month or perhaps early May, depending on the weather.

April brings great expectations of a wonderful summer just around the corner and I wonder will we actually get one this year? The flowering of Devon begins this month, when day by day ever more species come into flower. The Green-winged Orchids are perhaps the most notable and if conditions are suitable thousands of these beautiful purple flowers can be seen on the cliff top at Orcombe. When you find these plants get down and look at them closely. Most people miss the true beauty of such things, get close up and personal. Use a magnifying glass to look at them you will be amazed at their intricate detail. Many people do not know that you can use your binoculars as a magnifier. If you turn them the wrong way round and look down just one eyepiece your binoculars will act as a microscope. You have to hold the lens about two or three cm away from your subject.

Many other plants will begin to flower this month. Whitlow-grass and Scurvy-grass, both tiny white-flowered members of the mustard family are abundant. They can be found along the estuary wall and at the edge of the railway between Exmouth and Lympstone. Scurvy grass is a very good source of vitamin C and is, I think quite delicious, a very good addition to a salad, which you can't buy in the shops. Sea Beet is another good edible plant, which is very common on the estuary embankment and its tall spikes of creamy flowers can be found this month. On the Maer, in the Donkey Field and on the cliff-top at Orcombe there are so many plants which begin their flowering this month. The most special flower in Exmouth is Bithynian Vetch. This extremely rare and beautiful plant can be found on the cliff at Orcombe, particularly near the top of the zigzag path. To find it you will have to search and look closely as it is very small with wonderful blue and white flowers. I believe that as this plant is so special to Exmouth it should be adopted as the town's floral emblem, what do you think? The Bithynian Vetch is just one of many beautiful plants to be found at this time so go and enjoy.

Butterflies such as Brimstone, Orange tip, Peacock, Small Tortoise-shell, and Red Admiral can all be seen on good sunny days. There is one butterfly that I think is so very beautiful but no one ever seems to notice it. The Green Hair-streak is very small with a brown upper side to its wings but when perched with its wings folded it is a wonderful, shining, emerald green. Look for this little gem on Gorse bushes and on Blackthorn where it lays its eggs.

By late April all the winter birds have left now but spring migrants become very evident. Keep an eye out on the estuary for Ospreys. They are arriving from West Africa and moving on to northern Europe where they will breed. These very charismatic birds stop over on the Exe for a day or two to feed up on the abundant Grey Mullet, which are moving into the river at this time of year. Low tide is the best time to look for Ospreys when they can catch the fish in shallow water. Whimbrel, close relatives of the Curlew also begin to pass through from Africa on their way to Iceland this month but their numbers will increase into May. Smaller than Curlew, Whimbrel have a dark eye-stripe and a pale stripe over the crown. However it is usually the very haunting, wild sound of these charismatic birds that draws your attention.

Towards the end of the month, within the reed beds on the Exe and Otter estuaries we will begin to hear the songs of Reed Warblers and Sedge Warblers, which rattle and ping from deep within the reeds. Beginning in April this wonderful cacophony of sound continues and increases into May. Everywhere this month you can find summer migrants from Swallows and House Martins to Cuckoos and Hobbies. Try an early morning walk along the cliff top from Orcombe to Sandy Bay. At Sandy Bay the seabirds are well into nesting now and you will see our famous Kittiwake colony .Most of the bird migration is over by now but some birds will still be arriving. Early in the month you may still find Whimbrel passing through. If you are very lucky you may see an Osprey heading for Scotland, as it snatches a fish from the river. Redshanks and Lapwings will be nesting on Exminster Marshes. While on the cliff at Sandy Bay the Kittiwake colony will be in full swing. There are over a hundred pairs of these beautiful and evocative birds which nest here.

THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN APRIL

Remaining winter waders are colouring up and the Godwits look fantastic!

Look out for passage waders like Curlew, Pectoral and Common Sandpiper. While the lower Clyst Valley is food for Green and occasionally Wood Sandpiper.

On Exminster Marshes Lapwings and Redshank will be displaying and nesting.

Wild flowers are gradually appearing now and Branscombe and Dunscombe cliffs are well worth a visit.

Lady's Smock is in flower towards the end of the month attracting the Orange Tip butterfly.

Hundreds and even thousands of Green Winged Orchids at Orcombe Point.

Whimbrel are at their best in April on the Exe, Axe and Otter estuaries.

Rod Lawrence