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Autumn update from the Wildlife Wardens

Gliding into autumn, our team shifts focus from breeding birds to our welcome our migratory arrivals, no doubt exhausted from their flight of thousands of miles!

As of 15^th September, the Exmouth Wildlife Refuge is active once again! We'd like to publicly thank everyone doing their bit to continue to care for this incredible home to nature by avoiding the refuges. We can't do this without you!

Read on for an update from Warden Imo.   

The Climate Crisis: Unravelling the Relationship Between Brent Geese, Lemmings and Arctic Fox

There’s a variety of ways the climate crisis is impacting wildlife around the Exe Estuary.  The Dark-bellied Brent Goose, which migrates to the estuary through autumn and winter, is being impacted by the climate crisis in ways which you might not expect.

Take a few minutes to delve into this intriguing account by Warden Imo.

UK red, amber, green list - what does it mean?

You may have come across birds being classified as Red, Amber or Green list on websites, articles or indeed in this newsletter!

But have you ever wondered what these classifications mean and how they are determined? And why are some "sea" gulls on the list?

Warden Katie explains all you need to know!

Dog poo: how does it affect the environment?

Yuck! There are many reasons why dog fouling can pose a problem.

Ecologically speaking, our pet dogs are a non-native, introduced species, eating high nutrient, energy-rich food from outside the natural environment and then pooping it out in nature.

Discover how something as simple as not picking up can harm wildlife, livestock, and even us humans—and learn easy ways we can all make a difference!

What to spot this season

Oystercatcher

A vocal, orange-billed wader. Although the Exe supports a  juvenile population over summer, autumn is when most Oystercatcher will arrive to the Exe, migrating from their arctic breeding grounds to spend the milder winter with us.

Red Admiral

You may be surprised to know that some butterflies such as this one continue flying into October and November making the most of late-flowering buddleia, ivy and rotting fruit. Red Admiral are a large butterfly with a strong flight, look out for their red markings against a dark wing with white spots.

Wigeon

These are one of the first ducks on the Exe to return from their summer breeding grounds. Male wigeons (drakes) make a loud and musical "whee-ooo" sound, while showing off a chestnut brown head with golden tuft and pale blue bill.

Mudbank and Bowling Green Marsh are Wigeons favourite spots to be on the Exe, and when they are present, there will be hundreds! 

Penny Bun

Autumn is a great time of year to be spotting all kinds of fungi such as this Penny Bun/ Porcini. In the UK we have over 15,000 species, varying widely in size and form.

Mushrooms are the fruiting body of a much larger and underappreciated mycelial network. They thrive in damp environments, reproducing using spores.

An update on Yonder Oak Wood

Yonder Oak Wood is a a 54-hectare (134-acre) woodland creation site near Lympstone in Devon. It is currently being transformed by the Woodland Trust and the local community into a thriving haven for nature!

Here we have the latest update on the project.