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Season's Greetings Everyone!

I’d like to kick off this newsletter by looking back over the season and sharing some of our highlights.

Grey Plover (Lee Collins)

Days on site have been decidedly chillier recently, so it feels like the perfect tonic to begin by returning to the balmy, late summer days of September. 

September is always an exciting month within the team; as the crowds of holiday tourists disperse, we wait eagerly to see new flocks flying in - our overwintering birds returning to the Exe. And this year did not disappoint! When the Exmouth Wildlife Refuge went live on September 15^th there were already Dark-bellied Brent geese bobbing about in it! 

Dabbling in Ducks

Shoveler (Anas clypeata) Photo credit: Richard Morris

Winter is a great time to engage in a spot of, well, duck spotting, when resident species are joined by winter migrants coming from as far afield as Siberia. 

What's the difference between a Shelduck and a Wigeon? Eider know, what is the difference between a Shelduck and a Wigeon. Hahaha! 

Seasonal Updates from our project partners on the Exe

Dawlish Warren National Nature Reserve site manager, Steve Edwards, reports on what the ranger team have been up to in 2024

Nigel the pony at Dawlish Warren

The year opened with the rangers doing lots of scrub control, which mainly involves brush cutting brambles, gorse and trees that are colonising the grassland habitat that the Warren is famous (and legally protected) for. This work must be done in the Autumn and Winter, before March which is the start of the bird nesting season.

Coastal Support Officer, Eleanor Ward, updates us on the work of the Exe Estuary Management Partnership 

Withycombe Raleigh Primary School visit the estuary Credit: Laura Huxtable

In 2024, the Exe Estuary Management Partnership continued its vital work in safeguarding one of Devon's most cherished natural environments. The Partnership focused on balancing environmental conservation with the needs of local communities and stakeholders.

Christmas, naturally - what to get up to over the Festive Season

The winter holidays are a great time to connect with your loved ones and the outdoors. Why not try some of these activities to get in the festive spirit? 

View from mudbank to Lympstone, Exmouth Wildlife Refuge. Photo credit: David Price

This season's special species

Brambling 

Credit: Richard Morris

One of the finch family, it has a white belly, rusty orange collar, and mottled grey-brown head (in the winter). Bramblings arrive to the UK each autumn to escape the harsher weather of Scandinavia and Russia. They like to feed on beech mast, nuts, seeds, and berries provided by our wonderful woodlands. 

Avocet

Credit: Richard Morris

An elegant, pied wader with an unusual, upturned bill and blue legs. The Exe is famous for homing 1/3 of the UK’s wintering population of Avocet – a bird which was once extinct in the UK and is now making a comeback!

Holly

A classic Christmassy shrub with spiked leaves and red berries.

Did you know, Holly adjusts its spiky armour in response to hungry animals and changing environments, producing more spikes when necessary? Please also remember that Holly provides an important habitat and food source for hedgehogs and birds alike, so if foraging this season, please avoid picking it on our nature reserves

Dunlin

Credit Nick D'Agorne

A small wading bird with a white belly and grey back. Although the most numerous wader on the Exe Estuary, Dunlin are a red list species of utmost conservation concern. This time of year, Dunlin can be seen murmurating in large flocks above the water on the estuary.

Eyes on the Prize

New Devon Loves Dogs competition rewards responsible dog ownership

Hello darkness my old friend, now you are here at 4 pm. With the duller days and longer nights of winter, it is increasingly easier to miss your dog’s poo. Is it a poo or is it a leaf?

This season we are increasing our efforts to tackle dog waste. We will be giving out more information on the impacts of dog poo and have put up new banners across the Pebblebed Heaths and Dawlish Warren to remind visitors to “bag it and bin it” – do keep an eye out for these and let us know what you think!

What’s more, our partner project, Devon Loves Dogs, have created a new dicky bag. You may be wondering what this is and how you might bag one all to yourself?

Christmas Crafty

Wondering what to do with the kids on a dreary day during the Christmas hols? Here’s a few ideas!

Or why not channel your inner Andy Goldsworthy, and create some natural art?  Leaves, sticks and pine cones are great for creating patterns. Please remember though, if you're on a nature reserve, don’t pick anything growing. Here’s some inspiration from a recent school visit, when St Peters Prep joined us on the Pebblebed Heaths. 

Reporting Wildlife Disturbance

It is busy time of year for wildlife on the Exe and our small team of wildlife wardens are out as much as they can, trying to prevent disturbance to our overwintering birds.

Disturbance can affect wildlife’s survival rate and it can be caused by any human activity including: planes, boats, walkers and dogs. If a bird changes it's natural behaviour because of your presence, i.e. stops feeding or even flies away, this is classed as disturbance. 

If you see disturbance happening, you can report it using the new Disturbance Reporting form - and help us understand where to focus our efforts and prevent it from happening again. 

Thank you for looking out for wildlife!

Defending Nature

Inspired by talks at the recent Countryside Management Association conference in Okehampton, Warden Katie takes a look at how the MOD manage land for nature.