Fingle Bridge

I had another great day out with the DBWPS today, starting at Fingle Bridge on Dartmoor at 1000. I didn't think I'd been there before until we arrived & I recognised it  as somewhere we've been walking with the dogs before.

There were about 18 of us & we'd struck lucky with the weather. It was gorgeous. We started off lurking around the bridge which paid off with 2 Grey Wagtails & a Dipper. The Dipper's nest under the bridge was quite impressive.

Watching the Dipper & Wagtails

The Dipper 's nest

We then headed West up the North bank of the River Teign. It really was lovely! The path gradually rose above the water, but we were still close enough for a great view of the female Gooseander below. We also had Marsh Tits, Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Goldcrests, Nuthatches & some very vocal Song Thrushes. The path got quite steep & rocky in places, so we actually had to watch where we were walking rather than looking in the trees.

Negotiating one of the rocky descents

We came out onto a track which was inhabited by a couple of Tree Creepers & walked North to join the upper footpath that heads back towards Fingle Bridge under Castle Drogo. The views from the path are fantastic, looking down the Teign Valley & across to the moor. We stopped for lunch & I got intimately acquainted with a couple of large ants! A Raven & a couple of Siskins flew over.

You couldn't have a better lunchtime view

This section of the path forms part of the Two Moors Way which I walked with Simon, Jack & Vera back in 2000. The view hasn't changed much, apart from the leaves, but we have!

Simon, Jack & Vera back in 2000

No idea who this is......

Unfortunately there weren't many birds about, just a few tits, Chiffchaffs & 1 linnet singing, but it was such a fab walk that it didn't really matter.

By the time we got back to the cars I had 27 species on my list, although it would have been 28 if I hadn't missed the Mistle Thrush. Not a great list & nothing new, but it had been a very enjoyable day as usual.