Galmpton Torbay

LOCAL WILDLIFE

Our village is inhabited by interesting wildlife in the valley and the Creek

Walks Map Children's Quiz Butterfly and Blackbird

10th May 2006 CROW CRASH LANDS IN LANGDON LANE!

Fortunately for this young crow a helpful villager was nearby and lifted the stricken bird back to safer land!

This time of year many crows fall in the road from their nest and some unfortunately get run over.

GARDEN VISITORS

Recently foxes have become a nuisance in the village finding their way into gardens and making holes everywhere! Delia and David Hales have been feeding and watching them for a long time but admit that although they love to watch them the foxes have gone too far this time and they have had to take drastic action to stop them entering their garden by using harmless chemicals to put them off. Let us know your wildlife story

Elderly resident Mrs Pascoe has been feeding a family of pheasants in her back garden for many years now but for the first time recently was surprised to find one dead just outside her back door! Apparently it got confused when it took off and broke its neck by flying into her back window where it obviously thought it could see the sky! When Mrs Pascoe's son visited her that day he was quick to hang it up in her garage although she soon got him to take it away!

INJURED MOTH

This large moth crash landed into my garden and had obviously been attacked. If you can name the species please let me know. Paul Savin. email

LOST FROG

This frog thought he would explore the neighbours garden but couldn't find his way back! After a quick photo call he was promptly persuaded to hop home!

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Wildlife report from local resident Helen Boyles: I often see many beautiful birds in my back garden including a sparrowhawk which came and perched in the apple tree for quite a while! Recently my husband and myself recently watched a kingfisher for some time down at Mill Creek. We have also enjoyed watching the egrets down at Galmpton creek along with Shell Duck, redshank, whimbrel and curlew a little further from the shore. One can often hear the bubbling trill of the curlew on the mud flats when the tide is far out. The deep, brassy calls of ravens are often heard from around the Monteray pines at the far end of MIll Creek. The heronry at Greenway is also full of nesting herons at present, their heads poking out from the crests of the pines. Rabbits are plentiful on the sloping field at the top of the lane above the creek, and there is often a buzzard perched in the hedgerow trees, keeping a beady eye on the grazing bunnies! On the Galmpton village trail, from the bench just below Greenway and commanding a view down the Dart, I have seen a lesser spotted woodpecker, as well as green woodpeckers in the bunny grazing field. So lots going on! Also now spring has arrived the swallows have returned to the village which is a welcoming site to remind us that summer is coming!

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OTHER FARMLAND ANIMALS

Bird life is particularly noticeable during the summer with martins, swifts and swallows nesting under the eaves of some of the older properties in the village! Other birds such as lesser and greater egrets, tawny and barn owls can be spotted by the eagle-eyed enthusiast!

(Right) This Blackbird was spotted feeding in Greenway Road

In the fields around the village you can see rabbits, vermin and foxes, however the first animal you might see as you walk through the village could be a pheasant or wood pigeon . The best time to see many of these animals is early morning and especially the rabbits which are very noticeable by their bobbing white tails as they scatter across the countryside. Can you spot this rabbit elsewhere on the website?

As Galmpton is near the sea and has the river on one side the most common bird to be seen in the skies above Galmpton is the common gull. Although a beautifully marked bird it has become a fierce scavenger of late especially if fish and chips are on the menu! Torbay Borough Council have warned people not to feed these birds and to beware if eating fish and chips in the open as these birds can swoop down for an easy catch of their favourite food! Click here to read BBC article about the gulls

The gulls have recently acquired popularity amongst young people with them being portrayed as greedy birds chirping "mine mine mine" in the latest Disney film called Finding Nemo!

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Recommended links:

WILDLIFE LIVE CAM in British Colombia!

Week ending 13th May 2006: Watch an Eagle on its nest with 2 hungry chicks! Other animals will be seen in the future!!

AFRICAM in Africa!

Week ending 24th February 2007: African Wildlife live on a web cam! Tip: If you cant sleep, best time to watch this is 4am when its 6am there and things start to hot up!

Other links: