David

The air tends to be less polluted near the sea, and that’s good for all but a few specialised lichens. These were near the water in both the south and north of Devon: around the Exe estuary, and overlooking the sea at Ilfracombe.

More of the ducks on the RSPB Bowling Green Marsh at Topsham. These are shovellers. There’s a snipe as well, half-hidden on the fleft in the first picture.

Samphire. Not the stuff which pops up on restaurant menus, which is marsh samphire. This is rock samphire, which gets a mention in King Lear, growing on the beetling cliffs of Dover.

This, more prosaically, was growing by the wall by the Goat Walk at Topsham.

Dunnock singing loudly in the land running along the RSPB reserve at Bowling Green Marsh, Topsham, defending its territory and advertising its presence.

Butterbur in a Devon lane, already turning to seed after flowering soon after the turn of the year.

The RSPB reserve at Bowling Green Marsh, Topsham, has an open access hide with scrapes right below the viewing windows. It’s often possible to get good views of ducks or waders in this part of the marsh, and reasonable pictures even with a medium powered telephoto lens. That was what I had for these pintails.