More Gulls Required!

I have had a few looks at the gulls in recent days.  Although actual spring is still a little way off, spring gull passage usually starts in early February.  There's no mega numbers here yet, although there does seem to be some more Common Gull about now, as well as a maybe a slight increase in Lesser Black-backed and Mediterranean Gull numbers... 

Adult Med Gull looking well hooded already

A sleepy second-winter, which was even more hooded

Although it is clearly wintering here, and despite the fact my office overlooks the lower Axe Estuary, Monday was only the second time this year I have seen the Common Sandpiper...

Elusive blighter!

 

One day it will be the American version, an overdue first for the Axe in my opinion.  

Male Blackcap

First of all to continue the theme of my last post, since posting that I have heard a few more species singing locally, including Nuthatch, Marsh Tit, Goldcrest and Greenfinch all in full song. I have heard several drumming Great Spotted Woodpeckers too.  Now we are in to February I know the excitement of Spring is literally just around the corner and it is, well, exciting!  

Have not had much time at all out this last week, but a short spell in and around woodland at the western edge of our patch (Bovey Down/Morganhayes) gave me at least two Crossbill, a Redpoll (not many around this winter) and several Siskins, so not a bad result for such little time given. Have seen nothing different at all in the river valley during my brief glances over it, not even a Med Gull this week but gull numbers have seemed low.

In the garden, I have added a few new species to the house list, including Stock Dove and Kestrel. More pleasingly though has been watching a male Blackcap settle in with us for the last couple of days, having only seen a female here previously...

Rain soaked fat balls seem to be easier for the smaller birds to consume

 

He's already getting protective over these fat balls, even giving the Robins a run for their money!

 

 Be sure to check back here soon!  Thanks for reading.

 

The Dawn of The Dawn Chorus

The best thing about the clearer and calmer weather of the last few days has been the bird song.  It's been wonderful to hear so many birds properly warming their vocals, even though there is still a chill in the air.

Of course Robins have been singing all winter, and over the last few weeks I have heard the odd Song Thrush and Blackbird, but the last couple of mornings I have heard several individuals of these species (especially Song Thrush), as well as full song from Wood Pigeon, Stock Dove, Collared Dove, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Wren, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Goldfinch and Chaffinch.  Such an uplifting audible delight and a timely reminder we are heading towards Spring.  

 

Blue sky and a male Chaffinch in full song, truly heart warming

 

Great to hear so many singing Song Thrush. Don't think they are all local breeders so maybe the wintering birds are getting lairy too?

 

This male Bullfinch wasn't singing in full, not that Bullfinch have much of a song!  However it was uttering some song-notes as well as the usual call

And a couple of other photos from the last couple of days.  It was nice to see a Dipper today on my walk to work, between Colyford and Colyton, although remained distant in a shaded part of the river...

Hopefully thinking about breeding nearby

And yesterday, this Kingfisher offered some nice views feeding in a ditch alongside my office...

 

A male bird, one of many wintering in the lower Axe Valley

 

As I think you can probably tell I am loving my new Nikon P950! A terrific bit of kit and one I am really enjoying getting familiar with.  So be sure to check back soon, even if it is just for some more completely average photos of common birds!

A Tale of Two Storms

Well Storm Eowyn didn't really do much down here in East Devon, with the west coast and Ireland taking the brunt of it.  Storm Herminia however has been brutal, with some periods of exceptionally heavy rain coupled with strong southerly winds.  Not been pleasant at all - and I usually enjoy a good storm!

Looking towards Beer Head

Clearly been some even bigger waves before I took this photo

Nice light when I took this

Bird-wise, every time I have looked at the sea, except for feeding gulls close in, it has been really quiet.  So either too windy for anything out there or just that there isn't anything out there (I suspect it is the latter!).  My highlight on Sunday was the flock of six Dark-bellied Brent Geese that dropped in on the lower Estuary mid morning, remaining for an hour or so before flying over onto Sheeps Marsh...

Nice to see this little flock, smart birds

During the heaviest of rain showers

 

I also had this dark-mantled Herring Gull, which on first glance I was sure was going to be an argentatus Scandinavian Herring Gull.  Not only was it dark mantled but it was a big ugly brute.  Although not the size of a Great Black-backed, it had the same powerful and dominating feel to it, nothing like our usual southern softie argenteus...

Top right, nicely stood alongside a Great Black-backed, a Lesser Black-backed and two regular argenteus Herring Gulls

 

However closer inspection revealed a non-typical argentatus primary pattern.  Although I didn't see it open its wing, I would have hoped to have seen a lot more visible white in the primaries on the closed wing and far less black on P5. 

Such a brute!

I don't think this means it isn't one, as I know there is much variation depending on where exactly it may have come from, but for me it's just not typical enough to submit as one.  Argentatus is still a rare bird here, in fact getting rarer if anything. 

And that has been about it for me during my limited time out. I'll end this post with a photo from one of the rare mornings so far this year (Saturday) without any cloud...

Looking up the road from us

Thanks for reading, and Wheatears soon...

Garden Birding

Although we have been in the new house for over a month now, up until today I haven't really had chance to stop and take some time to see what I can see with a telescope from the garden.  So I was pleased to have about half an hour late this afternoon with the scope in the driveway, and added ten new species to the house list.

Different parts of the house/garden offer views of slightly different parts of the river valley (all north of Coronation Corner), but the driveway offers the broadest views and includes parts of Colyford, Bridge and Axe Marshes.

I have roughly annotated this map with what parts of the river valley I can see from where I was stood this afternoon...

Can think of several Axe rarities that would have been viewable from my then future driveway! 

 

Yesterday night's rain produced the expected flooding in the valley, which meant this afternoon I could see much more water from the house than I'd usually be able to. Yes it is about a mile and half away but that is what a zoom lens is for right!?

The highlight was watching a hunting Barn Owl for at least five minutes just before 5pm, going back and forth over a reedbed below Stedcome House. Not really a surprise seeing as though there seem to be a few about in the Axe valley this winter, and yes of course it was distant but still good to see. A Barn Owl from the garden is never to sniffed at - no matter how far away it is!

 

On the flood water I added Shelduck, Wigeon, Teal and Curlew, and although there was nothing in with the Lapwings that I could see on the ground, the Black Hole Marsh Lapwing flock took to the air several times and revealed some new species, including a single Golden Plover, half a dozen Black-tailed Godwits and three Dunlin.  It was also interesting to see, several times, a striking Lapwing with what looked like white-tipped wings, so presumably suffering some sort of partial leucism.  I hope to get some better views of it but has anyone else locally seen it?

 

The final two new house ticks were with the gull flocks flying down the valley.  Common Gull was one and I saw over a hundred of these, along with two adult Mediterranean Gulls. I was hoping to add Cattle Egret as it got darker, however I got on to the biggest flock of pre roosting egrets too late to do anything with so missed that one today.

As ever, thanks for reading. Especially as I appreciate that only I really care about what I can see from my garden! 

Some Winter Highlights

I enjoyed a couple of hours out on Saturday morning just gone, ending up with a nice little selection for a mid-winter foray on the Axe patch.

My first port of call, the seafront, was the most underwhelming of the mornings locations.  Three distant Red-throated Divers flew east together, with the only bird on the sea that wasn't a gull or Cormorant being a single Razorbill.  Dire.  Can only presume the feeding conditions aren't great off here at the moment.

Lower Bruckland Ponds in what felt like the half-light of dawn still, thanks to the heavily overcast grey skies, showed a pair of Gadwall still lingering with the Mallard flock.  The wintering Coot was still present too, with two Chiffchaff calling from water-side willows.

I headed to the river valley after this, where a check of a regular wintering site for Jack Snipe returned three birds, including two that came up virtually side by side.  At least 18 Common Snipe too.

Shocking photo of a Jack Snipe, but in my defence it was pratically still dark!

Nearby a flock of 25 Fieldfare were good to see, as there really haven't been many around this winter...

Part of the Fieldfare flock

 

On the river and marshes, singles of adult Med Gull, Greenshank, Golden Plover and Dunlin were sightings all worth noting.  But the highlight for me was prolonged views of the lingering Marsh Harrier that I mentioned in the previous blog post, allowing me the opportunity to take some 'in habitat' shots...

A distinctive shape and an equally distinctive yellow crown!

 

Wouldn't like to be a Water Rail or Snipe in this reedbed!

It kept returning to this spot to hover, but never went down

Clearly a first-winter bird. Be great if it stays for the rest of the winter

All I need now is for the sun to come out.  Yes it was great to see some birds, but like am sure many people are feeling right now, I cannot say how much I am DONE with this constantly dull, grey and overcast weather that we seem to be trapped under.  Just feels like dusk all day.  Grim.  

Roll on Spring...

Cold Weather Leftovers

I didn't make it out during the coldest weather last week when even Seaton had a flurry of snow, although it was preceded by lots of rain giving it little chance to settle.  

I did have time for a look around Friday afternoon, revealing 15 Golden Plover with the Lapwing on Bridge Marsh...

The most I could get in one shot, several of the birds were well spread out

 

At Lower Bruckland Ponds, five Gadwall were amongst the Mallards on the top pond, three males and two females...

Gadwall pair

Such beautifully marked birds

But that was about it for me. Tim C has done well again today, with a Marsh Harrier and Avocet, maybe not cold weather related but evidence of some movement going on.  Talking of movement, won't be long until some proper gull passage gets started, can start as early as late January now! Exciting!

Black Redstarts continue to frequent Seaton Quay, but not the adult male for a few weeks now.  They're not always easy to photograph at this site though as they tend to stay high up on the new houses...

A typical Seaton Quay Black Redstart view

Presumably a young male with all the white edging on its secondaries.

 

Won't be all that long until I am papping Wheatears not Black Redstarts... I can't wait!