In The News

The River Axe was mentioned on the BBC National News several times today - but for the wrong reasons.

A huge amount of rain (and I'm sure not helped by big tides and a gusty southerly wind) has caused horrendous flooding in the area. A lot like many other places in the south west today. The damage it has caused to houses, businesses and roads is very sad to see, but the effect on the local wildlife must be catastrophic.

Pictures never give the full effect of something like this, but here's a few anyway...

The Axe Estuary today about an hour before low tide!

From the farm gate

Note how on the far side of the tram line it looks like one huge lake - the whole of Colyford Common, Black Hole Marsh, Seaton Marshes and the fields in between were flooded into one. The bank at Seaton Marshes stopped the flooding continuing any further south.

So I thought I'd go around to Black Hole Marsh...

The entrance track - I couldn't even get to the gate!

So I then tried to get down to Colyford Common...

Ok - maybe not!

As usual the A3052 flooded over and it was closed by the bridge.

These are the fields just south west of Boshill Cross

The rain wasn't just causing problems via the river...

One of many that I've seen today

And this land slide by the side of the harbour was pretty dramatic to see. Totally blocked the path to the beach east of the harbour...

Note the tree in the river!

The only birds I've seen of note today were two commic Terns south down the Estuary and a Hobby low over Black Hole Marsh. These really are insignificant though when you think how today has affected our local breeding birds - I should imagine ALL Reed/Sedge Warblers nests have been flooded out today. Disaster.