May Day Dip

Well I'm still slogging away on the laptop in the kitchen - with the door open though of course!!  No Storks or Kites as yet, but a couple of days ago (Tuesday) two Hobbies kept me company for a couple of hours, feeding over the house and down towards the marshes. They spent most of the time quite high, but on a few occasions came low enough to bother getting the camera out...

I really enjoyed day dreaming how great it would have been if they were Red-foots!

Wednesday morning - the 1st of May - I spent an hour out before breakfast hoping for Cuckoo. I went to Branscombe, Morganhayes, Lower Bruckland, Axmouth and Rousdon all before 7am! No Cuckoo's, but I did have a surprise in the form of a singing Tree Pipit in a cleared part of Morganhayes.  Just as I was thinking how good the area looked for Tree Pipits though, a Buzzard came gliding through and the Pipit flew off very high to the north!!! Maybe not then...

Wednesday evening, work soon became hell, as I learnt I was missing two Garganey that were showing exceptionally well on Black Hole Marsh. Grrrrrr. I've already missed one Garganey this year, so missing out on my second chance was painful.  I wouldn't have minded so much if they were another species, but I really do have a soft spot for spring Garganey - and we don't get enough of them here. 

This morning was suppose to be my morning for a lie in, but having been told the Garganey had apparently gone to roost I was down Black Hole Marsh for 05:10!  No Garganey. The Egyptian Goose was there trying its best to get my attention by honking for England - but I wasn't impressed.  After spending over an hour here, and being happy (or sad I should say!) that they weren't here, I checked Seaton Marshes and other parts of the valley.  Still no Garganey, but I did get a patch year tick in the form of a Greenshank just north of Coronation Corner, they always look so smart in the spring.  My last little highlight of the morning was a very yellow one, with a two Yellow Wagtails opposite Axmouth FC - one a cracking male.  Yet again, I was home by 7am.

After lunch today, I thought I best check Black Hole Marsh again in case they were back, if they were I couldn't see them.  Lots of Whimbrel though, with 22 chilling out near the Island Hide...

I saw them from the house the other day too, house tick :-)

 

So, as the fourth month of my year listing year is over, how's it going?  Well the dips haven't been nice, but it's not these that will cost me my 200 target (if I don't make it).  We simply need more birds!  The sea has been exceedingly quiet this year, during the winter for divers, ducks and grebes, and this spring for skuas, terns, waders, ducks, etc. May better be a good sea watching month otherwise I'm in trouble! And the long range forecast isn't looking good for me...