A quick catch up

Time for a catch-up post... Here's what I've seen of interest over the last week or so that's not an American gull!  

On 20th I spent a few hours out in the evening.  Last light saw me at Colyford Common where there were four Wheatear and six Whimbrel, with another Wheatear just south of Black Hole Marsh.  The biggest surprises however were during a family walk to Holyford Woods, with a Marsh Harrier circling high to the north west of the wood and an unseasonal Lapwing looking very skulky in a field of rank long grass...

Formally a breeding species on patch and I do wonder what it's still doing here - I hadn't seen one for many weeks prior to this

 

Amazed I even got this - it was a speck in my viewfinder! 

 

Axe Cliff on the morning of 21st was really quiet, just one Willow Warbler of note.  However offshore I was surprised to see 60+ Manx Shearwater fly east.  Down in the valley around Sheeps's Marsh it was good to hear what's presumably the returning male Lesser Whitethroat of the last couple of years.  It's been around daily since, and yesterday during a birdwatching tram special I managed this pic...

Even sang from this old railway post for a short-while!

 

The 22nd gave me my second, and the patches fourth Little Ringed Plover of the spring, on Bridge Marsh.  A fair bit closer than my first, being on the smaller body of water (which is now pretty much all dried up) half way across the field...

Another male looking extremely dapper

 

The morning of 25th was bloody cold!  And I didn't see much other than two Avocet that had been present for a couple of days on Black Hole Marsh.   It was nice to hear a good number of Sedge and Reed Warblers though.

On 26th, late afternoon I spied this striking first-winter Caspian Gull on the lower Estuary.  Pretty sure it's the same bird that I had in the exact spot on the 15th. There's several similarities in the plumage between the two, plus overall it's a very classic and clean looking Casp just not so well endowed in the leg-department...

Such a smart bird - I actually first picked it out with my naked eye as could see a very pale grey-mantled gull with contrasty brown juvenile flight-feathers

Such a classic looking spring Casp (except for the average-looking legs!)

 

Also on 26th I saw my first Med Gull for several weeks, which am sure was thrilling for the tram-full of budding birders...

A first-summer Med Gull

And that's that.  I'll end this post with a rather nice male Blackcap that I snapped the other day on Axe Cliff.  Seems to be a good year for them from what I can see (and hear)...

What a songster