Although the Grey Phalarope remains on Black Hole Marsh, I've only managed another five minutes with it. That was on Thursday afternoon just as the sun came out...
What a great bird! It's no surprise that it is proving so popular with photographers as it is showing so so well.
Also reported today a new juv Little Stint, and I've seen lots of lovely pictures on Twitter of three juvenile Ruff feeding together on Colyford Common, two males and a female.
Considering it has very much been a Grey Phalarope autumn on the south coast of the UK this year (with for example eight together at Abbotsbury Swannery last week!) one was always on the cards here, but it's taken longer than I expected.
I was absolutely delighted the first-winter Grey Phalarope Phil found on Black Hole Marsh last night stayed for me to enjoy early this morning. As you can see it showed exceptionally well in the dull and sometimes wet conditions right by the entrance to the Island Hide...
This was when it was at its furthest...
Showing well!
First-winter Grey Phalarope with Dunlin
If the weather brightens up a bit and the bird stays around, there's going to be some proper nice pics of it. What a stunner.
I was amazed to learn this was a patch life tick for Tim Wright, but thinking about it they have been really scarce here in recent years. These are my last three records of Grey Phalarope for the patch (click on the date to take you to the corresponding blog post);
9/11/10- one in flight off the sea front before flying high upriver. Subsequent searching for it resulted in the discovery of our first and only patch Long-billed Dowitcher!
5/10/10 - one on Black Hole Marsh all afternoon and evening.
5/10/08 - one on Colyford Marsh scrape all day (third record of Grey Phal that year).
I'm pretty sure Ian Mc has seen one during a sea watch since my last 2010 individual, but it's certainly been a while since one in the valley!
This is going to be a brief one, as I want to get up early...
I was scouting around the patch looking for the Grey Phal I had seen fly back and forth over the bay, before gaining height and flying up river at 14:15...
Black Hole Marsh showed pretty much absolutely nothing at all! But my second look of the day over the (semi-permanent) flood opposite Axmouth Football Club was just a little more rewarding!
I had heard that the WeymouthLong-billed Dowitcher had flown off the previous evening, but I REALLY didn't expect it to be anywhere around here! It bloody was!!!!
I was scoping along the waters edge right to left, and came across this Snipe-like wader probing its bill in and out of the grass - FECKING HECK!!!!! My phone kicked in to action and I'm pleased to report most of the locals managed to see it before dark (and Dave H from Chard, who made it down from Taunton in record time!).
It was very dull and gloomy, so really wasn't good for photography. These are my best efforts...
Call and tertial pattern safely eliminated Short-billed, which would have been even better!
It was still present at dusk, and am looking for it early in the morning, hope it sticks.
Other birds in this field today included: 110 Lapwing, 40 Curlew, 22 Teal, 15 Dunlin, two Snipe, one Blackwit and too many Starling! I knew this field would deliver eventually, persistence pays....
The only other sightings I have for today (I was busy up until half 11 - no, not sleeping!) were four Teal and a CommonScoteron the sea off Seaton, four Shoveler and a Green Sand on Colyford Common and an adult Med Gull on the Estuary.
Grey P number one came after work on Sunday. At Black Hole Marsh this little beaut was feeding in the corner of the marsh...
Grey Phal!
Grey Phals never fail to wow me! Whether they are minute dots bobbing about the ocean, or spinning around like this little fella on a marsh. What great birds!!! I went to Black Hole Marsh the following morning and it was not there. But at half 11 in the morning, this was....
and in bright sunshine! One odd Barn Owl!!
Today's Grey P came after a phone call from my old man. A Grey Plover (a local mega!) had just dropped in on the Estuary with two Greenshank. I couldn't see it half an hour later, though the two Greenshank were on show, as was a Knot. I did see it at midday though, and at 15:00 there were two! Never before have I seen more than one Grey Plover on the Estuary at once! This event certainly deserved a 'record shot'....
Axe gold dust!
On Monday morning I gave Beer Head a go. It was brilliant - with plenty of birds - just nothing out of the ordinary. The 'vis mig' was very good, but in the light northerly birds were flying in all directions so I didn't attempt to count anything. Meadow Pipits, Skylarks, Pied Wags and Siskins were the most numerous species going over.
One particular field on the head is looking very VERY promising at the moment - with lots of passerines feeding in it. I am going to keep a close eye on it, bring on that Little Bunt.....
