Seawatching and Night Heron

Well this mornings seawatch couldn't have been much better!  Well technically that's not true, as there are many birds that would have made it better, but it had the core ingredients that I enjoy so much about spring seawatching - variety and skuas!

I will list what I saw first, then talk about the highlights in more detail below.

06:22 - 08:22 from Spot On Kiosk produced (all west unless stated): 10 Pale-bellied Brent Geese (eight & two), 27 Common Scoter (two east), 1 Black-throated Diver (s/pl), 3 Red-throated Diver, 1 diver sp., 1 Great Crested Grebe, 88 Gannet, 3 Fulmar, 76 Manx Shearwater, 9 Oystercatcher (eight & one), 13 Whimbrel (six, four, two and one), 58 Kittiwake, 3 Sandwich Tern (one east), Great Skua (singles) and 68 auk sp. (all the identifiable ones were Razorbills).

Eight of the Pale-bellied Brents

 

This adult Kittiwake was just off the beach, the other 57 were about a mile away!

The Great Skuas were really special. I haven't seen a spring Bonxie here since 12th May 2021 (and only two autumn ones in between) and the first one in particular was a delight as it was in view for six minutes as it powered west, pausing briefly on the sea.  They are just such powerful and menacing birds.  The first bird came through at 07:42, with bird two, which was much more distant and always heading out, through at 07:55.

The Black-throated Diver was probably the rarity of the watch.  I am really bad at distant flying divers that aren't Great Northerns, and although I did think this bird was most likely a Black-throated as it flew west at 07:15, I was happy and fully planning on letting it go as a diver sp.  However it then landed on the sea, and although I only managed a few very brief views of it as it rode the waves, each time it appeared its chequered black and white back almost sparkled. I couldn't actually make out throat colour, but its plain grey head and neck sides were visible.  At 07:35 I picked it up again in flight as it flew off west, and Ian Mc saw it soon after on the sea off Beer.

The final seawatch highlight I want to mention is the Pale-bellied Brents, which I was absolutely thrilled with. Every spring, and almost entirely in April, a wintering population of Pale-bellied Brent Geese in Holland migrate along our part of the coast on their way back to Greenland.  However they can come by on any day at any time, and they never ever stop.  After they pass us, they usually end up resting and feeding on the Exe for at least the remained of that day, then they often flying north up the Exe.  So what this means is that any time Pale-bellied Brents are seen on the Exe in spring, we've missed them.  And this year they have already had several hundred birds (400+)  so I really thought I had missed them all, making these ten, an eight (07:20) and a two (at 08:15) very much appreciated.  Mike B had a flock of c30 later in the day too.

After the seawatch I headed up to Axe Cliff as the wind seemed to drop, however I hadn't got far when news came out of a possible Night Heron on Seaton Marshes.  Ten minutes later I was watching this absolutely stunning adult Night Heron, found by Paul Temple...

Showing well!

Unusually exposed and active for a day-time Night Heron

Can't tell you how chuffed I am with this shot.  Probably the best flight-shot I've ever taken!

It remained for the rest of the day, allowing many to twitch it from across the county.  

And this is where I would like to say this is my third patch Night Heron, however on balance I have too many queries with this birds and strongly suspect it's spent some of its life in a cage, making it either an escapee or an introduced bird.

It's got a missing toe and discoloured area on its left foot/leg, which on its own is entirely feasible for a wild bird.  However, looking at my photos I've also noticed its longest primary feathers have very worn tips (and the other feathers don't) and it has a damaged tip to it's lower mandible. These three points, along with the fact as I mentioned earlier, for a Night Heron it was very showy and unusually exposed/active considering it was mid-morning, unfortunately suggest to me that it's may not be all that wild.  Even if the time of year and weather it appeared in are very typical for a wild Night Heron.  A cracking bird to see nevertheless.

Whilst watching the Night Heron, an Osprey could be seen fishing on the Estuary (possibly our lingering bird?) and a Lesser Redpoll over. 

I spent another half-hour out this evening, but other than a Greenshank on the Estuary, no more to add to the day-list from me. 

That's today done with.  And yesterday won't take long as an hour walking around Axe Cliff just after dawn didn't show much at all.  There's a couple more breeding Common Whitethroats in, as well as plenty of Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs.  The one highlight I did come across I didn't really see (just a glimpse) and that was a Garden Warbler singing in bushes alongside the golf course.  Quite a scarce bird for us in the spring, and this is certainly one of the earliest I have recorded on the patch.  As I couldn't see it let alone photograph it, I recorded a snippet of its song...  

Note the fast pace to the song, lack of any high fluty-tones and the bubbling quality to it.

 

I probably won't have any time out tomorrow, but hope to get out for a couple of hours on Sunday if I can, so check back soon for more Axe patch news! 

 

Spring limps forward

It's not proving a particularly exciting spring so far, but still, it's early days and to be honest is still quite cold (except for last Wednesday!).  I've got high hopes for this weekend though when the weather looks to be settling down and the temperature is forecast to rise, although this may well be false-hope and actual do nothing for numbers and/or variety, as is so often the case in spring on the Axe! 

I have managed some year ticks since my last post, although all are run-of-the mill and fully expected considering it is now mid April...

A birding tram trip on 11th gave me my first couple of Reed Warblers and first Sedge Warbler of the year.  There were also at least four singing Willow Warblers along the track, suggesting there had been some sort of fall, even if it were a small one.  Unfortunately I couldn't pick out the female Redstart that Phil and Clive had seen on Colyford Common earlier in the morning, which would have been a tram-based first for me!

My first Sedge Warbler of 2026

 

Wader passage has been as light as passerine passage so far this spring. My early April Turnstone remains the highlight for me, but I have at least now seen Whimbrel with two on the evening of 14th and nine this morning, which included eight west over Seaton Beach and another on the lower Estuary.  I have also seen two single summer-plumaged Dunlin in the last week, but other than varying Black-tailed Godwit numbers I have nothing more to add here!

Ospreys on the other hand have been performing well for me.  One caught a fish right in front of me yesterday afternoon on the lower Estuary, with presumably the same bird out fishing along the same stretch again this morning off and on for an hour. It was unsuccessful on this occasion though, and I last saw it being chased away to the east towards Axe Cliff by Herring Gulls, which may have been it departing for good?  Time will tell I suppose!

A fine shape - however much you see it!

  

Another nice sighting today was my first Caspian Gull since February (and I have been looking!).  This second calendar-year bird showed nicely on the lower Estuary from 15:45 for just over half an hour... 

My first view - second from right.  Cracking shape with very long and pale bill, very white fronted, lots of grey on  mantle, plain greater coverts and solidly black tertials - the full house really!

Such a striking shape - especially when it stuck its neck out like this!

Those little grey flecks on the rear neck are a really distinctive Casp feature

I am the last person to begrudge a nice Casp but I am longing for a white-winger and have been so hopeful for a spring bird. Spring remains the best time of year to find one (especially an Iceland) on the Axe, so I will keep trying but it is getting late now. 

Hopefully, if my predictions come true, my next update should contain a lot more action...

 

Axe Cliff

A clear and still morning yesterday encouraged me to head to Axe Cliff for the first time this spring.  I wasn't expecting a large fall as the conditions were far too nice, but at this time of year somewhere like here is always worth a look...

 

It was a gorgeous sunrise

I was right, no fall.  But there were some migrants, with the highlight being a somewhat surprising tristis Siberian Chiffchaff. 

It remained stubbornly silent, but it couldn't have been drabber, with the only green on it being its Bonelli's Warbler-like green edging to its primaries. It was amazing to watch it behaving just like any migrant Phyllosc, feeding low along the edge of a hedge line, gradually moving inland with a colybitta Chiffchaff...

Quite a highly cropped photo, but shows colour and tone well

 

Nice dark legs and bill too.  A striking bird that stopped me in my tracks.

 

Unfortunately I managed to completely fluff what could have been an excellent photo.  I hadn't seen it for a minute or so when I suddenly noticed it low down just a few meters in front of me.  By the time I lined my camera up, and took one photo which the auto-focus failed me with, it hopped off...

At least it shows colour and bareparts well... just a bit fuzzy!

  

Something else I have read about spring tristis, I think on Portland Bird Obs blog, is that they are tatty looking things in spring. Quite different from all the other fresh-looking warblers passing through.  This bird certainly had that tardy appearance, as can be seen in the above photos. 

More expected warblers present during my wander were three singing Willow Warblers and my first Whitethroat of the year, which looked to be one of the local breeders as opposed to a passing migrant...

It was singing well in one of the usual spots for this species here

 

Singles of Swallow and Wheatear complete my list of migrants for my 90 minute wander here...

This migrant looked at home on the recently spread muck!

 

More of this please. Although it looks like the temperatures will be dropping off again sadly, which is ashame as I really want to find a Hoopoe!

   

Little Ringed Plover

Well the day after my post in which I ask 'where are all our Little Ringed Plovers?' of course I see a Little Ringed Plover!

Yesterday (Monday) was a really good migrant day. I think the south easterly wind and clearer/sunnier conditions encouraged everything to get moving, with many south coast sites reported a bit more variety amongst a fairly good arrival of migrant birds.

I was in work all day sadly, but a rapid look around during the evening showed the aforementioned Little Ringed Plover, a male distantly on the scrape at Bridge Marsh.

One of the best sites for this species on patch during the spring

I also saw three Wheatear, two Willow Warbler and for the first time this year a three-figure count of Sand Martins (only been 20-30 before).  So, not loads for me, but still a welcome uptick in variety and numbers.

Migrants trickle in and Turnstone

Thought I better get myself up to date here before it kicks off properly... hopefully!  

It has felt really slow going recently, and although I have now seen a few spring migrants, they have only been dribbling through and I have not had any decent arrivals yet really, except for the Wheatear arrival as mentioned in my last post.

I'll go back to 27th March first, when a quick look in the valley on a damp and dreary morning gave me my first two Swallows and single House Martin of the year, with about ten Sand Martins over Bridge Marsh.  A pretty usual first date for Swallows, but a slightly earlier than average House Martin by about a week.  On the same day, a quick look out to sea revealed my first Sandwich Tern of the year. 

On 30th, I missed our first Osprey of the year.  Everything went up on the Estuary (and had been jumpy over the previous half an hour) however I wasn't in a position to look.  Then five minutes later, Kev had an Osprey west over Beer.  I suspect it had roosted in the valley overnight.

On 1st April, nothing better than double-figures of Cattle Egret with the cattle near the Tower Garage in Seaton. They were here a lot at the start of winter 25/26, but have not been up here for a few months now.

On 2nd, I didn't miss the second Osprey.  Tim W had it fishing on the Estuary, and a few minutes later I watched it flying north from Colyford with a fish, heading for Musbury.  

Yesterday (4th) I started the morning sea watching.  Although Storm Dave wasn't due to hit until the afternoon, there was enough of a breeze to encourage me down there.  And there were a few bits moving out there, but the highlight was a lump on the pebbles...

Ringed Plover is usually my first spring wader on the beach, but it was a Turnstone!

Just starting to look a bit bronze on its back

 

This was our first Turnstone of 2026, and one of the my first signs of spring wader passage - which is exciting!  It's actually quite an early spring date for a Turnstone here, if we get them they are usually in late April/May.

Bits over the sea (west unless stated) included: 2 Great Northern Diver, 11 Red-throated Diver (4 east), 2 Manx Shearwater, 12+ auk sp. and 22 Kittiwake.  

Away from the beach, a singing Willow Warbler on Black Hole Marsh was my first of the year (about five days to a week late for me), but I was expecting more in the overcast conditions.

Today has been a work day, although it was interrupted at 13:50 by an Osprey which flew in from the south east and spent a short time fishing on the upper Estuary.   Didn't see which way it left sadly, but no further sign of it by 17:30.

Something no one has seen on the Axe patch yet this year is Little Ringed Plover - which is really unusual as these can often be the first summer migrant we see!  We did have several days of valley fog in mid March which probably didn't help, but I am surprised we've not had one or more since.  

Wheatears but not much else!

March has been extremely disappointing so far I have to say.  Since my last post it's been really hard graft with very little going on out there from what I've seen.  That's except for a drastic (but expected) drop off in wintering bird numbers.

Spring migrant wise I have now seen Wheatears, which is good news.  We missed out on any early birds this year, however over the 20th and 21st there's been a widespread arrival on the south coast which included birds through the Axe patch.  I only managed to see two on Seaton Marshes on 20th, but was happy enough with these - although they could have been a bit closer...

The other bird spent most its time amongst the juncus behind this post

 

I have seen a few more Sand Martins since my first (and early) birds on 6th, but other than a Golden Plover over Seaton on 9th March there really hasn't been anything new to inform you of.    

I last saw both Siberian Lesser Whitethroat in Seaton on 10th, but there's still one present near the Bowling Green - I had excellent views of it this evening.  Whilst on the subject of warblers, it's been lovely hearing so many Blackcaps in full voice over the last couple of weeks.  I cannot remember a year like this, when the wintering birds have sung so strongly before departing.

Hopefully my next post has a bit more excitement within it!  

First Proper Spring Migrants

My first ten Sand Martins of the year flew north over the A3052 at Colyford yesterday morning, following the River Axe, at about 9am. Three days earlier than my previous earliest on patch (9th March 2024) but not really a surprise as there's been a fairly widespread earlier than usual arrival into the UK this year.

I thought they zipped straight through, however about an hour and a half later there were nine in a similar area feeding, so presumably they mostly came back.

If it wasn't for the Sand Martins I would have had to officially rename this blog as 'Gulls of the Axe' as yesterdays start bird would have been another gull!

Yellow-legged Gulls are a bit odd in that between July and October almost all Axe records of this species relate to first-calendar year birds.  But from October through to the following July, young birds make up the smallest percentage of Yellow-legged Gull records! Explain that?

So I was really pleased to clap eyes on a striking first-winter Yellow-legged Gull with the gulls north of Coronation Corner mid morning yesterday...

Fairly dark looking wings thanks to black tertials and dark greater coverts, long winged too, nice bright pink legs, pale head with a striking eye mask

 But if in doubt, wait til it flaps...

Restricted pale on inner primaries - super! Nice black greater covert bar too, similar to a Casp

Later in the day, I saw what I presumed was the lingering 'dodgy looking' third-winter Yellow-legged Gull also north of Coronation Corner.  And I read on WhatsApp that Gav had a second-winter even later in the afternoon, making it a hat-trick!  

Small gull numbers have dropped right off now, of all three of the usual species (Black-headed, Common and Med). Although there's still just enough Common Gulls to give me something to sift through ever hoping for a Ring-billed!

Thanks for reading.