A Caspian Milestone

Storm Bert has really shaken things up. Two days of snow and ice vanished in a flash, with this raging Atlantic storm taking hold since. It's been such a calm autumn, in fact one of the calmest I can recall, so it has been a bit of a shock to the system!  

Yesterday a few looks at the sea revealed nothing but towering waves, but several looks along the river, which remained at high-tide water levels all day, showed there were good numbers of gulls taking refuge. Weather aside, you can always tell there's a significant storm going on by the numbers of Great Black-backed Gulls. During 'normal weather' periods Herring Gulls provide the bulk of the Axe's large gull numbers, but during storms like this Great Black-backs, which presumably would usually be feeding somewhere out in the English Channel, take over. I counted 230 early afternoon yesterday, compared to just 90 Herring Gulls.

A distant probable Caspian Gull on Colyford Marsh late morning was really frustrating, however all came good when a final check of the pre roosting Gulls on the Estuary showed a stunning second-winter Caspian Gull floating down the Estuary off Coronation Corner.  The 40th Caspian Gull for the Axe!  

I would have loved to have captured this landmark larid with a pin sharp photo, however I completely fluffed it in the gloom, which I am gutted about. Not only was it the 40th Casp, but it was a stunner.  When I was finally getting my camera lined on to it, it took flight so some frantic random pointing and clicking followed, which resulted in this...

Well there's no doubting its white and black tail! 

I spent the rest of the evening kicking myself for making such a pigs ear of things.  It was a lovely long elongated bird, with a long narrow bill and some really striking grey botching encasing it's snowy white head, with its small black eye looking so striking.  I have been trawling the internet to find a bird like it, and this bird snapped at Dungeness back in December 2018, although not looking anywhere near as impressive in shape, has a very similar plumage and bare part colouration to my bird...

The head was almost an exact match, thick grey blotching mostly around rear of neck, but some almost wrapping around the front of the neck making the white head even more striking!

The gulls last night were constantly coming and going, and shortly after the Caspian Gull had flown south towards the sea I picked up a second-winter Yellow-legged Gull upriver, which then floated past me.  

So all in all a good gulling session, just not very well documented! 

SNOW!

Well the 'snow' in the title absolutely deserves an '!' because we don't get much of it down here on the coast of East Devon... and it was complete chaos today!

Heavy rain overnight turned into sleety rain this morning and then for a good few hours snow.  Devon County Council were clearly not at all prepared for it, with all the major roads coming to a complete standstill and not really recovering until the afternoon.  Absolute mayhem.

I knew there wasn't enough of it, or that it was persistent enough to trigger any major bird movements, but the local birds seemed to go into panic mode.  The unfrozen edges of ditches and scrapes were all very busy, mostly with Meadow Pipits, thrushes and Blackbirds.  

My best sighting was of four Brent Geese that flew low south down the river mid-morning, and then seemed to turn east as they headed out over the beach.    I will spare you my awful phone camera shot of the Brents, instead enjoy the scenery...

Looking north east towards Axmouth over the Axe Estuary

Sheep's Marsh

The Axmouth hills

This weather's timing somewhat ironic as today was the first day of our The Polar Express tram ride!

At about 1pm the sun came out, making it all look even more spectacular, although this soon did the trick melting most of it...

Relief for many stranded drivers I am sure!

The narrow green strip either side of the water had loads of Meadow Pipits and Lapwings on it all afternoon

Whenever we do get a sudden cold snap like this, I always hope it will reveal a mega that has been lurking thus far unseen in a rarely visited part of the patch, forced to relocate due to the conditions.  Sadly not today though...

Stay safe all, it is going to be an icy night and presumably another dicey one tomorrow morning.

Axe Cliff Visible Migration

I am so glad today happened. So so glad.  Axe Cliff hasn't delivered for me so far this autumn, and I've been feeling like I'd missed out on the chance of a classic autumn vismig session here this year... but today was the day.

07:10 - 08:20 at Axe Cliff was just fantastic.  The clear blue skies and cooler temperatures did exactly what I was hoping for...

Such a fantastic view of the sunrise from my main vantage point

It was so good to see some passerines on the move, and although the Wood Pigeons weren't moving in the numbers we witnessed at the end of October, due to the cold northerly wind most of the flocks that were coming through were passing right in close and at times underneath the cliff edge - it is such a spectacle when they do this. The final Woody tally was not too bad, with the largest single flock containing around 1,300 birds which came through towards the end of the watch. The first few half a dozen or so flocks all numbered less than 100 birds so I didn't think I would get anywhere close to the final number that I did (see below!).

Such exhilarating birding.  Yes, that is the word to describe it, exhilarating.

One of the first Pigeon flocks coming head on

On they go!

Literally passing along the edge of the cliff!

So many Pigeons!

Even more Pigeons!

Some close and some far!

 

 

 

Last Pigeon photo I promise

 

My final total for the watch were: 12,700 Wood Pigeon (with another 2,000+ during my drive home!), 240 Starling, 192 Chaffinch, 40+ Stock Dove, 37 Redwing (most north, not west like the other species), 32 Goldfinch, 18 Meadow Pipit, 9 Skylark, 5 Brambling, 4 Siskin, 4 Song Thrush, 3 alba Wagtail, 2 Reed Bunting, 1 Redpoll, 1 Grey Wagtail and 1 Fieldfare. 

Migrating Chaffinches

 

As has become the norm for me now, I had my *very basic* sound recorder running throughout the watch. And from this long recording I have clipped three small snippets and stuck them together to create the below, which captures:

1/ Redpoll - the only Redpoll of the watch passing at the same time as an alba Wagtail.

2/ Brambling - there were two birds in this flock of Chaffinches, and both call-types can be heard. This section of the sound clip ends with some nice Skylark calls too, plus some not so nice Herring Gull calls!

3/ Siskin - three birds went over together, with one even breaking into song!   

 

I saw a further 16 Redwing in one flock at Lower Bruckland Ponds today, where there were also three Chiffchaffs.  At least two Black Redstarts remain on the new Seaton Quay houses.

Thanks for reading.

Thrushes and a Thorn

Well the skies didn't clear as quickly as I was expecting this morning.  I thought I was going to wake up to a sky full of stars but it was mostly cloudy!  Two hours later and it was a lot clearer, but not early enough for the busy morning of vismig I was hoping for.

As you may or may not have read here last night, yesterday was all about Song Thrush and Blackbird. Well this morning it was Redwing and Fieldfare - which was great! Not massive numbers, but throughout the morning small groups of Redwing were zipping about all over the place. Some were going through high west with the Pigeon flocks, but most were exploding out of trees and then heading off north.  I saw fewer Fieldfare, but the odd one or two were mixed in amongst the groups of Redwing.  Counted 55 Redwing and 9 Fieldfare during my couple of hours out, not a single Song Thrush though!

When the weather did clear from about 8am, Wood Pigeon flocks did start up.  Most of them were 100 - 400 in size, but I had one of 850.  All flocks were flying west basically along the coast, and I got to a total of 4,900 before I had to stop counting.  As usual a few Stock Dove were in the mix.

Have seen five different Long-tailed Tit flocks today, and sifted carefully through them all but just Goldcrests and Chiffchaffs.  I really hope there are a few more wing-barred Phylloscs in 2024 for me, I will keep trying that is for sure.

Something I didn't mention in my blog post yesterday was the Silver Y moth I stumbled upon on Seaton Beach during the afternoon.  This encouraged me to put a moth trap out last night, as a Silver Y is an immigrant species and could well be the forerunner of something special... well not for me!

There was only a small number of moths in the trap at Mum and Dad's this morning, which is to be expected at this time of year.  The only immigrants were Rusty-dot Pearls, of which there were six (with all but one of these on the wall of the house!).  The non-immigrant moths in the trap were four November Moths, one Chestnut and my first Feathered Thorn for the garden, which was nice...

Not at all rare, the fact I haven't recorded one before is likely a reflection of my trapping habits, I very rarely trap later in the year than September.  This is also why I still need December Moth for the garden!

 

 

Might try again with the vismig in the morning, definitely will not be trying the moth trap again though.  Well maybe not until I have a chance of December Moth...

Thrush Fall and Male Black Redstart

Usually overnight rain in autumn just makes the grass wet and gives false hope... but not today!

Ok, thrushes weren't exactly carpeting the ground like they can during the great falls on the east coast, but this morning the Axe Valley had a heck of a lot more thrushes in it than it usually does...

Three Song Thrush in this photo

 

Most of them were Blackbirds and Song Thrush.  I don't routinely count Blackbirds in the valley, so can only explain the increase by the fact I noticed far more Blackbirds than usual.  Song Thrush however, the local population has seen such a decline that on any day I would be lucky to see one - so 14 grounded birds really is something.  It was lovely to see small groups together, and all the ones I had good views of looked noticeably cold-toned and grey.   Saw a few Fieldfare and Redwing too, and there's still a few Chiffchaff and multiple Goldcrests in the bushes.

The female/first-winter Black Redstarts that I have been working alongside for the last couple of weeks were joined by a lovely adult male today.   It didn't show all that well though...

Looked even better from the back, just two massive white flashes!

The other birds have got used to me now and are allowing closer approach. Hopefully the male follows suit..

The are such great birds!

They really are enjoying the new Seaton Quay development!

Over on Black Hole Marsh the Little Stint is still with us, where I finally managed an ok photo of it...

Every day it is looking less juvenile and more grey!

Looks like we have finally seen the back of this cloud so I am hoping for a nice rush of visible migration in the morning.  Might be a bit optimistic of me but it's got to be worth a look...

First-winter Caspian Gull

Following inconclusive views of a possible/probable Caspian Gull on the Axe early this morning, I was delighted to see that unbelievably it was still present when I checked the gulls again just before 2pm this afternoon. It was much closer and in better light...

Not quite classic, but close enough!

You can see the lovely white head, and long parallel bill which is already turning pink at the base, lovely long pink legs too!  Plain coverts and lower greater coverts, all dark with pale edged tertials, plenty of grey on the scapulars and mantle, and the streaking on its nape and down its flanks. It was a big bird too, not as big as the Great Black-backed-sized male Casps I've seen, but clearly bigger, longer and taller than all surrounding Herring Gulls.  

The not so classic feature is the amount of streaking on its belly, although this is still on a very white ground colour and will fade as this bird goes through it's first-winter - so it will probably look much better in its 2nd calender year.  The upper greater coverts were also a little notched, but well within variation.

When it was at its closest, it gave me the opportunity for the absolute perfect 'flight shot'...

Thank you very much!

On this shot we can see its uppertail, with a neat black terminal band on an otherwise white tail, and then we have the wings...  Underwing nice and pale which is bang on.  The upperwing shows solidly dark secondaries, clear pale bar just above the secondaries formed by the tips of greater coverts, and the perfect amount of pale on the inner primaries.

It spent some time in the water too, where it looked even more obvious...

Just looks nothing like a first-winter anything else!

The brilliant white head, grey mantle, brown coverts and black tertials are such a striking combination

It was nice to see five Mediterranean Gulls on the Estuary too, four adults and a second-winter.  Numbers of Common Gulls clearly on the up too.

Otherwise during the last week all I have to report is a few Chiffchaffs (up to ten in a day), several Goldcrests and Redwings and up to five Black Redstarts at the east end of Seaton.  My first Fieldfare of the autumn flew over my head calling on Tuesday morning, which was a really lovely highlight.

Can see in the forecast this dull and depressing high pressure cloud is finally set to clear off.  I cannot wait!  

Rose-coloured Starling, Little Stint and Black Redstarts

Am pleased to report the Rose-coloured Starling is still in the area, although I haven't had chance to catch up with it again myself.  It is spending most of its time (during daylight hours at least) just north of the patch in Whitford, with one report from Colyton as well.  I don't think it is being looked for as much in the evenings now but am sure it is still roosting on patch within the Starling roost in the vicinity of Colyford Common, as it was for the first few days of its time here.

Tim C took several photos of it when he saw it on Colyford Common, on the evening of the day I first found it in Seaton.  Tim has kindly allowed me to post his photos here, so please find below two of them...

Such a striking bird even in gloomy light!

Like chalk and cheese!

 

And Mike B has also let me share one of his photos, taken in Whitford last week...

(c) Mike Blaver

 

Thankyou Tim and Mike!

A Little Stint found this morning on Black Hole Marsh meant I had to take a slight detour to work... well you just never know when it comes to late autumn peeps!  However the finder was dead right with their identification as this bird was still in mostly juvenile plumage so the 'tramlines' on its back were really noticeable - helpful in ruling anything rarer out!  I only had distant views but good to see it nonetheless. 

Otherwise for me it's basically been all about Black Redstarts!  There are at least three lingering around the east side of Seaton, spending much of their time on the new Seaton Quay site which is right next to my work...

All three look like this, first-winter birds.  Am confident this one is a male due to noticeable wing patches

 

There still seems to be quite a few Chiffchaff about, which gives me hope for more Yellow-broweds or something rarer.  I had at least eight around Stafford Marsh a couple of mornings ago, with several still along my route to work as well.  It's definitely a fairly good autumn for Goldcrest too, or better than the last few autumns at least.  Redwings are now a daily occurrence mostly in small numbers, but am yet to see a Fieldfare.

Seems like the vismig season has ground to a halt, after probably the best ever autumn for Wood Pigeon passage. This lingering solid grey cloud and easterly airflow is not encouraging anything to move at all in the mornings, well not here anyway.

Brambling

I couldn't get out this morning so spent a good deal of time vismigging from the back garden.  For the second day in a row a clear dawn soon clouded over...

Looking east, clear sky sandwiched between thick cloud and some low river mist

 

Over 4,600 Wood Pigeons flew south down the valley, with 30 Chaffinch, 15 Goldfinch, 10 Meadow Pipit, 10 Redwing, 6 Siskin, 5 Greenfinch, 5 Pied Wag, 2 Reed Bunting, 2 Skylark, 1 Grey Wag and my first Brambling of the autumn also overhead. 

The Brambling flew over pre-sunrise with four Chaffinch, and am pleased to say my sound recorder (which I am yet to do a blog post about, but promise I will) picked it up.  Unfortunately it also picked up my size tens on our gravel garden as I picked some chives for my egg on toast! However it is thanks to my garnishing-needs that I was outside at the right time so can't complain.

Here is the Brambling, calling soon after my stomping, along with some Chaffinch calls.  There's a nice low pass by two Redwing at the end of this short sound clip too...

 

The Rose-coloured Starling was still about today, seen in Whitford again.  This is where it seems to be spending its time during the day, although it is mostly out of view in private gardens.  Still not seen it again around my house!