Some Wet Stuff

I was so excited to hear rain outside my window this morning that I was out the door whilst it was still dark!  Spring rain has been even rarer than grounded spring migrants this year, so I wanted to make the most of it as I knew it was soon to stop.

Although what I saw hardly constituted a fall, the rain did the trick and I enjoyed a lovely hour on Seaton Beach, stood right down by the shoreline as there was virtually no wind.  Rain in May = waders.  

05:30 - 06:30, with rain for the first twenty minutes and then a constant murk afterwards, I saw: 1 Turnstone, 3 Sanderling, 9 Whimbrel, 14 Oystercatcher and 21 Dunlin.  

The only of these to land were three of the Whimbrel and the three Sanderling, everything else just went straight though.  The Turnstone was really low, and extremely vocal, and the flock of twenty Dunlin were good to watch as they twisted and turned several times in a tight flock close to the shoreline but never dropped in. The 21st Dunlin I never actually saw, could have actually been a quiet flock of 100 for all I knew, but I heard a single bird call a few times so could only record it as one.  Turnstone and Sanderling were both new for the year, for me and the patch I believe.

They managed to sneak in, I never saw them fly in they were just there!

So pleased with this trio, next stop the High Arcitc?

 

Another nice highlight on my return to my car was a new one for me on patch - a singing Black Redstart!  Unfortunately it wasn't a stonking adult male but a dull first-summer, still, hearing that sound took me right back to my 2018 trip to Lisbon where they were constantly singing around me.  I watched it singing from a nearby roof for a minute or two before it dropped off, then I didn't see or hear it again.  

Distant as you can see!

 

 

Five Avocet on Black Hole Marsh were more new arrivals today (joining the one remaining Black-winged Stilt, more about that below), and on the Estuary there was a noticeable increase in Lesser Black-backed Gulls, with 14 amongst a small flock of large gulls.  

Overhead my third patch year tick of the day came late afternoon, with a Hobby over Lower Bruckland Ponds.  Other overhead highlights today were a Red Kite that flew low north over Colyford Common at the same time as three fast-flying Cattle Egrets flew the same direction over the river.  I haven't seen any of the latter on the Axe for almost a month now, so these were presumably new in too.  

Two Egyptian Geese north of the A3052 at Bridge Marsh were probably not new arrivals, although it has been a few weeks since I saw the pair that were frequenting Colyford and Bridge Marsh.  Other hangers on today were two female Wigeon on Seaton Marshes, it's been a good few weeks since I saw my last one here, and that was a male, as well as the second-year Marsh Harrier which has been with us for almost four weeks now.

Marsh Harrier and Island Hide!

So, back to the Stilts.  Friday there was no sign of any Black-winged Stilts all day, with the pair having been with us since Monday.  However on Saturday morning the female reappeared (much to the happiness of birders planning to visit over the weekend), and as I said in the above paragraph, is still with us today.  I found this really odd, not only that she departed then returned, but also that she ditched the male.  My theory is he is no more, taken by either a bird or prey or mammal, which maybe spooked her off, but then having not found anywhere better than Black Hole, she returned?

Last lady standing!

Also from Saturday morning I must mention my first Little Ringed Plover since 26th April, with a very vocal bird right next to the Island Hide on Black Hole Marsh, affording lovely views in the morning light...

Cracking bird - and a late one!

Wish I had exposed the photo correctly though

Looks like we are going back to sunshine after today, which is a massive shame...