tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48549172406373530682024-03-19T04:33:25.877+00:00Axe BirdingSteve Waitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02234938942274343663noreply@blogger.comBlogger1350125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854917240637353068.post-51965279270398130332024-03-01T20:38:00.004+00:002024-03-01T20:40:18.543+00:00Casp Wakes Me Up From Winter Slumber<p style="text-align: justify;">Well if one thing was going to get some life in this blog it was going to be a <b>Caspian Gull</b> wasn't it!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">At the turn of the year I was fully intending to do a full 2023 patch birding review, especially as 2023 was such an epic birding year on the Axe. Certainly my (and the?) best year on the Axe in the last ten or so years. I am still hoping to write it, even if it is for selfish reasons so I can re-live it, but am so proud of how well the Axe patch scored in the 2023 Patchwork Challenge competition.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Anyway, for now, my first decent Gull of the year. It's been a really poor first few months of 2024 on the Axe, low numbers of winter visitors and no rares or even scarce birds really. So I was thrilled to spy this lovely first-winter <b>Caspian Gull</b> out of my office window on the afternoon of 20th Feb...</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1CxVbTxpg0mC3v3y3MGwPT1mmB881zHlmm9j3pskagtexD5nayD0fWl_wMeJVtQ9_pkoEES2cwyMZJBvpVyVt4IuosjofvwM9CsOsFV1x9VlOzPhEd807-gEUeieX93W1hTbB3995pQ0_dxufSFE60zeLQo-ASnzKPA984-6H2vjpyrHTw7guJIoGHKc/s1872/Casp1w.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1008" data-original-width="1872" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1CxVbTxpg0mC3v3y3MGwPT1mmB881zHlmm9j3pskagtexD5nayD0fWl_wMeJVtQ9_pkoEES2cwyMZJBvpVyVt4IuosjofvwM9CsOsFV1x9VlOzPhEd807-gEUeieX93W1hTbB3995pQ0_dxufSFE60zeLQo-ASnzKPA984-6H2vjpyrHTw7guJIoGHKc/w640-h344/Casp1w.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lovely grey mantle and o-so-white!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeCspoVDSRT4KxJuUTmbXMHAJO3lbJc1-D2FmM87Wda9XzG2gMuollU_jbY_qFaNICFctogBgV80o-4VQfsS0uwYf0nPsC84fC5baUVK4VV49qjE7kB8ZDc8yh3_wNctvGhql1NZHa8ZEm0GhVA0KLaSb4-JCq7re_11dDjVhDog-RKk3wERM_nraG6dA/s1302/Casp1wb.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="953" data-original-width="1302" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeCspoVDSRT4KxJuUTmbXMHAJO3lbJc1-D2FmM87Wda9XzG2gMuollU_jbY_qFaNICFctogBgV80o-4VQfsS0uwYf0nPsC84fC5baUVK4VV49qjE7kB8ZDc8yh3_wNctvGhql1NZHa8ZEm0GhVA0KLaSb4-JCq7re_11dDjVhDog-RKk3wERM_nraG6dA/w640-h468/Casp1wb.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great <b>Casp</b>-stance here. Long thin legs and an almost equally long neck! Lots of pale on bill too.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicr_sMSyjyjqHCQCO12tB5j1D-boBNEdhsJGuzu23WXoWGizNA00Fgrd0Y1mrxRxieobTefB2GVgKVXw68NKSpuHkh-R-vvsRrKpueH9leYh21rGX8HzZvewsmeQxSGfYlX3qZNNLbKVawXREu7Em2i5pBUyygEtBwHmFnxT0XCdgrWmZmOGjtYutfEWk/s1398/Casp1wc.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="1398" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicr_sMSyjyjqHCQCO12tB5j1D-boBNEdhsJGuzu23WXoWGizNA00Fgrd0Y1mrxRxieobTefB2GVgKVXw68NKSpuHkh-R-vvsRrKpueH9leYh21rGX8HzZvewsmeQxSGfYlX3qZNNLbKVawXREu7Em2i5pBUyygEtBwHmFnxT0XCdgrWmZmOGjtYutfEWk/w640-h396/Casp1wc.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice flash of its white tail, not to mention showing off some of the plainest greater coverts I have ever seen! Solidly plain dark tertials too.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjroxsVHtXTxg6DXr2RKNjLFtOUQw1-YnUA35hFtnufdKQ3uov-KYP0a0JLx2DAJD6umKhHtBmhg_x8nN2gR3JxCetwTczYvESsouhNpKch4kG8QXSCExjvLKb79fLUQHuylZCQuc7Ge2_iD4FgGAsXt6rUCG5bN2UDgM0kHtDZxO_RW2SRKV_FEOXHUsE/s1548/Casp1wd.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1548" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjroxsVHtXTxg6DXr2RKNjLFtOUQw1-YnUA35hFtnufdKQ3uov-KYP0a0JLx2DAJD6umKhHtBmhg_x8nN2gR3JxCetwTczYvESsouhNpKch4kG8QXSCExjvLKb79fLUQHuylZCQuc7Ge2_iD4FgGAsXt6rUCG5bN2UDgM0kHtDZxO_RW2SRKV_FEOXHUsE/w640-h446/Casp1wd.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo shows how much it stood out from all other first-winter birds in the flock. Such a sleak and pale bird which looked really clean.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><br /></p><p>Hopefully you won't have to wait another two months for the next post... but am sorry if you do!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Steve Waitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02234938942274343663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854917240637353068.post-13927572303588932072023-11-30T17:08:00.018+00:002023-11-30T17:25:51.146+00:00A Calm Seaton Bay<p style="text-align: justify;">I had a bit of a shock when I looked out over a calm Seaton Bay on Tuesday morning... there were birds!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDKPdPysA2q274HV478eDyutWfTvSHIsxjGQFFNDwtoI878a5iPwT1IqPA14_tjySJKgpTVQPH9fbJGrOZ0PxLJCMVeaGO8UaInJH0OvaaMRvPpyHtNmq7MIxrPF8PTGjKlgL35zkvjw0BYv-u1INhulbnl-s2myTDPw01w_TVJrliO4kWS-bg6W183tI/s3826/20231128_082050.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2870" data-original-width="3826" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDKPdPysA2q274HV478eDyutWfTvSHIsxjGQFFNDwtoI878a5iPwT1IqPA14_tjySJKgpTVQPH9fbJGrOZ0PxLJCMVeaGO8UaInJH0OvaaMRvPpyHtNmq7MIxrPF8PTGjKlgL35zkvjw0BYv-u1INhulbnl-s2myTDPw01w_TVJrliO4kWS-bg6W183tI/w640-h480/20231128_082050.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not flat calm but good enough!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">Go back by over a decade or so and Seaton Bay wasn't all that bad for wintering sea birds. Don't get me wrong it was never in the same league as Torbay or Portland Harbour, but it was always worth a look. A double-figure flock of <b>Great Crested Grebes</b> were a constant magnet, and there always used to be a wintering<b> Common Scoter </b>flock off the Harbour which would sometimes attract <b>Velvet Scoter </b>(have managed double-figure counts of this species here before), <b>Long-tailed Duck</b> and <b>Eider</b>. Scarce grebes were pretty much annual, most often <b>Slavs </b>but have seen a few <b>Red </b>and <b>Black-necked</b> too, and there were always good numbers of <b>Red-throated Diver</b> often with a few <b>Great Northern</b>. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">However this is a dim and distant memory now, although it is clearly not just a Seaton thing. You only need to look at how unusual and restricted large <b>Common Scoter </b>flocks have become on the south coast, and as for the scarcer grebes - <b>Slav </b>is almost a county/south west rarity now! Another good example of a similar decline, although neither were ever common here, is <b>Red-breasted Merganser </b>and <b>Goldeneye</b>.<b> </b>Really quite shocking when it is so drastic over such a relatively short period of time.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Anyway back to Tuesday. Half-hour at the Spot On in the morning was brilliant fun. The <b>Wigeon </b>from the Estuary were floating around in small flocks, as they often are when disturbed from the valley, but a young drake <b>Eider </b>was a surprise find tagged on to the end of one of these flocks (my second record of the year). Three <b>Common Scoters</b> were on the sea closer in, with two <b>Great Crested Grebes </b>out towards Seaton Hole and over 40 <b>Razorbills </b>spread all over. <b>Divers </b>were represented by two <b>Red-throats</b> and a lovely close <b>Great Northern</b> feeding well, the latter a species most often seen flying through here so a close settled bird was very much appreciated. On the move were a <b>Dunlin </b>in/off, two <b>Brent Geese</b> east, another seven <b>Red-throated Diver</b> and eight <b>Common Scoter</b> west, as well as a small number of <b>Kittiwake </b>and <b>Gannets </b>flying back and forth presumably feeding.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">So nothing earth shattering and nothing like 'the old days', but enjoyable winter birding nonetheless.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>Steve Waitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02234938942274343663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854917240637353068.post-3918316873536069932023-11-18T22:42:00.012+00:002023-11-18T23:30:44.164+00:00Sea Keeps On Giving<p style="text-align: justify;">Another wet and windy one last night, blowing in for most of the night from the south west. So the sea was yet again calling me when I woke up this morning...<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Conditions were far less dramatic than I was expecting on Seaton Beach at 07:30, quite different to what was forecasted too. Despite a load or rain during the night there was not a drop during my 1.5 hour watch, and although there was an onshore wind from the south west it had dropped in strength and sea conditions, although of course rough, were nowhere near the mighty waves we've seen with the other recent storms. It took about half an hour for the horizon to show though, with a sea mizzle (wasn't a fog or mist so am calling it that!) not clearing until nearly 8am.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjuzqgCiSg2zSCJ-eRWERSrJhZnZ1j-pbSDGA3cIiqCXQtXNNHPUzGrhbH8cAoJIzDGtySrVVW9xs5oF8eLlh2onw8Zasm7GyUJVXu8M-eHuwE1Ki8nsirkc5Lqsj16QbvJjiAyAwK7RJlxOKFMleywQCaJavy7yyjOOu9Kd9QUP2XCAFVyocDUYbAV8w/s3280/20231118_084054.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2373" data-original-width="3280" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjuzqgCiSg2zSCJ-eRWERSrJhZnZ1j-pbSDGA3cIiqCXQtXNNHPUzGrhbH8cAoJIzDGtySrVVW9xs5oF8eLlh2onw8Zasm7GyUJVXu8M-eHuwE1Ki8nsirkc5Lqsj16QbvJjiAyAwK7RJlxOKFMleywQCaJavy7yyjOOu9Kd9QUP2XCAFVyocDUYbAV8w/w640-h464/20231118_084054.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quite pleasant to be honest!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">Despite the slightly tamer conditions it was yet another really good sea watch. It had an 'end of the season' feeling for sure, but I love sea watches that result in a variety of species going into the notebook, and this one had that! </p><p style="text-align: justify;">07:30 - 09:00 at The Spot On revealed (west unless stated): 79 <b>Gannet </b>(flying both ways and feeding), 64 <b>Kittiwake</b>, 22 <b>Common Scoter </b>(1 east), 18 <b>auk sp.</b>, 10 <b>Dunlin</b>, 8 <b>Brent Geese </b>(dark-bellied), 2 <b>Great</b> <b>Northern Diver</b> and singles of <b>Long-tailed Duck</b>, <b>Pintail</b>, <b>Arctic Tern</b>, <b>Red-throated</b> <b>Diver </b>and <b>Turnstone</b>. Also noted one <b>Bottlenose Dolphin</b> - my first here for over a decade! <br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The <b>Arctic Tern</b> was brilliant, and not expected on this late date at all - my latest ever tern in the UK excluding the few over-wintering <b>Sandwich Terns </b>I've seen. Although it has been a brilliant year for sea watching on patch, I haven't done well with <b>terns </b>seeing just <b>Sandwich </b>and one pair of <b>Common Terns</b> all year. I had accepted this as my tern-fate for 2023, but at 08:15 the lovely sight of a delicate tern appeared to the east, and as it passed by I could see on plumage it was a first-winter <b>Arctic</b>, not to mention its wonderful buoyant flight. Just about managed some video of it too...</p><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="365" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qmBaWZG-IL0?si=uThgzDIwC330ccbd" title="YouTube video player" width="660"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The rarest bird of the watch was of course the <b>Long-tailed Duck</b>, however it was so nearly 'one that got away' in more ways than one! I was so distracted videoing and watching the <b>Arctic Tern</b> that I hadn't been scanning the waves for several minutes, and as soon as my eye went back onto my scope aimed towards the horizon, a flock of five birds came though. First one was an <b>auk sp.</b>, with three <b>Common Scoter</b> but at the back was a smaller paler duck.... oh crap! And ten seconds later it was gone around the corner... </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I knew what it was on shape and structure, just didn't have the confidence to call it due to lack of plumage detail and time on it. I alerted others there was an interesting 'small duck' on the way west with 3 <b>Common Scoter</b>, and put the following message on the local sea watching WhatsApp group - only included here so you can see what I was thinking...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK0cppFCi3glP7jhMrfo6hVgJ0z5NFyrQ8UUUpwdi247RlkLm7IEQWbzkTmL53-uuTSPwXoeF-Ir6AyDu-ROrPgRg3CiXhmb1vbadjN1OZcNVmobDbld1j_ZGAuwywJrAqRozokjFeRmZbDYSuz52ac2ZJ1XUN_2ZbfDYAPRj5U1sOelTv6dFNucme1PY/s973/SmartSelect_20231118_141829_WhatsApp.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="921" data-original-width="973" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK0cppFCi3glP7jhMrfo6hVgJ0z5NFyrQ8UUUpwdi247RlkLm7IEQWbzkTmL53-uuTSPwXoeF-Ir6AyDu-ROrPgRg3CiXhmb1vbadjN1OZcNVmobDbld1j_ZGAuwywJrAqRozokjFeRmZbDYSuz52ac2ZJ1XUN_2ZbfDYAPRj5U1sOelTv6dFNucme1PY/w400-h379/SmartSelect_20231118_141829_WhatsApp.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">Then at about 09:10 I received a wonderful message from Mark B that read...</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"<i>Paul d hopes nose 908am long-tailed duck with 3 common scoter</i>".</p><p style="text-align: justify;">As I already knew what it was, that was all I needed to cement the record. However I thought I would do some time calculations just to see if the timings fit. I saw it at 08:18 and Dan had it fly west past Sidmouth at 09:31. So as you can see from this map, that is just over 7 miles in 13 minutes...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfMTGO_PQazYcMiud5CMnYDY1_unPeglzVatBrRXY-ppx4a5e-S12V8DsKhy_rmSSsdZmsH7clCKtkkJR1GyHKRn7VaMjFAYarxxBfTKCPDSKL4CdMIGvAeJy8zLwV2qR4t55XH76kEyQYrXO4bPq6tlAWw-dP3a0Lj8Qtup4M1qIT1wayz86DavpNqI4/s1007/SmartSelect_20231118_100157_Samsung%20Internet.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1007" height="381" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfMTGO_PQazYcMiud5CMnYDY1_unPeglzVatBrRXY-ppx4a5e-S12V8DsKhy_rmSSsdZmsH7clCKtkkJR1GyHKRn7VaMjFAYarxxBfTKCPDSKL4CdMIGvAeJy8zLwV2qR4t55XH76kEyQYrXO4bPq6tlAWw-dP3a0Lj8Qtup4M1qIT1wayz86DavpNqI4/w400-h381/SmartSelect_20231118_100157_Samsung%20Internet.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Some calculator-cleverness tells me it was flying at about 32 mph. So let's see how far Hope's Nose is from Seaton, for a duck who is following the coast...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyJsPEnOIeg043sEBmoG29t3CvXdmlUXoYx9JEHH_mDYV5fcPt9mQGMBSitrVIu__d3rWKxTXa75Fa_EjO4V9Tz147HGyxOw2C1tTUquOYz99yMCUJ_V6UuP4E5X2LpAT1tP1PPwbSHJzK6QekmyTussT7R4BEegAv8H-R_3dCe43h-GEHAX5U_vr0pFw/s1029/SmartSelect_20231118_100305_Samsung%20Internet.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="959" data-original-width="1029" height="373" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyJsPEnOIeg043sEBmoG29t3CvXdmlUXoYx9JEHH_mDYV5fcPt9mQGMBSitrVIu__d3rWKxTXa75Fa_EjO4V9Tz147HGyxOw2C1tTUquOYz99yMCUJ_V6UuP4E5X2LpAT1tP1PPwbSHJzK6QekmyTussT7R4BEegAv8H-R_3dCe43h-GEHAX5U_vr0pFw/w400-h373/SmartSelect_20231118_100305_Samsung%20Internet.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">If my calculations are correct, which they may not be, I would say a <b>Long-tailed Duck</b> passing Seaton at 08:18 flying at 32mph would reach Hope's Nose approximately 49 minutes later (according to an online speed calculator).</p><p style="text-align: justify;">08:18 + 49 minutes = 09:07. Seriously!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Honestly I didn't need this calculation to have this <b>Long-tailed Duck</b> (which is my first here since 26th March 2021) but the fact it passed Hope's Nose almost on the dot is just brilliant! Am so pleased Paul D decided to sea watch at Hope's Nose this morning.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Other notables during the watch listed above include the female <b>Pintail </b>that flew close west past me at 07:48, then went past Dan at Sidmouth at 08:05 (slow for a duck!), the <b>Turnstone </b>which is a decent November bird for the patch and it's always good to see a flock of <b>Brents </b>over the sea. The <b>Kittiwakes</b> weren't coming through in close tight flocks like the sea watch last week, but dripping by in two's and three's mostly at distance. <br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I keep expecting each of the last few sea watches to be the last one of the year. Can't help but feel the same considering the date today, but am really hoping it isn't...<br /></p>Steve Waitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02234938942274343663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854917240637353068.post-28846352745309779922023-11-12T19:19:00.010+00:002023-11-12T19:43:36.327+00:00Vis Mig and Wood Pigeon Count <p style="text-align: justify;">We've had three really nice mornings during the last week that have seen a heavy passage of <b>Wood Pigeons</b> fly west. I didn't have any time to stand and count on two of the days (5th & 11th - both great days) but on 6th I did...</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I spent 07:30 - 08:30 at Cliff Field Gardens in Seaton, my chosen Patchwork Challenge patch vis mig spot. It is dreadful to be honest, although higher in altitude than the town and beach, the site is still far lower than Axe Cliff to the east and Seaton Hole/Beer Head to the west. There isn't a view inland, although the view of the bay is really nice, but worst of all it is just too noisy with the constant sound of crashing waves to the south and traffic noise along Beer Road to the north. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiS8He8P5a_BkfjpUd_yAOCxlhTmuWJmDqIe2z8Kmc_J2wlCTuJtD4bd8wZNwem5O4O4oVBj4H2zjRCK8ygZjVvhxQoX_7ciDRo0fkEFtzxTA2A5ljKj9tZew5-VEogj0hWUWZR38iBjDHcLWP6nT8JbGyCl0teWgGc78NluOaDwJN3K9rgrKiwtM2Q2e8" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1273" data-original-width="969" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiS8He8P5a_BkfjpUd_yAOCxlhTmuWJmDqIe2z8Kmc_J2wlCTuJtD4bd8wZNwem5O4O4oVBj4H2zjRCK8ygZjVvhxQoX_7ciDRo0fkEFtzxTA2A5ljKj9tZew5-VEogj0hWUWZR38iBjDHcLWP6nT8JbGyCl0teWgGc78NluOaDwJN3K9rgrKiwtM2Q2e8=w488-h640" width="488" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The blue arrow is pointing at Cliff Field Gardens. Including this spot for vis mig was the only reason for that narrow extension of my Patchwork Challenge patch west along the coast.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Last time I tried watching from here the passerines were mostly too high to hear/identify, however during this watch they were much lower, presumably due to the northerly wind. The following went into my notebook during the hour:</p><p style="text-align: justify;">17,400 <b>Wood Pigeon</b>, 330 <b>Chaffinch </b>(some lovely flocks of up to 30 birds), 130 <b>Starling</b>, 65 <b>Jackdaw</b>, 40+ <b>Stock Dove</b>, 30 <b>Goldfinch</b>, 25 <b>Linnet</b>, 12 <b>Siskin</b>, 3 <b>Brambling</b>, 1 <b>Redpoll</b>, 1 <b>Redwing</b>, 1 <b>Reed Bunting</b>, 1 <b>Great Northern Diver </b>and 1 <b>small goose sp.</b> in/off (presumably a <b>Brent</b> but always in bad light).</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Hopefully the video gives you a flavour of the <b>Wood Pigeon</b> passage, with all the biggest flocks out over the sea... </p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="375" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZgtcQwdkyo4?si=oewhoElxJiFPMn_9" title="YouTube video player" width="660"></iframe>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">And now the moment you've all been waiting for... the result of my <a href="https://stevesbirdingblog.blogspot.com/2023/11/count-wood-pigeons.html" target="_blank">Count the Wood Pigeons</a> post!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Despite almost 200 post views I have only had five guesses, so many thanks to those brave enough to offer their opinions! The guesses ranged from 550 to 1500. The average of all guesses comes in at 914, with the mid-point (middle point between highest and lowest guess) at 1,025. This is pleasingly close to the figure that went into my notebook when I saw the flock in the field, a simple '<b><i>1k</i></b>'. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Here is the (poor quality!) video again...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='495' height='411' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dynz6mqNE2B1-3RmQahXaA56vZJbEkNw_p02XK7ebPom38n2ZFSze-rb5hxWSamk1nZMVG31DMIqZxbAMax9g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">And here is that video in three stills. I have counted from the front of the flock just as I would in the field, but probably missed a few birds between capturing frames...</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHBhyD-qSLzVrRPbD69Npsc-FJX1zyPVhrhtqgJEZOnlFjxaQksQEnwPV32wXXEnmbrR_kLjnBpUs8bLSmCrFAArB7hdy279eKXpvMNY7CfH4GbpbMV2AvhXOuCIWnrlZ2Y9HcUMMc0UzuD6NIha7AgJAhL5_jGd6cjgofss267B6YjD7283mD3XWD120/s1920/Pigeon-count-1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHBhyD-qSLzVrRPbD69Npsc-FJX1zyPVhrhtqgJEZOnlFjxaQksQEnwPV32wXXEnmbrR_kLjnBpUs8bLSmCrFAArB7hdy279eKXpvMNY7CfH4GbpbMV2AvhXOuCIWnrlZ2Y9HcUMMc0UzuD6NIha7AgJAhL5_jGd6cjgofss267B6YjD7283mD3XWD120/w640-h360/Pigeon-count-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just under 500 in the first frame!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd-3VqBxKyWqVGkXlR-h7cdLYyPi5DErBdVLbznCEEgq6hItyGVT19sUVG9CM_WkhkO6HElVVBSnh7wFJuNITKlC-P3aeNExOUXjIJtFSCIQOJwZSCtmL2F5UoJEaq647ct-9WORQqAHT2R-A_CEnqGrrmC3yhVLUHtRLZ_9Rb-3vy0jLhvDrSal5gJIQ/s1920/Pigeon-count-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd-3VqBxKyWqVGkXlR-h7cdLYyPi5DErBdVLbznCEEgq6hItyGVT19sUVG9CM_WkhkO6HElVVBSnh7wFJuNITKlC-P3aeNExOUXjIJtFSCIQOJwZSCtmL2F5UoJEaq647ct-9WORQqAHT2R-A_CEnqGrrmC3yhVLUHtRLZ_9Rb-3vy0jLhvDrSal5gJIQ/w640-h360/Pigeon-count-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">500 in the second frame!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh3u6xN8EaZ45PPIXgm1j7H3rQv_JDOMQziY-8yfMqfz9jeH-VIPwOVAbsypVgwq-XVS5lqFRUp3x1Ird95EosBfbDvN3XmuEu8jE4-vkxGGArTpUcd633ZfAeI7i63tiPviXidNmqlLYj8hMOE8ah_VPqrL6YgCkOPsyNtFV27u1OH9P_bcEIgolFdX8/s1920/Pigeon-count-3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh3u6xN8EaZ45PPIXgm1j7H3rQv_JDOMQziY-8yfMqfz9jeH-VIPwOVAbsypVgwq-XVS5lqFRUp3x1Ird95EosBfbDvN3XmuEu8jE4-vkxGGArTpUcd633ZfAeI7i63tiPviXidNmqlLYj8hMOE8ah_VPqrL6YgCkOPsyNtFV27u1OH9P_bcEIgolFdX8/w640-h360/Pigeon-count-3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And an odd 82 following on from the last few from the final block of 100 in the third frame.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">So the answer is (give or take the odd one) <b>1,082! </b>Well done Nick Page for being the closest, matching my in-field estimation of 1,000.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Another storm is coming through in the morning, but I've probably only got time for a beach walk or two so hopefully that will reveal something.</p><p></p>Steve Waitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02234938942274343663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854917240637353068.post-41947614288230909542023-11-08T18:03:00.004+00:002023-11-08T18:10:05.931+00:00More Super Seaton Seawatching!<p style="text-align: justify;">If you've come back looking for the answer to yesterday's '<a href="https://stevesbirdingblog.blogspot.com/2023/11/count-wood-pigeons.html" target="_blank">count the Pigeon</a>' post, you'll have to check back again sometime because this morning I had a thoroughly enjoyable hour long sea watch that I just have to blog about!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Yet another wet weather front arriving from the south west came sweeping through this morning, another fairly rapid one too as it was calm and clear when I went to bed last night and the wind had died right off again by 10am this morning. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I only had time for an hours sea watch, from 07:30, and for much of that the visibility was seriously hampered by rain and murk. However birds were always passing and it was really hard to pull myself away. The following went in my notebook, all west:<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">174 <b>Kittiwake</b>, 16 <b>Gannet</b>, 13 <b>Common Scoter</b>, 6 <b>Brent Geese </b>(two three's), 2 <b>Dunlin </b>and singles of <b>Pomarine Skua </b>(juv at 08:15), <b>skua sp</b>. (sub-adult either <b>Arctic</b> or <b>Pom</b> at 08:00), <b>auk sp.</b> and <b>small wader sp.</b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxIuVrOE7ZwBofRQSocR4spsWtz5j4BCCmWtwDpDGPdls9qE0ZGkFZhjkIuUUBXjg4NAFp2G4OrJAI2uhUx-4_u-LzChVZG9CvMSzHjGZfwgtxFLGv8grHEgP1YdtmcmzXBVwb2FD9WF6KANq1L2ZDsFX5obEIrD7uL8UssWn8Q4RZHd5lTVDKXwhT_7s/s1806/Brents.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1806" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxIuVrOE7ZwBofRQSocR4spsWtz5j4BCCmWtwDpDGPdls9qE0ZGkFZhjkIuUUBXjg4NAFp2G4OrJAI2uhUx-4_u-LzChVZG9CvMSzHjGZfwgtxFLGv8grHEgP1YdtmcmzXBVwb2FD9WF6KANq1L2ZDsFX5obEIrD7uL8UssWn8Q4RZHd5lTVDKXwhT_7s/w640-h382/Brents.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first three <b>Brents </b>which quickly headed out</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b></b><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbyXUGQXRXNcn5wXhNuZNVlC3wV2UjGXrOezvzOD3PwZxliterUGiiBS_i5KbvRmYChyphenhyphenQhp3FVwUnXsiLZadpAZYQybj93Uvg-r1WDFUEPyQBGwbXx-ujM5GjnD1E9dFjpgT6jQoriUE-2j6pms78StNxFGcCfkUTug-gxy77pSfEWI1W7n-ylc9NzGTo/s1500/Brents2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="932" data-original-width="1500" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbyXUGQXRXNcn5wXhNuZNVlC3wV2UjGXrOezvzOD3PwZxliterUGiiBS_i5KbvRmYChyphenhyphenQhp3FVwUnXsiLZadpAZYQybj93Uvg-r1WDFUEPyQBGwbXx-ujM5GjnD1E9dFjpgT6jQoriUE-2j6pms78StNxFGcCfkUTug-gxy77pSfEWI1W7n-ylc9NzGTo/w640-h398/Brents2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two of the next three <b>Brents</b> which were a bit closer<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The huge highlight, literally, was my fourth species of skua for the year! I was feeling a bit deflated as the <b>skua sp.</b> that came through at 8am, a pale-phased sub-adult, passed during a period of heavy rain out in the murk, spending as much time behind the waves as it did over them so I just couldn't clinch it. But at 08:15, closer in another skua came into view low over the waves, it then gained height to beat up a <b>Kittiwake</b>, before dropping back down low to the sea and continued flying west. A lovely pale juvenile <b>Pom Skua</b>, really cold toned with a pale rump and head and striking double-white underwing flash. For a split-second after I first spotted it my brain started at <b>Bonxie </b>before I zoomed in and saw the pale and realised it wasn't quite <i>that </i>big - never ever had that with an <b>Arctic</b>! </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The <b>Kittiwakes </b>were great value today. We rarely get a decent passage off here, and when we do they are usually distant. This morning they were coming through mostly mid-distance low to the sea, sometimes in really tight flocks but other flocks were more spread out - the biggest being of 32 birds. Mostly adult birds with about 10% of the flocks being juvs. Gave me hope for a <b>Little </b>or <b>Sabine's </b>to come through with them, but wasn't to be.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The <b>small wader sp.</b> was a bit annoying, as it could well have been a<b> Grey Phalarope</b>. A bit like the <b>skua sp.</b> it came through during a period of heavy rain and I only glimpsed it on three brief occasions as it flew west low over the sea, but everything looked right for this species. Never mind, one for another day maybe!?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">A walk along the beach at lunchtime hoping for something left behind showed nothing in the surf, however a flock of 30 <b>Common Scoter</b> flew west just at the time I was looking out towards the horizon. <br /></p>Steve Waitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02234938942274343663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854917240637353068.post-58246412907891217102023-11-07T07:33:00.007+00:002023-11-07T15:55:04.038+00:00Count the Wood Pigeons<p style="text-align: justify;">These few days of clearer, calmer and slightly cooler weather have provided the perfect opportunity for <b>Wood Pigeons</b> to migrate along the south coast, in numbers. Always an incredible spectacle to witness.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Yesterday morning (6th) I enjoyed a terrific hour of vis migging from Cliff Field Gardens, which I will post about in greater detail soon enough. However in the meantime, take a look at this video...<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='495' height='411' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyjJXshKvsE1oABEE2cIZZUryJDLpGO8ZLR9Sql-uWcnr9OFyDjdu52gVS_Ht969m9lxbfkW1oN6Ir1P1FW-Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The video shows one of the flocks of <b>Wood Pigeons </b>that came past me heading west during my watch. And I am intrigued to know how many birds <i>you </i>think are in this flock? <br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Counting large flocks of birds is always a great challenge, especially when they are flying through quickly and when there are several flocks passing at the same time, all in different directions and at different distances. And flocks of all different shapes too!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">As vis miggers and sea watchers will know, it can get a quite frantic and almost overwhelming at times, so I cannot recommend enough honing your flock-counting skills. Saves valuable time getting a semi-accurate count at a glance.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Try not to pause the video, just watch it through in one go, although feel free to watch it a few times as you'd usually get that chance in the field. Probably best to make the video full screen for ease, sorry the quality isn't great.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Answers in the comments or via Twitter please, don't be shy. However if you aren't confident enough to announce your best guess, I hope you still think of one and check back here in a few days time for the answer! <br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>Steve Waitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02234938942274343663noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854917240637353068.post-7762299740970899422023-11-05T19:15:00.011+00:002023-11-05T19:26:32.713+00:00A Tale of Two Storms<p style="text-align: justify;">I would like to thank the author of the <a href="https://dawlishwarren.blogspot.com/">Dawlish Warren Blog</a> for the following line, which was posted on the eve of Thursday 2nd. I couldn't have put it better myself...</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>"Storm Ciaran blew through overnight and took all the birds with it".</i></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The southerly element of the storm came through during the hours of darkness, and a couple of hours before dawn the eye of the storm passed and the wind switched to a north westerly. I knew this epic storm wasn't going to produce a lot of birds but did hope it would leave something interesting behind, but nothing at all here! Lots of big waves though despite the wind direction at daybreak, and plenty of flooding which caused a fair bit of damage in Seaton. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMiYzonHPBMLofE_YECXuqDMsbgdwvU6cDZJSwC1hkFYMflWrQBjZt_Xp6vtnqAZHu8Hyz1plISRVk1XID4Z1Aarh2Y-N2OaD3U19sKvief8Xj6UlwGDz4DB44SUtimD7qkP5WrmcdzIXd-rF1_Xbr2uCctJ6_ZQI9y1KDpUaz3kPiCkPQ_ql6UNGTBrk/s4000/20231102_065622.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMiYzonHPBMLofE_YECXuqDMsbgdwvU6cDZJSwC1hkFYMflWrQBjZt_Xp6vtnqAZHu8Hyz1plISRVk1XID4Z1Aarh2Y-N2OaD3U19sKvief8Xj6UlwGDz4DB44SUtimD7qkP5WrmcdzIXd-rF1_Xbr2uCctJ6_ZQI9y1KDpUaz3kPiCkPQ_ql6UNGTBrk/w640-h480/20231102_065622.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking west along Seaton Beach</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhey1AWyfrFglLpeXZEiB7azErdwMANt_-oMwwY_TqWKggiq5dLmLx-Hp6egJcwWCWIFaOg_WamfgkwtBo9z-CMIDOziCV78nAhx01sDvGIRBZY6Ts67YeYbKU51gAkO_PzSnNEHjMNPjW0eRj1kowPa2w6k3bKSjgOHANX8Sc3YZIg7-BIpcQ4TOF67N4/w640-h480/20231104_162431.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The road behind the sea front a couple of days after Ciaran</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhey1AWyfrFglLpeXZEiB7azErdwMANt_-oMwwY_TqWKggiq5dLmLx-Hp6egJcwWCWIFaOg_WamfgkwtBo9z-CMIDOziCV78nAhx01sDvGIRBZY6Ts67YeYbKU51gAkO_PzSnNEHjMNPjW0eRj1kowPa2w6k3bKSjgOHANX8Sc3YZIg7-BIpcQ4TOF67N4/s4000/20231104_162431.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoZSYf9WvHxvyTlPSDXAH4kT2X1dLL0x-OaoaL9tH8wMpN33bCzT14zQ4jygjSp5PZPdvFunr6eEEieIEKjQuijoZtIYQI3nxq25HEAezoFKaNnzS6AhqwmKEDmdLyCZDDy4dfJiG6_BokIQ-KWIyy5BGGkMAL9KmLPCAM0aR7Jtf6B9UW-j3Yr1rzVCM/s4000/20231102_074416.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoZSYf9WvHxvyTlPSDXAH4kT2X1dLL0x-OaoaL9tH8wMpN33bCzT14zQ4jygjSp5PZPdvFunr6eEEieIEKjQuijoZtIYQI3nxq25HEAezoFKaNnzS6AhqwmKEDmdLyCZDDy4dfJiG6_BokIQ-KWIyy5BGGkMAL9KmLPCAM0aR7Jtf6B9UW-j3Yr1rzVCM/w640-h480/20231102_074416.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was an hour before hide tide on Thursday so a lot more destruction still to come.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">The mind boggles at how much more severe the damage would have been if the wind stayed southerly for a few more hours, or if this storm came during the larger tides of the previous weekend. We dodged a bullet I think, but we will not keep dodging them.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I did sea watch 06:45 - 08:00, then checked the very flooded valley. Literally nothing of note to report. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Later on in the day storm-driven sea birds, mostly <b>Leach's Petrels</b>, were being reported from sites mostly east of the Isle of Wight. By the end of the day several places reported three-figure <b>Petrel </b>counts, and it is clear to see from the track of the storm why. Storm Ciaran followed the black line in the below map and that is exactly where the seabirds were pushed too, hitting land just east of the Isle of Wight where they then carried on flying/being pushed east...</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOSvG0qbamaRJ9-J4QKVyB6y_hY9coBW1AsBwMhoTls_1Oy-i8nBwfL2cjA1NAwvZdeL2TpoVFwzRm_Pk9agZsisUTdMlIFbzwa6PC2zMu1URcqzWEWSbwcDaGdTxgyIRSt12TVvoqw5tToC5DEQM5vSk8mSawZBa4yD9hlg2o5nuB4ZzabWS7HyFpAlk/s4096/F-CKz5yWMAAWRkM.jpg.9d90c37931fc36ff903f70bf7e1726e6.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3841" data-original-width="4096" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOSvG0qbamaRJ9-J4QKVyB6y_hY9coBW1AsBwMhoTls_1Oy-i8nBwfL2cjA1NAwvZdeL2TpoVFwzRm_Pk9agZsisUTdMlIFbzwa6PC2zMu1URcqzWEWSbwcDaGdTxgyIRSt12TVvoqw5tToC5DEQM5vSk8mSawZBa4yD9hlg2o5nuB4ZzabWS7HyFpAlk/w640-h600/F-CKz5yWMAAWRkM.jpg.9d90c37931fc36ff903f70bf7e1726e6.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks to @danholley_ for this image</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">So Ciaran came and went and underwhelmed, but I could see in the forecast something else on its way. Due to make landfall on Saturday morning, a blustery southerly with lots and lots of rain expected to clear within an hour of dawn. I could just see what was going to happen... </p><p style="text-align: justify;">During Friday all the places that had seen the <b>Leach's</b> and <b>Euro Stormies</b> fly east on Thursday reported several flying back west. The birds had a nice calm day and the first half of Friday night to fly west in an attempt to reorientate, and my thinking was they'd then get trapped by this fast moving very wet front forcing the already tired and battered sea birds up into Lyme Bay. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">So me and my high expectations were on Seaton seafront 6:50 - 08:30 on the morning of Saturday 4th... and I was wrong. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Seven <b>Skylark </b>low west over the waves were the only birds smaller than a <b>Black-headed Gull</b> over the sea. It wasn't a bird-less sea watch, just highlight-less one with no obvious storm-driven sea birds evident. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The following went into my notebook (all west): 15 <b>Brent Geese</b> (all dark-bellied, flocks of 7, 2 and 6), 8 <b>Common Scoter</b>, 3 <b>Kittiwake</b>, 2 <b>Med Gull</b>, 1 <b>Great Crested Grebe</b> and several <b>Gannets</b>. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">All a bit disappointing to be honest. I was really feeling like my hopes of a patch <b>Leach's Petrel,</b> a bird I haven't seen here (or anywhere) since 29th November 2009 were fading, yet again. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">However, as the day went on, and whilst I was off enjoying some family-time at Budleigh Salterton, it became apparent my predication was at least semi-correct, I was just six hours out! From late morning onwards <b>Leach's Petrels </b>were being seen in Chesil Cove and off Portland Bill. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">We were back home at about 3pm and didn't really know what to do next. The only thing I did know was that Harry was hungry and I was feeling ornithologically frustrated, so... </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Shortly after 3:30pm Harry and I settled down for a picnic on Seaton Beach, as you do on a windy November day with frequent rain showers! Harry had a fully stocked lunchbox and I had my telescope...</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcnIdkCS0ZX9IJNFSLJOK2wJLYdVPNgSJHdpDT6jL-Q1FlOtjgiNRRGydOQ6t2DuyFZudhazG4pXu_UnCNmrOG0muh2ZOI-17iFYgLt16asxuz6CoOoqOoUcp6ek2JWqVhApPbUblAbLBGsxvFhuOYcbhvfiH8LL0crh7liWiejBW7DFdAubO-xZ1Q9b8/s4000/20231104_153503.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcnIdkCS0ZX9IJNFSLJOK2wJLYdVPNgSJHdpDT6jL-Q1FlOtjgiNRRGydOQ6t2DuyFZudhazG4pXu_UnCNmrOG0muh2ZOI-17iFYgLt16asxuz6CoOoqOoUcp6ek2JWqVhApPbUblAbLBGsxvFhuOYcbhvfiH8LL0crh7liWiejBW7DFdAubO-xZ1Q9b8/w640-h480/20231104_153503.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunchtime!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">I knew I had as long as it would take for Harry to eat his lunch, but it turned out I didn't need that long at all!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">During my second scan, over a lovely pale-coloured and far less rough sea, there was a <b>Leach's Petrel</b>! Mid-distance so the views were really nice as it slowly made it's way west, not in any hurry at all. I enjoyed great views of its upper side in particular, the grey carpal bar really standing out its otherwise dark upper wing, and could even make out the tail-fork and white in the rump! Having not seen a <b>Leach's</b> for so many years but plenty of <b>Euro Stormies</b> in that time, I think this made the overall shape and flight-style even more striking. It always looked in complete control, cutting through the air above the waves with ease and grace, unlike a <b>Euro </b>which I always think look like they are frantically flapping to remain airborne! </p><p style="text-align: justify;">After a minute of good views I lost it as it dropped into a trough between waves and I just couldn't pick it up again. I used this time to message out the news, checked in with Harry who had just polished off his yoghurt, then went back to the scope. Just under five minutes later, it or another<b> Leach's Petrel</b> came into view. This was on the same line out from me but at a much greater distance. I couldn't pick up any plumage features on this bird, it was just a dark <b>Leach's Petrel-</b>shaped bird, flying like a <b>Leach's Petrel</b>, distantly low over the sea. From as soon as I picked it up it seemed to be flying out slightly south and I lost it about thirty seconds later. It could easily have been the same bird as the first so I will be recording it officially as '1+', but I guess it could just have easily been a second bird (which is how BirdGuides reported it!?).</p><p style="text-align: justify;">About ten minutes later lunch was finished, which coincided perfectly with the arrival of a nasty squall, so we packed up and headed off. It was probably one of the best picnics I have ever been on, even though I didn't eat anything! </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicrhG0fq2QJjC52kJTa_5Iv3wbCsIhcQqmcjEj2TlSsk2LAqOamZnCOUlBKz06gv6GHPOxlu4qaKb0_XB8WJ_sYibyIdBVcP2OaMufcdZzYnxu62mbZs_qbQJRSD7JVRlF__gjr6a0grKH3UbXjbal7ujD-s8KuM7a3T_Ejkv4mbr-be4mtd09sdAP3rM/s2736/1000048323.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="2736" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicrhG0fq2QJjC52kJTa_5Iv3wbCsIhcQqmcjEj2TlSsk2LAqOamZnCOUlBKz06gv6GHPOxlu4qaKb0_XB8WJ_sYibyIdBVcP2OaMufcdZzYnxu62mbZs_qbQJRSD7JVRlF__gjr6a0grKH3UbXjbal7ujD-s8KuM7a3T_Ejkv4mbr-be4mtd09sdAP3rM/w640-h640/1000048323.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A happy birder and a six year old with a full tummy!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">This just proves to me that that you really do make your own luck. 4th Nov 2023 could so easily have gone down as yet another disappointing day of sea watching off Seaton, were it not for this fifteen minute window that I managed to snatch. A terrfic and highly satisfying result - my best ever <b>Leach's Petrel</b> views on patch! </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>Steve Waitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02234938942274343663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854917240637353068.post-14517313745878764462023-11-01T22:36:00.008+00:002023-11-01T22:37:43.922+00:00Here Comes Ciaran! <p style="text-align: justify;">As I write this I can see and hear Storm Ciaran taking hold outside. It is going to whip through really quickly overnight and by dawn will be a north westerly but there's got to be chance of sea birds lingering in the bay for daybreak. I'll be trying that is for sure - I've not seen a <b>Leach's Petrel</b> on patch for over ten years!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The reason I wanted to blog was because I had a lovely morning of vis migging on Monday morning. The skies were mostly blue, very little wind and from before dawn <b>Wood Pigeons </b>were moving west along the coast - with more flying south down the valley to join the westward route. Plenty of <b>Stock Doves</b> mixed in too, as well as several flocks of <b>Jackdaws </b>and <b>Starlings</b>. 10,700 <b>Wood Pigeons </b>was my final count for the morning.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxK5NDo_US1HB2m5N3Oe1UH2ZMniqXXxod2IBTLJRJdNpLiDIIFX8h77qSowKRCXRUe2ubCALytdu-XuK3a92pJMRmE_Ykv__zDNE1xAPsQ2OIxM5ogKsKnnsD3qO3znkbQAj9P98oGSxkt6Nn3VoTU8mSSK2q24Tl_ju0n3dCNl3Ll1_lQjqT-kmhOcg/s4000/20231031_073955.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxK5NDo_US1HB2m5N3Oe1UH2ZMniqXXxod2IBTLJRJdNpLiDIIFX8h77qSowKRCXRUe2ubCALytdu-XuK3a92pJMRmE_Ykv__zDNE1xAPsQ2OIxM5ogKsKnnsD3qO3znkbQAj9P98oGSxkt6Nn3VoTU8mSSK2q24Tl_ju0n3dCNl3Ll1_lQjqT-kmhOcg/w640-h480/20231031_073955.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Wood Pigeons </b>looking cool!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdksBz1GNX9_A83vgxl4ncjNNAmQ2_ekdFRFuFcuM-cmjbTwkc9b0wSRi0ySC-E1QNgDD2AFRIE6pzLPULkhJ5LRs_Hpt2L5YGwqfwsXecOJ3-VrMvvTyfrc00raO8hUSUQdEC8D56M9BQyO8m_48KvBqXlW3Ln8xR8fQUMGJH2qmRKnkhXlA9yrOEpY8/s1440/VideoCapture_20231031-114712.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdksBz1GNX9_A83vgxl4ncjNNAmQ2_ekdFRFuFcuM-cmjbTwkc9b0wSRi0ySC-E1QNgDD2AFRIE6pzLPULkhJ5LRs_Hpt2L5YGwqfwsXecOJ3-VrMvvTyfrc00raO8hUSUQdEC8D56M9BQyO8m_48KvBqXlW3Ln8xR8fQUMGJH2qmRKnkhXlA9yrOEpY8/w640-h480/VideoCapture_20231031-114712.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A distant flock passing Seaton Clock Tower</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">The downside of vis migging in Seaton is that it doesn't have the elevation. I would usually head to Axe Cliff to vis mig at this time of year in these weather conditions, but I wanted to stay within my Patchwork Challenge patch hoping to add some species to the list. However any passerine hopes were quickly dashed with all the small dots too high to hear, flying west. Out of the small percentage that were low enough to ID, three were <b>Bullfinch</b> which was a nice sight flying west together. But no hoped for <b>Brambling</b>, <b>Woodlark</b>, <b>Crossbill</b>, et al.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The day improved even more during my lunch break, as I stumbled upon my first <b>Black Redstart </b>of the autumn - a stunning (presumed) adult male! </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiym-2JYxeACmIuwe2sh4nqOde8eTL3dK1BQ6-sKI3BqpeRw5y3Rcfb4oifyGbcgyCGOv5CKmwufuzSAM9dKiF-7nMMpbfbho56-E7z6lovYrL5o4xcyQSAo-JLYqZg57T8YCXwHRSORirzus7PZhMvjU7tV_5OUzPUX_oq-Os3txnRb7Vfhhu84gmVlks/s4000/20231031_142634.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiym-2JYxeACmIuwe2sh4nqOde8eTL3dK1BQ6-sKI3BqpeRw5y3Rcfb4oifyGbcgyCGOv5CKmwufuzSAM9dKiF-7nMMpbfbho56-E7z6lovYrL5o4xcyQSAo-JLYqZg57T8YCXwHRSORirzus7PZhMvjU7tV_5OUzPUX_oq-Os3txnRb7Vfhhu84gmVlks/w640-h480/20231031_142634.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Took this with just my phone camera! No optical assistance at all.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Wish me luck for the morning...</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>Steve Waitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02234938942274343663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854917240637353068.post-31008547394862049892023-10-29T21:52:00.005+00:002023-10-30T10:16:22.328+00:00The Casps keep coming and so does the rain! <p style="text-align: justify;">Nicely following on from my last but one <a href="http://stevesbirdingblog.blogspot.com/2023/10/caspian-gull-influx.html" target="_blank">blog post</a> a brief look at the Estuary gulls eary afternoon on 28th revealed... a first-winter <b>Caspian Gull</b>.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I watched it briefly over and in the water from Coronation Corner, but it slipped off just before Clive arrived. Thankfully when I changed position I could see it again, it had landed just around the corner up river. Photos are beyond dreadful but I could see it was a new first-winter <b>Caspian Gull</b> for me. Not as lumpy as the previous two and more advanced in first-winter plumage, stonking white-head too...</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAQzf23pGGdMwTBI5tcK8YiIQliuzmwvEBghDiu9IRsVZOI-7_kR0W5qy6W_teop6Gh7GdlHBn-_T7WIIlJAu0h9MVC6kkxD0xrPxWWe3zyudg2rcuJdOHRPYNl_r8uMTuCknSsHfTJInHq_XOvRVy3pJkXScDR0-HiW7c_87Gw4ZNwxCR3LfjBsU8fj8/s4000/20231028_123812.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAQzf23pGGdMwTBI5tcK8YiIQliuzmwvEBghDiu9IRsVZOI-7_kR0W5qy6W_teop6Gh7GdlHBn-_T7WIIlJAu0h9MVC6kkxD0xrPxWWe3zyudg2rcuJdOHRPYNl_r8uMTuCknSsHfTJInHq_XOvRVy3pJkXScDR0-HiW7c_87Gw4ZNwxCR3LfjBsU8fj8/w480-h640/20231028_123812.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Worst <b>Caspian Gull</b> photo I have ever taken</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">So although I certainly hadn't seen this bird before, it could have been one of Phil Bentley's birds from the 23rd. In short it was my third first-winter in a week but possibly not increasing the overall Axe <b>Casp </b>total. Looks like the total has gone up by another one today though as Tim had a colour-ringed cold toned first-winter from Tower Hide this afternoon. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">It has not just be raining <b>Caspian Gulls </b>here recently, but raining rain too! A heck of a lot of rain, with the most severe flooding of the autumn in the valley this morning...</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFYe63Wo6TqSWbkGE4aOm2isn30VxruYkAnpQkONXWaPQphJRryMoVYwtexfZ7DTOZ950E-esREiOCS9tbAMxC40qi4xi4jSjJDsoEc17Egxm1iW_vtpDFFoA4uWXVcF_v1VdOHNO2F7RN5RBoYmKOrVAfpnHKftzI4tGN9t2YVmJlq5LBRb1cxRoAsog/s4000/20231029_063339.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFYe63Wo6TqSWbkGE4aOm2isn30VxruYkAnpQkONXWaPQphJRryMoVYwtexfZ7DTOZ950E-esREiOCS9tbAMxC40qi4xi4jSjJDsoEc17Egxm1iW_vtpDFFoA4uWXVcF_v1VdOHNO2F7RN5RBoYmKOrVAfpnHKftzI4tGN9t2YVmJlq5LBRb1cxRoAsog/w640-h480/20231029_063339.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day-break was still a long way off when I took this</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">As ever the excess water brings out more ducks than we can usually see. 110 <b>Teal</b>, 45 <b>Wigeon </b>and singles of <b>Shoveler </b>and <b>Pintail </b>(a female - poorly pictured below) were on Bridge Marsh this morning. Just over the road opposite Axmouth FC (site of the sole Axe <b>Dowitcher </b>record!) were 115 <b>Lapwing</b>, 55 <b>Black-tailed Godwits</b>, a <b>Ruff</b>, a <b>Green Sandpiper, </b>a <b>Greenshank </b>and five <b>Cattle Egrets</b>. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKSCwBKUOrL5LlbmG83Xx9YEXDZeTEsZHX7RzOhxnpWaBVhjqh4UOYAjgJOru5TMDLstSsAzFsjqYS86h6JCSONq6N2kP8Hz_gmxJ82FvmiVY8_MdGRXYMtLxXs3poDB8gHlWA1TvPWPzHsVbN1AQ6bVGNYfixycG3OCHhLkmlDkwOvUkPRDacWCN6Ct0/s2882/20231029_075739(1).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2882" data-original-width="2609" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKSCwBKUOrL5LlbmG83Xx9YEXDZeTEsZHX7RzOhxnpWaBVhjqh4UOYAjgJOru5TMDLstSsAzFsjqYS86h6JCSONq6N2kP8Hz_gmxJ82FvmiVY8_MdGRXYMtLxXs3poDB8gHlWA1TvPWPzHsVbN1AQ6bVGNYfixycG3OCHhLkmlDkwOvUkPRDacWCN6Ct0/w580-h640/20231029_075739(1).jpg" width="580" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Female <b>Pintail</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">With the strong south westerly wind and overcast skies today I gave the sea some attention too. My main goal being a <b>Little Gull</b> having missed at least three on patch this year. Still not my day for one of these, but am hopeful the winds forecasted during the week ahead will do the trick. I did put another previously dipped species for the year to bed though thanks to a message from James Mc who was sea watching from Lyme Regis. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I actually had just left the sea as a heavy shower moved in and was desperate to check the flood water in the valley, but I'd got as far as Coronation Corner when a WhatsApp flashed up...</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>"Mega alert RB merg heading your way"</i></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I went straight back to the sea, set my scope up, phoned James and literally as I was saying hello a female <b>Red-breasted Merganser</b> zoomed west through my scope view - at great speed! Eight minutes it took to get from Lyme to Seaton, that's a flight speed of about 40mph! I was expecting it about five minutes later so very nearly missed it. Many thanks James.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Also during my morning seawatch I logged singles of <b>Balearic Shearwater</b>, <b>Great Crested Grebe</b> and <b>Great Northern Diver</b>, 7 <b>Common Scoter</b>, c25 <b>Kittiwake </b>and plenty of <b>Gannets</b>. All flew west except for five of the <b>Scoter </b>and the <b>Balearic</b>.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I went out again mid-afternoon today for a quick sweep of the remnants of the flood and the Estuary, with a look through the gulls revealing a rather interesting second or third-winter <b>Yellow-legged Gull</b>-type. Need to do some more digging but thankfully Tim got some excellent pics of it from Tower Hide. My current thinking is a <b>Yellow-legged Gull</b> from the Atlantic coast (<i>NOT </i><span class="ILfuVd" lang="en"><span class="hgKElc">Azorean</span></span>) although I could so easily be completely wrong - it doesn't even have yellow legs! Probably another post to follow on this intriguing bird.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">For now, batten down the hatches as Storm Ciaran is on its way, and it looks like it is going to be something quite spectacular...<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>Steve Waitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02234938942274343663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854917240637353068.post-6214015913716359202023-10-27T21:47:00.000+01:002023-10-27T21:47:14.944+01:00More Wryneck<p>The <b>Wryneck </b>I blogged about <a href="http://stevesbirdingblog.blogspot.com/2023/10/wryneck.html" target="_blank">here</a> stayed for two days, and I was pleased to get some better views of it before it departed...<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjndN-PzNJrCWSlZLvHHDXUTXDh5wEv4lyuc9e5V1AEULLyV9Bp6BmaBE_efhoSMeoG1b5TavVh7c30RMVhmWsc3upQRivw1vaLOs_VgdS9c1FIPFJXGQXNVroip011NaBXuhAbdqA1v4R0XTsaY1cccrP_I9-oxdiJgEbwLVlpONanS3f9NACPHmPte6s/s1454/Wryneck1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="910" data-original-width="1454" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjndN-PzNJrCWSlZLvHHDXUTXDh5wEv4lyuc9e5V1AEULLyV9Bp6BmaBE_efhoSMeoG1b5TavVh7c30RMVhmWsc3upQRivw1vaLOs_VgdS9c1FIPFJXGQXNVroip011NaBXuhAbdqA1v4R0XTsaY1cccrP_I9-oxdiJgEbwLVlpONanS3f9NACPHmPte6s/w640-h400/Wryneck1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still a pretty poor photo - but it's an improvement!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">And heres a short video. Sorry for how shaky it is, plus the distance as I wanted to keep plenty of space between me and the bird. But I count myself extremely lucky to have been able to even get this considering where the bird was spending most of its time...<br /></p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="385" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ytyHoiPErzU?si=PDeSsiaoqvB789p-" title="YouTube video player" width="660"></iframe>Steve Waitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02234938942274343663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854917240637353068.post-19363563622681764722023-10-25T20:31:00.000+01:002023-10-25T20:31:21.307+01:00Caspian Gull Influx<p style="text-align: justify;">I finished work on Monday (23rd) and headed straight for Coronation Corner where the only flock of gulls on the Estuary were loafing. About ten minutes later out of nowhere this absolutely stunning first-winter <b>Caspian Gull</b> appeared right in the middle of the flock...</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLbyjnoQk4tjd2B4nPdfQauAfp0S70rIM7j2oIGdDZCmsEfNtKFIYl-SYwPNq5lFnRyhuAAc-ud9zky98US0Pue4s_S4zEc8LDjdCbdEJoNAu0Xmeed-fmGNao_OB2799oKdRDTFmWuw36l-rYifshfX7KeWcyVdW13BsmLv0L83O5-9aQOYkxxA_aem0/s2209/20231023_170245.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2209" data-original-width="1827" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLbyjnoQk4tjd2B4nPdfQauAfp0S70rIM7j2oIGdDZCmsEfNtKFIYl-SYwPNq5lFnRyhuAAc-ud9zky98US0Pue4s_S4zEc8LDjdCbdEJoNAu0Xmeed-fmGNao_OB2799oKdRDTFmWuw36l-rYifshfX7KeWcyVdW13BsmLv0L83O5-9aQOYkxxA_aem0/w530-h640/20231023_170245.jpg" width="530" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Such a lovely bird and absolutely massive! <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUJFnDpRpD5iU5243UjL54XmC4csLM5SbAgsPRJJpgWsbzbbbqCbdirt_f1FQNt-nSZXQXUOAfVIOhFGAEClOYHlQRBrSUWvXtB9BVkKRp5ODhvpeB8oNetlO8H2smHB9ai_9TEuj6f5Ujq4OJ5CPpqVAVnBzRrXWassUzH6EuhhczzvxrpbsDIV6rCa0/s2551/20231023_170226.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2551" data-original-width="2373" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUJFnDpRpD5iU5243UjL54XmC4csLM5SbAgsPRJJpgWsbzbbbqCbdirt_f1FQNt-nSZXQXUOAfVIOhFGAEClOYHlQRBrSUWvXtB9BVkKRp5ODhvpeB8oNetlO8H2smHB9ai_9TEuj6f5Ujq4OJ5CPpqVAVnBzRrXWassUzH6EuhhczzvxrpbsDIV6rCa0/w596-h640/20231023_170226.jpg" width="596" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking a lot like it has eaten too much! Typical <b>Casp </b>belly right there<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdygsciwjY8rlcgN3xU5iLbiiLQU3HwkJQZ8gEgLd-bcsJyjsYzlxMAKcXsvEOAarkRC0nvMCBamlp4Qgm2jYoyr8CjkFZWNt-oD1YJ0WAuTpPXSRzJrVA-yRxwaTzjwGDa1ZJV2AvCplZTXhvrolsphDQmpmUyxLBlYDFPogheBtp9RJ-wxy8A5CNNXM/s1952/20231023_170230.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1797" data-original-width="1952" height="590" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdygsciwjY8rlcgN3xU5iLbiiLQU3HwkJQZ8gEgLd-bcsJyjsYzlxMAKcXsvEOAarkRC0nvMCBamlp4Qgm2jYoyr8CjkFZWNt-oD1YJ0WAuTpPXSRzJrVA-yRxwaTzjwGDa1ZJV2AvCplZTXhvrolsphDQmpmUyxLBlYDFPogheBtp9RJ-wxy8A5CNNXM/w640-h590/20231023_170230.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice flukey underwing shot<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p style="text-align: justify;">This was a big, full-bodied bird, and at the time I thought looked similar to my bird on <a href="http://stevesbirdingblog.blogspot.com/2023/10/lapland-bunting-ring-ouzel-and-caspian.html" target="_blank">20th October</a> - which was also a bit of a brute whilst still showing classic <b>Casp </b>structure. However thanks to some comments from Gav regarding some feather detail, and the fact the bill of the 23rd bird is clearly so much paler (which by the way is a great first-winter <b>Casp </b>feature at this stage of the autumn/winter) I am inclined to think it is a new bird. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Earlier on the 23rd, visting birder Phil Bentley reported two <b>Caspian Gulls </b>(both first-winters) and an adult <b>Yellow-legged Gull</b> on the Estuary from Tower Hide. He later shared a pic of one of the <b>Casps </b>on Twitter...</p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin1M3nzHtCAmxTYNz4UCiIbgLxLNJ0LHGb5it2edUPqYsaJX4-PvlFKMPrxmr8Hw4GenxMldYCSIxve9-XK68sf9qEkvz7LuhQ9VOp52KUmjfu0pu4EocIzq8fNtmTZmSOln0HjJp-NZHe0srDs8Z3lkONRYiV_IW9kM5ahi7diTs09tMgT90_JjTyjp4/s1322/SmartSelect_20231024_190518_X.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1322" data-original-width="1045" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin1M3nzHtCAmxTYNz4UCiIbgLxLNJ0LHGb5it2edUPqYsaJX4-PvlFKMPrxmr8Hw4GenxMldYCSIxve9-XK68sf9qEkvz7LuhQ9VOp52KUmjfu0pu4EocIzq8fNtmTZmSOln0HjJp-NZHe0srDs8Z3lkONRYiV_IW9kM5ahi7diTs09tMgT90_JjTyjp4/w506-h640/SmartSelect_20231024_190518_X.jpg" width="506" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glad you got the pic Phil - not bad at all for a phone-scope shot!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Amazingly it was clearly a different bird to either of my two! So that is three different first-winter <b>Caspian Gulls</b> in just four days - possibly four if Phil's first bird wasn't any of my two (although he thinks it may have been the bird from 20th). </p><p style="text-align: justify;">It must be all these east winds! Let's hope it continues...</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>Steve Waitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02234938942274343663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854917240637353068.post-50084219692327248102023-10-22T20:17:00.007+01:002023-10-23T10:33:11.535+01:00Wryneck<p style="text-align: justify;">I absolutely love leading the Birdwatching Trams at Seaton Tramway, an add-on from my day job there as Commercial Manager. This is the fifth year I have been guiding them and this morning I led our final one of the 2023 season...</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0wX6jew3_BqzIjUBN76nk-rddTd4Idt9KBmwVOwJcDVtJ9dGQxkC72cu1l_ynXgeaJRfoiugYIYQA0VrbemPoUDsL4nERcowllKhQOrxmQxM2G3PG8nFGSIdfQEVGczNxdjamhbQ5-M_CgklSJZNonGBwrjdrg5Fe_Bs8WqkwTgiPOi5N8HwNl3p_XUA/s1500/BirdwatchTram221023.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1073" data-original-width="1500" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0wX6jew3_BqzIjUBN76nk-rddTd4Idt9KBmwVOwJcDVtJ9dGQxkC72cu1l_ynXgeaJRfoiugYIYQA0VrbemPoUDsL4nERcowllKhQOrxmQxM2G3PG8nFGSIdfQEVGczNxdjamhbQ5-M_CgklSJZNonGBwrjdrg5Fe_Bs8WqkwTgiPOi5N8HwNl3p_XUA/w640-h458/BirdwatchTram221023.gif" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of today's driver, Wendy</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">As each season goes by, we learn and alter this special event (like of all our events) with a view to constantly improving the experience for our customers. One such change for this year was that we held many more trips in April, July, August and September, with the July and August dates being evening departures. Although during these months we don't have the quantity of birds on the Axe (wading birds, wildfowl, etc), the variety of species is much broader with a load more potential - and it has worked a treat! </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Running them at various times during the year also offers the customer something a little different each trip. For example this morning we were under clear blue skies so it was great to show and explain to everyone the autumn passage of <b>Wood Pigeons</b>, <b>Jackdaws </b>and passerines that were flying west over our heads throughout the morning. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirpoOcthzBWuJy8qKyc88MNhFRQknaT3QX-u_6MsKNFcL3YywIC6nIXGDO6VzspbLrcSa0kfh-j5x58WcPxKf9X8qZhhjff1CbrfmN_Xl4gPPyXyydkY3svM3DMYy6K9-1o5X5sTa5yClQGpgVr9CHRg2agRgVznYeBNJBhZc2MTd_hl6CMpCQIjroiow/s3765/BirdwatchTram2210onboard.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="3765" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirpoOcthzBWuJy8qKyc88MNhFRQknaT3QX-u_6MsKNFcL3YywIC6nIXGDO6VzspbLrcSa0kfh-j5x58WcPxKf9X8qZhhjff1CbrfmN_Xl4gPPyXyydkY3svM3DMYy6K9-1o5X5sTa5yClQGpgVr9CHRg2agRgVznYeBNJBhZc2MTd_hl6CMpCQIjroiow/w640-h510/BirdwatchTram2210onboard.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Such lovely weather this morning!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">Whilst guiding on these trams there is always the chance of finding something decent too, especially as the tram offers a slightly different view of the patch. I have actually done ok with tram-finds this year, my best year in fact, with<b> Great White Egret</b>, <b>Caspian Gull </b>and <b>Garganey </b>- but I took it to another level today. A long-hoped for tram-find fulfilled even though it isn't all that rare.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I think I was waffling on about <b>Oystercatcher </b>bill shapes as the tram was slowly trundling north up the line from Riverside Halt, when a low flying grey shape with dark stripe down its back triggered me to yell to the driver to stop the tram... "<b>Wryneck</b>!". I managed just one point and click record shot at this stage...</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-LU8QiCQiU02zGrQ9Ow-4SefnoitNQLtt-OnHqdA_ss_PXwbnb4htUndtKVIttKQUm2vVaEwKG8HzGzx4kzsnBHIgmcrhYk_D8pieK0VViLcX83ihBUbY7FQD8kZHR2P1T7lTrjdZOMI7IRVveobnqdgiKkYrePhDd47CUJrfnKjIbbijWhJHAneSu_U/s1157/Wryneck%20.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="868" data-original-width="1157" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-LU8QiCQiU02zGrQ9Ow-4SefnoitNQLtt-OnHqdA_ss_PXwbnb4htUndtKVIttKQUm2vVaEwKG8HzGzx4kzsnBHIgmcrhYk_D8pieK0VViLcX83ihBUbY7FQD8kZHR2P1T7lTrjdZOMI7IRVveobnqdgiKkYrePhDd47CUJrfnKjIbbijWhJHAneSu_U/w640-h480/Wryneck%20.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In my defence the sun hadn't even come up yet!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">As ever when guiding, the stress then is trying to get everyone on the bird - but am pleased to say we managed it! Even though only a few people saw it when it initially flew in front of the tram, we then went beyond it and stopped the tram again to look back. It was soon picked up perched on the (wrong) side of a bush and stayed there for a couple of minutes allowing all to see.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXWugOGJEGKbXmzLfDcXIfJxznAEhzReTHV-OqPnJhBJC9ZHFCJmu3D7PmTbGzXdkW6rHJ5d84-8eALmpkeStZQE8xmt7Ch_RSSaHBhZl2yZfBDxnSSLY8BEbL-t8ju_QTkffHUadfscfd4z6937YbWQDaRa0iRVmU9BETbxbmq0KmdnUuM-x4y9SlYw8/s2804/Wryneck(just!)221023.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2256" data-original-width="2804" height="514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXWugOGJEGKbXmzLfDcXIfJxznAEhzReTHV-OqPnJhBJC9ZHFCJmu3D7PmTbGzXdkW6rHJ5d84-8eALmpkeStZQE8xmt7Ch_RSSaHBhZl2yZfBDxnSSLY8BEbL-t8ju_QTkffHUadfscfd4z6937YbWQDaRa0iRVmU9BETbxbmq0KmdnUuM-x4y9SlYw8/w640-h514/Wryneck(just!)221023.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love that stripe!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">Even better is that I have been able to share it with most of the other patch birders now, as it has been scopeable from the other side of the Estuary. It has been flushing up most times a tram has gone past throughout the day, which at the moment is every twenty minutes!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This is amazingly my first <b>Wryneck </b>on patch since September 2010 - although I have missed three brief ones since (Colyford Common Sept '15, Beer Head Aug '18 and Beer Head August '19). There was a decent influx of <b>Wryneck </b>earlier this autumn so it has very much been on the cards, and I have lost count of how many times I have traipsed around Seaton Marshes hoping for one, but I really thought I'd missed the boat seeing as though we are nearing November!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Just shows it is never too late... Well, unless you want to go onto a Birdwatching tram in 2023 because then you really are too late! Pleased to say of course though they will be returning for 2024, led either by myself or <a href="https://notquitescilly2.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Gavin</a> with dates to be released soon.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p>Steve Waitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02234938942274343663noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854917240637353068.post-48963689988497543752023-10-20T23:00:00.012+01:002023-10-20T23:10:16.408+01:00Lapland Bunting, Ring Ouzel, Caspian and Yellow-legged Gulls<div><p style="text-align: justify;">I wasn't expecting to do any birding this morning due to other commitments and parental duties, but the opportunity presented itself for a morning dog walk so I grabbed that opportunity<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">
</span>around the neck and took Harry and Honey for a long stroll over Beer Head. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">We got there at 08:30, leaving at about 10...</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz5F6GbG0YnwuUNkFXmKJVzLDE4GBWg83dqAwtWV8QVNq4XPjEWGGq8k4PtXrE4ENYm8z0-mRrCH0QZO9EQGYNvGIn527aZgWb607mSa-3M6UevRgU9LyPWucAoHqABqsnXMxLv78laHJcttdXX2s0PLo4HGDsIq6313L4J7OcWncc21Q3w8p8euIXNyM/s1500/BeerHead2010.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1107" data-original-width="1500" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz5F6GbG0YnwuUNkFXmKJVzLDE4GBWg83dqAwtWV8QVNq4XPjEWGGq8k4PtXrE4ENYm8z0-mRrCH0QZO9EQGYNvGIn527aZgWb607mSa-3M6UevRgU9LyPWucAoHqABqsnXMxLv78laHJcttdXX2s0PLo4HGDsIq6313L4J7OcWncc21Q3w8p8euIXNyM/w640-h472/BeerHead2010.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking east, the valley was covered in fog<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixu0abgAbGe-T-Yd_2NtxJjcC7LoVNoNmfFAZKv7CTiLKHaQ6ci-m6epcq7laUe9ZGZT1TiW3srAnpmvCf14gyc0O7zFTAAShXDRUKO06OxEdneMhYKac-frIgju9EdbeYcx6NEsoA0n9nydRXTRieuZtKL7DciJ-vy5ZLuuT1oTLvsGmgBW59-8MXigE/s1500/BeerHeadwest2010.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixu0abgAbGe-T-Yd_2NtxJjcC7LoVNoNmfFAZKv7CTiLKHaQ6ci-m6epcq7laUe9ZGZT1TiW3srAnpmvCf14gyc0O7zFTAAShXDRUKO06OxEdneMhYKac-frIgju9EdbeYcx6NEsoA0n9nydRXTRieuZtKL7DciJ-vy5ZLuuT1oTLvsGmgBW59-8MXigE/w640-h480/BeerHeadwest2010.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And looking west, plenty more fog that way too!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The bushes were great value, containing lots of fresh-in <b>Robins</b>, <b>Blackbirds</b> and <b>Goldcrests</b>, a few <b>Chiffchaffs </b>and two <b>Redwing</b>. Absolute classic mid-October birding and proper soul-fulfilling stuff. A <b>Ring Ouzel</b> that started chakking from behind the Sheepwalk and then showed briefly was a really nice highlight, we never get many of them here. I didn't know at the time but Clive had seen it too from a different angle. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The sky was also busy, although passage was really high in the clear skies. <b>Siskins</b>, <b>Linnets</b>, <b>Skylarks</b>, <b><i>alba </i></b>and <b>Grey Wagtails </b>and <b>Meadow Pipits </b>were most numerous, with several <b>Lesser Redpolls </b>over too including a nice little flock of around a dozen. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">There was one absolute monster vismig highlight though in the form of a <b>Lapland Bunting</b> north east at 09:30. I heard the 'chu' a couple of times first which got my attention, thankfully then followed by the classic rattle. As it shot through I quickly turned my camcorder on hoping it might have the reach to record some sounds from the bird, and am pleased to report it did! </p><p style="text-align: justify;">It recorded plenty of Harry's mutterings too, as well as my following phone call to Clive who I figured was probably still somewhere onsite...</p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe 100="" frameborder="0" src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LDd0WMmeGzar4WGTcyorZp7ar1f74Ipc/preview?usp=share_link
width="></iframe></div><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">This is the and my first <b>Lapland Bunting </b>on patch for a staggering twelve years - twelve years to the day in fact! See <a href="http://stevesbirdingblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/half-first-for-patch.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">One of my better dog walks that was, for sure.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">At the other end of today I had just enough time to give the Estuary a look late afternoon. Not as many gulls as I was expecting however there were still two goodies among them...<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I first picked up the first-winter <b>Caspian Gull</b> just as it was taking off thanks to a dog flush on the near bank, however thankfully it landed again opposite of Coronation Corner. And oh my what a beaut...</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1oRsz51-vrRXsTUfo6sxSRb5kIypHO2ytM575DmEQSFMK4ZTNgfWNmFy5uHNficWrr1oAm8RGd4GhooWSN67W5mU1cRcncObRh7m-jDjeJhLqQZT3kz73h39tVc1rT4vG93JCunRsCn1jQ0jWp4YGcT95fwYFGjC7x3kZdnVpKHy4IQQsPnww34c0dsY/s1500/Casp1w2010123.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1474" data-original-width="1500" height="628" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1oRsz51-vrRXsTUfo6sxSRb5kIypHO2ytM575DmEQSFMK4ZTNgfWNmFy5uHNficWrr1oAm8RGd4GhooWSN67W5mU1cRcncObRh7m-jDjeJhLqQZT3kz73h39tVc1rT4vG93JCunRsCn1jQ0jWp4YGcT95fwYFGjC7x3kZdnVpKHy4IQQsPnww34c0dsY/w640-h628/Casp1w2010123.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A really big bird, but still with the classic <b>Casp </b>high neck and rounded head. Some of the biggest <b>Casps</b> can lose this and look all round beefy almost <b>GBBG</b>-like, but this the best of both - huge <i>and</i> classically <b>Casp</b>-shaped!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The other brilliant thing about this <b>Casp </b>was its gait. From my experience not many <b>Casps </b>actually show the ultimate front-heavy full-nappy appearance, but this one was so front-heavy it could hardly even walk! A proper 'old school' <b>Casp</b>...<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGeatRPeNwR5AG1kTKKTw-LHwdD_kxsF0Om9dtdbd6re9Fm7MFhbhHzLJ47tabwLJkJzSO05BHZt_0iTCLHcAvAFtIYJ4xshXnstwpWMC1RSPYUqoOjsdM3lvn1iayvXOq2hfqId5lNvyhD8yGgqIOMmupja4cPOYcwXPq0IKx1XjMue0gK_nwgkXhFUA/s1674/Caspwaddle.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1674" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGeatRPeNwR5AG1kTKKTw-LHwdD_kxsF0Om9dtdbd6re9Fm7MFhbhHzLJ47tabwLJkJzSO05BHZt_0iTCLHcAvAFtIYJ4xshXnstwpWMC1RSPYUqoOjsdM3lvn1iayvXOq2hfqId5lNvyhD8yGgqIOMmupja4cPOYcwXPq0IKx1XjMue0gK_nwgkXhFUA/w574-h640/Caspwaddle.jpg" width="574" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just ridiculous!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">Shortly after this bird flew south at 17:30 (found it at 17:00) I picked up a sub-adult <b>Yellow-legged Gull</b> way up river. I still think it is probably a third-winter bird, but don't feel I can be absolutely sure it isn't an advanced looking second-winter. These awful photos probably won't help figure it out either...</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2We-o547I6SAJNcna7Csa8Hgc-N0uYbGZJUTu_fvsBMYoKL3Jgf0EFpJy9_aG2WQ8wgSXJHL3u9asdD-rMp0wheJM6EAlWh5QsvVdHEm0luvx4W7rSTCBsZUnNnI9ImfBmPll2xipN_ol9GNfvc8fAsduEZI2x-DMkRsi4TBlUM8hA2AnXN44_mhPOxA/s1215/YLG3w2010b.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1215" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2We-o547I6SAJNcna7Csa8Hgc-N0uYbGZJUTu_fvsBMYoKL3Jgf0EFpJy9_aG2WQ8wgSXJHL3u9asdD-rMp0wheJM6EAlWh5QsvVdHEm0luvx4W7rSTCBsZUnNnI9ImfBmPll2xipN_ol9GNfvc8fAsduEZI2x-DMkRsi4TBlUM8hA2AnXN44_mhPOxA/w632-h640/YLG3w2010b.jpg" width="632" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The <b>YLG </b>is the only gull looking right<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTGpA30RrRf74GKZUUlIT4rDpdrOmMgO179VVT2-77YsWIi6eStDy0XiYkmvscEiQVbYH8Y3O-hcJ2Yj4c2d6f5sKhBSzWa3bvW_0oluKaYEZblUUoP4TdvgUCF2hQrEwXSyCrtbXlBiwiaMysw_NGJbUyXT_d-reoroflw1KdweuncRuKnnThLELfjJA/s1500/YLG3w2010.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1500" height="614" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTGpA30RrRf74GKZUUlIT4rDpdrOmMgO179VVT2-77YsWIi6eStDy0XiYkmvscEiQVbYH8Y3O-hcJ2Yj4c2d6f5sKhBSzWa3bvW_0oluKaYEZblUUoP4TdvgUCF2hQrEwXSyCrtbXlBiwiaMysw_NGJbUyXT_d-reoroflw1KdweuncRuKnnThLELfjJA/w640-h614/YLG3w2010.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One thing this pic does show is its brutish size!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Also saw several <b>Med Gulls</b> (had 53 yesterday, there has been a big increase in these and <b>Common Gulls</b> locally since the easterly winds picked up midweek) plus singles of <b>Bar-tailed Godwit</b>, <b>Grey Plover</b> and <b>Ruff</b>.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">What a thrilling day! Am really looking forward to the morning, when I am actually going out birding... <br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></p>Steve Waitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02234938942274343663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854917240637353068.post-42081403805325181212023-10-15T20:16:00.003+01:002023-10-16T09:57:47.049+01:00Friday 13th October 2023<p style="text-align: justify;">Even though I have had a couple of days to recover, my brain still can't compute what I witnessed off Seaton Beach on Friday 13th. And as I cannot even comprehend it myself I have no idea how well I am going to put it into words, but I'll try...</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Sea watching on a patch that is so deep in Lyme Bay without any proper headland sets a certain level of expectation, a very low one. And I can honestly say having watched this patch for twenty odd years now, that level of expectation continues to only get lower. We seem to be the poorer relation to everywhere else on the south coast of Devon and Dorset when it comes to sea birds, scarce and common. I would say in general it is only <b>Manx </b>and <b>Balearic Shearwaters</b> and spring <b>Great Northern Divers</b> that we seem to do comparable ok for. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpLu6M8XBIHVjsWVCoy5JSpxy86rJ2BKG36exuhB7Db9nWNCwUAo3X_PuTg1wy6vsZh6I2czlgJya5RY1-q3y3Y8L3hRBoeDDyXdXciV9oBDIlbXBZCBmoduKEU1Aqf-Z6-lKszWpp8zksm2NA6TpFhZf_vlL58pMLUPWnYF7BcYqWI242mojIrhE_N8I/s1000/GNDiverbp.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="1000" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpLu6M8XBIHVjsWVCoy5JSpxy86rJ2BKG36exuhB7Db9nWNCwUAo3X_PuTg1wy6vsZh6I2czlgJya5RY1-q3y3Y8L3hRBoeDDyXdXciV9oBDIlbXBZCBmoduKEU1Aqf-Z6-lKszWpp8zksm2NA6TpFhZf_vlL58pMLUPWnYF7BcYqWI242mojIrhE_N8I/w640-h432/GNDiverbp.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A spring <b>Great Northern Diver</b>. We must be in the right place in relation to their moulting areas to get a decent passage of these in late April/May each year.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">Does this mean sea watching off Seaton is a waste of time? Not at all. In fact over the years some of my most memorable patch moments have been thanks to birds over the sea, however these moments of magic are brief little nuggets of joy interspersed with many hundreds of hours of being bitterly disappointed. To be honest this is probably one of the main reasons why they are just so special - you have to work for them!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">In short, when a Seaton birder goes sea watching, they really are going to watch the sea and only occasionally will a bird interrupt the view. And this is why Friday has completely wrecked me, in a good way. It had everything, and I didn't even have all that much time. I look forward to telling the tale, hope you enjoy the read...</p><p style="text-align: justify;">After a mild and rather wind-less week, Thursday evening brought a load of rain with a gusting south veering south-west wind. I actually had <i>some</i> hope for Friday morning, this was because we had food in the bay. Over the previous few days large numbers of gulls had been feeding just offshore with <b>Gannets </b>ever present a little further out, plus the beach has been lined with fishermen which is always a good sign. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">My first watch on Friday morning started at 07:40, although I was only able to stay until 08:15 as I had to take Harry to school. So it was only 35 minutes long, but it was the only time I have ever found sea watching off here to be frantic, yes, frantic...</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Gannets </b>were streaming through at all distances, as were flocks of <b>Kittiwakes </b>and <b>auks</b>. My counts of these three in the 35 minutes were 370, 128 and c200 respectively. It was like being back at Pendeen - absolutely thrilling but also quite stressful. Two single <b>Balearic Shearwaters</b> came though west at close range, and small groups of <b>Common Scoter </b>went bombing through in both directions. <br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">At 07:50 as I was watching a load of <b>Gannets </b>flying west, another bird came into view amongst them. A few slow and languid shallow flaps later, I realised it was a <b>Cory's Shearwater</b> virtually clipping the tops of the waves as it flew west. It was distant yes but not <i>that </i>distant. I watched it for thirty seconds before zooming up for some plumage details, however this coincided with the arrival of a weather front and viewing became instantly difficult. I knew what it was, but decided to relegate it back to <b>large shearwater sp. </b>without any plumage details.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Ten minutes later however, a little further out but during a period of better visibility, a second <b>large shearwater sp.</b> came into view flying west, but this one flew with stiffer and far less bowed wings. To be truthful from the moment I clapped eyes on it <b>Cory's</b> didn't even cross my mind - this was a <b>Great Shearwater</b>. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">This perfect comparison of imperfect views of the two birds in similar conditions gave me the confidence needed to re confirm the ID of the <b>Cory's</b>, and confirm bird two as a <b>Great</b>. Seeing several thousand <b>Cory's </b>and over a hundred <b>Great Shears</b> within the last few months helped too of course! <b>Cory's Shearwater</b> is a full fat patch tick for me, having missed out on all previous records (was not on patch for most of these). <b>Great Shearwater</b> was only my second for the patch following my first a little over <a href="https://stevesbirdingblog.blogspot.com/2023/09/great-shearwater-patch-first.html" target="_blank">three weeks ago</a>.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">So that watch in itself was something quite special, but the sea still had a lot more to offer...</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I returned to Seaton Beach at 10:30 and stayed for an hour. Conditions were now completely different from earlier with the wind having dropped and the sun mostly out except for the odd passing cloud. Appalling viewing conditions really!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidWEA7LzcT50Ix7dM3d5dc0Kgb48GMXOxW-X4RRFfgkkLk4Of5Ry15wuLUcN6Css95Rzu-8iwCowMbc7eBz_dG2VC9ivG4FmTjBycNljOxA0UN3LPQp1KkU_NUaby_hJXuAxstuh_tz-FAq3VAubIgS0i7Ny0DxP-1dlxH3s2KrsBn2V1BGKeSad4Lx6c/s3835/20231013_113040.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2379" data-original-width="3835" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidWEA7LzcT50Ix7dM3d5dc0Kgb48GMXOxW-X4RRFfgkkLk4Of5Ry15wuLUcN6Css95Rzu-8iwCowMbc7eBz_dG2VC9ivG4FmTjBycNljOxA0UN3LPQp1KkU_NUaby_hJXuAxstuh_tz-FAq3VAubIgS0i7Ny0DxP-1dlxH3s2KrsBn2V1BGKeSad4Lx6c/w640-h398/20231013_113040.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Took this when there was a decent amount of cloud cover towards the end of the hour watch</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Within this watch was a five minute period that I can only describe as being ridiculous, completely and utterly ridiculous. At 11:16 I picked up a distant <b>Great Skua</b> flying west whilst watching a group of four distant <b>large Shearwaters</b> flying the same way, it was my first <b>Bonxie </b>of the year. As I was watching it a falcon flashed through my scope view really close in low over the sea. It looked small but up until the point I latched my scope on to it I presumed it was just one the local <b>Peregrines </b>- it wasn't it was a stunning juvenile <b>Merlin</b>! A second year tick and a species that can easily be missed in any given year here. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Once I had followed the <b>Merlin </b>as far as I could I started scanning back over the sea and at 11:20 was met with an at first puzzling small gull-like bird that was flying through the worst of the glare. I couldn't figure out what it was for a moment, clearly smaller than a <b>Kittiwake</b>, much narrower winged, but long in the body/tail and not a tern despite flying a bit like one. As it flew a little more west it came out of the glare - it was a <b>skua </b>- a bloody <b>Long-tailed Skua</b>! It kept flying west but then turned and flew more south heading out into the bay. At mid distance it was close enough (when it got into better light) to show it was an intermediate plumaged juvenile, an absolute beaut of one too. Only my third <b>Long-tailed </b>ever here, following a stunning spring adult on the evening of 23rd May 2006 and a juvenile practically over the beach on 20th Oct 2009. Both shared with Gav, who I think has had at least another two here since?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Other birds during this watch included (and I cannot believe I am including the first as a side note) nine very distant <b>large shearwaters</b>, singles of <b>Great Northern</b> and <b>Red-throated Diver</b>s (both first of the autumn for me), <b>Arctic Skua</b>, <b>Sandwich Tern</b> and two <b>Brent Geese</b> (dark-bellied) west with twenty <b>Common Scoter</b> east.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">After a fairly fruitless look along the Estuary, I returned to the beach for a final bit of sea watching 12:05 - 12:30. I wasn't expecting my first scan to show a single spread out flock of 35 l<b>arge shearwaters</b> flicking up over the horizon as they went west. And they kept coming...</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Over the next 15 minutes I counted 130 <b>large shearwaters</b> west. The light was still awful, in fact worse than the 10:30 sea watch, and although at the time I felt like the nearer ones were giving <b>Cory's </b>vibes, on reflection I can't bet my house on the fact they were so will be keeping them all as <b>large shearwater sp</b>. All I was seeing was them rising up as they glided so couldn't really get a true feel for their flight action, and even the closest ones were a good deal further out than the earlier two.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">One shearwater that was identifiable to species level was a single <b>Sooty</b> <b>Shearwater</b> that came sweeping through a group of seven <b>large shearwaters</b>, towering above the horizon several times as it flew west. This was at 12:17 and was my first here for a surprising ten years - the first one that has ever gone through with a flock of even bigger shearwaters though! By 12:21 the shearwater passage had stopped, or more likely drifted further out and over the horizon. A close <b>Arctic Skua</b>, a pale sub-adult bird, flew south east just before I finally had to go.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">So there we are... Exactly two hours of sea watching off Seaton on a day that didn't just give me four species of <b>shearwaters </b>(including a patch first and second for me) and three species of <b>skua </b>(including a patch third for me), but a three-figure passage of <b>large shearwaters</b> and a passage of common species on a scale that I have never seen here before. Just incredible. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Another factor that made all this feel a bit surreal was that other than Gav at West Bay, it literally felt like there was no one else sea watching along the south coast up until about mid-late morning. For several hours no news came out out of the main sites like Berry, Start and Portland, and there seemed to be no one watching from the less prime spots like Dawlish, Exmouth, Budleigh, etc. I was really grateful for Gav though (who was chalking up <b>big shears</b> on his patch - read about it <a href="https://notquitescilly2.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-new-normal.html" target="_blank">here</a>) as on the frequent occasions I found myself in a state of shock at what I was witnessing, I just had to phone someone and verbally express my utter disbelief! Think I called Gav about four times during the morning and am certain that during not one of these conversations did I make any real sense - I just uttered random noises with the odd expletive and species name thrown in. Sorry for that Gav, but I had to share it with someone!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">So, does this mean the low bar of Seaton sea watching standards has risen for me? Not a chance. Bloody awful place to sea watch from, usually.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>Steve Waitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02234938942274343663noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854917240637353068.post-49509017853218294712023-09-29T21:16:00.012+01:002023-10-01T18:35:50.837+01:00A Patch Lifer - Barred Warbler on Colyford Common!<p style="text-align: justify;">I had just booted up and set off on a four mile walk with Jess over Golden Cap when my phone rang, it was Tim C. As soon as I answered I could hear excitement plus a touch of panic in his voice...</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>"Steve can you take a look at the photo I have just sent to you, think I might have a <b>Barred Warbler</b> on Colyford Common...."</i></p><p style="text-align: justify;">A few phone taps later and sure enough - a nice photo of a <b>Barred Warbler</b>! A superb record for the Axe patch, only the second following a brief bird on Beer Head in the late 00's only seen by the finder. Am sure it is one of those species we've probably missed a few of over the years, we have a lot of suitable habitat and they are such a skulky and often silent warbler - which makes this find even more brilliant in my view.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">From then on in during our walk I was remarkably calm considering a patch tick was in the offing! I can only presume it was because all my previous experiences of <b>Barred Warblers</b> have shown they are never really in a rush to go anywhere - and knowing the stock of berries on Colyford Common at the moment and the amount of <b>Blackcaps </b>feeding on them, I was certain it would at the very least stay the day, if not a week or two! So we enjoyed the wonderful walk in stunning weather, giving us plenty of views like this...</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0qsaz3gVbdRtCd4z1hfiCNuSdSM4rzbjQLm3lvO8nAIsVQ1soBuJ29kY0kVfF_lYEI_SDJUQv7YmVgFmKp4i2yQXNSDDg6kthmYBrup1DxUZ-9UnYQJBLXSPhpWehjPtfoI1-e4Y9BsFSIdh4JlovEW1-b4X-_Nl4UYE-Xy7aBAKDcCw1tPug7eAOW_U/s4000/20230929_105524.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0qsaz3gVbdRtCd4z1hfiCNuSdSM4rzbjQLm3lvO8nAIsVQ1soBuJ29kY0kVfF_lYEI_SDJUQv7YmVgFmKp4i2yQXNSDDg6kthmYBrup1DxUZ-9UnYQJBLXSPhpWehjPtfoI1-e4Y9BsFSIdh4JlovEW1-b4X-_Nl4UYE-Xy7aBAKDcCw1tPug7eAOW_U/w640-h480/20230929_105524.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking towards a patch <b>Barred Warbler</b> from Golden Cap<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">We even stopped off on the way home for a pub lunch at Hunters Lodge! Playing it cool had reached a whole new level - especially when I also ordered a dessert! Well how could I skip the chance of a Toffee Apple Crumble Pie? </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I finally sauntered down to Colyford Common at 13:30, with the bird last seen around 11am. The lack of news since then became obvious when I turned up - there was no one looking for it! I spoke to Tim over the phone for a bit more gen, then found my spot and just sat and waited...</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The hedgeline where it was seen was mostly very quiet, but then out of nowhere <b>Blackcaps</b> would pop up and feed - up to 12 in all. But then a few minutes later all would be quiet again. It is a thick hedge with some big trees - I lost count of how many times I raised my bins for movement only to miss the cause completely. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">At 14:10 a movement much closer to me caught my eye, about ten metres away. Thankfully the cause of it stayed put just long enough - it was the <b>Barred Warbler</b>! </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The view was brief, lasting no more than five seconds before it ghosted deep into a huge holly bush, but the imprint of the bird will be on my mind forever. It was a perfect field guide worthy view - undertail coverts facing me, tail up and then it even turn its head to the left - which is when I think it saw me and made a hasty retreat! It is a really pale eyed bird, making me wonder if it is actually an adult? I think a first-winter male a more likely explanation, I just can't recall seeing an autumn bird so pale-eyed before. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Here are some of Tim's photo of it, which he has kindly allowed me to share here...</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpcd6oaWsgrhiRngx85-V0qQjSPp-IKQ-0MOA8l__SrxVkYzk3_4WkgvrahWfqFiY1isMb5T9opKU01MMlqjNCbKran9Bdk8Vi-p9eQotdNVO7yYouRPMNiXde5-f4_6RSU6RjtRnYUJZQt1SugG1kJF2Q0oY0yIYfS502QTZWy0PaliyQ6lEhkAE1h9s/s2048/IMG-20230929-WA0016.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpcd6oaWsgrhiRngx85-V0qQjSPp-IKQ-0MOA8l__SrxVkYzk3_4WkgvrahWfqFiY1isMb5T9opKU01MMlqjNCbKran9Bdk8Vi-p9eQotdNVO7yYouRPMNiXde5-f4_6RSU6RjtRnYUJZQt1SugG1kJF2Q0oY0yIYfS502QTZWy0PaliyQ6lEhkAE1h9s/w640-h480/IMG-20230929-WA0016.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love this photo of it (c) Tim Clark<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsCcl29e_KlCO0O1JI5brHVKbd1oBihxsitgf7N4unnRowBfWnOqXqsZJME5FV-kHYxH0tM0HEbXN7xnC5rgPeAakvZRmNTHJNG9bZg5kBuvWgXKqx12IVW4adfOzf2cY1ley4LOzMgkGA-hp9YVJZM_F8ABwVRTRZeWXj3wFw088Nj5YA8h-KSmuQ3N4/s1600/IMG-20230929-WA0013.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsCcl29e_KlCO0O1JI5brHVKbd1oBihxsitgf7N4unnRowBfWnOqXqsZJME5FV-kHYxH0tM0HEbXN7xnC5rgPeAakvZRmNTHJNG9bZg5kBuvWgXKqx12IVW4adfOzf2cY1ley4LOzMgkGA-hp9YVJZM_F8ABwVRTRZeWXj3wFw088Nj5YA8h-KSmuQ3N4/w288-h640/IMG-20230929-WA0013.jpg" width="288" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was the first show he sent me, look at that eye! (c) Tim Clark<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuNt7hDjvQPU8VEfBYpEs8tdwQoOuGzN-eMNh9uXUS8YAoLw9rBXRrsf-J1ebyUGbiIltN4-sj_BS-8Lj06aHMI5FuKNP21e1xnzXr63kaeqtR6ssBstjQK_VCyWkIAAsXOlflg7SaoJNForuMROdmah_uNX4AsFDwoaAfCXmDOSTuh3M-jA0sGLSMbLI/s1029/IMG-20230929-WA0024.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1029" data-original-width="1016" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuNt7hDjvQPU8VEfBYpEs8tdwQoOuGzN-eMNh9uXUS8YAoLw9rBXRrsf-J1ebyUGbiIltN4-sj_BS-8Lj06aHMI5FuKNP21e1xnzXr63kaeqtR6ssBstjQK_VCyWkIAAsXOlflg7SaoJNForuMROdmah_uNX4AsFDwoaAfCXmDOSTuh3M-jA0sGLSMbLI/w632-h640/IMG-20230929-WA0024.jpg" width="632" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The best part of an autumn <b>Barred Warbler</b> (c) Tim Clark<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ6nROy_YM7eqDwl-vdi3qeSQYsjVMkpkLWaH_9dVDSJS48p630L8mgXaBuz_sAVGCRjvcx6XcFc7uBoviT6hsyB35WBxqi49tWt87XuYi3mH6vEKiKwj89geCPpidUPWCtQy8cRfilWXVgjyb81opHPiXtbYelNRn0ZtR3uAiGw-uWxeyFjVDZPj7qmo/s829/IMG-20230929-WA0040.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="829" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ6nROy_YM7eqDwl-vdi3qeSQYsjVMkpkLWaH_9dVDSJS48p630L8mgXaBuz_sAVGCRjvcx6XcFc7uBoviT6hsyB35WBxqi49tWt87XuYi3mH6vEKiKwj89geCPpidUPWCtQy8cRfilWXVgjyb81opHPiXtbYelNRn0ZtR3uAiGw-uWxeyFjVDZPj7qmo/w556-h640/IMG-20230929-WA0040.jpg" width="556" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A video-still (c) Tim Clark</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I stayed until 14:55 but no more views. Would have loved to get a picture myself, but in this case the picture is very much in my mind. Thanks again Tim for a top top bird! </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Just to catch up with other bird news, I have a few sightings to mention off the back of Storm Agnes. I didn't manage much on the sea, a possible and extremely brief <b>Sooty Shearwater</b> was frustrating, I did see a couple of closer <b>Balearic</b> <b>Shearwaters</b>, four <b>Ringed Plovers </b>west plus <b>Gannets </b>and <b>Kittiwakes </b>have clearly increased in numbers and seem to be feeding offshore. My sea based highlight were two <b>Arctic Skuas</b> lingering off Spot On yesterday afternoon, chasing gulls for food. Always a delight to watch - probably not so much fun for the gulls though!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The day before (the 27th - the day of the storm and my birthday!) a two hour late afternoon look about didn't show anything new on the Estuary, Colyford Common or over the sea, but on Black Hole Marsh I was surprised to see a whopping 12 <b>Curlew Sandpipers</b>! There were two with the <b>Ringed Plover</b> flock right next to Island Hide, plus a flock of ten with <b>Dunlin </b>that looked like a freshly arrived tight flock. They were flighty and never looked that settled, but here's seven of them...</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAk8yqJG80GWU_XZcHqR-xKwfnMQtzE85rqxkYSXnqbT9op5c6qZRT_zwASLJ8axMpUNCsoIErzd5uNYxXO-fM5PuWdg-SLMtxttlFIKVZe62JAzpsJ3vt-HTAqagBRqMw8d0gSngQhKJikk97GL0JeuhssSLxCGdRZ_7mrgWxgBVKPaXHcuruT9rrOL0/s2513/20230927_170209.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1448" data-original-width="2513" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAk8yqJG80GWU_XZcHqR-xKwfnMQtzE85rqxkYSXnqbT9op5c6qZRT_zwASLJ8axMpUNCsoIErzd5uNYxXO-fM5PuWdg-SLMtxttlFIKVZe62JAzpsJ3vt-HTAqagBRqMw8d0gSngQhKJikk97GL0JeuhssSLxCGdRZ_7mrgWxgBVKPaXHcuruT9rrOL0/w640-h368/20230927_170209.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Also two <b>Dunlin </b>and two <b>Ringed Plover </b>in shot<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <p></p><p>And to close this post, how could I not include a photo of this...<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYBDLcz6wwodD_4tv2ai_UT_SNRhCQohOiV3zEAqOYFbMQf9ReCmtgC5fLfBgoKtWo-N3SNmUsZ2aIRyKHdxmz94Y8oItjcXim0dpM0uZOV3YswwiSC4ne_D8m_3PNTUAgf7wvRfyUmAU0YdJ6RSzuLgh_SuNnS-dm99C5ctyYTCkMDDyWPXvjIvCpR4/s4000/20230929_124904.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYBDLcz6wwodD_4tv2ai_UT_SNRhCQohOiV3zEAqOYFbMQf9ReCmtgC5fLfBgoKtWo-N3SNmUsZ2aIRyKHdxmz94Y8oItjcXim0dpM0uZOV3YswwiSC4ne_D8m_3PNTUAgf7wvRfyUmAU0YdJ6RSzuLgh_SuNnS-dm99C5ctyYTCkMDDyWPXvjIvCpR4/w640-h480/20230929_124904.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thankfully it didn't cost me a patch tick!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p>Steve Waitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02234938942274343663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854917240637353068.post-77860874352865077562023-09-26T22:31:00.012+01:002023-09-27T06:39:47.249+01:00Glossy Ibis on Black Hole Marsh<p style="text-align: justify;">A timely message from Tim tonight (I had just finished eating dinner!) informed me of two <b>Glossy Ibis</b> that had just dropped in at Black Hole Marsh. I was down there pretty sharpish as the light was going fast, and am glad I did because shortly after I filmed the last part of the below video they flew off south downriver. Am not sure how far they went but I could so easily have missed them completely tonight...</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="340" src="https://youtube.com/embed/eQ8ymWeAMBA?si=UUlqDvohG1sQ74Hg" width="580"></iframe></p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Both birds were clearly juveniles/first-winters, presumably been blown across the channel with this southerly wind. My first <b>Glossy Ibis</b> on the Axe since the four that lingered in January 2022 -
although I did miss a brief (less than one day bird) on 14th Sept of the
same year.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Now let's see what Storm Anges has to offer... </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>Steve Waitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02234938942274343663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854917240637353068.post-31480991081025935042023-09-24T21:45:00.004+01:002023-09-24T21:54:16.887+01:00Little Stint Up Close<p style="text-align: justify;">Been a nice selection of wading birds about over the last week, including two each of <b>Little Stint </b>and <b>Curlew Sandpiper</b>, up to ten <b>Ruff </b>(with a couple still remaining), a <b>Bar-tailed Godwit</b> and the odd <b>Greenshank </b>and <b>Green Sandpiper</b>. Still no American wader for me but I feel like it is close now.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">In the meantime I hope you enjoy this <b>Little Stint</b> video (but I am sorry about the wobble midway through!). Don't forget to click on settings to improve the playback quality, 1080p is the best...<br /></p><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="330" src="https://youtube.com/embed/r0Bwj5fZZm4?si=OQA1nM1ME8SWpBxG" width="580"></iframe> </p><p style="text-align: center;"> <br /></p>Steve Waitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02234938942274343663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854917240637353068.post-64829082182286034322023-09-20T22:01:00.034+01:002023-09-21T09:52:22.288+01:00Great Shearwater - Patch First!<p style="text-align: justify;">Wow it really has been a day of all the emotions when it came to birding... or lack of!<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">With neither species of large shearwater on my patch list, this summer/autumn I have put as much time in as possible during the right weather in an attempt to change that. So far though no luck despite the record numbers in UK waters. Then came today, a day that I didn't have much time, and what happened today? The remanence of Hurricane Lee delivered big shears a-plenty deep into Lyme Bay, with double-figure <b>Cory's</b> count off Dawlish Warren, several of both species off Portland Bill and Budleigh (!?), as well as a <b>Great Shearwater</b> behaving like a <b>Herring Gull </b>off West Bay! </p><p style="text-align: justify;">This is where the <i>frustration </i>and <i>exasperation </i>came into play. I was at work with all the news coming through and there was nothing I could do about it. Ian M did watch Seaton Bay for a couple of hours first thing, but he missed out on big shears too although he did have a good count of <b>Balearics</b>. So although I hadn't missed any that were actually seen here, it didn't help with my mood and I still felt like I was missing out.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Late this afternoon I managed to get out of work a bit early, so hot-footed it to The Spot On Kiosk where Ian and Phil were already in situ. By this time the wind had dropped right down rounding off the top of the waves but it was still lumpy out there and there were still frequent rain showers passing through. Over the sea though there were no birds, other than a few <b>Gannets</b>. Things were looking bleak. <br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Yet another heavy shower came through at about 5pm, encouraging Phil and Ian to head home for tea, which to be honest sounded like a good move. However my lift was still over an hour away so I sat it out.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The rain stopped and within moments I picked up a <b>Storm Petrel</b>. It was close too which was nice, although I kept losing it in the swell. A few minutes after that (now 5:22pm) I was scanning further to the right to see if I could pick up the <b>Stormie </b>again, when the underside of a shearwater flashed up into my scope view from below, extremely close in. It dropped behind a wave and then emerged again to reveal itself as a pristine <b>Great Shearwater</b>! A first for the Axe patch!<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">This is where sheer <i>joy </i>and <i>jubilation </i>came in, as well as utter <i>shock</i>, <i>surprise</i>, <i>disbelief </i>and the shakes! <br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">However I then completely fluffed up, as I spent about thirty seconds rummaging around in my rucksack for my camcorder, before remembering it wasn't even in there! I grabbed a couple of 'barely' record shots with my phone camera, quickly messaged it out on WhatsApp and phoned Phil, before going back to my scope and enjoying it again. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">To my surprise, over what was now a fairly smooth (and otherwise completely bird-less) sea, it kept flying deeper into the bay - behaving nothing like any shearwater I have ever seen here! It got about half way along the beach towards Seaton Hole, before it veered out south and headed for Beer Head. Absolutely incredible views. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">As it got to Beer Head another rain shower came in and I lost it.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7B1a2uxphbQAcog5j9Rss2wsXnlAVBjpW5auIYsuYjJhNd_2QFBq9JNCd9Ruo1il8kbrciDsRnlwnmScsgcjueVwtST0J2SoGbfW1yI0F216naN0AcVuQdwKqRi1zb6UZcn_hgokdyTvK7mM02Ww8KdxJ1hTcvxDvwchBY6kLW2VmovboDr5S6NT3TX8/s1500/GreatShear.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1452" data-original-width="1500" height="620" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7B1a2uxphbQAcog5j9Rss2wsXnlAVBjpW5auIYsuYjJhNd_2QFBq9JNCd9Ruo1il8kbrciDsRnlwnmScsgcjueVwtST0J2SoGbfW1yI0F216naN0AcVuQdwKqRi1zb6UZcn_hgokdyTvK7mM02Ww8KdxJ1hTcvxDvwchBY6kLW2VmovboDr5S6NT3TX8/w640-h620/GreatShear.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes that is a <b>Great Shear</b>! The Axe's first!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table> <p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">A few minutes later Ian and Phil returned... no sign. I felt <i>gutted </i>for them both, and really <i>disappointed</i>, it honestly completely dampened the buzz I'd felt ten minutes earlier. <br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Ian and Phil left again, and I alerted birders further west along the coast in case the <b>Great Shear</b> had kept going. I wasn't so sure though, I knew there was a chance the band of rain may have stopped it in its tracks.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">About ten minutes later a second <b>Storm Petrel </b>flew west (a bit further out this one), and then at 6:12pm I saw the <b>Great Shearwater</b> again! Flying east and further out - but it was lingering! My phone kicked into action again...<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I then felt <i>nervous </i>and <i>anxious</i>, as the <b>Great Shear</b> would sporadically drop on the sea and disappear completely, or worse on occasions it would fly even further out...</p><p style="text-align: justify;">But then I heard the sound of cars as Phil and Ian arrived (again!) and am so so pleased to say all was put right. Complete and utter <i>joy </i>and <i>relief</i> plus the buzz from the bird returned! Kev, Tim and Tim made it down too, with the shearwater remaining in view until I left at 6:40pm. I know Tim managed some proper photos of it, I will put a link to them when they are online. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidFhg98zM2T1yES3NSCgwfQaD0cQES2U0GGt6XVtR44kSfAKCOEUiqtRO4ZvSvCoVJgvAMCgIqSrY6DMymFhzKTz4rApaWdKh7Nm6Z2TExeynskFFkTWnPCR1_ivTKj3Gxkjls6ZRCQwNOxu3YoVlHcik9bmTc5MPOJFDyvB4W0Tf6QJ1B4nmcagUKbs0/s2000/GreatSheartwitch.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidFhg98zM2T1yES3NSCgwfQaD0cQES2U0GGt6XVtR44kSfAKCOEUiqtRO4ZvSvCoVJgvAMCgIqSrY6DMymFhzKTz4rApaWdKh7Nm6Z2TExeynskFFkTWnPCR1_ivTKj3Gxkjls6ZRCQwNOxu3YoVlHcik9bmTc5MPOJFDyvB4W0Tf6QJ1B4nmcagUKbs0/w640-h480/GreatSheartwitch.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It is not often that a seabird can be twitched! Especially not a shearwater and not here!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table> <p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Although I cannot of course be 100% sure, I am as good as that this was <a href="https://notquitescilly2.blogspot.com/2023/09/when-shearwaters-are-great.html" target="_blank">Gavin's earlier bird</a> at West Bay as it just did not behave how a big shear should, especially not a <b>Great</b>! This made it even more perfect for me, knowing it was enjoyed by him too.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">An absolutely amazing experience, watching such an epic and rare bird casually gliding over the bay backwards and forwards for so long, not to mention the ultra close first flypast. Quite sureal really. No waves, no other birds, just us and it. Incredible.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Patch birding really is the best. <br /></p>Steve Waitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02234938942274343663noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854917240637353068.post-64803266643537698462023-09-15T22:20:00.006+01:002023-09-15T22:27:55.988+01:00A Good Wader Autumn<p style="text-align: justify;">Black Hole Marsh has been terrific at pulling in wading birds this autumn. Any spare time I've had in a morning or evening it's been hard to go anywhere but here! Well why would you when the potential is so vast!?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I managed to miss our (hopefully) first American wading bird of the autumn, with a <b>Pectoral Sandpiper </b>found by Tim late afternoon on 10th. It flew off a couple of hours later, which was a bit annoying as I managed the miss the equally brief bird Phil found 366 days before too! </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I did see the second best wading bird of the autumn though, with a juvenile <b>Spotted Redshank</b> here for a couple of days from 7th. Unfairly scarce on the Axe now, especially considering the fact we used to have at least one wintering bird every year up until the early 2000's. The only view I had of this bird was distant and well after sunset, hence this appalling record shot...<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAy5o20W1ZCLXhJcnvkZqDxEpJRVH7-sPY2SpS3Udeij0xCLfmgclPRCMeKlx019MrhzA88XG1wm3yl2ePsf0HpDhcltE_mEu2UWtGSR9oF1G1BZ5JEB_WAatDkKk3TBmcFAvzTArfUNLHR3V3n1bOcFl5ePSwuf5c1llz6M2ZDCd5K0Ugg6ZvAHKxbbs/s1064/Spotshank.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAy5o20W1ZCLXhJcnvkZqDxEpJRVH7-sPY2SpS3Udeij0xCLfmgclPRCMeKlx019MrhzA88XG1wm3yl2ePsf0HpDhcltE_mEu2UWtGSR9oF1G1BZ5JEB_WAatDkKk3TBmcFAvzTArfUNLHR3V3n1bOcFl5ePSwuf5c1llz6M2ZDCd5K0Ugg6ZvAHKxbbs/w542-h640/Spotshank.jpg" width="542" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still identifiable - just!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table> <p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">And now for some better footage! This morning Black Hole Marsh held a juvenile <b>Little Stint</b>, two juvenile <b>Curlew Sandpipers</b>, five juvenile <b>Ruff </b>and a <b>Green Sandpiper</b>. All of these species featuring in this little video clip...</p><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jCGhFrGc0YA?si=7fJkQBUSWOtLWX0h" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Also in recent weeks we have had a couple of <b>Knot</b>, two different <b>Bar-tailed Godwits</b>, five or so <b>Greenshank </b>and up to 19 <b>Ringed Plover</b>. Not bad at all! Could do with more <b>Dunlin </b>though, numbers well down in general.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Non-wading bird highlights for me in the valley since my last post includes my first two <b>Wigeon </b>of the autumn on morning of 7th, a couple of fly-through <b>Ospreys</b>, up to 13 <b>Cattle Egret </b>seen daily and a lovely first-winter <b>Yellow-legged Gull </b>on the lower Estuary for several hours on 10th...</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrJGPtKYRep-r74SEeGu56owaLLS1_MF6YFEXyKFJzYU0ABsmWKQTE_G8YaDc1Yq7WVkcpZ_cgB8Sh4VSKdkjF4d6qBeA0e-9Enz8dONesXk2S2jLXY-km3uO0KbcSTzneSNeZuHGQMR8-L5irsTCuYcU1Q0vRD8XEL6sBEXEY0Ec0qe0TxJbEHy8UqSo/s900/YLG1w.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="642" data-original-width="900" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrJGPtKYRep-r74SEeGu56owaLLS1_MF6YFEXyKFJzYU0ABsmWKQTE_G8YaDc1Yq7WVkcpZ_cgB8Sh4VSKdkjF4d6qBeA0e-9Enz8dONesXk2S2jLXY-km3uO0KbcSTzneSNeZuHGQMR8-L5irsTCuYcU1Q0vRD8XEL6sBEXEY0Ec0qe0TxJbEHy8UqSo/w640-h456/YLG1w.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Phone-binned photo! Saw all the critical features including nice open wing views, but that body shape very typical of <b>YLG</b>.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: left;">Looking forward to what else September brings...</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>Steve Waitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02234938942274343663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854917240637353068.post-44675495860222889312023-08-25T23:13:00.017+01:002023-08-26T07:54:21.535+01:00Icterine Warbler - First for the Patch!<p style="text-align: justify;">Well I was quite content with my couple of hours of birding in my Patchwork Challenge patch this morning... </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I'd seen good numbers of warblers on Seaton Marshes, along with several <b>Yellow Wagtails </b>and three <b>Kingfishers</b>. And on Colyford Marsh, having missed three less than one-day birds this year, finally <b>Marsh Harrier </b>made it on to my Patchwork Challenge list...</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLVzL3H_zgflfI-qLZZMjYmWgOrueSilGSPXmFyjxRQwAirx-0Dbrx4pJhtZMaeW-qHQcjXbJ6lBZ2jYsHmMIy6spwqdhTx7ewbELttngluh42Lg_boT_p6ebNVE3q6gZzq1nvEi1KSkJOX_kqQbgF0h9ZWHHWHlc513nN8bt4_2jpvoXx2XVFFwh4Ot0/s900/MarshHarrierdistant.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="900" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLVzL3H_zgflfI-qLZZMjYmWgOrueSilGSPXmFyjxRQwAirx-0Dbrx4pJhtZMaeW-qHQcjXbJ6lBZ2jYsHmMIy6spwqdhTx7ewbELttngluh42Lg_boT_p6ebNVE3q6gZzq1nvEi1KSkJOX_kqQbgF0h9ZWHHWHlc513nN8bt4_2jpvoXx2XVFFwh4Ot0/w640-h378/MarshHarrierdistant.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Think this photo just about rules out<b> Golden Eagle</b>?<br /></td></tr></tbody></table> <p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">But then, just before 08:30, for the first time this year I had to abandon my Patchwork Challenge patch and twitch Beer Head as Kev had found a patch first - of one flavour or another...<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Kev had stumbled upon a <b><i>hippolais </i>warbler</b>, either an <b>Icterine </b>or <b>Melodious</b>, luckily for me who didn't have much time, in a large area of scrub not all the far from where we park. Twenty minutes later I was there, but as I walked to join the trio of birders who had seen it, they reported they had last seen it fly out of the isolated scrub patch it was in and towards Beer Head Caravan Park. I immediately felt like I was in a dipping scenario. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I was wrong. A few <b>Willow Warblers</b> appeared right beside me, and soon after Clive turned up, out emerged a plain looking face - followed by a bloody <b>Icterine Warbler</b>!!! </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I say 'bloody' as this was <i>NOT </i>expected! Far rarer than <b>Melodious </b>down here, and we are on a stretch of coast that in late August during southerly winds you'd almost describe as optimum for this Mediterranean species - but we are yet to record one. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I had two clear and decent bin views of it, then for the third time it showed I fired up my camcorder. At the end of this very short bit of film, it jumps out to the left of frame and very sadly was never seen again. Here is the vid...</p><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="320" src="https://youtube.com/embed/Ig3kA8lHHUY?si=5XCmaSNLL5Mwdkv9" width="560"></iframe><br /></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Note the tail-dipping, almost flycatcher-like behaviour and even the fact it is at the top of a tree! All good <b>Icky </b>behavioural traits. <br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">And here's a couple of stills from this video, quite pleased how they have come out...</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx-R5Uz4QafH1rlBkEY91H1GE53boO28fHngOGI0oLT_kNuW8Sc5dXQ_wJOAkE6WVMqGDhZ_n420ynJK9aHb7rGF8wRwmBHsqQ8jbWC5vmlFgi-g1TOblNhxwtz4VXfp6Q2xj_SrELCA2lvzxQYCqNffjdWGxRuQNdiUP6VZ2bXuDRp6xZW5cyo-99RB4/s1000/IcterineWarbler2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="737" data-original-width="1000" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx-R5Uz4QafH1rlBkEY91H1GE53boO28fHngOGI0oLT_kNuW8Sc5dXQ_wJOAkE6WVMqGDhZ_n420ynJK9aHb7rGF8wRwmBHsqQ8jbWC5vmlFgi-g1TOblNhxwtz4VXfp6Q2xj_SrELCA2lvzxQYCqNffjdWGxRuQNdiUP6VZ2bXuDRp6xZW5cyo-99RB4/w640-h472/IcterineWarbler2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Such a prominent almost solid pale wing panel<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6HW0KqKKSDs1_9EUFPnA5Mso3bdoxzOcq2CfkHwg0734VQuLxF-hWXy0EVOHJR-sqybUgdV9NNfNCQOf9Z7wykSvagS9B_VZ-3w-ZdmSgHhHeCUYoSWqWWfGGvWxcW1W_OZ4NSUqKv95gNQLmK_IoHPy_Grolg-OD8fIjfH_f2Wqwfp1AkL5QH5EGkvQ/s1000/IcterineWarbler1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="679" data-original-width="1000" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6HW0KqKKSDs1_9EUFPnA5Mso3bdoxzOcq2CfkHwg0734VQuLxF-hWXy0EVOHJR-sqybUgdV9NNfNCQOf9Z7wykSvagS9B_VZ-3w-ZdmSgHhHeCUYoSWqWWfGGvWxcW1W_OZ4NSUqKv95gNQLmK_IoHPy_Grolg-OD8fIjfH_f2Wqwfp1AkL5QH5EGkvQ/w640-h434/IcterineWarbler1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The yellow on this bird was restricted to its throat and face, with maybe a touch on its breast </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPLx1XRExFmAuJe_iunsvFWJYLeRe7tbSp2AtrcSxMKf6vSKlL_eUw23h0ZWZ4ajP0hdyfPIyBMTiQwTQk7vPzKGYbAzDZqAwMAcF0gmHAgPabOBxdNHtOBq4gP-gGhvQ9ND0Ctu0IJx08sUzibqmCBHktHQvub9N9gOk2hWuOPA0pBPU4dzwVoDBFNTM/s1000/IcterineWarbler3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="626" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPLx1XRExFmAuJe_iunsvFWJYLeRe7tbSp2AtrcSxMKf6vSKlL_eUw23h0ZWZ4ajP0hdyfPIyBMTiQwTQk7vPzKGYbAzDZqAwMAcF0gmHAgPabOBxdNHtOBq4gP-gGhvQ9ND0Ctu0IJx08sUzibqmCBHktHQvub9N9gOk2hWuOPA0pBPU4dzwVoDBFNTM/w640-h400/IcterineWarbler3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tail down and head up<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJF2ucUOELsbT92XXZ6V0JAp7NjXkJ5O3rZSEIs5MblBDdj4p4ZRxCGHkLu7RoELWzLPS4D5sAsoJYY94Qt_uVHntbtzugyYVL-p7gr6mllTjvOm2t2faBWrk_yLP1Bo8eQKVqjJ6jC-TG8zI8oOWIY2RRB8ThvJW4WgxIz-RrcpegV7OOy3Z-fn-Uh2E/s827/Icterinetaildip.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="827" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJF2ucUOELsbT92XXZ6V0JAp7NjXkJ5O3rZSEIs5MblBDdj4p4ZRxCGHkLu7RoELWzLPS4D5sAsoJYY94Qt_uVHntbtzugyYVL-p7gr6mllTjvOm2t2faBWrk_yLP1Bo8eQKVqjJ6jC-TG8zI8oOWIY2RRB8ThvJW4WgxIz-RrcpegV7OOy3Z-fn-Uh2E/w640-h434/Icterinetaildip.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A tail-pump in action!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p style="text-align: justify;">And now for a <i>proper</i> photo of it! Taken by finder Kev, thanks for the great find Kev...</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi70vP5QSmWxsYpngpjbb6vicK4UZbwXTG-_cBRjx3R2PMawh8KDG0JJ2cy2uscpEViTXNdETtB8jnRkA2SDb1XN6IvAgDW9YTmSJQ1NIjhO45a3GIQpoWAMz98cYBYsJhyFaj-HlZspY4ESe2BANvtRQh6zR8xzZuDLmRZychENcbTcFNio9UbppyM754/s640/image0.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi70vP5QSmWxsYpngpjbb6vicK4UZbwXTG-_cBRjx3R2PMawh8KDG0JJ2cy2uscpEViTXNdETtB8jnRkA2SDb1XN6IvAgDW9YTmSJQ1NIjhO45a3GIQpoWAMz98cYBYsJhyFaj-HlZspY4ESe2BANvtRQh6zR8xzZuDLmRZychENcbTcFNio9UbppyM754/w640-h480/image0.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What a pic of a patch first! And of a warbler - better than <i>any </i>warbler photo I have EVER taken!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">Kev's photos show so many of the good pro <b>Icky </b>ID pointers. The steely blue legs, really long bill and pale wing panels <i>can </i>be shown by <b>Melodious</b>, although all three would be unusual I guess. However those lovely pale edged/tipped greater coverts, tertials and primaries, as well as the long primary projection are solid <b>Icky </b>features.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Then there was how it looked and behaved in the field. I have always found <b>Melodious </b>to be a bit <b>Garden Warbler</b>-like. Fat and lazy. And rounded, with round heads and blunter more rounded wing tips. Whereas, just like this bird, <b>Icterines </b>look a bit un warbler-like, almost <b>Flycatchery</b>, and just very pointy with long wing-tips and a long bill. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Additionally, although I don't at all think this is proven it's just something I have found in the past, I find <b>Melodious</b> tend to show<b> </b>more of that 'open face look' that you expect from a hippo, whereas <b>Ickys </b>display darker ear coverts and sometimes a more noticeable supercillium, so giving slightly less of that 'open face' appearance.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">So, that was that. Field birders happy with ID, others on local and county Whatsapp groups happy with ID (including a wonderful annotated copy of Kevs photo by Mike Langman). But then this comes out on BirdGuides...</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI20ea3rrQ5esJyGHtpmS_cX-i2w70qIMztMpdVG8b0rH9HrpVOcFBICMXsA8VfpAulrTXxr8-SPTXJlE4asdVg7ob-lQeyo9dgeuS_0iaFGAazhbn9tVYuzrNCwSP-TCA0jESBXKxcaQQkrVsrFOhRvD_4Bbx2RC3wiOGCWSB3Kw6bJWhHFPlC-HmsAQ/s1139/IMG-20230825-WA0018.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="258" data-original-width="1139" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI20ea3rrQ5esJyGHtpmS_cX-i2w70qIMztMpdVG8b0rH9HrpVOcFBICMXsA8VfpAulrTXxr8-SPTXJlE4asdVg7ob-lQeyo9dgeuS_0iaFGAazhbn9tVYuzrNCwSP-TCA0jESBXKxcaQQkrVsrFOhRvD_4Bbx2RC3wiOGCWSB3Kw6bJWhHFPlC-HmsAQ/w640-h144/IMG-20230825-WA0018.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh, really!?<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">This took me right back to the Beer Head <b>Blyth's Reed Warbler </b>that Kev also found back in 2020.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">That was reidentified as a <b>Marsh Warbler</b> on BirdGuides whilst all onsite birders were well down the <b>Blyth's Reed</b> route... It did then slow down its song during the afternoon so it is a good job a tiny winged dark brown <i><b>acro </b></i>appeared hoping around the bottom of the bush at the end of the day otherwise the doubt probably would have been the death of that record (the full tale can be read about on <a href="https://stevesbirdingblog.blogspot.com/2020/05/bun-bags-blyths.html">THIS</a> blog post).</p><p style="text-align: justify;">So, with some doubt added to the mix today, although many were well on the <b>Icterine </b>side of the fence, I knew I had to ask a man who has seen and handled a lot more <b>Melodies </b>and <b>Ickys</b> than me. I hope Martin Cade doesn't mind me copying some of the contents of his response on here...</p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>"This is an Icterine: the secondary panel is way too
white and conspicuous for a Melodious, the primary projection is long,
the primaries are strongly tipped pale, the tertials are very
clean-edged and dark centred, the greater coverts have decent pale edges
and tips and, on the video, it dips its tail quite conspicuously. For
me this all equals a certain Icterine.</i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>I’m
usually ultra-conservative but for me there’s no doubt about this one –
wouldn’t it be funny if new evidence emerges that completely refutes
all I’ve just written!!</i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Hope that’s useful and doesn’t put a cat amongst the pigeons if everyone’s decided it’s a Melodious".</i></span></p><br /><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;">As you can see from the last line, I did not include in my email what I thought it was or what the field views suggested.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Thank you again Kevin, just reward for your continued perseverance<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">
</span>with this site. Am just sorry that more didn't connect with it - I consider myself extremely lucky to have arrived just in the nick of time.</p>Steve Waitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02234938942274343663noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854917240637353068.post-36687861088341347012023-08-24T20:47:00.005+01:002023-08-24T21:00:29.223+01:00Goshawk<p style="text-align: justify;">Well I wasn't expecting that!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Spent a lovely evening at Black Hole Marsh last night. And it started really well as a <b>Wood Sandpiper </b>was calling as I walked through the entrance gate, not that I could see it (and didn't for the rest of my visit!). <br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">From the Island Hide there were three lovely juvenile <b>Ruff</b>, two <b>Greenshank</b>, plenty of <b>Black-tailed Godwits</b> including a big increase in gingery juvs and a few <b>Dunlin </b>and <b>Ringed Plover</b>. So lots and lots of birds. But then, just before 8pm, something put everything up, although it was an odd flush with very little noise but a huge reaction. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I soon saw why...</p><p style="text-align: justify;">A juvenile <b>Goshawk </b>was chasing a <b>Wood Pigeon </b>low over the boundary of Black Hole Marsh and Colyford Common, before giving up, gaining some height and powering on off to the west. What an awesome sight.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSP-LDzfMUnYr4W0zBZ2gt8wiIHmARD3u-fcNUhiTYuGeHqxuUSyLEDaa5rs_42DVYFqpU3rUT-grRdeYwv2U7gCEIyr_NVLq0vOiDrHHPc3RKwvOqDw2INTYrqG13xLTkC-vXrZItqj29JFd0NPrgv9sGB99DxTRWz0vJc4MjcjdOsFd_DdedXYTJvO4/s961/Goshawk2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="961" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSP-LDzfMUnYr4W0zBZ2gt8wiIHmARD3u-fcNUhiTYuGeHqxuUSyLEDaa5rs_42DVYFqpU3rUT-grRdeYwv2U7gCEIyr_NVLq0vOiDrHHPc3RKwvOqDw2INTYrqG13xLTkC-vXrZItqj29JFd0NPrgv9sGB99DxTRWz0vJc4MjcjdOsFd_DdedXYTJvO4/w640-h600/Goshawk2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A video grab<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJfsLu0wOzIp8tosFYbN6i5jOawT7W1E-W0uN3svVjAEziCZWzgnX9Jt1hFtKMJvAtTnWrKXFfynrdCRlpSGmOiXRL_AW-oFLgd1jwX7ufKUbt-4mKSiocwrim0qrX3fPcw_14L7YapsD37-aKaagF-zLckAXvfdU25MSjuv0axPxndCfTRFQTSD55L5M/s1000/Goshawk4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="715" data-original-width="1000" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJfsLu0wOzIp8tosFYbN6i5jOawT7W1E-W0uN3svVjAEziCZWzgnX9Jt1hFtKMJvAtTnWrKXFfynrdCRlpSGmOiXRL_AW-oFLgd1jwX7ufKUbt-4mKSiocwrim0qrX3fPcw_14L7YapsD37-aKaagF-zLckAXvfdU25MSjuv0axPxndCfTRFQTSD55L5M/w640-h458/Goshawk4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Such a distinctive shape - as ever when you see a <b>Gos </b>you know it is a <b>Gos</b>! If you are ever not sure then it isn't one!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUbUzctoZ5igmcA-DBa5RkUBBYNAqaE9_J_XCm1I8pIxmhCpQlmWt5xs0OSgKGSWGvCp_rBHiRhOu6TyR1bpC6SlUihQ8O6QGtNtiJZamZqNI7UxbUcDCBw2arX1134CZ_f6cc1wDFz3M2ID4qzOspKeuDuvPfUZnOu158VkrksdACCUkwPOklX6e_Dtw/s1000/Goshawk.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="1000" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUbUzctoZ5igmcA-DBa5RkUBBYNAqaE9_J_XCm1I8pIxmhCpQlmWt5xs0OSgKGSWGvCp_rBHiRhOu6TyR1bpC6SlUihQ8O6QGtNtiJZamZqNI7UxbUcDCBw2arX1134CZ_f6cc1wDFz3M2ID4qzOspKeuDuvPfUZnOu158VkrksdACCUkwPOklX6e_Dtw/w640-h364/Goshawk.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And off it went...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">What was almost as incredible as seeing the <b>Gos</b>, was seeing the effect it had on the birds on Black Hole Marsh! </p><p style="text-align: justify;">For the next twenty minutes after the <b>Gos </b>flew through, literally nothing moved. Pretty much all the wading birds clumped together and formed a super-flock on the far side of the marsh, with the entire northern half of the marsh remaining bird-less, that was except for one of the juv <b>Ruff </b>which was literally cowering underneath a wooden bridge - I have never seen a bird look so petrified! It took half an hour for the <b>Black-headed Gull </b>flock to return too. Just amazing, I have never seen anything quite like it before, and I have seen all sorts of flushes here from <b>White-tailed Eagle </b>to <b>White Stork </b>and <b>Common Crane</b>! </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhRk_vmTSwSVKHt7nTmtJ6iXYmRXXUUNrQWJ4QOD1AF_4l78tN7pcK-ySjm7zu6LG76JjaHwWhB08MwYWI-Fj3_XZJ26NwdMh-PbUiED3_FVbJMiHTQ6K2Qh4QCgFTlP2A6IO3wD-91kipCaNvkeMEWyovnYsgEfKhP0KfaKpXl5TEjFwQRdGMXEsX4EE/s4000/20230823_200005.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhRk_vmTSwSVKHt7nTmtJ6iXYmRXXUUNrQWJ4QOD1AF_4l78tN7pcK-ySjm7zu6LG76JjaHwWhB08MwYWI-Fj3_XZJ26NwdMh-PbUiED3_FVbJMiHTQ6K2Qh4QCgFTlP2A6IO3wD-91kipCaNvkeMEWyovnYsgEfKhP0KfaKpXl5TEjFwQRdGMXEsX4EE/w640-h480/20230823_200005.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorry - there are no birds here anymore!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">What an amazing way to end a day, quite possibly the best way...<br /></p><p><br /></p>Steve Waitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02234938942274343663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854917240637353068.post-91026460003854805232023-08-21T22:28:00.008+01:002023-08-21T22:57:59.455+01:00Caspian Gull, Garganey, Curlew Sandpiper, et al.<p style="text-align: justify;">As the title suggests it has been a good few days! </p><p style="text-align: justify;">We have been blessed with good wading bird numbers over the last week or so on the Axe, particularly on Black Hole and Colyford Marsh. An adult <b>Little</b> <b>Stint</b> that lingered for almost a week was probably the highlight, but there has also been two juvenile <b>Ruff</b>, two juvenile <b>Knot</b>, a juvenile <b>Turnstone</b>, up to six <b>Greenshank</b>, seven <b>Avocet</b>, double-figure counts of <b>Dunlin</b> and <b>Ringed</b> <b>Plover</b>, plus the odd <b>Little</b> <b>Ringed</b> <b>Plover</b> and <b>Green</b> <b>Sandpiper</b>. Add to that the first returning <b>Yellow Wagtails</b> and <b>Wheatears</b>, as well as a couple of <b>Ospreys</b> passing through (which unlike everything else above I have missed) the birding has been excellent! </p><p style="text-align: justify;">And then came the Birdwatching Tram on Sunday evening (20th)...</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Midway through the trip when we were by Tower Hide, a large gull on the Estuary caught my attention during a cursory scan of the modest-sized gull flock. It looked large, white-headed, white-fronted, and showed several moulted scapulars...</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIQoOxSPqkjtvtaaH0iPlrCDQMUYIcSmhiP4oHauOiDSefDKDaxH2wtzlLSlEfFc_o7HBaYgWLysOhZePe8aPu4e8Eo-9Zd8YiQ0V5MHU04G5dObKVL3lQD6T_EXCsu6hpCqJe428EvP3VfodHd0_gLuSb2CmuXr6VWpaBP7Z4g7dybu5g44HqTiZKzBE/s1500/Caspjuv7.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIQoOxSPqkjtvtaaH0iPlrCDQMUYIcSmhiP4oHauOiDSefDKDaxH2wtzlLSlEfFc_o7HBaYgWLysOhZePe8aPu4e8Eo-9Zd8YiQ0V5MHU04G5dObKVL3lQD6T_EXCsu6hpCqJe428EvP3VfodHd0_gLuSb2CmuXr6VWpaBP7Z4g7dybu5g44HqTiZKzBE/w640-h480/Caspjuv7.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So a <b>Yellow-legged</b>/<b>Caspian Gull</b>... but something just didn't feel right for <b>YLG </b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">When I am leading the birdwatch trams I don't carry my telescope, so with just bins I knew my camera was the key to getting any real detail on this bird. So I started papping and spent less time looking, not what I would usually do but necessary considering the circumstances.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">About two minutes later, and once I put the camera down - it flew! Gleaming white underwings were obvious, so I scrambled for the camera again and managed to fluke a flight shot by just pointing it in the general direction it was flying!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Once back home a quick review of the pics showed promise for it being a <b>Caspian Gull</b>, so I sent the photos to Rich Bonser (who shared it with others) and all came back with 100% <b>Casp</b>! RESULT!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2R8ufPDjTzaareecH1hR5J-9iwh-YgJP4geRCaYErz4hmrbvaO4zkUq-nCemQgAWMuvfqp38cTwMhEvHFelfs3k74ixomsKT70mDVJ_t0SDLYKbjzCKklx8KE9bsln8AeWLYjqrib2-91xtG_YEfGqHuP4S6hrQ3aa-TQU9ml0TC6CkCbTFeoTOzXDiw/s1056/CaspianGulljuvinflight%20copy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="860" data-original-width="1056" height="522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2R8ufPDjTzaareecH1hR5J-9iwh-YgJP4geRCaYErz4hmrbvaO4zkUq-nCemQgAWMuvfqp38cTwMhEvHFelfs3k74ixomsKT70mDVJ_t0SDLYKbjzCKklx8KE9bsln8AeWLYjqrib2-91xtG_YEfGqHuP4S6hrQ3aa-TQU9ml0TC6CkCbTFeoTOzXDiw/w640-h522/CaspianGulljuvinflight%20copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The flukey flight shot! Shows very pale underwings and critically the perfect 'venetian blind' <br />inner primary window<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVrmdp0QJIDEavHQa2SxW_KXaK4gbsXbSVS95ErCi5GmDt0DjDvq94JpEa5cx1ZwRIqxS6Aj45n7Wcix7W7DS4IkG6wUA4zNq36ZwZFk4gjTW0KlB354H4b7MED9frym1LHbxVT_kY86nsu8rt8DxUswUGsV0J0u1ML35mbRuLB0zeNtMgz3KUN5ApOwg/s1500/Caspjuv2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1164" data-original-width="1500" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVrmdp0QJIDEavHQa2SxW_KXaK4gbsXbSVS95ErCi5GmDt0DjDvq94JpEa5cx1ZwRIqxS6Aj45n7Wcix7W7DS4IkG6wUA4zNq36ZwZFk4gjTW0KlB354H4b7MED9frym1LHbxVT_kY86nsu8rt8DxUswUGsV0J0u1ML35mbRuLB0zeNtMgz3KUN5ApOwg/w640-h496/Caspjuv2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note big grey moulted scaps, plain greater coverts and all black tertials</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguBTewFHhm-VSnMArlY-sTdf2RkADoY6BsscjQqYo-Ic1Q4g49nR5aGOAN25JDjBl3hTPNTPx33kFgbBrJ-d3DyM45TNtG5Gz1XdMlKu825U65GW7_su1dxzV-jlvAWhogGhynuFvlHzFMZkAcYwe7vVHewh2T-RK4EKWNE39SVnm0DGbxnF3A8uf6fFI/s1500/Caspjuv4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1176" data-original-width="1500" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguBTewFHhm-VSnMArlY-sTdf2RkADoY6BsscjQqYo-Ic1Q4g49nR5aGOAN25JDjBl3hTPNTPx33kFgbBrJ-d3DyM45TNtG5Gz1XdMlKu825U65GW7_su1dxzV-jlvAWhogGhynuFvlHzFMZkAcYwe7vVHewh2T-RK4EKWNE39SVnm0DGbxnF3A8uf6fFI/w640-h502/Caspjuv4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A very familiar shape, nice full chest, a bit of a 'saggy nappy' appearance and a relatively parallel bill with minimal goyns angle. Am just not used to seeing so much streaking on a <b>Casp</b> but that's because I have never seen one so young! </td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim-q6Bs2Pe2rxA_-widrjFAnaPj4ja7Qsf1rbolejTZ6QYBZfLK9zse7009-c0xP4Q056YRTSQbNdJNpn3bo8woDBCnaQAFi4dBx8-C90kvANXiu2agTX3C4Ld6m-q9CxNh3gUlbsRwZScohIJ9AGITfK7U8KwI5plpUe5tD8sITS9XFhxeoPvNcLqJ3g/s1500/Caspjuv1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1171" data-original-width="1500" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim-q6Bs2Pe2rxA_-widrjFAnaPj4ja7Qsf1rbolejTZ6QYBZfLK9zse7009-c0xP4Q056YRTSQbNdJNpn3bo8woDBCnaQAFi4dBx8-C90kvANXiu2agTX3C4Ld6m-q9CxNh3gUlbsRwZScohIJ9AGITfK7U8KwI5plpUe5tD8sITS9XFhxeoPvNcLqJ3g/w640-h500/Caspjuv1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Long tibia, and the makings of a neck shawl I would say... Lovely mousey brown juvenile feathers too, a really nice colour (as brown goes!)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">This, if accepted, will be the 30th <b>Caspian Gull</b> for the Axe. But for me it is one of my favourites as a juvenile has been high on my wanted list for years. The (and my) previous earliest autumn date for an Axe <b>Casp</b> is 3rd Sept (although I didn't actually fully confirm it until late October - read <a href="https://stevesbirdingblog.blogspot.com/2020/10/a-cracking-casp-with-familiar-bling.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> for all the details!) so this is the first August record. Am absolutely chuffed to bits and a very educational bird for me.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">And as if this lump of brown wasn't enough excitement for the 22 passengers onboard the birdwatching tram last night, about twenty minutes later I found them another lump of brown! A slightly stripey one...</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfgQfeywU_oSlYek42e9hFraEG4rN3ZeugLWnPuV1nL2_CH9X39_ZKefzzJh8Hy_J7MAbAh9f3RFR3Dy0AZk1KY2uTFf-szx1GIfvaQFA1oXyG4Takh3f71sUbFx6ryODYxrw-bH6vV9nhVfvKfBLg9NZ_qpTsbYRohRP_qFFZX56qIw_EXaf_tbcpMbE/s1500/Garganeyautumn4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1053" data-original-width="1500" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfgQfeywU_oSlYek42e9hFraEG4rN3ZeugLWnPuV1nL2_CH9X39_ZKefzzJh8Hy_J7MAbAh9f3RFR3Dy0AZk1KY2uTFf-szx1GIfvaQFA1oXyG4Takh3f71sUbFx6ryODYxrw-bH6vV9nhVfvKfBLg9NZ_qpTsbYRohRP_qFFZX56qIw_EXaf_tbcpMbE/w640-h450/Garganeyautumn4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An autumn <b>Garganey</b> - a real treat!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">At first, like the 16+ <b>Teal</b> it was feeding with on the mud on Colyford Scrape, it was surprisingly elusive and hard to keep tabs on. But by the time we left the scrape (about five minutes later) it had ventured closer and was the only duck on the water...</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiasJDW_THrhtLlf6gWRqhGRUczEELrZP4g18OJbk8w5vYSTtPkK2neJ1jghDgCK_yNfsCdOWOBU9l-pTVRLgT8IDgCnBHuG98Hvi3SIjbYeSEWt6tq2oBMJraYdzvp0Xe0DCWy109AdBXmqkVkXp141SJTC4n6Z91OFtyerWl-VJM7MlzYFofbu5cku0/s1500/Garganeyautumn2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1001" data-original-width="1500" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiasJDW_THrhtLlf6gWRqhGRUczEELrZP4g18OJbk8w5vYSTtPkK2neJ1jghDgCK_yNfsCdOWOBU9l-pTVRLgT8IDgCnBHuG98Hvi3SIjbYeSEWt6tq2oBMJraYdzvp0Xe0DCWy109AdBXmqkVkXp141SJTC4n6Z91OFtyerWl-VJM7MlzYFofbu5cku0/w640-h428/Garganeyautumn2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What a beaut and what a view!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOQgv-K8F_nyE-n5-q4dnDHMaY-a3iSy3CR91M3AcE4VGt3xDvf1LWM4ElrbB5Jfsx0gyf6Wq5EvvtgRcxkAWYwZaQGq9zWNQF51oRcdf1gPoGltKHN38DsXfOs2N5YSvUioMNppXQ9T9za1Tesg34u9iqfhBYz612d6e6v9Rlk3PmNY6Ju_qYWc6JHoQ/s1500/Garganeyautumn3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1134" data-original-width="1500" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOQgv-K8F_nyE-n5-q4dnDHMaY-a3iSy3CR91M3AcE4VGt3xDvf1LWM4ElrbB5Jfsx0gyf6Wq5EvvtgRcxkAWYwZaQGq9zWNQF51oRcdf1gPoGltKHN38DsXfOs2N5YSvUioMNppXQ9T9za1Tesg34u9iqfhBYz612d6e6v9Rlk3PmNY6Ju_qYWc6JHoQ/w640-h484/Garganeyautumn3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maybe an adult female? Not too sharp on autumn <b>Garganey</b> ageing/sexing though, thoughts please?</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">What a fabulous double-whammy!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">And today it got even better, as Clive found a <b>Curlew Sandpiper</b> on Black Hole Marsh. I haven't seen a <b>Curlew Sand</b> on the Axe for many years, we just haven't had good numbers of them in the UK for several autumns now. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">When I saw it it remained distant on the far side of the marsh, so please excuse this awful phone-scoped record shot...</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVXTeQVflKq2hUa3y2fofVwUi8UmBarIQ7DO2LGe_0HoczyG0KBqTdH1dF6iF5USmyaQHckQ5ifKkLe3_gbwEPQfEwOCSqppqMgGLHl3JZ9BtNXfOzNMWdrlgOT8etZ8Cr8avRHUQ5WEQfmZFQrKWp92l6lMKzq_I8cJ4LimOm0QNSanFc_xhl380hkjk/s2048/F4E7oqdW4AAbz9j.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1835" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVXTeQVflKq2hUa3y2fofVwUi8UmBarIQ7DO2LGe_0HoczyG0KBqTdH1dF6iF5USmyaQHckQ5ifKkLe3_gbwEPQfEwOCSqppqMgGLHl3JZ9BtNXfOzNMWdrlgOT8etZ8Cr8avRHUQ5WEQfmZFQrKWp92l6lMKzq_I8cJ4LimOm0QNSanFc_xhl380hkjk/w574-h640/F4E7oqdW4AAbz9j.jpeg" width="574" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Always knee-deep in water! This shot shows the bill shape really well if nothing else.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">Am looking forward to seeing what else August 2023 brings us! Hopefully a proper rare wader is on the cards...</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>Steve Waitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02234938942274343663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854917240637353068.post-61878361974276801772023-08-19T21:58:00.005+01:002023-08-19T22:27:34.884+01:00Seawatching Seaton Style!<p style="text-align: justify;">Following the absolutely epic day of seawatching in Cornwall in early August, I knew I had to return to normal birding expectations as soon as possible. And what better way to do that than instead of pointing my scope on the Runnel Stone off PG - pointing it at the horizon from Seaton Beach! </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Still, this hasn't been without highlights, and we have had some pretty wild weather at times. In date order...</p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>4th August</u></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">It wasn't actually seawatching weather at all, with a flat sea thanks to a gentle north west wind. I was there to scope behind any distant boats incase a Storm Petrel or two might be visible. There weren't, but my searching was interupted by bird-shapes flying through my scope view far more often than I was expecting - including my first <b>Balearic Shearwaters </b>for Patchwork Challenge! </p><p style="text-align: justify;">19:20 - 20:20 from Spot On Kiosk produced: 3 <b>Balearic Shearwater</b> (1 w with a <b>Manx </b>at 19:52 and 2 w together at 20:10), 58 <b>Manx Shearwater</b> (4 w, 54 e), 11 <b>Sandwich Tern</b>, 1<b> Mediterranean Gull </b>and 1 <b>Ringed Plover.</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b> </b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>5th August</u></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">This was a proper rough day, with lots of rain, gusting south westerly winds and big big waves! I was keen, really keen, watched from Fisherman's Gap 05:20 - 09:50 and saw (west unless stated): 6 <b>Arctic Skua</b> (an awesome group of 5 and a single e), 1 <b>Skua sp.</b> (e), 54 <b>Common Scoter</b>, 41 <b>Kittiwake</b>, 15 <b>Manx Shearwater</b>, 2 <b>Sandwich Tern</b>, 3 <b>Mediterranean Gull </b>and 1 <b>Yellow-leged Gull</b> (juv).</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVqH7domt5UQtRNjKBCj47Uuc8ybJLuXy1TFAMTysAAUIDNEr7hvcrTSHEbNY7Ih9-jA0oBygIiGBjufBqLtTZQJ2kOo7M01kb3GlOYvyHRa0lcgzK-HpTQtcUBfz5zc0zvVUKNjP46b9mrrhFgUCDYs32DdynsLeidQ2E2QAlt-gvjGSKtrNVoTcGOSk/s2048/F2v3qxHXwAELjdr.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVqH7domt5UQtRNjKBCj47Uuc8ybJLuXy1TFAMTysAAUIDNEr7hvcrTSHEbNY7Ih9-jA0oBygIiGBjufBqLtTZQJ2kOo7M01kb3GlOYvyHRa0lcgzK-HpTQtcUBfz5zc0zvVUKNjP46b9mrrhFgUCDYs32DdynsLeidQ2E2QAlt-gvjGSKtrNVoTcGOSk/w640-h480/F2v3qxHXwAELjdr.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love Seaton Beach when it looks like this!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">So not a dreadful haul, infact those <b>Skuas </b>were really nice to see, but considering Dan just along the coast at Sidmouth had 18 <b>Storm Petrels</b>, with a <b>Sooty Shearwater</b> seen just west of him, and a <b>Pom Skua</b> seen flying my way 13 miles east of me - I was really disappointed with the lack of quality. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>12th August</u></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Conditions not all the appalling but a south westerly breeze and some overcast skies were enough to have me watching from Spot On Kiosk 07:10 - 08:40 showing (west unless stated): 1 <b>Balearic Shearwater</b> (07:40 and fairly close), 90+ <b>Gannet</b>, 12 <b>Kittiwake</b>, 6 <b>Manx Shearwater</b>, 1 <b>Sandwich Tern </b>and 1 <b>Mediterranean Gull</b>.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Had another look in the evening 19:05 - 19:50: 6 <b>Balearic Shearwater</b> (two 3's), 17 <b>Manx Shearwater</b> and 24+<b> Shearwater sp.</b> All distant and all west.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>14th August</u></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Another wet and wild morning so I watched from Fisherman's Gap. The entrance to the public toilets isn't the most pleasant place to stand early on a Saturday morning, but the cover is much appreciated especially during the wet bits! </p><p style="text-align: justify;">06:00 - 09:40 produced (west unless stated): 1 <b>Storm Petrel </b>(finally! Came through at 09:05 nice and close which meant all my scanning on 60x zoom was futile!), 1 <b>Balearic Shearwater </b>(09:25), 5 <b>Arctic Skua</b> (a single and two 2's within a fourty minute period - lovely prolonged views), 110+ <b>Gannet</b>, 46 <b>Kittiwake</b>, 42 <b>Common Scoter</b>, 11 <b>Shelduck </b>(one flock), 6 <b>auk sp.</b>, 5 <b>Sandwich Tern</b>, 3 <b>Mediterranean Gull</b>, 2 <b>Whimbrel </b>(1 e, 1 out) and 1 <b>Turnstone </b>(flew out, possibly flushed off the beach).</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I have done more birding than just seawatching, but I will leave that for another post. But there is one more thing I'd like to add to this post, and please take this as your reward for reading all of the relatively mundane sightings above...</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Back to my Cornwall seawatching post, and in particular that <b>Fea's-type Petrel</b> that I was really fortunate to get on as it quickly flew west past Porthgwarra. Well next to us in the front row of seawatchers were the supreme duo of Ryan Irvine (who was expectionally helpful to all present, loudly announcing directions) and Mike McKee. Mike has a brilliant video recorder setup on his telescope, and he filmed the <b>Fea's </b>for exactly the period of time I was watching it. Well I picked it up at the same time but I did see it for an extra couple of seconds as it chased a <b>Manx Shearwater</b> before going out of view to the right (I was sat a little further left than Mike). His clips shows that I watched it for about a minute, which oddly felt more like twenty seconds at the time...<br /></p><a href="https://michaelmckee.co.uk/videos/video.asp?ID=85">https://michaelmckee.co.uk/videos/video.asp?ID=85</a><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">What a brilliant reminder of this nugget of seawatching gold, and I love how the video captures
how frantic the situation was with many struggling to get on it. That is mostly Ryan you can hear trying to help all. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">And back again to reality! As always, thanks for reading... <br /></p>Steve Waitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02234938942274343663noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854917240637353068.post-58628001608436405042023-08-03T20:45:00.021+01:002023-08-04T08:37:53.402+01:00Seawatching in Cornwall<p style="text-align: justify;">It's certainly not that I haven't wanted to go for a seawatch in Cornwall, but on at least one day in each of the last eight plus years, James Mc has invited me to join him for a Pendeen or Porthgwarra jolly and I just haven't been able to go. Yesterday I realised why - it was because I was waiting for yesterday - the absolute perfect day!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">There has been exceptional numbers of big shearwaters off Cornwall and Isles of Scilly for the last week and a bit, and last weekend the weather for yesterday was looking promising enough to clear the diary for a day of seawatching! So at 2:30am yesterday (Weds 2nd) James picked me up from home, we collected Dan from Sidmouth and got down to Porthgwarra for shortly after 5am!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz2qfMfy1CJB9-hNX7MUn--JC1PDyPjzcF0WRmArRsizA4a5yO24pmcTumvq-1V2GnSZFefEOuXEVo_9gKLDy-SUo4S9T0AbYPrV94YZ89ELtpF0fsZv-2PS3h6jmOtgfFnLL7RCanYOdBXABo4Mk2iMy0APXkZN8thQIEWm0SfIiyv07zteORWpLtC7k/s4000/20230802_095526.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz2qfMfy1CJB9-hNX7MUn--JC1PDyPjzcF0WRmArRsizA4a5yO24pmcTumvq-1V2GnSZFefEOuXEVo_9gKLDy-SUo4S9T0AbYPrV94YZ89ELtpF0fsZv-2PS3h6jmOtgfFnLL7RCanYOdBXABo4Mk2iMy0APXkZN8thQIEWm0SfIiyv07zteORWpLtC7k/w640-h480/20230802_095526.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking east from the main Porthgwarra seawatching point</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p style="text-align: justify;">We spent the next four hours at PG, before relocating to Pendeen (the north coast) as the wind was due to switch from WSW to W and then NW. We watched from the bottom of the slope at Pendeen 11 - 2 with seawatching royalty, Mark and Del, before making our way back home. I was even home for Harry's bed time!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvK9xmfPwb66eQKfm2pumJXK4IiWjbg61zFNa94H8y8Ve_cc0t_udu9zKWWXphu3y4Rur45zELcExLgYIO2F2giRpi5UijqnJMyyHOykWAC_1q5T0i2_OHvZo8GRrNJHn5pZFrdFDVXQIz90vhz33nnvqHOvU8kjDWQxP3Kl787MUePUnQWJHSIB-1P3o/s4000/20230802_120056.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvK9xmfPwb66eQKfm2pumJXK4IiWjbg61zFNa94H8y8Ve_cc0t_udu9zKWWXphu3y4Rur45zELcExLgYIO2F2giRpi5UijqnJMyyHOykWAC_1q5T0i2_OHvZo8GRrNJHn5pZFrdFDVXQIz90vhz33nnvqHOvU8kjDWQxP3Kl787MUePUnQWJHSIB-1P3o/w640-h480/20230802_120056.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from the lower slopes of Pendeen</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">What my eyes witnessed during these eight hours of sea watching was simply mesmerising. Literally overwhelming numbers of passing and feeding shearwaters, some skuas for good measure and even two rarities! I will list the totals first before going into more detail...</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>Porthgwarra 05:20 - 09:50</u></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">5,000+<b> Cory's Shearwater</b> (split between passing and feeding birds),<b> </b>c100 <b>Great Shearwater</b>, 40+ <b>Sooty Shearwater</b>, 2 <b>Balearic Shearwater</b>, 10,000<b>+ Manx Shearwater</b>, 1 <b>Fea's Petrel</b> (07:20), 6<b> Storm Petrel</b>, 1 <b>Wilson Storm Petrel</b> (09:30), 1 <b>Great Skua</b>, 3 <b>Pomarine Skua</b> (all immatures), 3 <b>Yellow-legged Gull</b> (ad and 2 juv) and 1 <b>Ringed Plover.</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><u><b>Pendeen 11:00 - 14:00</b></u></p><p style="text-align: justify;">100+<b> Cory's Shearwater</b>,<b> </b>12+<b> Sooty Shearwater</b>, c100,000 <b>Manx Shearwater</b> (passing at 800 a minute at times!), 35 <b>Storm Petrel</b>, 3<b> Arctic Skua</b> (1 pale, 1 dark, 1 imm), 22<b> Whimbrel</b> and<b> </b>1<b> Ringed Plover</b>.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4pimO5olmhAvlpfmKjmYYpeU_JDPtc5HwZpCqesCfiZOrHDqgNxa3OtDVGQhm7PlzaAvIkGJOFtd51l6tBV7ENBWpx3Bt8pbcHbYz3VEEGlvlsRxCrjBEpcYESK-qw3xi8ZNFPqoY0gaIzdPivMlk--Bzi_V_DZUCNfFOASd5TQH4_u1Rt8CwPJyXrvM/s1002/CoryandManx.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="684" data-original-width="1002" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4pimO5olmhAvlpfmKjmYYpeU_JDPtc5HwZpCqesCfiZOrHDqgNxa3OtDVGQhm7PlzaAvIkGJOFtd51l6tBV7ENBWpx3Bt8pbcHbYz3VEEGlvlsRxCrjBEpcYESK-qw3xi8ZNFPqoY0gaIzdPivMlk--Bzi_V_DZUCNfFOASd5TQH4_u1Rt8CwPJyXrvM/w640-h436/CoryandManx.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A <b>Cory's Shearwater</b> with <b>Manxies</b><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihevz7cCbJq_fttrLhhvc1SyRU_IijaBKbbjRHELigtsFTHETQy2UnmQfR2VZPnUi8mkhRw-pqDpMF0eIpPOVd6Hb8KbI94nwhObwcatlyGHORPsKmMBI77_yJKew3h4RyMcnCf9YBVRUhnnBI1NyxUYsBgUDGx6s-4ZFddcf7fFqdIDAFxrU8Iy6bKv4/s1167/SootyandManx.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="862" data-original-width="1167" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihevz7cCbJq_fttrLhhvc1SyRU_IijaBKbbjRHELigtsFTHETQy2UnmQfR2VZPnUi8mkhRw-pqDpMF0eIpPOVd6Hb8KbI94nwhObwcatlyGHORPsKmMBI77_yJKew3h4RyMcnCf9YBVRUhnnBI1NyxUYsBgUDGx6s-4ZFddcf7fFqdIDAFxrU8Iy6bKv4/w640-h472/SootyandManx.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Sooty </b>and <b>Manx Shearwater</b><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Cory's Shearwater </b>is a bird that is a real highlight on any seawatch, you'd watch all day in the hope of seeing one or two, and if you are really lucky you might just get to double-figures. So what we saw was really something else. The big feeding flocks at Porthgwarra remained distant, but passing birds came in really close at both sites, and the opportunity to see them so well and to study so many was incredible. Being on the north coast the light was much better at Pendeen, so although there were fewer birds here (not that 100+ is anything to be sniffed at!) the views were even more pleasing to the eye! </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Although I was expecting to see <b>Great Shearwaters</b>, I was not expecting to see as many as we did! Some of these showed really well too, passing in close at PG. The <b>Sooty Shearwaters</b> were good value as always, with good views of at both sites and then there was the Pendeen <b>Manx </b>passage - exceptionally close and constant! Counting in the field was impossible, so I took a thirty second video which when counted revealed 400 birds! Although it wasn't always that heavy, it was always happening so 100,000 in three hours is probably actually an undercount - even though it sounds absurd!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Storm Petrels</b> are always good to see, and the views at Pendeen were really nice. Views more distant at PG however the <b>Wilson's Storm Petrel </b>really did put on a show. Once called, it didn't take long to get on and it spent about five minutes feeding close in and in near-constant view. A bird I have always wanted to see in the field from land just to know what it looks like - big and 'paddle-shaped wings' come straight to mind! It really did behave like a butterfly over the sea, not in full panic mode like <b>Euro Stormies</b> always seem to be in! </p><p style="text-align: justify;">When the shout of '<b>Fea's</b>' went up I cannot even describe the panic. Not just myself, it was palpable within the entire crowd of watchers! I am pleased to say I managed to get on it, although not until it was in line with the Runnel Stone so I probably only got 40 seconds of views. Lovely grey upper parts (like nothing else really) with darker wings and a paler rump, and then those tell tale black underwings contrasting with a clear while belly. Wing shape I found not at all dissimilar to<b> Cory's</b> with an obvious kink in the wing, but it wasn't doing the high-arcs often associated with this species (or group of species I should say!). The holy grail when it comes of seabirds so I do feel somewhat jammy!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Finally I must give the skuas a paragraph. They've been so few and far between this year, so to get three species was a real treat. As we all know <b>Great Skuas</b> (<b>Bonxies</b>) are in real trouble with Bird Flu having decimated the breeding population, so it actually felt like a bit of an honour to see one off PG. The <b>Pom's</b> were great, although not sporting the spoons of an adult they had all the feel of big bruisers. The closest skuas were the <b>Arctic's</b> at Pendeen, which included two adults.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Thankyou to James and Dan for the company, and it was good to see a few down there that I knew, including our very own Kevin plus Mark and Del as mentioned above. Shout out to the Cornish seawatchers too, really friendly and helpful to all present with no elitism or snobbery at all.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNpmagkwLPGIOMPqyZIMkB2oSMJPi_M0T9X5GYY89bme9kgHIOzA0BKOUIrt4svUk12tQOuFfN14_r6Qu6flw4sG_mnyb0p_jcmqfIqfjzcBHFOMTGC4mbpT0UngiMBgzTjACmK54Tg6bufTW8lU9mAnFkKF_vT7OZnhEBCFJd6l6siK39lEAe4Qf3f_Q/s2736/20230802_120845.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="2736" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNpmagkwLPGIOMPqyZIMkB2oSMJPi_M0T9X5GYY89bme9kgHIOzA0BKOUIrt4svUk12tQOuFfN14_r6Qu6flw4sG_mnyb0p_jcmqfIqfjzcBHFOMTGC4mbpT0UngiMBgzTjACmK54Tg6bufTW8lU9mAnFkKF_vT7OZnhEBCFJd6l6siK39lEAe4Qf3f_Q/w640-h640/20230802_120845.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three was not a crowd. Great company all around.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLDOKw5Baq4u98QaFSP6VQ5lPM7PpNzMFfNIw5-IBcB6fWCcoDCNTwWnuakvparTN-ptSY6uwSBEIScjYaljdypoF-ZXfNk_0JRkyOluNryqDFOCWGgid5j06tCOTnKjwRR0RrRHsPMQ-iMyREgqBY7w3IhGqoJkeohdXle3-XlAsL3AZ0bYVcJizHRa8/s4000/20230802_095522.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLDOKw5Baq4u98QaFSP6VQ5lPM7PpNzMFfNIw5-IBcB6fWCcoDCNTwWnuakvparTN-ptSY6uwSBEIScjYaljdypoF-ZXfNk_0JRkyOluNryqDFOCWGgid5j06tCOTnKjwRR0RrRHsPMQ-iMyREgqBY7w3IhGqoJkeohdXle3-XlAsL3AZ0bYVcJizHRa8/w640-h480/20230802_095522.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The scene when we left Porthgwarra</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYL4UYWDRZjotGPvILkeDg8xcEI0v4dyCBLcE7ZS0QvkipAplkOEyt8JlmzSUvLuMSzA2h0fAjAqiW8qjZWNP-XI94liQxJx8ST5kNN7RSlDEFjf1IQutAIxSHYaKTHojOPkyvgBDBEqWH6whj5NDqtmdeQXuNgitv5RpAA_MYKs6EQGgral0Kmp7t5RA/s4000/20230802_143216.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYL4UYWDRZjotGPvILkeDg8xcEI0v4dyCBLcE7ZS0QvkipAplkOEyt8JlmzSUvLuMSzA2h0fAjAqiW8qjZWNP-XI94liQxJx8ST5kNN7RSlDEFjf1IQutAIxSHYaKTHojOPkyvgBDBEqWH6whj5NDqtmdeQXuNgitv5RpAA_MYKs6EQGgral0Kmp7t5RA/w640-h480/20230802_143216.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is where most seawatch from at Pendeen, the lighthouse.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">And to give you a true feel of the day have a watch of the video below. It doesn't include any of the rarities or skuas, when they came by I just wanted to watch them with my own eyes. However I wanted to capture a 'flavour' of the day and am quite pleased with some of the <b>Cory's</b> and the <b>Sooty </b>footage...</p><p style="text-align: center;"> <iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/851176095?badge=0&autopause=0&player_id=0&app_id=58479" title="Cornwall sea birds - 02/08/2023" width="640"></iframe></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Now all I need is a <b>Cory's</b> off my part of the coast...</p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p>Steve Waitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02234938942274343663noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854917240637353068.post-45957979439793054962023-07-19T15:01:00.004+01:002023-07-19T15:01:57.705+01:00Skuas!<p style="text-align: justify;">Absolutely thrilled to cash in on a real rarity on the Axe patch in recent years, some skua passage!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This spring was a complete non-starter for any sort of sea watching, and recent years haven't produced the goods either. Just the odd skua here and there for me.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">We've had plenty of windy and some very wet weather over the last week or so, often from the south, and each time I have looked the sea has been quiet. Friday evening (15th) was the best it got for me, with 48<b> Manx Shearwater</b>, 22 <b>Gannet</b>, 12 <b>Med Gull </b>(including my first juvenile of the season) and a <b>Common</b> <b>Scoter </b>west in 90 minutes. Not exactly thrilling though.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY2r4a7O7SmLqT3mIAGZrQ9YZdgLbtd12zqoqI31jRnxZFrWbfdPwuMUNMyynSWs6GsMGllVrIg8JXKYSnoabdAqA3Crybxkj5V6eo_pcfG2Y04hE0LwiRnZimDIGNBqxFBfxvlBqPHW1AHbPLJqg6p9cSXoez0tXUW0UuW40qxrbI6-CagafOGX5Xl7I/s1590/20230714_173654.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1474" data-original-width="1590" height="594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY2r4a7O7SmLqT3mIAGZrQ9YZdgLbtd12zqoqI31jRnxZFrWbfdPwuMUNMyynSWs6GsMGllVrIg8JXKYSnoabdAqA3Crybxkj5V6eo_pcfG2Y04hE0LwiRnZimDIGNBqxFBfxvlBqPHW1AHbPLJqg6p9cSXoez0tXUW0UuW40qxrbI6-CagafOGX5Xl7I/w640-h594/20230714_173654.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mobile camera pic of juv <b>Med Gull</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">However on Saturday evening, and following an increase in wind speed, news came through on the local WhatsApp Group of three skuas past Budleigh and more importantly, two heading towards Seaton from Charmouth! I was at Seaton beach for 19:10 and over the following 80 minutes was absolutely buzzed to see seven <b>Arctic Skuas</b>* fly west! </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: justify;">One pale phased adult south west at 19:10, thanks to Ian Mc for getting me on this one as I was just getting out of the car at the time!</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Dark-phased adult and immature west at 19:15, these came in quite close and chased a <b>Herring Gull</b> for food. These were the two from Charmouth - thanks Richard!</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>*</b>A small and slender immature west at 19:22. Looked good for a <b>Long-tailed</b> at first but seemed to show too much white in wing when I zoomed right in. Very hard to be sure at the distance though and would have preferred much better views. Frustrating really but I think <i>probably </i>a small <b>Arctic</b>. </li><li style="text-align: justify;">A dark-phased adult and unaged bird west at 19:40, landed on sea during a heavy rain shower, then continued west at 20:05.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">A immature distantly west at 20:14.</li></ul><div style="text-align: justify;">Other than these skuas, just three <b>Manx Shearwaters</b>, six <b>Med Gulls</b> and 25+ <b>Gannet </b>went by. I think the skuas were probably some of the birds that had been off Dawlish Warren for the previous week or so, maybe they'd just been blown deeper into Lyme Bay with the strengthening wind. There was no other skua passage noted outside of our corner of Lyme Bay that evening as far as I am aware so it wasn't part of a widespread movement. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgvohNCp_IWKNgsoQ7ZUXS4ZbNjU4wGqn8jco0nDH24jfeJBGHF-jXq4ckpw3lvCspX0n6CnxztJpy5l1eeBnaRbW9ct21Fvfi_VphsKfrvbCZN_CfJoLjMfjfl8WWAhmw6UYeE5NJm_dJWuU7eUhITOeeyy603eNjhEs7w7c5zsPZhM--ywAaIssmRpY/s4000/20230714_174859.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgvohNCp_IWKNgsoQ7ZUXS4ZbNjU4wGqn8jco0nDH24jfeJBGHF-jXq4ckpw3lvCspX0n6CnxztJpy5l1eeBnaRbW9ct21Fvfi_VphsKfrvbCZN_CfJoLjMfjfl8WWAhmw6UYeE5NJm_dJWuU7eUhITOeeyy603eNjhEs7w7c5zsPZhM--ywAaIssmRpY/w640-h480/20230714_174859.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skua-induced smiles? No, more like big crashing waves and the promise of a late bed-time!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Away from the sea, four <b>Crossbills </b>were vocal on Bovey Down on Sunday morning during a dog walk. Along with, very sadly, a dead not quite fledged juvenile <b>Nightjar </b>on the main track... </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0lP0hx13AbalpHdRzNICS2POtltGCgYuJf37dlJOeI_tNSmxH28j7jIdY-Nxjh6FSdRnCQ_WhFl-AXemR1F7CXOUYlKcZlIP_1AscDlf_9w_EkjSs0fTl2KbrphyUb0Eg0AKdcQHJywttStq6HhicvSEkhmqR0TWjRegUCzHhwbsoosaBtqK0eNohjh8/s3699/20230716_083104.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2719" data-original-width="3699" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0lP0hx13AbalpHdRzNICS2POtltGCgYuJf37dlJOeI_tNSmxH28j7jIdY-Nxjh6FSdRnCQ_WhFl-AXemR1F7CXOUYlKcZlIP_1AscDlf_9w_EkjSs0fTl2KbrphyUb0Eg0AKdcQHJywttStq6HhicvSEkhmqR0TWjRegUCzHhwbsoosaBtqK0eNohjh8/w640-h470/20230716_083104.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorry it's a bit grim! No neck suggests predation?</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheaX0z-Yppfuz1Zhefp1eTCjJOL7k2Ib8FE9Df1WhRiKW7EBd_s82EJ6HeqLp8eWEMtH3WhhF17MF0YUtnzvP65nR0CZN8c5LK2w6tpenxCxZWd8c1kVfNEROPE3JoklibdxwQ8aCD3fGwnQYMQDKQoH-NyT_U3AsPpYRYJJ0JJf5PeJ9IggxcSqOY1H4/s3253/20230716_083117.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3253" data-original-width="2440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheaX0z-Yppfuz1Zhefp1eTCjJOL7k2Ib8FE9Df1WhRiKW7EBd_s82EJ6HeqLp8eWEMtH3WhhF17MF0YUtnzvP65nR0CZN8c5LK2w6tpenxCxZWd8c1kVfNEROPE3JoklibdxwQ8aCD3fGwnQYMQDKQoH-NyT_U3AsPpYRYJJ0JJf5PeJ9IggxcSqOY1H4/w480-h640/20230716_083117.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stunning pattern on the flight feathers!</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Think there is at the most only two pairs here, so quite a significant loss to the local population sadly. The site is getting more and more grown up so not sure how many more years <b>Nightjars </b>will be there for, though thankfully there are other recently cleared sites locally they could relocate to. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p></p>Steve Waitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02234938942274343663noreply@blogger.com0