Vis Mig Mini Watch

This morning was one of those mornings that I really could have done with all the time in the world! A lovely start to the day encouraged a flurry of westwards visible migration, which am sure given more coverage would have produced a scarcity or two.

All I was able to do was a 15 minute watch from Mum and Dad's front garden at the west end of Seaton from 08:20, and then a half-hour watch at 9am from my second favourite vis mig watch point on patch, Beer Stables.

Looking east over Seaton towards Axe Cliff from Beer Stables. The great thing about this site is you can see birds coming from miles off!

Watching over this 45 minute period gave me totals of;

3 Lapwing
1 Golden Plover
4 Stock Dove
390 Jackdaw (biggest single flock 220 birds)
2 Crow
7 Magpie (!!)
70 Starling
48 Skylark
85 Meadow Pipit
26 alba Wagtail (one flock of 14)
5 Grey Wagtail 
94 Chaffinch
18 Goldfinch
12 Linnet
1 Greenfinch
8 Siskin
5 Reed Bunting

I can't tell you how much I wished I was up Axe Cliff for the whole morning - although saying that many of the larger birds seemed to be passing inland of me at Beer, so would probably have been completely missed from the cliff edge. Actually what I really wish is that we had a proper vis mig pinch point here on the Axe patch, but we don't... or I've not found it yet anyway!  

Jackdaws

More Jackdaws!

Vis-migging Magpies!

Over the last few days I have been checking the usual haunts when I can, like the Estuary for example - especially considering how many large gulls we've had gracing us lately.  Sadly nothing in them worth writing about since my last Yellow-legged and the half Caspian-thing.

Seaton Hole was really birdie about a week ago, several Chiffs, Goldcrests and Blackcaps, with the same selection although in smaller numbers present there today. On Tuesday however when I went there it was oddly quiet, but I soon worked out why...

Sat out proud

Stunning male Sparrowhawk

...and again!

And for the last time I promise... just look at that eye!

Delightful to get such a prolonged, relaxed and close view of our second commonest raptor on patch. They maybe common, but views like this don't come by often. 

Passage Over Land And Sea

I'll start with this morning's sea watch. There was no quality, but quantity wasn't too bad in conditions that weren't anywhere near as windy and the met office said they would be the night before!

Watching from the Spot On Kiosk 07:30 - 09:00 produced (all west):

7 Common Scoter
1 Red-throated Diver
162 Gannet
109 Kittiwake
2 Common Gull
78 auk sp.
1 Dunlin

The only other bird news I have for today is of the Whooper Swan still opposite Stedcombe Vale and 11 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 14 Black-tailed Godwits and two Dunlin on the Estuary.

Yesterday I spent much of the day printing off descriptions - highly exciting stuff!

Wednesday though was a good day! I woke up to fairly clear conditions, so went up to Beer Stables and 'vis migged' 07:35 - 09:10. Dark clouds rolled in at about 9 which put a halt to most of the passage.

The highlight was a single Hawfinch over at 08:10; it flew west about 80/100m north of me - the light was perfect which made the bird look simply stunning. As usual for this site, it was only just above hedge-top height. My first during a visible migration watch anywhere ever! I was rather pleased :-)

Wood Pigeons were on the move too. Although they weren't moving in large numbers by any means, it was nice to see flocks of up to 200 flying over the valley and off west. In total I logged 1,290 birds.

Pigeon passage!

Other birds seen during this watch included:

3 Stock Dove
11 Skylark
4 alba Wagtail
15 Meadow Pipit
2 Rock Pipit
1 Redwing
48 Starling
104 Chaffinch
4 Siskin
3 Greenfinch
14 Goldfinch
4 Linnet
2 Yellowhammer
2 Reed Bunting

Won't have much birding time at all this weekend, but I understand we've got some cold weather coming - bring on those Waxwings!

Two And Two

Well I have a few days to write about on here!

The morning after my return from Spurn (last Friday), I woke up to clear skies and some over head movement - so I dashed up to Beer Stables to do some counting.

I really like 'vis migging' from here - though it's only any good when the wind has some west in it. As this place is so high and located just after birds have flown over the Axe Valley, passage is very low, often only just above hedge-top height. And it's easy to pick things up along time before they have reached you - bigger birds (ie Pigeons and Jackdaws) you can see coming from as far away as Axe Cliff! The view back over Seaton and the Axe is just stunning...

Anything big flying up the river could be spotted and scoped from here too!

I watched 08:15 - 09:30; and at exactly 09:00 I fell in love with this spot even more...

Two Woodlark flew low (west - like everything) over the fields just to the north of me. They looked simply sublime in perfect light conditons - calling to each other as they flew out of view. This species has been long long LONG over-due during one of my vis mig watches from here/Axe Cliff/Beer Head/my garden. Finally.... :-)

Other counts for this watch were:

7 Wood Pigeon
144 Jackdaw
2 Redwing
5 Skylark
1 Swallow
24 alba Wagtail
27 Meadow Pipit
8 Starling
1 House Sparrow
207 Chaffinch
5 Greenfinch
21 Goldfinch
5 Linnet
19 Siskin
1 Lesser Redpoll

Saturday was mostly a birding-free day, except for a quick look about mid afternoon. Thought we may have a Whooper with the numbers about that day - but a look through the Swan flock opposite Stedcombe drew a blank.

The following day, after James Mc had jammed a couple of Lap Bunts at Axe Cliff, he also took a look through the Swan flock - and there nestled nicely amongst the Mutes was a Whooper! This species is fast becomming a regular wintering visitor on the Axe. I caught up with it on Monday, and took a few snaps of it today...

It appears to be neither of the two birds we had last winter - I've had a close look at bill patterns

On Monday, in the glorious sunshine, I also had a look for a Lap or two at Axe Cliff. I failed, despite seeing about 350 Skylarks! Two Brambling over west were the first patch ones for me this autumn.

The weather on Tuesday couldn't have been more different - with rain and strong south westerly winds! A look through the Gulls on the Estuary early afternoon bagged me a stonking adult Yellow-legged Gull, which Gav duly twitched and photographed. I also counted 385 Great Black-backed Gulls - a good number for us. Much lesser numbers of Lesser Black-backed Gulls included a variety of mantle shades.

This morning, a look from the garden just after sun rise revealed very little going over, so I headed down to the Estuary again.

Looking across the valley from the farm gate was my plan - but calls of Redwings and Siskins kept me looking much nearer. Five Redwing were perched in nearby trees, then a flock of twenty flew over south, a few Mipits and Siskins went north, but nothing prepared me for what happened next!....

At about 09:10, my eyes were drawn to two obviously chunky and short-tailed birds that were flying low south west along the far edge of the field directly in front of me (Norcombe's field). I got my bins on to them just as they were u-turning back north.....bloody hell - HAWFINCHES!! I followed them as they continued north, gaining height all the time. I lost them well north of me - probably as they were about to fly over the A3052.

When I first clocked them they were so low, so I think they had only just taken to the air - a pity they didn't land again. These are the first ones I've seen on patch since the wintering birds of 2005 - a wholly unexpected surprise!

After this, Axe Cliff again failed to give me a Lap Bunt - just oodles of Skylarks still. A check of the pig fields beside the A3052 showed lots of birds - with an adult White Wagtail being a surprise amongst the Pieds. It seems to have a 'dodgy' left wing, which may explain why it is still here!

The last bit of birding of today - and this blog post - was a look around the Yacht Club. I failed to find a Shorelark or Snow Bunting, but did have a female-type Black Red on the roof tops of Trevelyan Road.