Seaton Wetlands

I consider myself extremely lucky that my daily exercise walk more often than not includes a lap of Seaton Wetlands (Black Hole Marsh, Stafford Marsh and Colyford Common). Living just a three minute walk from the entrance of Black Hole Marsh has never been more appreciated.

Although the aim of this post is summarise some of my highlights from the last couple of weeks, more than ever I am getting so much enjoyment from seeing the commonest species...

Male Reed Bunting

Sedge Warbler - there's at least five singing males on the reserve from what I have observed

Blackcap - good numbers present

Whilst I'm in the bushes and reeds, Reed Warblers are singing in excellent numbers. I counted 11 singing males on 18th April but more have arrived since.  The 18th was a good morning for warbler arrivals, being the only cloudy and damp morning that we've had so far this month (was the same morning I had a Willow Warbler singing from my back garden).  As well as the Reed Warbler count, I noted a singing Lesser Whitethroat (which is still with us today), a Common Whitethroat and four Willow Warblers. Wheatears have been really sparse on the marshes this spring with just the occasional one or two noted, I think they are all heading for higher ground thanks to the sun we've enjoyed.

Wading bird passage has been ticking over, no big arrivals but often something different most days.  Dunlin numbers have been varying between one and seven birds, and two Ringed Plovers keep popping up every now and then - whether they've been the same two all along who knows!?  A lone Knot on Black Hole on 24th was one a pair that had been hanging around a few days, there was a nice but distant summer plumaged Bar-tailed Godwit on 17th, and Whimbrel have been trickling through for about ten days now.  I have already posted a photo of the two Avocets that Phil found yesterday, but today Phil discovered this rather lovely, and fairly late male Little Ringed Plover...

Typical LRP pose

Can't beat a spring LRP

Whimbrel

I know it seems most of my recent posts have included an Osprey - but I'm afraid this one does too!  I was treated to the most amazing views of one hovering right above my head on 17th, before it flew off west over town.  It virtually looked down into my eyes - have been really spoilt rotten for this species this spring.

My recent visits have also shown that we still have at least two black rabbits with us.  For some reason they seem to sporadically appear down here, ever since I have been birding here at least...

Spot the difference!

Bit of a cutey really!

Back at home, the Lesser Whitethroat mentioned above was singing from a green just down the road from my place as I walked back from the marshes today.  I scooped Harry up, legged it home and could hear it from my back garden - taking my lockdown house list up to 82.  The Grasshopper Warbler still reeling well tonight.

Blackcaps

Up to four Blackcaps remain in Mum and Dad's garden, with this young male seemingly being the main man as he was on show for much of today...

Male Black Redstart

Well it's not that I've been out birding but haven't had time to blog... I really have not had any time out birding!

The lead up to Christmas was very busy work-wise for me, and on the few days I did have off I had to cram in all my Christmas shopping and family days out!  Things aren't set to change soon either with a steep learning curve ahead - more on that in another post...  

The only notable birds I've managed to stumble upon have been a few Blackcap, with a female near my place and a pair often showing at Mum and Dad's.  And best of all a male Black Redstart that I've seen on the couple of occasions I've taken the dog down to Seaton Hole beach.  It's been really showy, although I haven't had chance to properly 'pap it' yet - just these ropy shots...

I have seen blacker males, but haven't seen many with so much white in the wing.  A real corker, and looking at my Twitter timeline he seems to be attracting quite a bit of attention.

 

Anyway, I really hope everyone has enjoyed a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year to you all. Thanks for sticking with Axe Birding! 

Super Whooper

Delighted to clap eyes on this adult Whooper Swan in the valley late this afternoon, it was with a small mixed-aged group of Mute Swans just south east of Bridge Marsh...

They were near to where the River Coly meets the Axe

Ten years ago this species was pretty much an annual visitor to the Axe, most often recorded during cold spells or dropping in briefly in spring. From about 2010 however records took a sudden nose-dive, presumably due to the decrease in UK wintering population and/or the milder winters. They really have become something of an Axe rarity.  

My last Whooper Swan on the Axe was the obliging bird Sue Smith found in front of the Tower Hide on 7th October 2011 - so that's eight years with no Whoopers! I think I can recall somewhere in my grey matter that Ian Mc may have seen a fly-through since?  But if not, the bird in 2011 was indeed the last Axe record, it's certainly my last Axe bird whatever.

Can you just about make out the orange staining near the bill base?  This is quite common in Whoopers, it's a staining caused by birds feeding in iron rich water that's found in some parts of Iceland - how cool is that! 

Whooper Swan aside, today has been quite a birdie day - although admittedly far damper than ideal. This was especially the case during the last couple hours of the day when it absolutely lashed down, which frustratingly coincided with my time out and about.

Down here in the south west we are usually about a week to ten days behind the east coast at this stage of the autumn. It can be quite nauseous reading all about these exciting autumn incomers in Norfolk/Yorkshire/Shetland, whilst down here we have said goodbye to most of our summer migrants and find ourselves in this rather stale period with nothing but a zillion Meadow Pipits to count.  It does eventually come to us though, and today felt like day one of the south west catching up.

There has clearly been a very substantial and sudden increase in Goldcrest, Chiffchaff and Blackcap numbers today, with all three species obvious everywhere that I've checked bushes - the former particularly numerous. Kev also managed a Yellow-browed Warbler right in the heart of Beer, hopefully the first of many for us this year - although it's not proving a great autumn for this species anywhere in the UK.   Overhead was busy too, mostly Meadow Pipits and Skylarks, along with a few finches too.

I have checked the gulls on the Estuary a few times today, but have nothing to show for it but a few Common Gulls.  Three Common Sandpipers and two Dunlin the only semi-notable waders present.  

Lastly, it was nice to see about thirty hirundines over Bridge Marsh late today, a mix of House Martins and Swallows. As the hirundine flocks get smaller, I feel the need to check them even more rigorously. Later in the month I will literally chase lone hirundines and grill them until they're charcoal!

Blackcap

A female Blackcap has been regular in Mum and Dad's garden since Christmas, with a male occasionally showing up too.  Interestingly over the past week, presumably due to the colder weather, she has become highly territorial and surprisingly aggressive towards any other birds trying to get near the tree with all the feeders in. Only the Robin can see her off, but the Greenfinches, Chaffinches, Great Tits, etc don't get a look in!  She's one feisty girl...

It's not like there isn't enough food to go around....

Who's Nicked Our Cattle Egrets?

Wasn't a bad sunset over the Axe Estuary last night...

I was there to check the roosting egrets, and came away feeling surprised having not seen any Cattle Egrets! Looks like they've all gone to Abbotsbury. Two adult Med Gulls on the Estuary were as exciting as it got.  Saying that I was surprised to see a distant Starling murmuration, albeit a small one (a mini-murm!) over Seaton. It turns out they are roosting behind solar panels on a house roof near the Orchard car park...

Today, during a local wander to get little Harry to sleep, a female-type Black Redstart was showing well along the sea front...

Other recent little snippets of interest from me include a lingering Greenshank and four Shoveler in the valley, up to three Common Scoter, Red-throated Divers and Great Crested Grebes settled offshore, and a pair of Blackcaps in Mum and Dad's front garden.

Maybe it's a good time to be reminded that in roughly eight weeks Wheatears will be here!

Blackcap Control

I've been meaning to post all week, but just haven't had the time. The blog post I was going to do will have to wait a bit longer now though as a very exciting email dropped into my inbox this morning...

On 14th May this year I caught this chap on Beer Head...

A lovely male Blackcap, which was a second-year bird (meaning it was born in 2013 - age code 5), had a wing length of 76mm and weighed 18.1 grams. It also had a ring on, and not one of mine - Y737725.

The blog post from that day can be found here: http://stevesbirdingblog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/back-to-beer-head.html.

This mornings email told me where it was first ringed. First of all, I'm pleased to say I aged and sexed it correctly, and even the wing length was an exact match!  But where and when was it ringed? Well on 5th October 2013 at Stanford Reservoir, Northamptonshire, which is 150 miles NE of Beer Head.

How brilliant! It obviously stopped off at Stanford Res during its autumn migration last year, and I guess I trapped it when it first reached the UK this spring.  It would have been nice to know where it was born, but still, what a great story.  Hopefully there will be many more like this to come...

999

Had a couple of ring recovery details come through last night - always nice to see. Neither that exciting, but one I found quite interesting.

The first is sad, as it concerns a cat kill on a female Blackbird I ringed on 14th July 2011 in Mum and Dad's garden. This bird was already at least two years old when I ringed it, so when it was taken by a cat on 13th July 2014 it was at least five years old. It hadn't gone far mind, in fact it was found less than 10m from where I ringed it!  Unlike my second...

A Blue Tit (a species that rarely give good recoveries as they often don't move much) I ringed in Mum and Dad's garden on 24th August 2011 as a bird of at least one year old, was re-caught at a nest box at Bucehayes, Stockland, Devon on 19th May 2014 by an A W G John. This is a gap of 999 days, and a distance of 15km. Not far in the grand schemes of things but really interesting that is was breeding here and not closer to Seaton which is what I would presume.  A good age too as if it's still going today it's at least four years old.

This year as you will have seen on this blog I have ringed a lot of long distance migrant birds, and I really hope I get some recoveries from these. Over the coming years I intend to ring a lot more migrant birds too, and want to add to the overall and ever changing picture of bird migration.

Willow Warbler  Beer Head 1st April 2014 - the first of 134 that I've ringed at Beer Head this year

Back To Beer Head

Unlike Tuesday morning, on Wednesday I didn't snooze the alarm and slip back into bed - I was on Beer Head for 5:30.

The conditions really didn't seem good, but I've said that so many times I'm beginning to ask myself whether I know what 'good' is!?  There was the fainest NW wind, which practically wasn't there - but it must have been enough to drop some migrants out of the clear blue skies.  Walking from my car to the netting site I heard a couple of Willow Warblers singing, and saw a Spot Fly, so knew it wasn't going to be a complete waste of time.

Whether they were all new migrants, or some lingering from yesterday is another question.  A Garden Warbler spent the whole morning singing around the area I was in, and I first heard it from the same bush I saw the Garden Warbler in yesterday. They're a scarce spring migrant here so my money's on it being the same bird.  There were at least five Spot Flies around too, and I bet at least some were hangers on from yesterday. But there were clearly more Willow Warblers around and a Redstart that wasn't there on Tuesday.

I had two nets up for four hours, and caught 26 birds. Amazingly, considering the date, 18 were Willow Warblers. What's also amazing is that although the odd one could be seen in the bushes, no one would ever have said 18 were present!  I have now ringed 103 Willow Warblers on Beer Head this spring.

Out of the 26 birds caught, I only used four A-rings (the most used ring size when netting passerines). One went on a locally breeding male Robin, but the other three were pure migrant quality. 

This was the first Garden Warbler I've ever ringed, and its a species I've always wanted to handle. I'm 99% sure it was the singing male that was hanging around - if anyone sees it well have a look at its right leg.

Out of the five Spot Flies, only this one found its way into one of the mist nets. The sunlight made the nets look quite obvious which probably didn't help, but also Spot Flies spend a lot of time on top of the tallest trees and bushes, and often fly between them at height.  Another great bird to handle, they are really long-bodied and look strikingly long-bill.

This was the sixth Redstart I've ringed up here this year, the fourth female.  I really wasn't expecting to catch any more of these as I presumed they would all be in by now.  I saw it briefly in the field first, caught it a few minutes later, ringed and released it, then no further sign.

I would have used a fifth A-ring if the male Whitethroat hadn't extracted itself from the net. So annoyed by that. Grrrrrrrr.

Three Blackbirds were the only other local birds I caught, a first-year male and two fresh juveniles, my first '3J's' of the year (ringing speak for a bird in juvenile plumage).

So as you can see, some fantastic catches. But none were anywhere near as exciting as this Blackcap...

This '5' (born last year) male Blackcap, which had spent the hour or so before I caught it singing from nearby bushes, already had a ring on its leg - and it wasn't one of mine!! If any ringer reading this recognises Y737725 then please get in touch.

Other birds I saw during the morning included three single Yellow Wags, a Whimbrel and a decent passage of Swallows over west/north west.

Another thouroghly enjoyable morning bird ringing on Beer Head, and again in glorious weather. Nice to have James M with me for a few hours too.

Magic May

Well except for sea watching, April was pretty forgettable. But I am very pleased to say May has already proved a much better month!

On 1st May (Tuesday) the south coast experienced an amazing fall of migrants. Beer Head gave nowhere near the number of birds as other sites, but I still had an excellent couple of hours up there.

Seaton Bay from Beer Head

It was a bit of an odd one. Some parts of Beer Head were dead - literally nothing to see or hear at all. But every now and then I came across pockets of activity. Whilst walking along one hedge a male Redstart caught my eye, it flew along the hedge a little and perched up beside a Whinchat. I wandered closer, a couple of Whitethroats flew out and then a Lesser Whitethroat started singing!

The full totals of this enjoyable spring fall look like this:

15 Pale-bellied Brent Goose (flew west)
3 Whimbrel (flew west)
5 Dunlin (flew west)
12 Yellow Wagtail (some amongst cattle, others north over)
1 Tree Pipit (flew north west)
16 Wheatear (all together)
1 Whinchat (female)
3 Redstart (2 male)
2 Grasshopper Warbler (both reeling)
15 Blackcap
20 Whitethroat
1 Lesser Whitethroat (one singing along hedge from farm, showing on and off)
35 Willow Warbler
6 Chiffchaff
2 Spotted Flycatcher

As well as the above, there was a strong passage of Swifts, Swallows and House Martins flying north east. None of the 'decent' migrants stayed put long enough to allow photos, except for this Spotted Flycatcher...

A well behaved Spot Fly

After Beer Head, a wander around the Beer Cemetery Fields showed another Lesser Whitethroat (a silent male), six Whitethroat and this female Redstart...

Crap photo - sorry!

A little later in the day, a sweep of the Estuary revealed 20+ Whimbrel, 10 Barwits and 9 Dunlin.

Yesterday (2nd), I set the morning aside for a spot of bird ringing in a private wood near Colyton. First I'll mention the birds I saw and didn't catch. Two Crossbills spent about an hour in the wood feeding in conifers, and a couple of Lesser Redpoll and Siskin flew over. Sounds like autumn doesn't it!!!

I had four nets up, and had great rewards for my efforts. A nice load of warblers included 7 Chiffchaff, 5 Blackcap and this Willow Warbler...

They really are long winged, the longest winged Chiff measured in at 65mm, this Willy measured 73mm

I was quite surprised (maybe I shouldn't have been?) that one of the Blackcaps was a 3J. '3J' means it is a recently fledged juvenile! A quick calculation indicates its mother must have laid her eggs within the first eight days of April!

3J Blackcap

The highlight for me though was trapping and ringing a Jay. I often hear Jays whilst walking around this wood, but I didn't think one was going to end up in one of my mist nets! A simply stunning bird...

I wasn't going to hold it the way I'm holding the Warblers above because I'm sure it would have loved to eat my fingers!

And now to today. And this morning the weather looked good for a beach walk - so that's exactly what I did! It was worthwhile too, and Seaton Beach offered 9 Dunlin, 7 Wheatear and a Grey Plover...

It just wouldn't face me!

After this, a look along the Estuary and up the valley, and a second visit later this afternoon (incl. Black Hole Marsh) gave totals of:

6 Gadwall
2 Shoveler
4 Grey Plover (2 stonking summer plumage males)
14 Ringed Plover
22 Dunlin (so a total 31)
52 Whimbrel
7 Bar-tailed Godwit
5 Black-tailed Godwit
1 Greenshank
2 Common Sandpiper
1 Yellow Wagtail (flew over Coronation Corner)
3 Sedge Warbler

If there's a bit more rain today, I fancy a Turnstone. It certainly feels like a Turnstone-day for us! One the year listers no doubt would like.

Also, whilst driving, a Tawny Owl flew low across the road near Boshill Cross. A bit of a surprise!

And that's that. A great few days :-)

Crossbilled Blackcap

Had a bit of time to put a net up in the garden this morning. I caught one bird, which was yet another Blackcap!

This one was a quite different from all the others though, because it had a deformed bill, and had been eating something which had made its face go very yellow....

A right weirdo!

It was light compared with my recent Blackcaps (weighing 16.4 grams - the previous five birds coming in at 18.7, 18.7, 23.0, 18.8 and 18.5), but it had a fat score of 25 and a bit of body muscle. If it was summer, and this was a Phyllosc, I would have said the yellow on its face was pollen - but it isn't - so I haven't a clue what it has been feeding on!

Had a couple of looks along the Estuary today, the mid afternoon look revealed 12 adult Med Gulls. One was well on its way to summer plumage - yummy! None of them were today, I think the white colour ringed bird the other day has already moved in.

This bird was white 31A7, and it turns out it was ringed as a third calendar year bird on 24/06/09 at Harlingen Haven, Friesland, Holland. There was an interesting re-sighting of it on 13/05/10 on the Island of Griend (also Holland), where it was seen eating a Black-headed Gull egg! Since then it has been seen only once before I spied it, this was on 20/06/11 at The Wetland Centre for Wales, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire.

Blackcap Bonanza

After the female Blackcap pictured in my last blog post, although I've seen the odd one in the garden, I have caught no more - I presumed that's because they had all cottoned on to where the net is, because they've all been in it!

But this morning I noticed an unringed female feeding on some rotton apples, so early afternoon I put the 10 foot net up again. I checked in ten minutes later, and was amazed to see not one, not two, but THREE unringed Blackcaps in it! That's seven in less than a week!

These were all this year's birds (3's), a female and these two males...

I wonder how many I'm going to catch during the rest of this winter?

I have been out birding quite a bit over the last two days too, but have seen very little really. There's been lots of gulls on the Estuary, but nothing but Meds and the usual species amongst them.

Twixmas Tales

I've put a second net up in the front garden, only a small 10 footer, but it's strategically placed! It has produced the goods too, as in the past four days I've caught four different Blackcaps - one each day! One was a male, the other three looked pretty much like this...

This was today's female

A quick sweep of the Estuary mid afternoon produced nothing better than five Med Gulls (4 adults, two colour ringed, and a 2nd winter), and four Barwits.

I had a moth tick today! Unfortunately not in the garden, but resting on a white wall in town...

The very aptly named December Moth

Expect The Unexpected; But Expect The Expected Too!

Every September morning each year I wake up hoping today will be the day I finally find a Wryneck! During my stint at Spurn I never found one of these critters - I have always just missed out. They are one of my favourite birds, and have seen four on patch since returning from Spurn - but have still managed not to find one! The bird at Seaton Marshes last year was especially annoying!

Every autumn when there's a few Wrynecks about I check a selection of Wryneck-friendly looking spots, this includes Allhallows school at Rousdon. There's a certain area here that just look so perfect for this ant-loving Woodpecker. And yesterday, I tried yet again, and was absolutely stunned when a Wryneck flew up from the bank in front of me and sat in full view in an overhanging bush! After about twenty seconds or so it did the Wryneck thing - melting away into the bush and not reappearing! I think it probably dropped back down into the garden just on the other side of the wall, hopefully it is still about.

Rather annoyingly I didn't get a photo of it, so you will have to make do with a couple of site photos...

'The' bank

The bird flew up from besides that blue pipe, and in to the bush above. There was no way of seeing into the garden on the other side of the wall

Earlier in the day yesterday, a wander along the beach (whilst waiting for my car which was in the garage - it seems to be in there a lot lately!) produced my second patch Sanderling of the year and six Ringed Plovers.

And now to this morning, and I went up to the Beer Cemetery fields. It was fairly quiet, with a Garden Warbler, a few Blackcaps, Whitethroats, Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs in the bushes, with a couple of Yellow Wags and singles of Tree Pipit and Grey Wag over. I didn't catch much, but the young male Blackcap I netted offered a good example of a fault bar...

Can you see it not far from the end of the tail feather ends? This occurs when the bird is in the nest growing its tail feathers, and there's a blip in the feeding - this brief lack of food is shown by a pale and almost translucent line on the growing tail

After Beer Cem, knowing the tide was high I gave Black Hole Marsh a visit. Lots of birds still here, with a new in juv Little Stint and three Ruff being the best it had to offer.

One of the Ruffs, well Reeves - two were these and one a male

There were also three Ringed Plover, 16 Dunlin, three Greenshank, three Common Sands, nine Blackwits and a Whimbrel on show. It's about time we had some Curlew Sands though really - or something better!