All Quiet

I haven't had much time out since Monday, and when I have been out I haven't seen much.

Yesterday I did give the Tower Hide a couple of hours, hoping for a decent gull. Sadly this didn't materialise, but it was nice to see 'MG6.T' for its fifth year on the Axe...

Click HERE to see its details

 

Two drake Gadwall and a Common Sandpiper were viewable from the hide aswell.

Also yesterday, it was nice to see at least three Siskins on the alders where the Seaton Marshes Lesser Redpolls made it on to my year list...

Male Siskin

Female Siskin

Today, the flat seas saw me heading down to the sea front early on.

Perfect conditions!

Great Crested Grebes in the line of the sun

Sadly, and like the other times I've looked over a flat sea this year, it was incredibly quiet. Three Red-throated Divers, five Great Crested Grebes and a Guillemot were all I could see. Dire.

Along the river, 113 Dunlin was my highest count of the winter, and two Golden Plover were with Lapwing on Bridge Marsh.

Hopefully I'll get some more year ticks soon...

Sea Searching

With the sea looking like this...

Nice and flat - although it was lumpier off Branscombe

..I gave it a good looking at.

Seaton, Seaton Hole, Beer and Branscombe returned: 2 Great Northern Diver, 5 Red-throated Diver, 14 Great Crested Grebes and 220+ Common Scoter (probably the biggest flock I've ever seen on patch). Also good numbers of Razorbills and fewer Guillemots.

The Scoters were to the west of Branscombe, off Weston, and could only be seen in flight. So, I know where I am going in the morning....

I also had a look off Beer Beach later on this afternoon, to see if the Caspian Gull was here. It wasn't, but this was....

One obvious beast

This striking bird I'm sure has to be a first-winter Yellow-legged. When I first clapped eyes on it with my bins I thought it was going to turn out to be the Caspian, it really did look that striking!

I have also had a few looks up the valley today, the latter alongside Brett and Fred from the east. There's still at least three Barwits on the river, and it's nice to finally see some male Shoveler this winter, with this pair on the Estuary and another male at Lower Bruckland Ponds...

I hate this mild weather!!!