A Frosty Morning and Another Patch Hawfinch

What a stunningly beautiful morning, with the temperature gauge showing -4 when I stepped out the front door pre-sunrise. I've been feeling left out with all the snow photos coming in from north and east of us, but this morning helped quash some of this jealousy...

I saw quite a few bits and bobs too, including this Mink. This species always makes me feel a bit odd when I see it. I don't see many, but when I do I feel like I should be excited, but then remember the havoc they cause...

On the bird front, just by where the Mink was a flighty Water Pipit proved a bit of a surprise, as they have become a real scarce winter visitor here in most of the recent years. On the Estuary, four Shoveler were resting with Mallards...

There were plenty of Redwing and a few Fieldfare scattered about all over the place, along with a few more Skylark than usual. At Stafford Cross a brief look showed at least ten Brambling, but the main prize came during my journey back through Colyton.

Driving along Burnards Field Road (our Hawfinch hotspot) I caught a glimpse of the unique shape of a flying Hawfinch, heading low south parallel with the road. Thankfully it did the right thing and pitch down in a Field Maple (I think), which it fed in for the next ten minutes before I had to leave...

Hopefully this one will stick around!?

Happy New Year

Like the Christmas post, it's going to be a short one I'm afraid, but Happy New Year one and all.  I do hope 2015 is a healthy one for everyone, and bird filled of course.  Here's a few pics of a frosty Axe, we've had some cracking crisp mornings during the last week...

Lower Bruckland Ponds

Seaton seafront looking towards Beer/Seaton Hole

The Estuary looking north from Coronation Corner

Looking towards Colyford Marsh from Axmouth

A thistle

Some grass!

Sadly the cold weather didn't bring us any birds.  And now the cold has gone, I reckon this winter is going to be a long and slow one....

A Touch Of Frost

So nice to feel a chill in the air this morning - a proper winter one.  The cars took several minutes to defrost this morning, the crystal clear over night sky had given us a sharp frost this morning...

I had high hopes for today to be honest. I wasn't expecting grey geese, wild swans or masses of ducks, but I was hoping to see some Warblers.  Chiffchaffs have been very scarce for several weeks here, with very few at the usual wintering sites, but a tour of the likely spots today showed at least 14.  Rather unfairly though, I didn't see any other species of Warbler!  In fact I didn't even see a 'grey' Chiffchaff - they were all green collybita birds. 

I really did spend all my birding time today looking for warblers, and haven't seen much else.  Bun and my Dad have seen at least four Black Redstarts between them, all new in, and another species that's had a poor showing here so far this autumn.  I didn't see any of today's birds, but on Saturday just gone was thrilled to see one just down from my house, a nice first-winter male...

Forecast doesn't look too promising for the morning - be a good day to catch up with emails I think...

Pleasant But Quiet

I woke up to, as forecasted, a very hard frost and ice. Just what winter should be like!

After a brief and unsuccessful sea watch, I headed up to Beer Head. The only birds that could possibly be described as being grounded migrants were a couple of Song Thrushes and a Goldcrest. I was surprised by the eastward trickle of Finches along the cliff edge; it was mostly Linnets with smaller numbers of Chaffinches and Goldfinches, with two Siskins and a Redpoll adding variety.

Two adult Med Gulls were on the Estuary mid afternoon, with the wintering Common Sandpiper - but that's all I've seen of note today.

To end this post, here's a few wintry snaps that I took this morning...

A frosty Axe Valley from Beer Head

The pools opposite Axmouth FC (of Dowitcher fame) frozen over

Axmouth FC pitch

I've heard of 'water off a duck's back' - but not 'ice off a swan's back!!!'