The Big 250

On Tuesday Phil followed up a report of a day time churring Nightjar on patch, and was rewarded with churring and views of two birds. I immediately went up there, and just before 11pm heard a bird calling several times - but couldn't see a thing.  Last night, four of us (myself, Bun, Karen and Gav) tried our luck.  The conditions weren't great, but after some brief glimpses and hearing wing-clapping, churring and calling, a pair appeared above us, with one circling us several times before disappearing again into the darkness.

Three gloomy but very recognisably patch birders - each with their distinctive jizz

The birds are notable enough without thinking about lists and patch birding. There's got to be a very good chance they've nested here, and hopefully will do (with some more?) for many years to come. The habitat has only recently become suitable for them, and apparently they used to be here many years ago (c20 years ago) again when the habitat was suitable. Just shows if the habitat is right the birds will come.

In terms of my patch life list these Nighjars are a milestone for me, as they're my 250th bird species for the patch. Someone hire a cheap DJ, I'll sort out the trays of cheese and pineapple sticks and let's have a party!!! Yes I've made it to the quarter of a century mark, and I've STILL not seen a (live) Puffin here!  When I have a bit more time I may well do a summary blog post about these 250 birds - but I am well chuffed with the achievement. Not liking to sound like an acceptance speech, but it's only because of the superb place we live in, and the fantastic network of kind local birders we have.

My full list and the local patch league table can be found on Bubo here: http://www.bubo.org/Listing/view-all-lists.html# by searching for 'Axe Estuary'.

Nightjar was my 171st bird for the patch in 2013. Which means if I'm going to reach my 200 target I've got to see 29 more species in four months. That's a huge ask, but I guess it is possible, we just need a bloody good autumn and I basically need to see everything (which I have spectacularly failed at so far this year!). Don't forget to check my 2013 Patch Year List page which I am keeping up to date.

Since my last blog post, we've had a bit of a rarity too. On Tuesday James Mc found a Pec Sand on Black Hole Marsh. This place has been screaming out for a rarity this autumn, and a Pec is a good start (but we do want better!). I've literally lost count of how many Pec's I've seen on patch - I think this is my ninth.  I've no pics but it doesn't matter because all you have to do is look HERE, HERE and HERE.

To complete my outstanding bird news, my usual woodland bird survey near Colyton this morning showed a heck of a lot of birds. The highlight being a couple of Crossbill (seem to be annual here) - maybe one of those wing-barred ones will appear here...

Jan 1st Bird 'Race'

I will apologise now for the lack of photos in this post. Too busy rushing about to take photos - except for one which may prove rather important!?

Well it has been some years since I've had a proper attempt at a Jan 1st bird list/race. So I thought I might as well give it a go today, for a bit of fun. It certainly wasn't a race though, as I was solo, and up against only myself!

Yesterday I wasn't sure if I was going to do it. First of all the weather looked pretty pants for today, rain due in at midday and a moderate south west wind all day, which wouldn't be helpful at all for looking for divers, grebes, etc. And secondly, we have no birds! Yes that is a bit of an over the top statement, as obviously we do! But we have no 'goodies', most years there's a Whooper/Bewick's, and maybe a Surf Scoter or such like... diddly sqat this year. And forgetting rares, there's very few even marginally scarce birds around - no decent wildfowl (diving ducks, gadwall, pintail, etc), and the sea has been pretty pants full stop.

So, should I do it or should I not?? I honestly couldn't decide! So I thought I'd let the birds decide for me. I will go out at 6am, if I scored with all three of the Owl species that occur on patch before dawn, then I'll go ahead and do it. If I didn't - then I'd go home and back to bed!

So 6am of January 1st came, and I was out the door...

Little Owl is always pretty predictable, and a calling bird south of Musbury confirmed this. Barn Owl is the trickiest of the three to net, and after over half an hour of driving and lamping I wasn't feeling confident. But from the farm gate, whilst listening for Water Rails, I shone the torch out and one was hunting the field right in front of me!!! It was now 6:45, I still needed Tawny...

Tawny Owl is easily the commonest of the Owl species on patch - but when you want one, they aren't always there! Lower Bruckland Ponds delivered the goods though, with one calling in woodland to the south. So that was the three Owls, a day's birding is was to be....

It was still very dark, so I returned home to eat some more breakfast - I had a big day ahead of me! Turned out to be a wet one too!!!

I was soon out the door again, and had a quick look around Axmouth. By 8am I was on 25 species, with the 25th being Kestrel - always a relief to get this one on the list (although by the end of the day I'd seen four!). A quick sweep of the Estuary was made worthwhile when a Sparrowhawk flew over - again not always easy to see on a given day (although again, by the end of the day I'd see four!). The usual waders were notched up, before I headed over to Branscombe.

The sea was horribly choppy, far from ideal for a Jan 1st day list. I like to see what's on the sea, and when there's big waves I can't!!! Still there were lots going over it. Never has Kittiwake been so easy on Jan 1st, there was a bit of a mega passage going on! There were some gems too (well for the patch anyway!), with a female Red-breasted Merganser west being the top prize, with a lone Brent Goose also west coming in at second. A lone Red-throated Diver west was the only diver of the day, and two Common Scoter east were the only sea duck of the day. The most numerous bird at sea was Razorbill - they were all over the place! I honestly thought I wasn't going to get Guillemot though, even the ultra distant stringable range auks all looked like Razorbills! Thankfully one did come through, very close in too, and I picked up a second on the sea. Raven and Peregine also made it on to the day list from my sea watching position.

I thought the sea had given all it could, and apart from a quick look over the sea from Beer where I added Great Crested Grebe, I didn't give it another look. So I had a mooch about the sewage works. I was hoping for Firecrest, I was disappointed. But I wasn't disappointed with the 'list padders'; Mistle Thrush (always good to get!), Treecreeper (likewise), Jay (likewise again!), Chiffchaff (one green one and one much greyer bird) and a Grey Wag were the best of the bunch here. I was on 50 species shortly after 10am.

Next up was woods! Oh look, here's a photo from today I can put in...

How unispiring!

At first, they were incredibly kind to me. I am not joking, within ten seconds of getting out of my car Marsh Tit, Nuthatch and Great Spotted Woodpecker were added to the list! After a short walk, a Lesser Redpoll was much appreciated - but this is where the woodland 'good times' ended. During the winter months, I kick Woodcocks up left right and centre in this woodland - but not today. Bloody hell! After stomping around virtually the entire wood, I finally kicked one up from the southern edge - swines! Although this was indeed a pain in the arse, it meant I was in the woods for a bit longer than planned, and if I had left them on time I wouldn't have scored with the two Siskin that flew over east as I was walking back up to my car :-)

Next stop was Beer Beach where I dipped on Bun's Black Redstart, but added Great Crested Grebes and Rock Pipit. This was followed with a quick pit stop home, where two slices of yesterday's Pizza were much needed, as was the female Blackcap scoffing rotten apples in the front garden.

It was now midday and I was off out again after my ten minutes refueling. Bad news - the rain had started! Oh well - I was in it now, so had to see it through, even though I ended up getting soaking wet! Seaton Marshes gave me the three birds I wanted from here; Shoveler, Stonechat and Common Sandpiper (right in front of the hide). This though is where the 'important photo' comes in to it.

I gave the Wigeon flock on the marsh a quick look through - in case there was a Gadwall or any other patch goodie in amongst them - and this very pale female Wigeon stuck out like a sore thumb! It immediately reminded me of a female Wigeon sp. seen by Chris Townend on the Otter just before Christmas, see HERE.

Anyway, I got my camera out, took one photo.... then it flew off! Drat. It flew towards the Estuary, and no I didn't see its underwings :-(. Anyway, here it is...

Oooohhh...

Looks good in this photo doesn't it! Pale head and neck, dark eye mask, slightly less sloped forehead with more rounded cap, and is that a bit of a black gape line visible in the more zoomed in photo??? I now wish I had abandoned my day list at this point, and re located this Wigeon, but I didn't, I'm sorry to say I was in listing mode.

Next was Colyford Common, basically I got really really wet for bugger all. Well Stock Dove, Water Rail, Reed Bunting and Fieldfare were added to the list, but it was Jack Snipe and Water Pipit I was really after. Lower Bruckland Ponds added Coot to the day, but no sight or sound of any Cetti's. I then went to the 'secret Woodlark site' - and really did see BUGGER ALL here! It was tipping down, and foggy, and a waste of time.

Another sweep of the Estuary gave me an adult Med Gull (which was bloody hard work to find, over the past week they've been dead easy!) and two Lesser Black-backed Gulls. Then I suddenly realised I hadn't seen Grey Heron or Kingfisher!!!! It was round to Black Hole Marsh, were I'm pleased to say I scored with singles of each.

I then headed up to some arable fields, on the out skirts of Beer. Here a decent sized flock of Yellowhammer put this species on the list, then I went to some fields near Colyford where a couple of Skylark were present (there were many more here a week or two ago!).

Then the rain came in again, I was already cold and very very VERY wet, so at about 15:00 I called it a day.

So my day total for this Jan 1st patch list attempt (the lesser patch too by the way, 5km radius from Axmouth bridge, no time for Weston, Farway, Trinity Hill, etc) was.... 94.

I'm actually really chuffed with that - because like I said earlier, there isn't really much about, and the weather was a long way from being ideal. So yes - I finish the day a happy 'lister'. And am also happy that that's the listing done with for a good while - back to proper 'patch birding' now.

So I've said what I have seen, now time to say what I didn't see...

Well there's a very embarrassing one, and it isn't on the list basically because I forgot they existed! Linnet.

At no time during the day did I think "oh I need to see a Linnet", and when I added Yellowhammer late in the day, I saw yellow then went straight back to the car - I didn't look around at all, which would have lead me to some Linnets I'm sure. Oh cock.

Green Woodpecker's another one I didn't get today - but they're always a git to pin down. And all the Canada Geese have gone, not one anywhere on patch today (that I saw anyway). I've already mentioned I failed on Cetti's Warbler, Water Pipit, Jack Snipe and Black Redstart.

I have to be honest, I just don't think I'm cut out for listing. I enjoy birding, I like 'grilling' birds, I like scoping/scouring through flocks of birds (gulls, wildfowl, etc). When you are doing a list like this - you've just not time to do this properly.

Right, I need to go to bed! Happy New Year everyone, I hope 2012 is a good one. Let's hope this Wigeon is still around in the morning...

Thankyou Richard

It felt good this morning as soon as I stepped out of the front door - almost no wind and a stunning sun rise. Unfortunately I had a dentist appointment and a few errands to run this morning, so couldn't just stand in one spot and count vis mig... still, I did what I could with the time I had...

First off, I had a walk along the beach and around the yacht club - eagerly awaiting our first Black Redstart. There was nothing on the deck, but several Skylarks and a few Redpolls and Siskins went over, along with a flock of 40+ Jackdaws that were clearly on the move.

A view fit for a post card!

After my teeth were checked over, I was out again, this time to Beer Cemetery Fields. The view from up here wasn't bad either...

That's Axe Cliff Golf Course over there - have only been up there twice so far this autumn!!

Again, apart from over head passage - where ten Crossbills (a single and a flock of nine) and a few more Redpoll and Siskins went over - there were few grounded migrants about...

This was a total 'fluke shot'; I was trying to get the whole flock of nine in the photo but had zoomed up way too much and only got this one!

Then a cracking male Ring Ouzel appeared in front of me, but as soon as it appeared it disappeared! I saw it again later in the same place, but from a distance. I would have loved to have got a photo of it because it really was a real beauty - maybe it will hang around.

Anyway, then I came to my favourite field. The field that had the flock of Tree Pipits in earlier in the autumn, has had up to 250 Meadow Pipits in during the past few weeks, and looks oh so good for the patch's first Red-throated or OBP...

Oh yes!

Anyway, as expected as I walked through the field, up went loads of Meadow Pipits, with a couple of Lesser Redpolls in with them which weren't as expected!

I'd walked one length, and had almost completed my return leg, when all of a sudden (turn your sound up!)...

......a bloody Richard's Pipit!!!!!!

I know from experience these guys quite often just go when they get flushed...but I'm pleased to say this gangly goodie soon dropped back into the field, I alerted all the locals and kept an eye on where it went in. I'm glad it didn't bugger off as I wouldn't have got the above footage of its call!!

We saw it a few more times over the next hour or so, it perched up in trees a couple of times but was always quite distant, see...

A distant 'Dick'

And this picture, although probably even worse than the above pici, does show the colour of it compared with a Meadow Pipit to its right...

Dick and Meadow!

It also went it to a field on the other side of Mare Lane, which looks equally as yummy!!

Anyway, I left it at midday, but it was seen afterwards so I hope it will stick - maybe even for a few days?

Richard's Pipit isn't a first for the patch, Gav had a fly over on Beer Head several years ago. But it was a patch first for me - and a self found first too (no I don't keep a 'self found list', but I do know what I have and haven't found!). This, along with my Hen Harrier last week takes my patch list up to a respectable 241... I just need to pull back Ortolan and I'll be an even happier chappy! :-)

The Sea And My Patch List

I do love living by the sea - it is always there to look at, and it can NEVER be built on! Not to mention the fact its appearance changes from day to day...

This was how it looked on Wednesday morning of last week...

Oh so tranquil!

And this is how it looked the following morning...

See what I mean! And yes - the sea watching was so poor that I ended up taking photos of waves!

And when it comes to birding - the sea is just fantastic! You simply never know what is going to fly past, literally anything could at any moment! Which is why, if I'm not sure what to do or where to go, I head for the sea front. This was the case today....

I arrived at the Spot On Kiosk at 08:20 this morning, joined by Ian M about five minutes later. There are three lessons to be learnt from today's sea watch...

1/ a quiet sea watch isn't always a rubbish sea watch

2/ eat lots of breakfast beforehand

3/ sea watching with company is much better as you are less inclined to give up as quickly

So, in the end, we did a full TWO HOURS of sea scanning, I was planning on a twenty minute watch!

First highlight was a female-type Eider bobbing around distantly, our first of the autumn - and not a common bird for the patch at all. It remained on view throughout the whole two hours despite getting itchy wings and taking to the air on a couple of occasions.

Second highlight was a Black-throated Diver which flew west at about 09:15.

Third and final highlight was a Red-necked Grebe Ian picked up flying east at 09:30. It looked as though it was going to fly straight through, but it landed somewhere miles to the east of us. I wonder if it's the same bird that I had off Branscombe on Wednesday just milling around?

Other than these three highlights; five Red-throated Divers (3w,1e,1 on sea), one diver sp. (distant e), a few Gannets, nine Dunlin (w) and a Razorbill (w) were all that made it in to the notebook.

So little to show in quantity for two precious hours of my life, but some nice patch quality :-)

I spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon at home, that wasn't totally bird-less though...

Oh look - a nice male Sprawk

I was out again though mid afternoon til dusk...

Spent 40 mins wandering around the stubble fields at Axe Cliff. The first flock of Skylarks I flushed (c80 birds) had a Lap Bunt in with them. I couldn't see it, just heard it call several times. And I didn't see or hear it again despite sifting through another 350+ Skylarks before returning back to the car.

I spent pretty much the rest of the daylight hours seeing nothing of note at all. But last thing from the farm gate was incredibly pleasant....

Very nice

And when it was almost pitch black, a/the flock of 12 Brent Geese (re)appeared. They flew south down the river - so I assume they are feeding up river somewhere and roosting on the Estuary or in the bay.

Now to lists....

Whilst sea watching, Ian M casually asked me "so how many birds have you seen on patch?"

To which I replied "haven't a clue!"

So this evening I worked it out - and have even uploaded my list to BUBO (thanks to Bun for the guidance!).

And yes I have been strict...

1/ Ruddy Shelduck is not on the list....despite the fact the two Gav found were wild!! If you don't believe me - look for yourself...

See, both totally wild! Wary, unringed, fully winged, only present for a couple of hours, seen by me, etc...

2/ The Black Stork that stunned Bun and myself on 08/06/07 was 0.4km outside the 5km radius from Axmouth Bridge - which just sucks! As you read this I am drafting a letter to the 'local patch authorities' to see if I can get ours expanded by another half a kilometre!

3/ I have only seen Nightjar on Trinity Hill, again outside the 5km zone

4/ I know I've seen Baird's Sand on the Estuary, on Wednesday 19th May 1999 to be exact - I was 13. I won't go in to details, but it wasn't accepted by BBRC despite four people seeing it, and even hearing it call! But, it got the NP vote so it's not on the list.

Anyway, after all that, my official patch total is.... 238.

But if anyone was to ask me casually whilst in the field, the answers 242 ;-)

So what do I still need (apart from the four mentioned above!). Well my three biggest bogey birds are:

1/ Turtle Dove - and I reckon if I don't get one in the next couple of years I'm stuffed, just as they sadly are.

2/ Puffin - how I've not seen one of these I don't know!

3/ Hen Harrier - I was counting Chaffinches half a field away from Gavin who jammed in to one. From where I was stood, I couldn't see it! And I was at work for the male everyone else saw going to roost on Axe Marsh a year or two later.

The most painful gap on my list is Common Crane. I think I'm the only birder in the world who has ever 'fluffed' a flock of four of these easily identifiable and humongous birds....

....I reached in the car for my bins and yanked them out, but the strap got caught on the handbrake. By the time I'd untangled them, and put them to my eyes, the birds had gone around the corner.... I went to sleep that night thinking 'just what were those four massive large winged grey birds!??'.... the next day, four Common Cranes were on Exminster Marshes. In the words of James May.... oh cock!

On the other hand, I have got some really nice grippers....but no way am I going to list them or go in to any details - wouldn't even dream of it! There is one bird I will extrapolate on though....

"Friday 26th April 1996 - Dad took me and Mr House (a Grammar School music teacher) to the Undercliff tonight. Heard and got good views of a singing Nightingale in the undergrowth near Goat Island"

What is weird is that my life up to age of about 17 is just a blur of immaturity, but this is one night I can remember - and I'm not just saying that! I can see us walking down the steps, waiting, hearing and seeing... and the hazardous walk back in the pitch black! Sadly I think this was the last one ever recorded here.

So there you have it, I am now a 'lister'....