Red-backed Shrike Beer Head

At the beginning of every year, for as long as I can remember, there are three birds that we all always say "we must get this year!". Red-rumped Swallow, Black-winged Stilt and Red-backed Shrike.  Now at last, one of those species can be removed from that list...

Just as I was setting off to join Kevin (Bun) up Beer Head, he phoned with news he had a Red-backed Shrike on the Summit bushes. Excellent...

And about twenty minutes later the world was a better place...

A really beautifully coloured example of one too - such a gorgeous bird and so so overdue.  It looked very settled as it had found quite a sheltered spot and was finding plenty of food, so if you want to come up and see it hopefully this map will help...

And here's a tiny bit of video. Very tiny...

Not only am I delighted for Bun, and my patch list, but also for Beer Head.  There is a keen team of us that daily/weekly/yearly spend hours upon hours trudging over this place ever hoping for something like this. Although we have had some scarcities and a couple of rarities over the years (no one mention the Cuckoo), it never feels like we get quite what our effort deserves. So Bun, if you don't mind, this one is for us...

Seemed to be a heck of a lot up Beer Head this morning, I was only here for an hour and had 80+ Mipits, 2 Tree Pipits, 6 Wheatear, a few Chiffs and my first 'vis mig' Siskins (6+) of the autumn.  I wouldn't be surprised is something else decent is unearthed here later today.

Although all the local birders need Red-backed Shrike for their patch lists (or did!), it's not a new bird for the patch. I'm sure like many other south coast sites, this species formally bred here, with confirmed nesting in the mid 60's. There's been at least one other more recent record as well, but not recent enough for any of us to have seen!

Could Have Been Bad But It Was Baird's

Saturday I took Jess out for the day, a delayed birthday present (only three months late!). But right at the start of the day Phil phoned with news of a long-winged wader on Black Hole Marsh, either Baird's or White-rumped.  I don't need White-rumped for the patch so spent the next few hours hoping it was going to be another of these, but the bad news came early afternoon just as I was munching on a pork and apple pasty (which in my opinion was over seasoned, good meat should be left alone).

Thankfully though it did the decent thing, and when I returned home late afternoon a quick run to Black Hole (where for the first time I could really appreciate the recently tarmacked track to the Island Hide!) showed it was still present, and one of the closest waders to the hide.  Many thanks to Kev and Debs for letting me use their scope. Although there are heaps of staggering photos out there of it, I still had to get my own record shots...

I've never seen an adult Baird's before, but several juvs/1st winters. Whatever the age though that shape never changes, the long tapered wing tip of this species and White-rumped Sand is classic.  I thought it was actually a very pretty bird, very gingery overall with a gorgeous almost juv Curlew Sand-like peachy wash to the breast, and a very striking head pattern. I've always likened Baird's Sandpipers to weetabix, I hope Tim White doesn't mind me nicking one of his awesome photos from his website (http://timwhitewildlife.blogspot.co.uk/)...

Black Hole Marsh Baird's Sandpiper (c) Tim White

And...

Don't tell me you can't see it!? I will admit it is more obvious with the juvs.

A cracking bird for the marsh, and a great patch tick too.  I appreciated this one more than most because I (along with three others) have seen Baird's Sand on patch before, many many years ago though. I must have been about 14 and it was settled north of Coronation Corner late evening, but soon took off and flew out to sea. Oddly I have never forgotten the late Alan Bundy describing its call as "more like a fart than a bird call".  Sadly enough wasn't seen for the record to be accepted by BBRC, and I play by the books so it wasn't on my patch list. Well, it is now :-).

Black Hole has been superb during the last week, just this morning there were four Wood Sands on it, and last night Tim White had nine Ruff. On top of that there's been up to 50 Dunlin, 30 Ringed Plover, small numbers of Greenshank, Green Sands, a few more Common Sands, singles of Turnstone and Sanderling along with a few hundred Black-headed Gulls and double figures of Teal. What a place!

Patch Tick

Wow - wasn't expecting that!  The Dart's Farm Penduline Tits did the decent thing and dropped in on us on their way back east.  Hopefully they will hang around for few days, but I've got a feeling they won't.  I'm actually surprised they dropped in somewhere so close to the Exe, I would have thought their first 'hop' would be much bigger.  Maybe they aren't looking to leave the UK, just on the hunt for some suitable breeding habitat? If that's the case then I really hope they don't stay!!!

No photos from me as I could only manage a flying visit, in fact I only saw one bird - but that was more than enough.  Cracking find Bun, wonder how many people have walked past them today...

New Bird For The Patch

Well it all went a bit mad here yesterday!!

What was thought to be a Spotted Crake was seen yesterday morning from the Island Hide at Black Hole Marsh. For some stupid reason I decided not to go and see it as I have so much to do at the moment and we were treated to superb views of this species here last year.  Thankfully though Black Hole Supremo Sue Smith did, and on seeing it thought something wasn't quite right - pale stripes on the birds back, a pale face and front and she also thought the whole birds shape look wrong.  

It wasn't until it was approaching late morning that noises came out this bird may not be a Spotted Crake, at which point I shot down there. Sue, Phil and a few other were there, and we were soon joined by Dave H. There was no sign. Something that was there though was Sue's camera, and she showed us this distant photo (the conditions were dull and foggy when she took it)....

(c) Sue Smith

Sue was right - this was no Spotted Crake!!!!! Although not a clear shot, it does show a delicately shaped crake/rail with a pale breast and rich brown coloured upperparts. Well either that or a Reed Warbler!

I could only give it until midday then had to come away, still no sign.  Thankfully though Dave H sat it out, and whist munching on his BLT at about twenty past one there it was! And in exactly the same place it was seen this morning.  30 minutes later I was back down there and soon enough this beautiful bird appeared and performed really well for ten minutes, before I had to prematurely leave it for work. I love Crakes - they just look so rare. I don't love how elusive they can be though. Yesterday it showed well until about 15:25, but then was only seen for a ten minute spell from 18:00 and that was it. It is still there this morning though.

I'm pleased to say that all patch birders have seen it now (unlike that wretched Cuckoo!), even Gav dusted off the bins to add this bird to his patch list. Nice to see you again Gavo.  Hopefully Sue will put some of her photos from the afternoon views of the Crake on her blog, as she got some good ones in the end.  Long lense Tim got a few pics too, he's uploaded one on to his blog. 

For those who have not seen it yet, I hope this helps...

Hopefully will be able to blog again later today or this weekend, with details on a Wednesday morning Beer Head visit.

Thankyou Bun!

Half way through my shift at work today, a text came through from Bun, he had found an invisible but noisy Turtle Dove in Beer, it was about half past 12. This is a species I have somehow avoided since moving here in 1991! Yes - I have never seen one on patch, Bun has seen about nine!

So, thinking there was no chance at all it would stay put for over four hours I had already written this one off. But Bun very kindly returned to Beer just before I was due to finish work - and he heard it again. Yipeee! Still no one had actually seen it though!

So, just after 16:30, I hot footed it over to Beer, but moments before I arrived, a couple of Crows flew in to the area the Turtle Dove had been purring from, and out flew three Wood Pigeons and the bird I wanted! Bun thought I had blown it yet again...

Thankfully though, it flew only a short distance, and landed in a large ash tree - and then I turned up :-)

An over exposed patch tick!

It remained here for about ten minutes, when two Wood Pigeons flew in and flushed it. It flew off strongly east.

This is the second patch tick Bun has found me this year - I certainly owe you a beer or two mate :-)

A Patch Tick

It had been a long weekend for me, and after I spent the best part of Sunday at work, I got home and just collapsed on the sofa!

All of a sudden though, and out of nowhere, a surge of adrenalin got me up and driving as quick as (legally and safely) possible to the farm gate just north of Axmouth. Bun had phoned to say a Crane was on Colyford Marsh!

At about 20:00 I scored the patch tick, standing on Colyford Marsh scrape. It soon had a bit of a fly around and landed on the river where the Stafford Brook joins the Axe. I am so pleased to get this one under the belt, as it is one that has always hurt (as I have said before on this blog). I managed to fluff four Cranes that flew in off the sea one March morning about seven years ago. I think I am the only birder in the UK who has managed that!!!

I didn't get any photos as it was almost dark, so I was hoping it would stay over night. It did! This morning I spent half an hour watching it feed on Colyford Marsh from the entrance of Stedcombe House....

Crane overdose!

A quick catch up on Bubo showed that this Crane takes my patch life list up to 243. With Phil bagging Stone Curlew this spring, and all of us seeing this Crane, I think 2012 is going to go down as 'the year of unblockers'. Squacco Heron next please...

Also a quick note to say we have another patch blogger! It's nice to see Phil has started up this already great looking blog, No Further Than Kuwait.

A (Half) First For The Patch!

It would be a full tick if I lived and birded by the UK400 club rules. Unfortunately I am a law abiding BOU birder, so a half tick it is!

Anyway, I came across the aforementioned bird whilst scoping from the 'Farm Gate' in Axmouth at about 10am... a stonking adult Greenland White-fronted Goose!

I have seen and found several Eurasian White-fronted Geese from the very same place, and the first thing I noticed when I came across this bird was how dark it was - and for a WFG quite a hefty beast too. I knew it was going to be a Greenland even before I saw its bright orange hooter - which obviously clinched it! I sent the texts out, and I understand the bird is still with us so I hope everyone who wanted to see it has.

I am a bit of a grey goose fan - and this was the most stunning grey goose that I've ever seen in my life! I'm afraid the photos don't do it justice as it was distant (as ever from the Farm Gate)....

Leg trembling stunning (in my eyes anyway!!)

There was also a Spotted Redshank viewable from the Farm Gate, walking around and feeding in the small pools on Colyford Marsh.

Before this, I had already had a good morning! I'd spent an hour at Axe Cliff. I know I really should have stayed here longer and counted the vis mig - but it wasn't overly impressive - and with the conditions as good as they are I feel as though I need to cover as much ground as possible!

The highlight came just as I was ending a phonecall with James Mc. Just as he was saying "have a good day mate", I heard the 'magic autumn rattle'. I promptly hung up, and a Lapland Bunting flew west just above cliff-top height, 'rattling and chu-ing' to its hearts content! As flight views go, they were very good - and I could clearly see dark smudging on its breast, which I guess makes it a male?

Otherwise it was just the usual suspects going over, including a few Redpolls and Siskins. There was very little on the deck though. A nice treat offshore were 10+ Bottle-nosed Dolphins, it was tip top conditions for cetacean watching with a flat calm sea.

Looking over the valley and towards Beer, it was interesting to see how the 'Pipit field' looks. It really does stand out, being surrounded by mostly green fields, it looks massive too! I'm sure it's very enticing to many over flying passerines! I really do hope to kick up a OBP or RTP from here within the next week or two....

Worth noting we didn't see the Richard's Pipit here today during a quick stomp about late morning

Also had a look around Lower Bruckland Ponds this morning, with Gav. The highlight was without doubt our first record of Cetti's Warbler for 2011!!

For years our Cetti's population has been growing, with at least six singing males in the valley during spring/summer 2010. But the harsh winter since then has cleared them all out - whether they've died or have pushed off. Anyway, this bird was very vocal, calling repeatedly, and I reckon probably the first definite true migrant Cetti's I've ever seen!...

Crap photos - but I reckon you could count the tail feathers on the lower photo!

Well I think that's it for today for me - work is looming! I wonder what tomorrow has in store? Long may this 'purple patch on patch' continue...

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! :-)

A Patch Tick!

Yes - it's a rare two post day today, but if a patch tick isn't worth it then what is?!

If you read my first post of the day below, you will see I went out again to see what I could turn up....it wasn't the rare I wanted, but that doesn't matter because it was a patch tick for me - I don't get these very often!

My plan was to watch from the farm gate (Axmouth) for about an hour from about 1pm. All was quiet, no sign of the Great Whites, and not the Glossy Ibis I was after. At 13:40 though, absolutely out of no where a ring-tail Harrier appeared low over Colyford Common being pursued by a couple of Crows.

A quick count up of its visible primaries confirmed my immediate thoughts - it was a Hen (drat!!). It rather rapidly gained height, before flying high south down the river being harassed by the persistent Crows. Just as it was about to go out of sight, it circled round and came back! Flying low north over the reeds of Axe Marsh, then Colyford Marsh, before I lost it whilst playing about with my phone trying to phone and text people!

Pallid would have been much nicer yes, but I have missed a couple of Hen Harriers on patch over the years so it was a bloody good feeling connecting with one finally!

Now I would love to be showing off a stunning pin sharp photo of this beast in all her glory (I'm pretty sure it was an ad female, it did look rather tatty), but I'm afraid the best I can offer is this...

You may be able to see it a little better if you enlarge the photo

Patch Tick!

This morning the Axe Estuary Ringing Group had a session planned at Colyford Common - at this time of year we net in the crop field and the north end of the reserve. I was there at half seven, and although ringing was never 'busy' - there was always a trickle of birds.

Just as I was closing the ring on a 'new' Cetti's Warbler that we had just caught, these small clumps of reeds...

(known as Fraser's reed bed)

....suddenly came alive with the calls of Bearded Tits! EPIC!

After a bit of scanning, I spied a female/juvenile sat out on top of one of the nearest patches of reeds. Another female/juvenile joined it and they spent the next few minutes flitting between reeds calling to each other. PATCH TICK!!!!

All nine of us managed to see them, and as we were cursing ourselves for deciding NOT to put a net up in the reed bed today, the Beardies took to the air and gained height rapidly. They started heading off north, but turned around and disappeared into the sun south east. Calling all the way.

Now if I hadn't have had a Cetti's Warbler in my hand, then I'm sure I would be posting some photos of them. But I did, so here's a photo of another Tit with a long-tail...

Pity it didn't bring a stripey warbler with it!

Saw plenty of other birds whilst ringing. A couple of Brambling paused briefly in trees, where a Fieldfare 'chaked' from for half an hour or so early on. A few Redwings were knocking around, as were up to ten Reed Buntings. Overhead Skylarks were passing over in good numbers, and a few small flocks of Wood Pigeons totalled c250 birds.

On Colyford Marsh, a low flying Buzzard spooked over 300 Wigeon and 150+ Lapwing. At least four Rock Pipits were on Colyford Common with a Green Sandpiper and a Snipe also noted.

Nice to see plenty of Common Darters still out in the sunshine, and a female Migrant Hawker.

For some unknown reason, I put a moth trap out last night! I really shouldn't have bothered as this morning I had only one moth to look at....a worn Large Yellow Underwing.

I'll end this post with a couple of photos I forgot I took! They were taken during my second unsucessful search for Lap Bunt at Axe Cliff sometime last week...

Now that's what I call a Bunting!