Ring Ouzels

When a load of Ring Ouzels come into the UK, you can usually count on the 'Avian Black Hole' to produce a few for us, and sure enough yesterday afternoon two or three were seen in the Underhooken at Beer Head. This morning the clear skies, the prospect of some Ouzel action and the possibility of some good vis mig saw me at Beer Head just after dawn... 

Two hours up here produced;

2+ Ring Ouzel (probably 4+)

6 Blackbird

6 Song Thrush 
2 Redwing

2 Wheatear

2 Stonechat

9 Skylark

60+ Meadow Pipit

10 alba Wagtail

1 Grey Wagtail 

8 Blackcap

20+ Chiffchaff

1 Goldcrest 

40+ Linnet

20 Goldfinch

2 Siskin

So as can be seen from the finch counts, visible migration was really disappointing considering the conditions. In fact the top of the headland where we usually find our birds was really quiet too (except for Mipits), all the action was on the scrub covered slope down to the Underhooken. All but two of the 20+ Chiffs were here, I was so expecting a Yellow-browed to filter through with them but it just didn't happen.  Of course this was also where the Ring Ouzels were, and these two I saw pretty well...

I'm fairly certain this is a first-winter female (along with a male Blackbird) due to no hint at all of a  pale breast crescent.

Not a great photo, but the clean white breast crescent makes this is a male. It had quite a dirty looking bill with little yellow so I'm pretty sure it was also a first-winter bird.

I had so many more glimpses of Ring Ouzels, and heard quite a bit of calling too, my feeling is there were 4-5 birds down there but I just couldn't prove more than the above two. At one stage I had a bird calling way off to the right where I didn't see any of my two go, but I only had the female in view at the time.

A quick look at Seaton Hole afterwards showed another ten Chiffchaffs, but lots of walking around the patch this afternoon has still failed to give me a Yellow-browed. And there were what 10+ on Portland today!? So I have to say I'm feeling a bit like how this Wheatear looked on Beer Head early this morning...

Oh well, must keep at it...

Mostly Quiet But Some Quality

Unlike the last couple of days I've not had much time out birding today. I spent an hour and half walking the dog around Axmouth this morning (hoping for Hoopoe, still...), all was very quiet and I didn't see many migrants at all. Well that was except for a five minute period at the top of Stepp's Lane when I got to where the path goes out to the golf course.  Five Wheatear were huddled together in a tight flock in the middle of a large field here, and in with them my first Whinchat of the year...

Wheatear left, and a Whinchat head to the right

And whilst watching these, I had a couple of brief views of a Ring Ouzel being chased up and down the track to the golf course by the resident Blackbirds. When I got round to the track it flipped over the hedge and into the field that I was just stood in, I went back but I didn't see it again.  I think it probably flew across the field and into the trees/hedge on the other side, it looked to me like it had only just dropped in and wasn't at all settled. Still it was great to see nevertheless, they're not a regular spring migrant here and sometimes we even have blank autumns for them.

The other half an hour of birding came this evening, and was prompted by a call from James Mc who could see a passage of gulls and terns passing distantly off Charmouth.  I got down to Seaton Beach at about twenty to eight, and although I didn't see any terns, I must have seen over 50 Common Gulls (mostly first-summers) flying east by 20:10.  In with them were three Med Gulls (an adult and two first-summers) and best of all three Bar-tailed Godwits (two in summer plumage).

Ouzel On The List

If it's early I just can't cope with a laptop - so when I got up just after 6 I decided to head down to the sea front.

All was quiet to be honest, with passage over the sea restricted to just two Red-throated Divers and two Sandwich Terns west. There were lots of Black-headed Gulls around though, with several large flocks coming in from the east. Still no Little Gull! A Little Ringed Plover was something of a surprise, it came up from the beach and flew high west then north.

Just before 8, I thought I'd give Beer Head a quick look over - with Ring Ouzel at the forefront of my mind. As I got out of the car I noticed a text from Ian P - "Ring Ouzel Beer Head". I could see Ian, and he kindly showed me where he had seen it, but there was no sign. We were sure it hadn't gone far though, and about ten minutes later spotted it further south towards the cliff edge...

It then took off and flew back to where Ian had first seen it...

We then watched it for a good 15 minutes until Ian Mc arrived.  What a stunning bird!  A very valuable year tick too, we often don't get Ouzel until late autumn, and usually only in good years when there are lots about. So you could easily go a year on patch and not see one. 

There wasn't much else on Beer Head (although I didn't stay long), except for a flock of 46 Golden Plovers, including one of two summer plumaged birds.  Karen arrived to twitch the Ouzel, at least I think she did....

I think she's in this picture somewhere??

I came back home via the valley, which showed the Red-breasted Merganser still on the Estuary and 125 Meadow Pipits on Axmouth football pitch...

I searched hard for an early (and patch first!) Red-throated Pipit!

Maybe Tomorrow...

..that's a title I could have used for yesterday's post too!  Today was better though, less birds but a bit more variety.  

I didn't make it over to Portland again today - but am starting to dislike that place as they seem to be sucking up every BB rarity that's made it to the south coast of Britain!  Yes not only have they got a stunning Daurian Shrike, but on Monday they bagged a first for the Western Palearctic with a Pale-legged Leaf Warbler, and today a Siberian Stonechat has appeared.  And don't forget the Wrynecks, Hawfinches, Yellow-browed Warblers, etc...

Anyway that's enough of the negativity about Portland - I am in danger of sounding like a fellow blogger and good friend of mine!

So I did try Axe Cliff this morning, and am pleased to have changed location.  There seem to be a few Short-eared Owls about at the moment, and I thought here would give me my best chance of seeing one. And with only one area of rough grassland, it wasn't hard to figure out where it would probably be! And when I got to this strip of pasture, as expected up came a Short-eared Owl.  But I didn't expect it to fly south, south some more, and even further south, until it was a dot half way across the English Channel!

It all happened so quick too!  This was the first photo I managed of it...

Yeah I know - it could be anything!

And this was the last photo I took of it...

You can just about make it out still!

Short-eared Owls aren't regular on patch - so they are always a joy to see.  But this one was even more special because it made me the first person to see five species of Owl in a year on patch.  I'd do anything to take that up to six species though!

Back to Axe Cliff, and a Snipe was my second best grounded migrant of the morning, with a Stonechat and stacks of Linnets and Skylarks also noted.

We never do very well with vis mig if the wind doesn't have west in it - and today was no exception.  There were good numbers of birds passing over, with Starlings and Wood Pigeons being the most numerous species, but they were flying in all directions making counting impossible!  There were lots of Chaffinches too, along with several Siskins, five Mistle Thrush, two Brambling, two Reed Buntings and one Redpoll sp.

One of the biggest Wood Pigeon flocks I saw this morning

 

After Axe Cliff, a quick look along the Estuary showed a Ringed Plover (my first here for almost a month - just shows how terrible this autumn has been!), a Barwit and a Common Gull.

Mid afternoon the weather looked to be clearing, so I headed up to Beer Head.  I was wrong - in fact it clouded over even more and the wind was much stronger up here!  I still gave it a bash though.  Not much apart from Blackbirds in the bushes on the head, but looking down the Underhooken gave two immature Ring Ouzels. Two Stonechats were along the track as I walked off the head...sadly they weren't pale with black underwing coverts!  I have seen Sibe Stonechat once (Spurn), and I have to say I was really impressed with it!  You may think 'I won't bother - it's just a Stonechat'. I can tell you it really isn't - they can look more like Wheatears! Top birds.  Well done Portland...

Axe Cliff

After two days of meetings it was good to be out again.  Am pleased to have (for a change) timed it with favourable weather condtions too!

At dawn it looked promising for 'vis mig', so I went up to Axe Cliff.  The vis mig was actually disappointing both numbers and variety wise - probably due to a lack of any sorts of wind, and quite heavy cloud cover. All that went into the notebook was:

22 Wood Pigeon

40 Skylark

30 Meadow Pipit

19 alba Wagtail

21 Jackdaw

3 Jay (flew north)

28 Starling

55 Chaffinch

22 Linnet

12 Goldfinch

11 Siskin

1 Redpoll sp.

2 Reed Bunting (landed briefly in Undercliff)

It wasn't just in the sky that there was 'vis mig' though. Looking down into the Undercliff Goldcrest were filtering through west - with two main waves of birds passing.  So exciting to see a migration of this tiny bird in action.  Also down in the Undercliff, a Ring Ouzel appeared for a short while before flying east.  This bird certainly looked like the bird I saw on Monday, but was in a different area...

Maybe a first-winter male as it seems to have a nice black tail

I have been to other spots this morning, but saw nothing better than this Wheatear...

This bird was along harbour road - no Black Redstarts yet (which was what I was looking for!)

When I got home - annoyingly there seemed to be quite a few birds going over the garden (a couple of Redwing, few Skylarks and alba Wagtails). I wonder if I should have spent the morning watching from the garden - maybe I'll try that in the morning if the weather is suitable...

The Weekend

Haven't got much to report really.  We are all a bit gripped/puzzled by a pager report of a second-winter Ring-billed Gull on Black Hole Marsh yesterday afternoon. It would have been great to have seen this bird for sure! 

On Friday last week, after Jess finished work we had a wander around the lanes of Colyford and I was surprised just how many birds were there!! Must have seen at least seven Chiffchaffs amongst two different tit flocks, for the umpteenth time this autumn I was convinced I was about to find a Yellow-browed Warbler!  

The highlight though was really out of the blue.  We had almost got back to the car when amongst a few Pied Wags a male Yellow Wagtail was perched on a telephone wire over a back garden of a farm house!  I was looking into the sun, but it really did seem to have a darker head.  I honestly thought I was cracking up though. I would say 90% of mid to late autumn Yellow Wags I see, but for the vent area, are almost yellow-less, this was yellow through the whole breast and belly!  I had a small digital camera with me, so took some snaps - these don't show much but seem to show a white throat and white super, along with two distinctive wing bars.  Anyway, I grilled it for a bit longer with my binoculars but learnt no more about it, then it took off and flew east with a Pied Wag.  It did call a few times when it flew and I have to say sounded pretty bog standard, I suppose it may have been a little less 'pleasant-sounding', but there was certainly no buzzing or rasping qualities to it.  

So my conclusion is, it was a Yellow Wagtail of some sorts...

A distant and silhouetted Yellow Wagtail

On Saturday, we were feeling energetic and walked from home to Branscombe!  Luckily we dropped a car off at Branscombe village hall first so didn't have to walk both ways - four miles is ok, eight would have been way above my limit!  Yes I am that unhealthy!!!

It was a stunning day and some of the views were totally splendid, this one in particular...

Looking west from Beer Head

There was a fair bit of overhead passage with Mipits, Skylarks and Siskins most numerous.  Grounded migrants were few and far between, with a Redstart below the main Beer Head car park being the highlight.

From Beer Head we walked to Branscombe through the Under Hooken.  It really is scary how much cover is down here, all these photos taken show different sections of it...

 

 

 

Simply impossible to bird. Too much cover which you can't get into or see over

 Annoyingly, later that day a male Ring Ouzel was found here. Drat.

Sunday as ever I spent at work, and whilst out the back managed a work tick!  A lone Jay flew low west over town - not unexpected I have to say.  It was nice to see a couple of small flocks of Wood Pigeons and Jackdaws going over, but not many passerines.

Monday morning, I decided to give Axe Cliff a look about.  It was nice to see a Ring Ouzel, with a very vocal bird perched up for a couple of minutes in a small tree near to the start of the Undercliff (another massive area of impossible to bird premium habitat!).  Otherwise save for a few Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests, and a flock of c150 Skylark, the selection of grounded birds was limited.

I have to say, overhead was disappointing too.  I was expecting a lot lot more passerines, with just low numbers of Mipits and alba Wagtails seen along with a few Finches.  I did however see 290 Wood Pigeons and one Stock Dove fly west - and it was nice to take a few photos of migrating Pigeons again...

 

The only time Pigeons become interesting!

After Axe Cliff, the Axmouth FC scrape gave a Grey Plover amongst half a dozen Lapwing - a new bird for me on this field!  And that was really it for yesterday.

Today I have been in all morning, with a net open in the front garden.  Amongst the small number of birds I've caught and ringed were a Goldcrest and two Coal Tit - migrants?  I'm sure the Goldcrest was, weighing five grams with next to no fat.

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! :-)

Scotland Trip - Day Three

Day Three - Tuesday 12th April

It was an early start for us today, and we were at Loch Garten for 05:20! It was soon apparent that we weren't the only people with this idea - there were at least twenty others making their way to the Osprey hide under the cover of darkness.

The hide flaps were soon opened, and we were told a male and female Capercaillie could be seen on the cameras leking somewhere to the right of us... soon enough the male Caper could be seen now and then strutting about between trees. It was distant but I managed to get some good scope views - and at one point even watched it jump into the air. Even got a brief glimpse of the female as she flew a short distance.

It was great to see them yes, but the viewing conditions were uncomfortable with everyone trying to look through the few slits in the hide at once! It seemed as though that whenever you had the Caper in your bins or scope, someone got in the way - or even knocked you out of the way!!! I reckon though it was just an ultra busy morning when we were here, and on a quieter morning would be more enjoyable.

Outside the side door of the hide, several Siskins were feeding on a feeder, and in the trees above a very smart male Crossbill (sp!?). As we were in the 'Osprey hide' I would have been disappointed not to see an Osprey - I wasn't disappointed....

Ospreys at dawn

We were back to our cars by 07:30 - then drove to a nearby car park to have a wander around Loch Mallachie...

Atmospheric or what!?

It was as we were heading back to the car that our target bird showed itself - with three Crested Tits calling high in the canopy. We all got some sort of views of at least one of them, before they flew off and away from the path.

A male Redstart singing by the loch was an addition to the trip list, and we heard a couple of Crossbill flying over.

We headed back to the B and B and ate our well deserved breakfast. We were soon out again though, and drove up the Findhorn Valley once more. The weather was glorious, with bright sunshine, but a strong and cold wind meant most of the scanning was done from inside the car!!

After a few Buzzards, two Golden Eagles (an adult and an immature) were picked up circling above the ridge beyond where the road stops. We watched them for a minute or two before theyl glided off south....result! As we were driving back up the valley, a male Ring Ouzel was a welcome addition to the trip list, with a second (invisible) bird calling from nearby gorse.

We turned off the road, and headed along the Farr Pass - a simply stunning road...

What a view!!

We saw several Red Grouse (they really are everywhere around here!!!) and a wing-tagged Red Kite flew over the car...

Quite a chunk missing out of its right wing

Next stop was 'the famous Slav Grebe Loch'...

Although most birders I'm sure know where this is, I still won't post it

Six breeding plumaged Slav Grebes were here, along with a cracking pair of Red-throated Divers. Little Grebe was also added to the trip list here.

Our tummies were starting to rumble (despite the monster breakfast!), so we stopped off at Carrbridge Spar - which is right opposite this rather impressive bridge...

No Dippers under it though!

We then headed to a known Black-throated Diver site, and on arrival were soon treated to stunning view of an full breeding plumaged bird.... what a STONKER!!!! Also here were a pair of Goosander and several Greylag Geese.

The surrounding area held many more Red Grouse, some of which came quite close to the car...

Two photos of a male, and one of his lady

We then moved to a forest just east of Granton-on-Spey, and spent a good two hours walking around it...

Bun looking Smurf-like! No he hasn't shrunk, the trees really are that massive!

We heard Crossbill once or twice, but the highlight of this 'expedition' were three more Crested Tits, with one bird in particular showing well feeding intently high up in a couple of conifers...

Am well pleased with my Lumix for this one

Arriving back at the car was a bit of a relief - especially for me! Readers of this blog will know I am not a huge fan of woodland birding. I had thought Scotland would be a different matter - but not by the end of this trek!!!

Anyway, it's about time I posted a photo of our transport really! Yes this car really did get us from Bristol and back, with four people and all our gear....

A three door Vauxhall Corsa with an engine less than 1000cc!

It was getting late now, so we found ourselves a fish and chip shop in Aviemore, then spent the hour of dusk staring at some bird feeders speculatively hoping for a Pine Marten! Our efforts weren't rewarded, so we headed back to the B and B ready for bed...

A Mixed Day

The day didn't start all that well...

I had just had my windscreen replaced thanks to the nice men from Autoglass (£75 - ouch!). There I was sat waiting for the glue to dry, being a good boy doing as I was told....

First came a text from Kev Rylands 'I'm at Portland, at least 100 Wheatears here'...

About three minutes later came a text from Karen 'Male Ring Ouzel Beer Head in the Dell'...

SOD THE GLUE - I WAS GONE...

Ten minutes later I was at Beer Head with Ian Mc. Karen was nowhere to be seen - but thankfully the male Ring Ouzel was! It only showed briefly, but it was nice and close - only the third spring Ouzel I've ever seen on patch! There were several Wheatears (including my first females) dotted about, and Meadow Pipits were heading north in small flocks quite frequently.

The Monarch of the Dell!

All this migration action fired me right up I can tell you - I was up for some excellent spring birding so decided to head to the Estuary and marshes for the rest of my birding day. This included two visits to Blackhole and Seaton Marshes, single visits to Colyford Common and Lower Bruckland Ponds, two looks out to sea, and two jaunts along the Estuary..... I saw absolutely naff all!

Well when I say naff all, that doesn't include the Hoopoe that's still present in Axmouth. I had two drives around Axmouth Camp Site today, the first one drew a blank, but I struck lucky on visit number two...

One sexy bird!

I'll end this post with a short, and rather uninspiring video of it. I do love the way they move though...