A Balmy Boxing Day Walk at Branscombe

Long time no post!  Sorry, it's been a busy few months with lots going on. But before I go any further let me wish you all a (belated) Merry Christmas.

Late this morning we went for a family walk in Branscombe. It was really mild out, with plenty of Robins, a Dunnock and a Goldfinch in full song - and then this Peacock butterfly came flying past...

Around the sewage works I couldn't find any Firecrest or Yellow-browed, but among the eight or so Chiffchaffs were two lovely examples of tristis Siberian Chiffchaff, the first ones I've seen this winter. I couldn't get any decent photos of either of them as they never came that close, but here's two record shots of one bird...

Like a ghost in the undergrowth!

Almost didn't post this one as it's so dreadful, but it does show upperpart colour well, more like a Garden Warbler than a Chiff!

Beer Head from Branscombe - shame a Great Spotted Cuckoo didn't fly into view!!  It felt warm enough for one.

And lastly, as I've not posted a shot of him on here for a while, here's our little man enjoying Christmas 2018...

He's turning into such a wonderful young man

Really hope I don't keep you guys waiting as long for the next blog post...
 

Spring Wader Passage?

Just a couple of snippets of interest from the past few days to tell in today's blog post

Friday morning last week saw a slight surprise in the form of a Ringed Plover on Seaton beach. This was probably our first true sign of spring passage as there's not been a Ringed Plover on patch since October 2016. With the temperatures turning mild later this week I wonder if any other signs of spring will emerge?

On Thursday of last week it was nice to see two good-looking tristis Chiffchaffs at Colyford WTW.  The first bird was ringed (presumably the bird ringed here by Mike Tyler on 28th Dec 2016) and came straight in to a recording of tristis song. The second bird was along the lane just north of the WTW, and looked even smarter than the ringed bird with proper 'Daz white' underparts, but it never called. Sadly neither posed well enough for photos, but if they stick around some more hopefully I'll get some shots.

It's been great to see far more Med Gulls about recently. In the first winter period they were so scarce here, but in the last few weeks I've been seeing ones and twos far more frequently. Adults in all stages of head moult and a couple of second-winters too, probably over ten different birds in the last two weeks, including sadly one with a damaged wing by the tram sheds.

The only bits of interest from today include the wintering Grey Plover still on the Estuary, a drake Gadwall for its second day hanging out below the Tower Hide, and the Brent Goose that has been around since Saturday on Colyford Marsh.

I hate posting photo-less posts, so have a token Kestrel from mid January.  There seems to be a few more of these about than the last few years, with at least five wintering on patch...

What's The Hold Up?

I often find March a month of frustration when it comes to birding. You feel like you've turned the corner from winter to spring, but nothing actually happens... and that's exactly what is going on at the moment. Usually though there is an obvious reason why nothing is happening (snow, a blasting cold northerly wind, storms on the migration routes, etc) but at the moment there seems to be no apparent reason.  Every day a check of BirdGuides shows an almost complete void of early spring migrants which just seems really odd, yes there's been the odd Sand Martin, LRP, Garganey, plus a bit of obvious spring stringing - but way short of what I have been expecting. Really hope things pick up soon.

Despite the lack of any spring migrants elsewhere, I did give Beer Head a wander late morning yesterday but came up with nothing more than five Stonechat...

I've included this photo more for the blue sky!

It's not just the summer migrants in short supply, with a new moon this week I've been expecting some wader passage on the Estuary (maybe an Avocet, Barwit, Ringo or Grey Plover?) but I've seen absolutely nothing new. 

The sea has also been dire, mind you it has been dire all winter.  We usually have double-figure counts of Great Crested Grebe here, but three has been my max count all winter, and there only seems to be one left now.  These, along with Cormorants and Shags, are the only species of sea birds I've seen settled on the sea in Seaton Bay ALL winter!  Dreadful.  I did have another look this morning, but after seeing nothing except, surprise surprise, one Great Crested Grebe, I decided to give Branscombe a look...

Finally some birds!  Although many were off to the west (with five being too far away to positively ID) there were divers. 12 Red-throated and three Great Northerns to be precise. The second closest of all of them was a stunning full summer plumage Red-throat - what a treat!  Also 10+ distant auks on the sea but nothing else. There was nothing really moving over the sea at all, so two Common Scoter east and a flock of 15 west were notable indeed.

Once I had given the sea the attention I felt it required, I wandered up to the sewage works. Several Goldcrests, a green Chiffy and an absolute stunner of a tristis Siberian Chiffchaff - a real pallid grey bird - greeted me.  Sadly it was never close enough for pics, but you should know by now that never stops me...

Awful pic, but not a hint of green or yellow anywhere!

Like Buses!

There's been lots of water in the valley on the last couple of mornings, and I love it when it's like this because all the wildfowl, waders and gulls congregate and they're all dead easy to see (except when there's driving rain!)...

From the farm gate at Axmouth

Haven't seen anything different on the water, but there's way more duck around than I thought, about 350 each of Wigeon and Teal, plus two Shoveler. 

Once the rain cleared today I had a walk around Seaton Hole, where there were a few Goldcrest and best of all a cracking Siberian Chiffchaff.  Sadly it never called but it looked absolutely bang on for tristis.

That's where I thought my birding had ended for the day, but when I was stood outside my front door waiting for Jess to pull up at 14:30, a Yellow-browed called!  Flipping heck - what a house tick!!!  I grabbed the bins and camera, it called again, and I soon found it feeding high up in a line of trees that border a small green just up the road from me.  It was completely on it's own, although there were singles of Chiff and Goldcrest calling from over the road.  I watched it for a couple of minutes (sadly couldn't get any pics) before my lift arrived and I had to leave. Wow. Although I was over the moon with this, I have to say it's not at all unexpected. I've got some lovely trees around my place, including what is the tree/hedge line that marks the north end of Seaton, it really looks tasty and has delivered some good birds before. Hopefully a Pallas's will appear here next - it's about time!