A Worrying Spring

Am pretty sure that any and every birder who regularly watches a coastal area or migration hot spot will agree with me when I say spring 2018 has been absolutely dire. Numbers and the variety of species has been dismal, with only two single days here when the bushes could have been described as being 'busy'. The skies have been far quieter than usual too, with very few days when visible migration actually got going.

Now this on it's own could mean nothing. In my opinion you simply cannot accurately monitor population numbers of migrant birds species on 'how many you see passing through the coast'. There are just too many variable factors when it comes to migration and spring falls, with the weather being the greatest. If the sky is blue and there's a gentle south westerly wind giving migrants a helping hand as they fly north over the English Channel, then there's absolutely no need for them to land on the first bit of coast they see. Also, if they've had a good trip up from South Africa to Southern Europe, then they'll have more reserves than if they'd had a bad trip up, so again, less likely to drop in on the south coast of UK. Food availability can be a major factor too, if they've had plenty of chances to feed up during their journey northwards then they will again have more reserves to fly further without the need to stop. So so many variable factors that can dictate how many migrant birds we see on the south coast during spring.

What is really worrying though is the comments and stats I'm seeing all over the internet regarding the numbers of many of our migrant birds on their breeding grounds. Let's take a quick look at BTO BirdTrack, the best platform to monitor and compare UK bird population data through citizen science. This is the current graph for House Martin...

And Grasshopper Warbler...

The magnitude of comments that I've read on Twitter and various blogs regarding poor numbers of some of our migrant species on breeding sites have been particularly focused on Swift, Swallow, Willow Warbler, Sedge Warbler and Common Whitethroat. Also some of the scarcer species seem to be in a bad way too, like Wood Warbler and Nightingale.

A week or so ago I was pretty certain spring was just running late this year, but it's the 18th of May and I'm now thinking this isn't the case. I really do fear something catastrophic may have happened, either during the spring migration or on their wintering grounds.

I'd be very interested to know what your eyes/ears/stats/mist nets are telling you, drop me an email or leave a comment if you get the chance.

Redstart

Yesterday was not a good day for me. The south west coast of the UK saw an really impressive fall of migrants - with many places recording multiple Redstarts, Grasshopper Warblers, etc. Portland had a truly epic day. And it was a day that I didn't have much time to go out. I managed to give Seaton Marshes and the Boshill Cross area a good look, but they were both surprisingly quiet. With the clear skies the action was obviously on higher ground, Ian Mcs morning trip to Beer Head proved this with five Redstarts and a Pied Flycatcher. I so so wish I was able to give Axe Cliff a visit, but I wasn't. So I did the next best thing and went there this morning...

It started well with a singing Whitethroat being my first of the year - I recorded at least three by the end of my two hour walk.  And it was good to see the Lesser Whitethroat that I heard here last week still in situ, and showing quite well today.  A couple of Wheatears pitched in briefly before heading north, and I heard up to eight Willow Warblers singing from various spots.  Best of all though was this absolute beaut...

Oh yes. An absolute stonking male Redstart.  I often find spring Redstarts quite skittish and unsettled, but not this fella. He had found a warm and sunny corner of a field, and was showing off superbly - an absolute pleasure and joy to watch.  When I walked back half an hour later he was still there. 

I can confirm the best way to get over the disappointment of missing a good fall and a whole lot of potential, is to go out and watch one of these! I just need a 'Gropper' now to completely cure me.

Lastly, a few decent sightings and counts from my Dad last night at Black Hole Marsh included four Little Ringed Plovers, ten Dunlin, a few Ringed Plovers, and 12 Wheatear on Colyford Marsh. 

Back To Beer Head

Unlike Tuesday morning, on Wednesday I didn't snooze the alarm and slip back into bed - I was on Beer Head for 5:30.

The conditions really didn't seem good, but I've said that so many times I'm beginning to ask myself whether I know what 'good' is!?  There was the fainest NW wind, which practically wasn't there - but it must have been enough to drop some migrants out of the clear blue skies.  Walking from my car to the netting site I heard a couple of Willow Warblers singing, and saw a Spot Fly, so knew it wasn't going to be a complete waste of time.

Whether they were all new migrants, or some lingering from yesterday is another question.  A Garden Warbler spent the whole morning singing around the area I was in, and I first heard it from the same bush I saw the Garden Warbler in yesterday. They're a scarce spring migrant here so my money's on it being the same bird.  There were at least five Spot Flies around too, and I bet at least some were hangers on from yesterday. But there were clearly more Willow Warblers around and a Redstart that wasn't there on Tuesday.

I had two nets up for four hours, and caught 26 birds. Amazingly, considering the date, 18 were Willow Warblers. What's also amazing is that although the odd one could be seen in the bushes, no one would ever have said 18 were present!  I have now ringed 103 Willow Warblers on Beer Head this spring.

Out of the 26 birds caught, I only used four A-rings (the most used ring size when netting passerines). One went on a locally breeding male Robin, but the other three were pure migrant quality. 

This was the first Garden Warbler I've ever ringed, and its a species I've always wanted to handle. I'm 99% sure it was the singing male that was hanging around - if anyone sees it well have a look at its right leg.

Out of the five Spot Flies, only this one found its way into one of the mist nets. The sunlight made the nets look quite obvious which probably didn't help, but also Spot Flies spend a lot of time on top of the tallest trees and bushes, and often fly between them at height.  Another great bird to handle, they are really long-bodied and look strikingly long-bill.

This was the sixth Redstart I've ringed up here this year, the fourth female.  I really wasn't expecting to catch any more of these as I presumed they would all be in by now.  I saw it briefly in the field first, caught it a few minutes later, ringed and released it, then no further sign.

I would have used a fifth A-ring if the male Whitethroat hadn't extracted itself from the net. So annoyed by that. Grrrrrrrr.

Three Blackbirds were the only other local birds I caught, a first-year male and two fresh juveniles, my first '3J's' of the year (ringing speak for a bird in juvenile plumage).

So as you can see, some fantastic catches. But none were anywhere near as exciting as this Blackcap...

This '5' (born last year) male Blackcap, which had spent the hour or so before I caught it singing from nearby bushes, already had a ring on its leg - and it wasn't one of mine!! If any ringer reading this recognises Y737725 then please get in touch.

Other birds I saw during the morning included three single Yellow Wags, a Whimbrel and a decent passage of Swallows over west/north west.

Another thouroghly enjoyable morning bird ringing on Beer Head, and again in glorious weather. Nice to have James M with me for a few hours too.

Honey I'm......OSPREY!

It's almost unbelievable, but I still haven't seen a Wheatear yet this year! I promised myself that I wouldn't twitch one, and I haven't had chance for any birding during the last few days when they've been more numerous.  I haven't had Willow Warbler yet either. In fact, before today (and excluding Chiffchaffs which seem to be everywhere!), the only migrant I've seen since my last blog post was another Swallow, with one over Seaton Marshes on Wednesday morning.

All change today though, despite being at work from 7 - 4:15. On my return home, I noticed plenty of Shelduck flying around over the Estuary. Yes gulls are the best for shouting about a passing raptor, but on the Estuary where canoeist, dog walkers, etc can send the gulls up, it's often when the other species take flight (like Curlew and Shelduck) that you know it's an Osprey or Marsh Harrier (or better!)... And this afternoon, it was an Osprey....

The first pic I took of it

Not really that surprising to be honest, as the weather today has been perfect for Ospreys to cross the English Channel and continue with their northward migration. Very happy one decided to have a look about the Axe though.  It spent about ten minutes flying around, and hovered several times over the Estuary, but it didn't go in. I lost it when it flew off north west.

As soon as I spotted it I sent the texts out, including to Sue Smith. I didn't need to though as she was sat in the Tower Hide right below it!  And you've got to check out her stunning images....

http://bicyclebirderontheaxe.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/patience-rewarded-1-osprey.html

Something nice about seeing a good bird from your own house though. Well chuffed with it.  Hopefully this week there will be a few more migrant related blog-posts...

Watching Migration

The over night rain has certainly done the trick. As is often the case though in wet conditions, Beer Head watchers came back with little, whereas the marshes and river valley have been jumping!

The best passerine migrant I've seen this morning was a male Redstart on Seaton Marshes, which was fascinating to watch.  I first picked it up distantly on fence posts along the ditch that divides the two fields south of Seaton Marshes, but realised each time it flew it was moving a little further north. It continued making short flights until it came to the ditch that borders the southern edge of Seaton Marshes. It then started moving west along this ditch, doing exactly the same making short flights from post to post. When it came to the last bushes before the cycle track it spent about five minutes here, often feeding on the ground...

Beaut! Wish it was a tad closer though.

Then all of sudden it flew on to the cycle track, perched up in a sycamore, and just after I took the following snap it melted away through the trees towards the church yard...

Fly little bird, continue on your journey. And good luck!

The most numerous migrant in the valley was Willow Warbler, and today's the first day they've out numbered Chiffchaffs (only saw 8+ of these). There were at least 70 spread around various sites, with several small flocks and many singing...

Welcome home!

There's plenty of hirundines around too, not loads, but certainly more than there has been. All three species were hawking over Colyford Common.

Rarest bird of the morning though was a stunning breeding plumaged Spoonbill on Colyford Marshes. I don't think I've ever seen a smarter example of one, really vivid yellow on the neck - what a stunner!!

Bit of an odd thing this morning was making friends with a Pheasant!  I think it was probably being over territorial as it followed me from Stafford Marsh across half of Colyford Common... 

I even ended up opening gates for it!

All I had time for yesterday was a quick walk around Seaton Marshes. Most notable sighting was a vocal Grey Plover over west, which was presumably the departure of the long staying bird on the Estuary.

It was very nice to see a decent spring fall today, but things are still running very late. Most years the first decent Willow Warbler arrival is within the first week of April - I wonder if things will catch up or whether the entire spring will be a week or two behind previous years?

Staying Positive...Just!

I'll get the negative stuff out the way first.  I missed two good year ticks yesterday, one that didn't turn up until after I got to work, a Sanderling on Blackhole Marsh. The second was a Caspian Gull, I got to Coronation Corner about ten seconds after had flown. Painfully I could see two distant gulls flying away north over Colyford Marsh, of which one was the Caspian Gull.  I'm sure there's some out there who would have ticked it, but I couldn't tell which of the two it was so it's certainly not on my list.

Both, although great patch birds, I do think I'll get another chance with. Not so confident with Waxwing and Glaucous Gull though!  Ok, that's enough moaning...

Yesterday morning I went up Beer Head, hoping the change in weather would do something. It certainly did!  Great to see migrants about, although the cold wind didn't make it easy - or that pleasant to be honest with you!  

The highlight has to be the male Redstart on the top of the headland - a cracker. Sadly it didn't pose for photos, when it did pose it was just too distant.  These were my full counts:

18 Blackbird
24 Song Thrush
22 Robin
4 Wheatear
1 Redstart
2 Blackcap
3 Willow Warbler
5 Chiffchaff
5 Goldcrest

Wheatears top two and a Willow Warbler at the bottom

You would been forgiven to think it was actually late March, or (minus the Willow Warblers) late October!  Although there were lots of birds, it didn't 'feel' like an April 9th fall. I wasn't expecting to hear Gropper, or see a Pied Fly or Whinchat - all a real possibility on this date. It just felt like late March with all the thrushes and Robins around!

I saw a few other bits and pieces yesterday . Four Wheatears behind the old Racal site in town, several Swallows including the first on territory, several White Wagtails and at least one Water Pipit on Colyford Marshes scrape.

This morning I tried Beer Head again, Ian M joined me for a wander around. With clear skies I wasn't expecting much. I was right with just the following noted:

4 Wheatear
3 Blackcap
3 Willow Warbler
1 Chiff/Willow
6 Goldcrest

This afternoon, all I've had time for was a quick look along the Estuary. A distant second-winter Gull north of Coronation Corner looked good for Yellow-legged to me, but with rubbish light, the distance, a lack of time and no digi-scoping camera, I had to leave it as a 'prob'. After a quick look at Olsen and Larrson I texted Gav, who unbeknown to me had just arrived at Coronation Corner (he's never far from a Larid flock!). Thankfully the gull was exactly where I had left it, and he was soon able to turn it from a 'prob' to a 'definite'. Hopefully he'll post some photos of it later.

And that's that. So a mixed post - but overall I was just pleased to see some actual spring migration. Bring on some more...

That's More Like It!

A two post day, and that's because it was a day of two halves. Right after I had a good moan on here about how crap it's been, I went out and had a great afternoon!

One of the things I said earlier was how I've not seen a Willow Warbler yet, well guess what I saw at the first place I went after I posted that! There was at least one Willow Warbler amongst 15+ Chiffchaffs and two Goldcrests around the Borrow Pit on Seaton Marshes. Now and then some of the Chiffs and the Willow broke out in song, which was nice.

After a rather uneventful look along the Estuary, I went to Lower Bruckland Ponds were it really kicked off!

I was busy trying to photograph this annoyingly camera shy Willow Warbler...

A terrible photo, but it was the best I managed! Although it was very close it wouldn't stop moving.

...when I noticed this hovering over the lower ponds...

A bloody Osprey!

It didn't dive or hang around, and soon flew off east towards Rousdon...

It was nice to see a few hirundines here too, with about eight Sand Martins, four Swallows and my first two House Martins of 2013...

About time!

I then spent the next hour and a bit scanning over the mass of fields between Axmouth and Rousden hoping for a patch Stone Curlew. To be honest, there could be a flock of 100 out here and I still could have seen none. Some of the fields have crop high enough to completely engulf a sat down Stone Curlew, and some of the fields are about 5 miles long and three miles wide and perfect Stone Curlew in colour!

I did hear something which I really would liked to have seen. Basically it sounded like a Curlew, twice, and I thought it was a Curlew, but then it gave a drawn out single note - a bit Golden Ploverish but less pleasant sounding and longer.  I don't even know if the same wader made all these three calls, but I will be checking up here again tomorrow.  

I didn't see any birds of note up here, but I did see six Hares. This is by a long way (by four to be precise!) my highest ever count of Hares on patch, and my first for about three years.  Here's a distant photo showing four of them...

Very nice to see.

 I wonder what tomorrow will bring...