Roll on April!

Thought I best bring you all up to speed before we get into April, when it will probably all kick off on the migration front...  mind you it looks like it already has!

I was at work most of today, so missed Bun's male Redstart on Beer Head and the Osprey that flew up river mid afternoon (seems to have been several of these arrive on south coast today). A quick look around as the sun set though showed a big increase of hirundines in the valley, with 70+ Sand Martins and about five Swallows feeding over Colyford and Bridge Marsh.

Yesterday morning I enjoyed leading a tram trip along the Estuary, with six Sand Martins north, a Wheatear (my first female of the year), a Greenshank, a Dunlin and two male Shoveler the highlights...

Female Wheatear

Redshank and Greenshank (now in summer plumage)

Male Stonechat on the tram overhead!

Don't get many Wren photos so thought this was worth posting!

A couple of evenings prior to this I spent some time at our only remaining reliable Little Owl site. Great to see at least one still hanging on...

The distinctive shape of a Little Owl with a stunning orange sky backdrop

And that brings me up to date with my local bird news. April it is over to you...

Short-eared Owl

Beer Head was really the only place to go this morning, with the river valley yet again hidden under a blanket of fog...

There was very little moving up here this morning sadly, and only really Goldcrests and a couple of Stonechats in/on the bushes...

A nice highlight though was my third ever Short-eared Owl for the Head, which flew in off the sea west of the Lookout and off west just after 08:30...

Just proves that even on the quiet days it is worth going out. You just never know.

First Bird Ringing Of 2016

With a couple of days midweek forecasted to have little/no wind, I wanted to get out with my mist nets on at least one of them, so yesterday headed out to the superb Lower Bruckland Ponds...

Because it was so cold I only put two nets up, and didn't open them until the sun had come up. It's only right to be extra cautious when ringing in cold conditions like this.  The two nets in two and a half hours gave me just nine birds, but it was quality not quantity. 

Over the past few weeks I've been chatting to other patch birders about how scarce Green Woodpeckers have become, I hear them only very occasionally now and I've not seen one on patch for over a year. But as I was putting up my nets I heard one call in the distance, so once the nets were up I gave Bun a call to let him know there is still at least one left here!  While we were nattering it flew down from the slopes above and began feeding around the base of some of the small trees at the Ponds.  Occasionally it flew up to a large oak, which is when I was able to get this snap...

From this oak it kept returning to the same small trees to feed in, but after taking this photo it flew straight for the clump of trees which had one of my mist nets in.  I looked around the corner and was shocked to see it IN my mist net!!!  I ran...

This, not surprisingly, is the first Green Woodpecker I've ever ringed.  And it's a bird I thought I would never ring around here, what an absolute privilege.  Lower Bruckland Ponds is a big site, and two mist nets covers such a tiny proportion of it - I was so so lucky!

The other eight birds caught included a couple more notable highlights. Two of the four Goldcrests I caught already had rings on, one was a bird I ringed here on 1st Nov 2015. Really interesting to see it is over wintering at the ponds, and it was half a gram heavier so it must be doing ok. The other ringed Goldcrest wasn't one of mine, anyone reading this recognise ring number CPX749? 

Two male Siskins were great to ring, the flock has been here since October but they are very hard to catch as they usually stay up at the tops of the trees...

And the last highlight, in fact the last of the nine birds I caught, was this fantastic male Stonechat - he's been overwintering at the Ponds and I see him most times I visit...

What a fantastic morning, lovely weather too. Sadly though it looks like we've slipped back to wet and windy conditions again...

Bird Ringing

Here it is, the final catch up post...

During September and so far this October it feels like we've had more than our fair share of wind, which has seriously hampered mist netting efforts. Even more so because my prime autumn bird ringing location, Beer Head, is so exposed. Still, this autumn I have managed six sessions up there, the 2nd, 18th and 25th of September, and 3rd, 8th and 14th of October.  All sessions were over by about 11am, and I never had more than two 60 foot nets up, in fact on two dates I just had one 60 foot net open. Thanks must go to Peter B who has helped and accompanied me on four of the dates, his help has proved invaluable.   

During these six sessions 226 birds of 23 species were trapped and ringed, and they were:

5 Swallow
4 Meadow Pipit
8 Wren 
7 Dunnock 
2 Robin
2 Redstart (both ringed on 2/9)
2 Stonechat (both ringed on 8/10)
3 Blackbird
1 Lesser Whitethroat (ringed on 2/9)
2 Whitethroat (singles ringed on 18/9 and 25/9)
52 Blackcap
75 Chiffchaff (incl. one grey bird ringed on 14/10)
4 Willow Warbler (all on 2/9)
25 Goldcrest
2 Firecrest (singles ringed on 8/10 and 14/10)
1 Spotted Flycatcher (ringed on 18/9)
8 Long-tailed Tit
3 Coal Tit
7 Blue Tit
8 Great Tit
2 Chaffinch
1 Goldfinch
2 Bullfinch (ringed on 18/9)

What a superb ringing site Beer Head is turning out to be.  It continues to amaze me just how many birds move through the two hedgerows I net, and how quickly they pass.  So few birds are re-trapped here, just the odd resident Dunnock and tit, on release all the migrants just motor on with their migration.  And it's always worth remembering I only net a tiny part of Beer Head, so the true number of birds that move through the whole place is probably quite significant.  Anyway that's enough text, here's some pics...

Lesser Whitethroat.

Head shot of Lesser Whitethroat showing that gorgeous steely grey iris.

Male Redstart.

It's fitting that I've caught three Coal Tits as they are everywhere this autumn, I've not seen a Continental ater bird yet though.

Gorgeous male Stonechat.

A lady Stonechat.

Firecrest number one, a male.

The second male Firecrest, from above to show off that lovely head pattern.

The grey(ish) Chiffchaff from 14/10 - colour wise it reminded me of a Garden Warbler.

At the rear with a standard collybita bird, it was far from a tristis but still very striking and nothing like the other 74 Chiffs I've ringed here this year.

And it's not only all these birds Beer Head can offer. There really are worse places to spend the morning...

Looking east towards Seaton and Axe Cliff.

A Busy But Blustery Beer Head and a Glossy House Tick

Too windy to even contemplate bird ringing this morning (and maybe this week?), but I still thought Beer Head was worth a walk around today despite the crystal clear skies and strong north wind. 

The regular haunts on the east side of the head were completely blown out and did appear to be pretty bird-less, but looking over the Underhooken, along to Branscombe and the upper slopes of Branscombe were sheltered enough to show there was quite a lot of passage going on.  I spent almost an hour looking over the Underhooken watching Goldcrests and Chiffchaffs filtering up the cliff edge, then flicking over the top and off inland. Sadly there wasn't anything rarer (or stripier) among them.  

Overhead passage was ok, not great numbers (Skylark and Meadow Pipit the most numerous), but there was some nice variety. Best of all being a flock of six Crossbill that flew east, low enough to see a couple of nice red males too. There were the expected Chaffinches, Linnets, Goldfinches and Siskins, along with a single Reed Bunting and two Redpolls. Still a few Swallows and House Martins about, but seemed to be noticeable fewer than just a few days ago.

I've already mentioned the Chiffs and Goldcrests, but it was also a Stonechat day - I had at least 18 in all, which is a great count for Beer Head.  And with them two Wheatear, one of which posed in a nice autumnal way...

I am still waiting for my first Redwing, but there were noticeably more Blackbirds and Song Thrush about so I don't think it's far away. To complete my list of sightings from this enjoyable two hour wander, three White Wagtails were nice to see as they were my first of the autumn, and a couple of Yellowhammers dropped in (although they could have been local birds)...

I'm sure you have already read about them on another website/blog/social media platform, but on Saturday as I was driving towards Portland, two Glossy Ibis were flying the opposite way.  They weren't seen from the sea front here (the obvious place to stand when you are told two birds are following the coast west), but it later transpired they were seen circling over Black Hole Marsh at midday, and then feeding on Colyford scrape later in the afternoon.  

Thankfully Phil refound them on Sunday afternoon, but I didn't manage to see them, well one of them, until 4pm today.  It was worth the wait though because I saw it from my bedroom window!  To be honest I thought they'd gone as they were last seen at 11am today on Colyford scrape, and I checked that place several times since and saw nowt.  But as I was typing away on my laptop I heard a very low flying helicopter going over, so thought it was worth a punt.... and among a sky full of panicked birds, a lone Glossy Ibis came circling down on to Black Hole Marsh. Result!  This is my fourth patch record of Glossy Ibis, the others being;

• A flock of six on Black Hole then Colyford Marsh on 19/09/09, found by Clive and they stayed for about six hours.
• On 13/09/10 a flock of 18 that had been on the Otter Est for days flew past Gav and Bun on Beer Head, I was at Axe Cliff and could see them flying east and then north up the valley. Later the same day they were at Dungeness (Kent)!
• A one day bird on Seaton Marshes on 8/11/13 found by Tim White.  

As you can see from those records, Glossy Ibis don't usually stay with us very long at all, but these two must have found something they like!

Portland

Had a nice day out today with Jess and Honey. Went a little further east than usual, which was nice as I haven't been here for several years...

Didn't appear to be many sea birds offshore despite three pairs of eyes looking...

We enjoyed a really nice walk up to the slopes past the Coastguard Lookout, through the Top Fields to Southwell, back down across the the Bill Road through Eight Kings Quarry then along the East Cliffs back to the bill end.  

It wasn't a birdie trip, but was nice to see a few Wheatear, heaps and heaps of Stonechats (15 in one field!), a few Chiffs, Blackcaps and Goldcrests, loads of Mipits, and to finish the walk off perfectly...

The resident Obs Quarry Little Owl

The best bird of the day was during the journey over; a single Marsh Harrier circling by Abbotsbury Castle before it flew high east along the Fleet. Pity I didn't see the two Ibis that were going the other way though!

Branscombe Back To Form

Well there's still no summer migrants on my year list!  I spectacularly dipped Little Ringed Plover yesterday, and James M saw a couple of Sand Martins over Seaton Marshes last Sunday - so we have had some.  The best I've managed so far was a single male White Wagtail opposite Axmouth FC this morning, which was nice. Equally nice was seeing  the Water Pipit again, although rather briefly.

The flat seas tempted me over to Brascombe this morning. I thought the three Great Northern Divers I saw the other day may have been the start of something - and I was right!  I did three complete 'sweep-counts' of the sea, and the last one gave the greatest count - 42! Yes 42 Great Norther Divers!!!!  Although I was surprised to see this many, we have had large gatherings here before. There were several small groups and singles dotted about, but also two main flocks, one of 13 and another of 14.  A flock of 14 Great Northern Diver is quite a sight I can tell you!  I saw a few wing flap and they appeared to be in wing moult, so I can see us having these birds here for a while yet - maybe they will attact a White-billed!?? Ideally we need a proper flat calm 'glass-like' sea to get the true count, which I'm sure will be greater than 42.

There was a 43rd large diver out there, very distant. Plumage wise I had it down as a Black-throated, much more contrasty than any of the other 42 birds, with really nice constant flank patches. But it just looked too bill and head heavy - structure wise it looked like a Great Northern. So it had to go down as a diver sp. because I just couldn't make my mind up! If it had too, I always tend to go for structure and shape over plumage, so I'd say it was another Great Northern.  There were also seven Red-throated Divers here and 23 Common Scoters. 12 of the Scoters were sat on the sea, eight flew east and three went west.

I have looked for spring migrants today, been up Beer Head and on Seaton Marshes. Didn't see much at all at either of these places, just one of these on Seaton Marshes...

Right family - wrong species!

Also at Seaton Marshes, I was surprised to see a bat flying around!  Just as I went up to record a video of it, it disappeared. But I soon found where it had 'disappeared' too...

It was sat on a fence!

I went to pick it up so I could take it to Seaton's Bat Woman - but as I went for it it took off and started flying about again!  It's clearly not right though. Anyone know what species it is?

Hope to nip out again this afternoon - when maybe I'll have more luck with summer migrants??

Two Hours, Two Ticks

Had plenty of things to do today, so only spent a couple of hours out birding.  And in those two hours I notched up two patch year ticks. Yipeeeee!!

One hours parking fee went in the machine at Branscombe mouth this morning, and after fifty minutes of looking at oodles of Goldcrests, tits and three Chiffchaffs (including a very grey but silent bird) at the sewage works I was feeling well and truly defeated.  But then I picked up my target bird, a lovely Firecrest.  I watched it for as long as I could (about five minutes) before I had to leg it back to the car.  

It appeared shortly after a few Long-tailed Tits appeared, so I wonder whether it was with these and not all the other crests that were always present.  It wasn't in the trees immediately around the sewage works either, it was on the edge of the thin strip of woodland to the west of the sewage works. 

Later in the morning, I went down to Colyford Common and am pleased to announce I have finally seen a Stonechat...

About bloody time!

Also here were four Rock Pipits, a Jack Snipe, 12+ Common Snipe and c25 Teal.  I am so surprised our Green-winged didn't stay longer - it really makes me wonder just how much wildfowl movement goes on in mid winter!?

Today's year ticks put me on 114 for the year. I really hope to add some more gulls to the list this month (at least two please!), and some nice flat seas would be helpful so I can add a grebe sp. or two...

Proper Passage

Last night at work, there was an impressive passage of Redwings going over - lots of 'seeeeps' coming from the dark and misty skies above. I've always found that a good movement of Redwings at night is usually a good sign for the following day.

My first trip out today was to Lower Bruckland Ponds, still no Night Heron! There were a couple of singing Chiffchaffs though (plenty of these around at the moment - it seems to be a good spring already for this species), and nine Sand Martins feeding over the ponds...

Here's seven of them - though I took this when they went quite high up!

A walk around the fields above Beer Cemetery showed 50+ Meadow Pipits and a couple of fly over alba Wagtails.

I have also made two visits to Beer Head today, determined to see a Wheatear (everywhere else is getting them!). Visit one mid morning was very promising, with a few small flocks of Meadow Pipits over north, two Blackcaps in the bushes and a pair of Stonechats along the entrance track. The male was singing...

Nice - but not a Wheatear!

Then there was visit two to Beer Head. It only lasted about five minutes, and that's because soon after walking across the first cattle grid I glimpsed the much anticipated flash of white! There was my first Wheatear of 2012...

What a beaut :-)

It soon found the two Stonechats I had seen earlier and started hanging out with them...

Wheatear and Stonechat

I have my car back everyone! YEAH! Luckily, it didn't cost as much as I thought it would either (just into three figures). Each time something goes wrong now though, I think more and more about getting a new set of wheels. But, there are not many cars more economical than a 1.5 diesel Peugeot 106.

South Milton And A Swan

I'll start with today's excitement. And I had to leave a steaming mug of tea this morning to go and see an adult Whooper Swan found by Sue Smith in front of the tower hide...

Which one???

That one!

Cracking bird - cracking views too!

At about 10:10, the first tram came along, and flushed it...

It called several times in flight

It didn't go far though, as it dropped back down onto the Estuary off Coronation Corner...

Here it re-joined the same pair or Mute Swans

On the Estuary this morning, I also saw singles of Ruff and Knot and four Barwits.

Yesterday evening it felt very 'wintry' sat besides the Estuary. The wind was bitterly cold, there were Wigeon whistling and a decent number of Black-headed Gulls in the pre-roost gathering...

Looking north from Coronation Corner

Amongst the Black-heads were my first two Med Gulls on the 'winter', both unringed adults. Can you spot one of them in this pici...

...asleep right in the middle

Now time for the South Milton part of the post. After a couple of Crossbills flew over my garden yesterday morning, I went down to the Thurlestone area for a look around - I've never really been here before and thought a visit was well over due.

I must thank Vic and Nick for showing me around, and what a place it is! The habitat is out of this world it really is -and in such a great location as well! Anyway, here's a few pics from my day...

South Milton Ley

South Huish Marsh

This Stonechat was sat in almost exactly the same spot that one is pictured on the information board!

A Golden-ringed Dragonfly; easily the lastest one I've ever seen!

Well what a photo-filled post, as ever I hope you have enjoyed it. The moth trap is going out again tonight, so watch this space....