Mike B found a Wood Sandpiper on Black Hole Marsh this morning, which was already our third of the autumn migration period. Having missed the first two however I was really keen to see this one, so headed down to the wetlands this evening...
As you can tell it showed really well for me, affording stunning views in good light from the Island Hide. Having not seen any pics of this bird before clapping eyes on it in the field, considering the date I was certain I was 'twitching' an adult Wood Sand, but as you may be able to tell it is in fact a fresh juvenile.
In my mind, pretty much all Wood Sands in July, especially down here in the south west, are adults with juvs not appearing until early August (maybe very late July at a push). I've looked back through my blog and indeed all the Wood Sands I've previously blogged about in July have been adults, so to see a juv in mid July is a real surprise. An early fledger? Or maybe it was born somewhere a little closer than usual (i.e from one of the few breeding pairs in the UK?).
If anyone has any thoughts, experience or comments about this then please do let me know! Am genuinely surprised to be seeing a juvenile so early in the season.
Black Hole and the Estuary were really buzzing tonight. Four juvenile Little Ringed Plovers were zooming around, noisily, all over the place, with six adult Greenshank an increase from recent days. Also present were three Whimbrel, ten Common Sands, six Dunlin, three Lapwing, two Teal and two juv Med Gulls...
Three distant LRPs. Later they were on the Estuary.
Whimbrel with a sleepy Dunlin
A very cute juv Med Gull
Distant but posing nicely and I like the composition
If Black Hole keeps up like this we are in for a great autumn!
I consider myself extremely lucky that my daily exercise walk more often than not includes a lap of Seaton Wetlands (Black Hole Marsh, Stafford Marsh and Colyford Common). Living just a three minute walk from the entrance of Black Hole Marsh has never been more appreciated.
Although the aim of this post is summarise some of my highlights from the last couple of weeks, more than ever I am getting so much enjoyment from seeing the commonest species...
Male Reed Bunting
Sedge Warbler - there's at least five singing males on the reserve from what I have observed
Blackcap - good numbers present
Whilst I'm in the bushes and reeds, Reed Warblers are singing in excellent numbers. I counted 11 singing males on 18th April but more have arrived since. The 18th was a good morning for warbler arrivals, being the only cloudy and damp morning that we've had so far this month (was the same morning I had a Willow Warbler singing from my back garden). As well as the Reed Warbler count, I noted a singing Lesser Whitethroat (which is still with us today), a Common Whitethroat andfour Willow Warblers. Wheatears have been really sparse on the marshes this spring with just the occasional one or two noted, I think they are all heading for higher ground thanks to the sun we've enjoyed.
Wading bird passage has been ticking over, no big arrivals but often something different most days. Dunlin numbers have been varying between one and seven birds, and two Ringed Plovers keep popping up every now and then - whether they've been the same two all along who knows!? A lone Knot on Black Hole on 24th was one a pair that had been hanging around a few days, there was a nice but distant summer plumaged Bar-tailed Godwit on 17th, and Whimbrel have been trickling through for about ten days now. I have already posted a photo of the two Avocets that Phil found yesterday, but today Phil discovered this rather lovely, and fairly late male Little Ringed Plover...
Typical LRP pose
Can't beat a spring LRP
Whimbrel
I know it seems most of my recent posts have included an Osprey - but I'm afraid this one does too! I was treated to the most amazing views of one hovering right above my head on 17th, before it flew off west over town. It virtually looked down into my eyes - have been really spoilt rotten for this species this spring.
My recent visits have also shown that we still have at least two black rabbits with us. For some reason they seem to sporadically appear down here, ever since I have been birding here at least...
Spot the difference!
Bit of a cutey really!
Back at home, the Lesser Whitethroat mentioned above was singing from a green just down the road from my place as I walked back from the marshes today. I scooped Harry up, legged it home and could hear it from my back garden - taking my lockdown house list up to 82. The Grasshopper Warbler still reeling well tonight.
Thought it was about time I gave you all a lockdown house list update. And as expected there's been a nice flurry of ticks over the past few days.
My lockdown house list now stands at 79, and the recent additions include a whopping three full fat house ticks. Seriously impressive considering I've lived here for over seven years, and it just shows what a little extra effort can achieve. I'll start with today, which ended in the most exciting way...
At 4pm today I was stunned to hear a Grasshopper Warbler reeling briefly whilst in my back garden, twice, which was handy as that confirmed nicely I wasn't hearing things. The first record for the house and another spring migrant I was fully expecting not to connect with this year.
After these two short bursts of reeling, I remained in the garden for the next half hour, and sporadically popped out there until 6.30pm, but there was no further sound of it. Being a Gropper though, I was hopeful it may start up again later in the evening, and at 8.20pm it did just that. As soon as I heard it again from the garden I nipped out the front door and jumped into the field next to my house.
Although it never showed, I was treated to the most vocal migrant Gropper I have ever come across. It was still going strong beyond 9pm, and the experience got even better when a Barn Owl began quartering the field I was crouched in! Just amazing. Aren't birds brilliant.
Today was a gloriously sunny day, like most of the previous lockdown days. And like all the other sunny days I've spent most of it in the garden... which of course means I've been looking up! The skies have been busy too, with the highlight being my first Hobby of the year over low east early afternoon. There's been plenty of raptors up all day, with numerous Common Buzzards as usual, five different Sparrowhawks (two displaying), two Kestrels (one displaying), and the day started in fine form with two Peregrines tussling and calling to each other low overhead when I first opened the back doors this morning. I am so so lucky to live where I do.
Peregrine
Sparrowhawk
Common Buzzard
The Hobby represented the eighth species of raptor recorded from my house during lockdown. A ninth will be a good one whatever it is...
Also today Whimbrel was added to the lockdown house list, about time as they've been on the Axe in varying numbers for a week or two now.
Yesterday produced a nil result, but Monday gave another house first! During a window watch over the valley in the evening, just as I was trying to work out what the large plover-sized wader was that I was watching flying north over Black Hole Marsh, it banked around revealing black wing-pits. Grey Plover is a good Axe bird, and it reminded me that the previous evening whilst stood in the back garden, amongst a burst of Redshank calls I thought I heard Grey Plover call once but couldn't be sure.
Sunday finally rewarded me for my daily scoping of the only bit of Axe Cliff Golf Course I can see from my back garden, which is over a mile away...
Maybe distant and small, but potential is there...
When I posted the below photo on Twitter it opened the flood gates to a flurry of sarcastic remarks - as to be expected. But it depicts one of the reasons I have been scoping this far away golf green so often, for a Red-legged Partridge! There were actually two of them on view just before I grabbed this shockingly poor (come on it's over a mile away and taken with my mobile!) photo...
No it's not a rabbit!
Red-legged Partridge was a full fat house tick. But it didn't end there for my lockdown ticks, as this scope view on Sunday also gave me Yellowhammer (thankfully a bright male - otherwise it would have been unidentifiable) and Skylark.
Saturday morning began with a Willow Warbler singing from trees next to the back garden. A species that hasn't been in anyway numerous this spring. The crystal clear mornings aren't conducive to dropping migrants - and Saturday morning was practically the first cloudy and damp morning that we've had all April!
And that brings me all up to date.
What a thrilling post this was to write, one that is positively bursting with decent birds. And I didn't leave home once. Lockdown listing isn't just great fun, but it's making me appreciate far more, and look closer at, the vast array of wildlife that's not just on my doorstep, but can quite literally be seen from it.
I've not seen loads or been out that much, but I have seen enough to write this...
There's been a refreshing pulse of wader activity on the Axe Estuary since the turn of the month, kicked off by a Ringed Plover north of Coronation Corner on 2nd with three Dunlin. On 6th whilst sky watching from my bedroom window, I was surprised to see a very high-flying flock of c30 Black-tailed Godwits power in from the north west then drop like a stone into the valley. Frustratingly as they twisted and turned before heading off down river I could make out a smaller, plain-winged wader in their midst. I suspect it was a Knot, but there was knot anything I could do about it. The following evening (7th) it was nice to see our first Whimbrel of the spring with ten Curlew just north of Coronation Corner, and this morning a flock of 18 Dunlin were zooming around at high-tide not knowing where to land. Hopefully Kentish Plover is next :-)
Axe Estuary at dusk
With the strong winds at the end of last week I gave sea watching a go on Friday 5th. The direction and strength of the wind however meant shelter was very hard to find on the sea front, so twenty minutes late I gave up and checked elsewhere. Still, in that time two Pale-bellied Brent Geese flew west and a Manx Shearwater flew east - my first of the year for both.
My passerine highlight of the last few days surprisingly wasn't a migrant species, but a Dipper. They've been really reliable on our section of the River Coly this year, and yesterday I was delighted to stumble upon an active nest - not where I was expecting to find one either. I gave them the space they deserved and was rewarded with prolonged views of an adult Dipper plunge-diving. So lucky to be able to watch this on my patch.
There are more hirundines about now, although I am still yet to see a House Martin. Sand Martins were well represented during the grim weather of last week, with just under 100 in the valley on 3rd, with small numbers of Swallows seen pretty much every day now. Willow Warblers are now starting to pass through in decent numbers, tonight I watched six feeding in an isolated clump of Blackthorn in the valley even as the sun was setting. Amazing to think that by the morning they will probably be hundreds of miles away!
A well defined setting sun over Colyford
I saw my first Red Kite of the season from work yesterday morning (7th) thanks to Phil. He had seen it fly east over Beer Head and I happened to be outside when it carried on east over Sheep's Marsh and the Estuary. I wonder how many more (hundreds!?) I will see as the year progresses.
And I will end this somewhat disjointed post with my absolute highlight of April so far. During a morning outing to Black Hole Marsh with Harry on 6th I was suddenly aware of the charming calls of Med Gull. Two second-summers were flying around calling to each other low over the marsh before landing on one of the islands, both with pretty much full hoods. An amazing sight and sound, and proof to anyone that gulls are anything but boring!
I enjoyed an hour and a half out birding at each end of the day today, which produced a few more nice little highlights.
A pre-dawn wander around Black Hole Marsh revealed, at last, my first Reed Warbler of the year chuntering away. I then headed down to the Spot On Kiosk for an hours sea watch from 6am, the conditions were far from perfect though with blue skies and almost no wind by the end of the watch! Still it wasn't a complete write-off, although I'm yet to decide whether it was truly worthwhile!? All west unless stated;
34 Common Scoter
5 Manx Shearwater
3 Kittiwake (all east)
5 Whimbrel
3 small wader sp. (in off)
During a wander along Seaton Beach with the family a little later in the morning, I picked up a flock of about 40 Pale-bellied Brent Geese flying west offshore, although only just before they disappeared around Beer Head. This was at 09:38, and precisely 29 minutes later they seen off Dawlish Warren where they continued to follow the coast south, which is slightly unusual as most spring Pale-bellied flocks fly in to the Exe.
Tonight's trip out starting very frustratingly. There was no passage over the sea this evening but there was a group of 6-8 'Commic' Terns feeding some distance out, viewing conditions though were atrocious with a blurry haze offshore. Three of them came above the horizon in a tight group for about ten seconds, revealing a clear cut Arctic Tern with two Commons, but as for the other three or more am not sure. I did get the feeling there was more than one Arctic in there though.
Once I'd got completely fed up with straining my eyes I had a look up the river valley. Two Whimbrel and the Dark-bellied Brent Goose were on Estuary, singles of Wheatear and White Wagtail were viewable from Bridge Marsh gateway, and on Axe Marsh our first Whinchat of the year - a cracking male. To say it was distant though is something of an understatement...
It was on the fence posts in the middle of this pic
There it is...just!
Off-patch, during a family trip to Budleigh early this afternoon, it was nice to see a Yellow Wagtail bombing around on the beach just east of the fishing boats with a couple of Pied Wags. It didn't really settle though and headed off north soon after I first noticed it.
Notched up a couple of new species for the year for me today, both courtesy of the sea although neither that exciting.
During a dog walk at Seaton Hole mid morning looking out to sea showed my first three Whimbrel of the year fly east with three Sandwich Tern and a Kittiwake west. This evening a twenty minute look off the Spot On showed a few flocks of distant Manx Shearwaters west and a Common Tern (year tick number two) feeding in the bay.
A look along the Estuary late this evening revealed two more Whimbrel and a Brent Goose, which surprisingly was a Dark-bellied. April is the peak month for Pale-bellied Brent passage, most Dark-bellied have already gone through by now.
Off-patch, but very much on-topic, it's been great to hear of so many people seeing the East Budleigh 'Italian Sparrow' since Friday's blog post. It's a stunning bird whatever the DNA analysis might tell us.
I think Small Copper is one of my favourite common butterflies. I prefer the upperwing but today you'll have to make do with an underwing shot...
Whilst on the insect theme, I found out today that my male Lesser Emperor of last month at Lower Bruckland Ponds wasn't the one day wonder that I thought it was. I saw it on Monday 19th June and on Sunday 2nd July Roger Harris (@chardbirder) saw it on three occasions. Sadly neither of us managed to photograph it though. He's got a great blog by the way, well worth a look especially if you like spiders and other insects; http://threecountieswildlife.blogspot.co.uk/.
It won't take me long to update on my bird sightings because I've not seen that much lately, well not much new anyway. A Whimbrel was with the Curlew flock yesterday morning on the Estuary, as was the usual dull first-summer Med Gull. Black Hole Marsh will likely go a bit quiet for a few days now as the water levels have risen...
Rain in the forecast... White-winged Black Tern anyone?
A key component of a good Axe year list is plenty of good sea watching. And for good sea watching you need the right weather... this is something we've not had at all so far this spring! In fact all year the sea has been poor, dire in the winter months for divers, grebes and ducks, and dire this spring for anything because the weather has been so far from right (we need Atlantic storms - there's been none!). It's 24th April and I haven't even seen a Manx Shearwater yet, in previous years by now flocks are streaming by during the evening.
Amazingly I have managed to see a skua though! On Saturday afternoon I noticed that although the sea was flat calm, there seemed to be quite a few Gannets and gulls feeding out there - which could only mean there must be some food. So later that evening I went back expecting to see a few Manxies, but instead bagged a jammy Great Skua! My first skua of the year :-)
It flew west, and was the closest bird of them all, but it was unusually high up. The further west it flew the higher it went, and I lost it as it seemed to fly west over Beer Head. It was so weird watching a skua off here in blue skies with no wind, but I have seen a few Arctic Skuas over the years behaving similarly in similar weather conditions. I once saw an adult dark phased Arctic fly straight in from miles out, gain height by soaring up a bit like a raptor, then fly in off over Seaton and away inland.
Other than this Bonxie, I've not seen too much since my last blog post, although haven't had that much time out really. Many places have seen some wader passage over the past few days, but all I've noticed here is an increase in Whimbrel numbers...
Well I just have to start this post with what has just happened. Basically every single day for the last three weeks I have been expecting an Osprey, especially during this current spell of amazing sunny weather. They've made land fall east and west of us, and finally just before 18:25 this afternoon all the sky scanning paid off.
I was actually incredibly fluky to be honest. I'd just arrived home with Jess, stepped out of the car, heard the gulls alarming, looked up and there was an Osprey cruising east! Awesome. By the time I had got Jess on it and reached for my camera it had become distant so I thought this was going to be my only photo of it...
Yes I know that is a Wood Pigeon - look above it!
Thankfully though it dropped down into the river valley, so I legged it inside and upstairs to watch it from the bedroom window. It was at this point that I really wished I was sat in the Tower Hide, as it caught a fish right in front of there! Gripping. Holding its fish it circled up and up, and then dipped behind the big hill above Axmouth. I wouldn't be surprised if it landed behind there somewhere as it had to eat its catch...
Sorry for the quality but it was distant!
With fish. The adults are so much better at fishing that the autumn immatures!
From appearing to disappearing the Osprey was in view for about eight minutes. This is so typical of a spring Osprey, they are almost always untwitchable, you just have to be in the right place at the right time. If you're not then you've probably missed it.
And now to the waders. The only obvious passage that has been taking place during this clear and sunny weather has been wading bird passage. Every day something new has appeared, and three of these have been year ticks for me. Today I saw the two Bar-tailed Godwits (one a lovely summer plumaged bird) and a Whimbrel, and since Tuesday a Greenshank has been feeding on Black Hole Marsh (which is still looking amazing and teaming with birds!)...
I love spring Greenshank they are so smart
The other recent regular sighting on Black Hole Marsh during the mornings has been the six Cattle Egrets. They seem quite happy just sitting around on the islands of the marsh for the first few hours of the day. Most of them have been showing orangey heads for a couple of weeks now, but in recent days they're developing orange on their neck sides and fronts, and their bills are turning increasingly redder. Nice. I do hope they stay a bit longer as full breeding plumage Cattle Egrets are amazing looking things.
Three species of Heron!
Passerine migration has been so dire that I really can't believe it is the 8th of April! There's basically nothing about but a few Swallows and Willow Warblers. Still it was nice to visit Axe Cliff for the first time this spring this morning...
Looking towards Beer Head
Surely this qualifies as art?
Seeing as they've been so scarce this spring, two male Wheatears in a ploughed field were a real highlight. Otherwise as with recent days there was just a few Willow Warblers and four Swallows.
Butterflies have really benefited from this warm weather. In the last week I have seen so many Orange-tips, Peacocks, Holly Blues, Specked Woods, Small Tortoiseshells, plus a few Painted Ladies and Green-veined Whites. Still waiting for my first Odonata of the year though, I really hope it is a Vagrant Emperor...
May is my favourite month for sea watching without a doubt. Everything is in fresh spring plumage and the variety of what can fly past is as good as it gets (skuas, terns, shearwaters, divers, wildfowl, waders, etc) and we often do get a good blow at some point during the month. I love it!
But this can cause problems.... Birders know just how painful it can be when you are tied up with 'daily life' and there is a bird or are birds you want to see. It could be a rare, a movement or fall and you're stuck at work/in the middle of a shopping trip/have the kids for the day - I'm sure we've all been there. Now I'm very lucky, first of all Jess is very understanding, and has now learned it is always best for everyone if I just go. But I am sensible about it, and I can cope with missing most things now except for 1/ a patch tick and 2/ may sea watching. Although with sea watching you can kind of predict what you are going to see, there is just something so magic about watching birds migrating over the sea as they head to their breeding grounds. I find it so SO hard to leave/ignore a busy spring sea.
The weather looked good for Monday 2nd May, not great but good enough, so I watched from the Spot On Kiosk on Seaton seafront 05:55-08:20 and 14:00-15:00 and saw;
4Great Northern Diver (1 s/pl e, 2 s/pl w and 1 w/pl on the sea)
1Black-throated Diver (w s/pl w)
16 Pale-bellied Brent Geese (w in one flock at 06:08)
31 Common Scoter (all w, biggest flock was seven)
122 Manx Shearwater (40 in morning and 72 in afternoon, all west)
1 Great Skua (w at 07:45, Dan J had it past Sidmouth just under half an hour later)
2 Arctic Skua (2 d/ph hassled gulls then flew e at 06:30, they were later seen past West Bay and possibly the same two through Chesil Cove at 07:50 per John Down)
4 Kittiwake
6 Sandwich Tern (two groups of three w)
2 Whimbrel
2 Ringed Plover (two singles w along beach)
4 Sanderling (two two's w with Dunlin)
210 Dunlin (a very impressive movement with flocks of up to 40 flying w, they dried up by 8am)
So although I have had much better May sea watches, there was a real nice variety and some decent movement. The skuas were the first one's I've seen on patch for almost 18 months (missed the few we had last year) and the Dunlin movement was really quite spectacular. It's just a pity there wasn't a bit more rain about because then the waders would have come on to the beach and up the river valley instead of just passing.
I didn't manage to video any of the real goodies, but here's the Brents, a Whimbrel and a Fulmar...
The relatively new phenomenon that is the spring Pale-bellied Brent migration is fantastic. We don't get flocks of geese down here in this small valley, so it is about as 'Norfolk' as birding can get for us. The flock past the sea front was great, but I had an even better sight that evening...
The girls and I were enjoying a wander around Lyme Regis, and just after we arrived I noticed on twitter a flock of c60 Pale-bellied Brents were flying around over Weymouth (Julian Thomas) and then flew west through Portland Harbour. I knew they were coming so kept one eye on the sea, but I actually nearly missed them because of this.... They left west from Weymouth at 17:13 and at 18:05 I was suddenly aware of Brents calling. I turned around and was greeted with the beautiful sight and sound of 70 Pale-bellied Brents flying rapidly west between us (on the end of the Cobb) and the town. It's a short clip, but just listen to that sound!! (and not my wife asking if it's a ship or a boat!)...
A quick calculation indicates they were traveling at about 28mph - love being able to work things like this out! I fired off a quick text to let the other patch birders know that there were heading for Seaton, and Tim Wright managed to make it down to the sea front just in time to see them/some of them pass by.
I would really love to know where these Brents come from, maybe Holland or France? They only seem to appear at around Portland, fly west along our part of the coast then always seem to settle on the Exe Estuary for the rest of that day. It is such a predictable passage now that it clearly is a movement of birds from a regular wintering site to their breeding grounds, presumably in Canada. AMAZING!
Isn't the weather looking promising for the next week. Not for sea watching, but it's looking good for some rare herons, warblers, maybe something better... and surely a tan!?
For some reason I had low expectations for today, not sure why because it is getting on for mid April, but I just thought it was going to be duff. I spent half an hour on the beach looking out to sea from 8:30 and didn't see anything of note at all, which wasn't a great start. We never seem to do well here in easterlies, annoyingly the Chesil side of the bay do very well in this wind direction.
Home for a quick coffee and then it was down to Black Hole Marsh for a quick pre-recorded interview with BBC Radio Devon. It was during the drizzle here that suddenly the day felt better...
My first Sedge Warbler of the year was singing strongly just inside the entrance gate, with a few Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs in the bushes above. Overhead Swallows and a few Martins were streaming over NW, with two Ringed Plovers that circled over the marsh also my first of the year (it really has been a dreadful spring for wader passage so far).
A look along the Estuary then showed my first two Whimbrel of the year, but Seaton Marshes produced nothing new. I was out again later with Bun which revealed the continued presence of our lingering Marsh Harrier and a smart White Wag beside Colyford WTW.
And now to the post title. You will notice this has been a photo-free post, well that's because I've been videoing! I've always wanted to own a camcorder, and Sean Foote (@PortlandNature) and his fantastic monthly vlogs (video-blogs) tipped me over the edge. So I purchased one of what he has, a Panasonic HC-V250. It's cheap but seems to do the job well, and boasts a superb 90x zoom. I am not going to be vlogging, but I thought it would be good to film what I see as much as I can. You cannot beat a good photo, but being a realist, unless I spend several thousand pounds on a long lens, I'm not going to take good photos and be able to compete with the pros. Not to mention that everyone takes photos now, absolutely everyone, so I thought it would be refreshing to go off in a slightly different direction. Don't worry there will be some pics still, just expect (and hopefully enjoy!) some videos too.
To start the ball rolling, it just has to be our long staying rarity...
Yes I have got a lot to learn, but still, what a nice subject to start with. I also managed a quick vid of today's White Wag...
Looking forward to the rest of the week now - hopefully it won't disappoint.
I went to bed last night with all the intentions of getting up early for a ringing session on Beer Head, despite the fact there's been very few migrants up here since May begun.
I woke up at 5am this morning with a headache, glanced out the window to see clear skies and a strong breeze, so stupidly decided to slip back under the covers. Several hours later I got up, and headed up Beer Head just to see if I had missed anything....I really had!
It was actually very interesting walking around Beer Head, as I've spent all my time up here this spring in one area. And after covering the whole headland I can safely safe I've picked the best spot! The area around the Sheepwalk was obviously sheltered from the wind, and this was where there were at least six Spotted Flies (my first of the year), a Garden Warbler (ditto - quite a spring rarity here), a Whitethroat and two Willow Warblers. Elsewhere on the headland, a couple of Blackcaps and a fly over Yellow Wagtails were all I saw.
Although it was too windy for mist netting really, I would certainly have caught at least one Spot Fly I'm sure. Gutted. At least it has given me some hope for the next week or so as birds are clearly still coming through. A wander around Beer Head yesterday showed absolutely nothing so I was beginning to think that was it for spring 2014. Away from the migrant birds, two of these continue to linger here...
Today has clearly been a good day for migrants as I've just had my first Hobby of the year over the back garden - about time too! Within the last few days there's been a big increase in Swift numbers, with over 150 in the valley yesterday morning. A Lesser Whitethroat has also been present in the valley, I've heard it singing from the same hedge on three occasions during the last week.
Wading birds have been really disappointing so far this month, with a handful of Dunlin and a trickle of Whimbrel the best from the Estuary.
I did have a few waders during a sea watch on Saturday morning though, with one Turnstone, two Ringed Plover, two Dunlin and three Whimbrel past. These, along with five Great Northern Divers, six ManxShearwaters and a few Kittiwakes meant it was a reasonably enjoyable hour staring at the sea.
And what about the garden I hear you say?? Well, we had a lot of wood to get rid off, but thankfully now it has all gone. And we've pulled up the patio that we uncovered under the decking. The last photo I posted looked like this...
And today it looks like this...
Hopefully from this weekend onwards there will be lots of obvious progress. Watch this space...
..which means hopefully I'll be able to go out birding again! Although from reading other blogs/websites it looks like the summer doldrums have already hit! Saying that though, this post has taken about three hours to write because I've just spent an hour or so with Gav on Seaton Marshes waiting for a Black Kite - it never came. Hopefully we are still in with a chance though.
During the last week we've had some excellent sea watching conditions, and I've tried to squeeze in the odd short watch as and when. To be honest with you, considering how little time I've been looking at the sea I haven't done too bad.
Last Friday I was down the sea front for 05:25, and gave it until 7. Best of all was the passage of Great Northern Divers, with 11 west, many in full summer plumage. Sadly no Black-throats for me - still! It was good to finally see a small skua too, with a dark phased Arctic Skua chasing Kitts close in at about 05:40 before flying off east. There was a bit of wader passage as well with five Sanderling, two Dunlin and a Ringed Plover west. Then it was the weekend...
Saturday I was up early again, really early in fact to lead a Dawn Chorus Walk at Black Hole Marsh on behalf of the EDDC. I'm pleased to say the weather was kind to us, and 21 people joined me for the two hour wander which was finished off nicely by bacon butties and bird ringing!
The usual songsters sang well, and it's always good to hear Reed and Sedge singing together - just a pity the singing Lesser Whitethroat didn't come closer. One of the best sounds were the Whimbrel though, with a few small groups over, followed by a very noisy flock of 17. A Bar-tailed Godwit was amongst them, and other sightings included a Hobby low north at about 06:30 and a Greenshank on the Estuary.
This week, a few glances at the sea on Monday showed little, but my alarm was set for 5am Tuesday morning with a forecast looking good. I got up but the weather didn't seem that good so I settled down with my laptop. This proved a mistake, as texts began coming through from Gav informing me I'd missed three year ticks! I tried to ignore all these message, but at 08:20 gave in and headed to the beach...
The first thing I did was take a walk along the beach in case Gav's Turnstones were still about. No waders at all, but a glance out to sea showed a skua chasing gulls off the harbour mouth - I ran back to the car to get my telescope. As I was setting the scope up by the Spot On Kiosk I could see a skua flying west just off the beach with my naked eye, and I was overjoyed when a look through the scope showed it to be a cracking sub adult Pom! A stonker! It got better too, as following it was a fully-spooned pale-phased adult! So so soooo close as well - I was treated to epic views, probably my best EVER Pom Skua views. I can't tell you how overjoyed I was (although you can probably tell!) because I normally have rotten luck with this species on patch. Gav and Ian M saw them too from other locations, which is always good. After I'd watched them for a bit, I realised they were probably close enough for a photo. Sadly I was slow of the mark and they were further out when I tried to get some snaps. All I managed was this pic of the sub adult...
This dark shape doesn't so it jutice, but I'd say this is identifiable as a Pom!
I had about 40 minutes for this sea watch, and as well as the Pom's I clocked up two Great Northern Divers, several Whimbrel, Gannets and Kittiwakes and a Bar-tailed Godwit.
This flock of Whimbrel landed on the beach
After a several hours at home, the rain and wind tempted me out again at about 11:30 for an hours sea watch. This was quieter but it was very worthwhile as I had excellent views of a close Storm Petrel feeding off the river mouth - result! At least three Stormies were seen on Tuesday, which I found really surprising as we normally need persistent and VERY strong winds for these. They were all close too.
Only other birds I saw on this watch were a Bonxie west, and a few blogging Sandwich Terns...
Fishing Sandwich Tern
Wednesday was a very surreal day for me. Before heading off to Lyme Regis I had a walk along Seaton Beach. A single Dunlin and three Ringed Plover made it just about worthwhile. Didn't see to be much over the sea except this Gannet which was unusually close...
I know it doesn't look close, but you can see it flew in front of Beer Head
Then I headed off to Lyme. And why did I go here? Well keep your eyes on The One Show. Hopefully I make the final edit, and if I do I'll try and let everyone know when it will be on...
