No Good Gulls

I spent a lot of time checking the three large gatherings of gulls in the valley this afternoon, despite the wind and sometimes very heavy rain.  With each scope scan I felt a nice white-winger or crisp first-winter Caspian Gull was next up, it looked so perfect... but just wasn't to be.  In a way this was similar to last Friday, the large numbers of Black-headed and Common Gulls feeding close in over rough seas looked a perfect place for a Little Gull to be. James Mc had two off Lyme Regis but Seaton clearly didn't take their fancy.

I had to do my monthly woodland bird survey this morning, in private woodland near Colyton. This sadly is well outside from my Patchwork Challenge patch, I say sadly because I saw so much!

The three Woodcock were expected - in fact this is well below the usual wintering numbers here, but the Crossbill, Lesser Redpoll and even the eight Siskin were something of a surprise. It's been such a poor winter for most of the finch species down in the valley that I wasn't expecting any of these.  Superb.

Being in Colyton I thought I'd have a look at the four Cattle Egrets at Colcombe... and there were five!  I did think I had five last week come out of roost so maybe not a new arrival, just one that's relocated to Colcombe?  

If you want to see these Cattle Egrets you have to chose where to view them from dependent on where the cattle, and birds are. Sometimes they show well from Station Road/Rosemary Lane, but more often than not Yardbury Hill Road/Lions Close Hill is a good option. They are more distant from here but you can look over the whole field.  Please remember though that the road that leads to Colcombe Farm (Colcombe Road) is a private road and however tempting you shouldn't be viewing from here.

The Seasons Are Changing

I've got a fair bit of survey work to do before the end of this month, and this morning it was the woodland near Colyton that I survey on a monthly basis that had me stomping through it! Normally I don't enjoy woods much, but this morning I did - the colours were just gorgeous...

Autumnal colours on the ground, spring green colours up above

It is definitely still winter, as I had 14 sightings of at least nine Woodcock - some excellent flight views and a really good number. Five Lesser Redpolls were also good to see.

Spring is in the air though, with Great Spotted Woodpeckers drumming and many other species of bird in full song - including two male Marsh Tits. And it's not just the birds that are hinting the change in seasons...

What a warm feeling these images give me - it is nearly time!!!

Later on in the day, a quick look out over the sea showed the 12 Velvet Scoters still, all fairly close in - which was nice!

A little later again, a look through the Gulls on the Estuary showed a decent (for this year anyway!) count of five Meds. Four were adults - one in spanking full summer plumage, two part way there, and one in full winter wear. The fifth bird was a first-winter, which is certainly the first non-adult Med I've seen this year on the Axe, possibly even this winter!! Also c120 Common and 15 Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

With the first few immigrants about, and the mild weather, tonight is the first night of 2011 that my garden looks like an airfield from above! Oh yes - the moth trap is out! This year I am taking part in the Garden Moth Scheme (see HERE) so thought I'd best warm myself up for the start of it Friday week.

Should Have Stayed In Bed...

...is exactly what I was thinking as I was trudging around a very cold and bleak Beer Head this morning, 06:15 - 07:30.

One Wheatear, 46+ Yellow Wags (of which most - if not all - had been seen the evening before) and singles of over-flying Ringed Plover and Grey Wagtail where all that made it into my notebook.

Black Hole Marsh afterwards was a little better; the juvenile Little Stint found last night was still present...

Photographic conditions couldn't have been worse though!

And the two Curlew Sands of recent days had become three again! I think this was the 'new bird'...

Smart birds as always

Otherwise it was much the same with c30 Dunlin and a dozen or so Ringed Plovers.

Later on in the morning, a sweep of the Estuary revealed a few more waders, with a Bar-tailed Godwit opposite Seaton Marshes hide 'new in'. There were also eight Blackwits still. A juvenile Goosander was a surprise find north of Coronation Corner, swimming around and resting with the Mallards...

A rather scarce visitor to our patch, though we have had the occasional singleton at this time of year before

There were at least two Wigeon and 25 Teal on Colyford Marsh.

I've spent over two hours sky watching from the farm gate today, still no Osprey or Honey Buzzard to show for it....

Mid morning, I carried out my monthly woodland bird survey in a block of privately owned woods between Colyton and Southleigh. I am not the biggest fan of woodland birding, but just occasionally I do enjoy it, and this morning was one of those rare occasions...

I didn't see anything rare, or scarce even, it was just lovely... I have never seen so many Chiffchaffs at this site as I did today, some were even singing! Many were following the two Long-tailed Tit flocks that I stumbled upon. A family party of four Siskins very kindly dropped in on a tree in front of me, the stripey juvs looking very drab compared with their 'dapper' father! Finally, a nice touch were two Yellow Wags which flew low east over the wood...much better than any of the 46+ I'd seen earlier on Beer Head!!

The only photo I took in the woods was this one...

A Southern Hawker

I have got a busy few days ahead now, so don't expect this blog to be that busy! Saying that though, I'm sure I'll find the odd hour to nip out, and who knows what could be there waiting to be found...