In The News

The River Axe was mentioned on the BBC National News several times today - but for the wrong reasons.

A huge amount of rain (and I'm sure not helped by big tides and a gusty southerly wind) has caused horrendous flooding in the area. A lot like many other places in the south west today. The damage it has caused to houses, businesses and roads is very sad to see, but the effect on the local wildlife must be catastrophic.

Pictures never give the full effect of something like this, but here's a few anyway...

The Axe Estuary today about an hour before low tide!

From the farm gate

Note how on the far side of the tram line it looks like one huge lake - the whole of Colyford Common, Black Hole Marsh, Seaton Marshes and the fields in between were flooded into one. The bank at Seaton Marshes stopped the flooding continuing any further south.

So I thought I'd go around to Black Hole Marsh...

The entrance track - I couldn't even get to the gate!

So I then tried to get down to Colyford Common...

Ok - maybe not!

As usual the A3052 flooded over and it was closed by the bridge.

These are the fields just south west of Boshill Cross

The rain wasn't just causing problems via the river...

One of many that I've seen today

And this land slide by the side of the harbour was pretty dramatic to see. Totally blocked the path to the beach east of the harbour...

Note the tree in the river!

The only birds I've seen of note today were two commic Terns south down the Estuary and a Hobby low over Black Hole Marsh. These really are insignificant though when you think how today has affected our local breeding birds - I should imagine ALL Reed/Sedge Warblers nests have been flooded out today. Disaster.

A Movement of Meds

Last night we just had to go out, it wasn't raining and the sun could actually be seen! Where better to go than Lyme Regis, and we enjoyed a lovely meal in the Bay Restaurant - I thoroughly recommend it!

Anyway, the reason I mention it on here is soon after Jess and I arrived, two small flocks of Black-headed Gulls flew close west along the beach. The first had three Med Gulls in it (two adults and a second summer), and the second had two adult Meds in! Soon after this Dad text me to say there were two Med Gulls on Black Hole Marsh, and about an hour and a half or so later, when Jess and I were back in Seaton, three more Med Gulls (an adult and two second summers) flew west past the sea front. We then made a quick visit to Black Hole Marsh where there were two Black-tailed Godwits and a Hobby, Dad's two Med Gulls had gone.

This morning I was back down the seafront at 7:30, to see if any more Meds were passing. They weren't - well not the Gulls. Just after 8am a Balearic Shearwater flew east - with a second Shearwater sp. also east about ten minutes later, but this one was too far out to be sure of. Also saw five Common Scoters which landed in the bay, and several Gannets (all flying west).

After this I had to carry out my woodland survey, a bit late due to the mostly pants weather we've had! Nice to see lots of young birds about, and Marsh Tits are always good to see as they can hardly be described as a common bird on patch...

A Willow Tit would have been something else though!

And this Rabbit did make me chuckle. One greedy bunny...

Or I suppose it could be lining for a burrow?

I had a moth trap out last night - which gave me exactly 100 moths this morning. Just one immigrant, a Silver Y, but there were several new species for the year for me, including; Buff Arches, Eyed Hawkmoth, Green Arches, Clouded Brindle, Clay, Common/Lesser Rustic, Sycamore and Fanfoot. The numbers came from Heart and Dart (37) and Dark Arches (11).

Buff Arches

Sycamore

Gripped!!!!

Yesterday I was shown around some private farm building and stables, to look at a pleasingly decent number of Swallow nests. I was really enjoying myself, well until the land owner and I got to a large pond... (I am in italics)

"oh yes - we had a baby Heron here this year, we often get adults, but this was the first baby one we've had"

"really - oh that's good"

"yes - it was about two months ago"

"two months ago? that's very early!"

"yes - we knew it was a baby because like a Heron, the same colour, just much much smaller"

"really!!!??"

"yes - it spent most the time sat in that willow tree there, but I also saw it climbing on some fallen trees over the stream that runs out from the corner of the pond"

"that would have been a Night Heron then. I hate you".

The most gripping thing is that during the Night Heron influx of this spring, I checked out Lower Bruckland Ponds almost daily. And the pond this bird was on is literally on the other side of a line of trees from the lowest pond at Lower Bruckland. I could well have been maybe 50m away from the very bird I was hoping for! Arse!!

Well enough of that. It's in the past now...

Last night I spent a good few hours out, showing rare bird finder extraordinaire M Knott around the patch. We didn't see much - a summer plumaged Dunlin, the Blackwit still, two juv Black-headed Gulls and a Willow Warbler (which must have been a migrant as they don't breed here) being as exciting as it got!

Bring on August....

The End Of The Summer Break

Well I'm sure any blog viewers I have left are fed up of that baby Barn Owl they keep seeing when they click to look on this blog! On the bright side, it could have been something less cute, like a photo of me!!

Anyway, yes, that was my 'unofficial summer break' from blogging - back to normal (whatever that is!) now. I know - can I describe the last month as being summer!??? Well my calendar says it was.

My first post back is going to start with a bit of weirdo! This afternoon Fraser was at the Field Studies Centre, where there is an Egyptian Grasshopper on show at the moment...

Sorry for the picture quality, this photo was taken through a fish tank!

It doesn't really look like much in the above photo, but adding this 1p to the picture should show why it is pretty cool to look at...

It's bloody huge!!!

It was found about a week ago in Colyton, apparantly on a house roof! Although it arriving in a packet of fruit/veg/salad is probably more likely, with all this Saharan sand dust carpeting vehicles all over the county within the past week - could it not maybe have arrived with this? Personally I don't see why not - especially if it really was found on a house roof.

Whilst on insects, I should just mention my first catch of over 100 moths for this year, in the garden on the evening of 25th/26th June. I won't list the whole lot, but the big guns were represented by 3 Elephant and a Poplar Hawk, my first immigrant of the year with a Silver Y, numbers thanks to Heart and Dart (47), and other new species for the year with Maiden's Blush, Large Yellow Underwing (4), Heart and Club (5), Common Wainscot, Snout and this (very fine) Herald...

A fine moth - The Herald

Silver Y - hopefully 2012 will prove a better year for this immigrant species (and the rest!) than 2011 was!

Back to birds then, well I haven't been out and about much at all. Mostly because it has been June, but also because I haven't (as usual!) had much time.

I did visit Black Hole Marsh late Saturday (30th) with Jess, a lone Common Sandpiper on the Estuary, and the first juvenile Black-headed Gull of the 'autumn' were the only 'highlights'...

So where did you come from?

Today Black Hole Marsh offered a Black-tailed Godwit (as my Twitter followers will have seen - or as you will have done if you've been watching my Twitter feed at the top right hand corner of this blog), and a Greenshank which circled over the marsh before flying south and appearing to land on the Estuary.

After the fog had cleared I attempted a sea watch - seven Manxies later and I gave up!

As well as little birding, I haven't done all that much ringing. A short session last week gave me 15 House Sparrows (always great to handle) at Jessie's, and later in the day back home my first 3J Bullfinch of the year, and this beast...

The second Wood Pigeon I've ringed in the garden

Several weeks ago I ringed a brood of six Swallows near Beer, late last week they looked like this...

Almost too big!

At the weekend, five birds successfully fledged the nest. So great to hear they have done so well considering the awful weather!

Baby Barn Owls

My Schedule 1 license for ringing Barn Owls came in to use last night, as I had time to visit a near by nest box. This, pleasingly, revealed four very healthy looking chicks. As ever with Barn Owl chicks, there was a clear difference between the oldest...

Too big really!

And the youngest...

Just a ball of white fluff with a Barn Owl face!

The biggest were the oldest Barn Owl chicks I have ringed, and boy do my hands know it...

It didn't hurt at the time, but it looks like I've been pulling up brambles with my bare hands!

A Storm In June!?

Well the weather has been a bit, shall we say, unseasonal! It can't be good for breeding birds up and down the land - very worrying indeed.

The heavy rain put me off sea watching yesterday, but as soon as it looked to be clearing early afternoon I headed to Beer. I sea watched from here 14:00 - 15:00, and saw;

7 Arctic Skua (2 pale close west, then 2 pale, 2 intermediate and 1 dark east)
50+ Gannet
42 Manxies
3 Kittiwake
5 Sandwich Tern
2 Guillemot
3 Razorbill

So no Stormies or Puffins, but it wasn't bad for a June sea watch - they are usually dire!

This morning, I had a quick look out from Seaton at about 8am. An Arctic Tern came close in and flew west, and further out several Gannets and a few Kitts and Manxies also passed west. I'm going to head out again now for another go - still hoping for a Stormie!

Lots of flood water in the valley today, but the only notable sighting from me is of these three first-summer Med Gulls near Boshill Cross...

Not always an easy species to see in June on our patch

Barn Owl

At about 8am this morning, the rain eased a bit, and this Barn Owl obviously took advantage of the slight break in the weather. I had truly breathtaking views of it, it just didn't see me...

What a treat!

I had a bit of a good look around this morning, the only other bird I saw of note was a first-summer Med Gull that flew south down the Estuary.

I'm Home!

Well I have been home for several days now, but just haven't had time for this update. Here it is though...

Firstly I will just mention the only worthwhile sighting since my return home. On Monday I was very surprised to hear Crossbills calling whilst in the front garden, and looked up to see three flying over. I wouldn't have been so surprised if it was Sept/Oct. Even July/Aug would be ok for migrants, but early June? Must be local birds surely?

Also I would like to say thank you to anyone and everyone who signed the Buzzard petition. It worked! See here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/may/30/buzzard-trapping-plan-abandoned-uturn

Ok, so where have I been? NORFOLK! It wasn't a birding trip at all, just a relaxing few days away with Jess, and it was superb - we had so much fun in this beautiful part of the world. The drive back was a bit of a nightmare though, not only was the traffic horrendous, but this happened whilst driving on the M25...

Oh dear! AA did a temporary fix, but am still waiting for a full repair

It didn't dampen our spirits though as we had such a great few days. I have got hundreds of scenery photos, but I won't bore you with all of them. Just four to give a taster...

Makes me feel relaxed just looking at them

Just being in Norfolk meant we saw plenty of birds - but we did visit Titchwell, Holkham Gap and Cley once or twice whilst here.

I actually managed a UK lifer on this trip! On Wednesday a Great Reed Warbler was found at Cley, and late afternoon I managed some brief views of it - just a pity it wasn't singing when I was there. In the Cley/Salthouse area I also saw a Wood Sand, some excellent views of Bearded Tits (the photo doesn't do the views justice), very brief views of a raptor that flew in off which I hope was just a Hobby (it was either this species or a Red-foot), and stacks of Avocets...

A family of Bearded Tits in the reeds

We even saw some chicks wandering about too. They were too far to photograph though, unlike the above adults!

Titchwell produced a nice bunch of 1st-summer Little Gulls and two Little Ringed Plovers. And Holkham Gap gave a Cuckoo.

On Wednesday we went on a seal trip in Blakeney Harbour. Great views of masses of seals (I took about 100 photos of the Seals, but don't worry I'll post just three here), but bird wise it was also enjoyable with a fly over Spoonbill being a surprise, loads of terns (4 species, incl. loads of Little), a couple of adult Med Gulls and 3+ Marsh Harriers. A lone Brent Goose I presume was an injured or sick straggler.

They really are funny looking things!

Just driving about and stopping now and then also showed plenty of birds. We saw numerous Marsh Harriers (the males really are so stunning, never seen an adult male on the Axe), several Barn Owls, Grey Partridge all over the place and a lone Corn Bunting near Choseley Drying Barns...

These were everywhere!

But these weren't, just one Corn Bunting - this photo was taken some time after 9pm, hence why it is so dark. He was still singing away though!

We stayed in Wells, and ate out every night. The best meal I think we had was in the Victoria, at Holkham. The service and dinner was brilliant, but it was the desert that really did it for me...

Called 'Tasting of Strawberry'

Unfortunately the two days I had set aside for possible Swallowtail searching were much cloudier, with Thursday being quite wet. So in the end we didn't make the drive down to the south of the county to see this butterfly. That's ok - just means we will need to come back again some time soon!

Back to work again now though, and back to 'the norm'. Now spring is over, it's time for me to knuckle down and get stuck into DBR 2011...