Andrew
Friday 17th January 2003, 22:05
Here is my diary entry for yesterdays search for some Bearded Tits. Hope you like it as much as my last entry?
16-01-03
Location : Countess Wear, Devon. SX947890
After a long day in Exeter I was glad of the opportunity to shake it all off with a walk up Countess Wear past the Sewage Works in pursuit of the reported Bearded Tits. The day started off well with a vibrantly multicoloured Goldfinch in the buddleia behind the boat club building in the car park accompanied by one of 3 Blackbirds and 2 Great Tits in the willow trees. I met two birders leaving and they had not seen the desired birds despite doing a good search for it and this was put down to the wind being too strong. Undaunted, I plodded on taking in many birds along the river which included 31 Canada Geese roosting communally in the field along with one each of 4 Grey Herons and 4 Little Egrets thinking no one could spot them hunched on the outskirts of the rough meadow. I was slightly astonished by the sight of approximately 39 Cormorants roosting together on the many cables of the electricity pylons. Also on the riverside stretch before the sewage works path began were 4 Mallards, some of today’s 7 Blue Tits in the trees and 2 Chaffinches fluttered over my head across the canal. I was sure I could see a flock of Fieldfares or Redwings flying together up river but did not have the good skills to identify these birds in flight at the distance they were away from me, they were not starlings in my estimation as the wing beats seemed too rapid like a Blackbird‘s. As I began along the small canal side path at the side of the water board’s sewage works headquarters, a few of 100+ Black Headed Gulls and 26 Herring Gulls were seen swooping low over the water as if to land. The route proved uneventful until the sewage works gate livened only by 2 Coots at the Lime Kilns basin section, at the gate were 2 Song Thrushes playfully flitting after each other on the path whilst a Dunnock studiously navigated the decaying weeds for it’s evening meal. Time was not on my side so I had to walk on to have any chance of a Bearded Tit before dark thereby scaring off the spotted thrushes along with several white tailed rabbits. I arrived at the advised point where there is a sign for Exe Reed Beds and no access, I had half expected a huge red sign with the authoritarian words ‘No Access’ in bold white typeface and instead found a simple print out in plastic on a stick. Here a good fifteen minutes was spent scanning the vast reed bed, it really is enormous. Unfortunately I only managed to see a dark shadow flit out of the reeds and back in before I could blink twice. I could not bring myself to shout for joy and tick it off for I want to see a bird’s plumage or definitive silhouette before I can consider it seen. In the fields behind the canal were 19 Mute Swans that had settled for the night. I painfully dragged myself away stopping every twenty yards for another look back between openings in the trees without any luck, the reed heads often played tricks on my eyes as they blew about in the wind. I had the sole consolation of a dazzling Kingfisher darting down the channel in a perfectly parallel path with the edge of the reeds. As I came back under the motorway bridge, forty of the evening’s 46 Wood Pigeons flew to roost in the woods bordering the reed bed. I stopped off at the Old Sludge Beds for a brief look around and was shocked at the repugnant stench, in the middle was a small ivy clad brick building with broken windows that I watched for a while in the hope an Owl would pop out. As I returned to the sewage gate I glimpses a tiny movement leading to a sight of a flock of 7 Goldcrests working their way through the various trees and bushes. I had not seen more than two Goldcrests before and this really pleased me. As I approached the narrower part of the path bordering the water board’s offices a Marsh Tit sped away from me after I watched it for two minutes until I had no option but to cough. In the canal side vegetation were 2 Wrens keeping slightly ahead of me as I ambled along. Along what was left of the return to the car park in the dying light I picked out 3 Magpies, 21 Carrion Crows, 1 Moorhen, 9 Rooks and a flock of around 100+ Starlings. I was slightly disappointed not to get the birds I hoped for, nevertheless it was a great end to the day even though it was only an hour’s walk which shows how much a little time can save the day. I was also delighted at discovering such a varied habitat that looked very promising come the spring and summer. I was miffed as I returned home to discover that a Green Sandpiper was reported there half an hour before my arrival, probably by the two birders I spoke to!
16-01-03
Location : Countess Wear, Devon. SX947890
After a long day in Exeter I was glad of the opportunity to shake it all off with a walk up Countess Wear past the Sewage Works in pursuit of the reported Bearded Tits. The day started off well with a vibrantly multicoloured Goldfinch in the buddleia behind the boat club building in the car park accompanied by one of 3 Blackbirds and 2 Great Tits in the willow trees. I met two birders leaving and they had not seen the desired birds despite doing a good search for it and this was put down to the wind being too strong. Undaunted, I plodded on taking in many birds along the river which included 31 Canada Geese roosting communally in the field along with one each of 4 Grey Herons and 4 Little Egrets thinking no one could spot them hunched on the outskirts of the rough meadow. I was slightly astonished by the sight of approximately 39 Cormorants roosting together on the many cables of the electricity pylons. Also on the riverside stretch before the sewage works path began were 4 Mallards, some of today’s 7 Blue Tits in the trees and 2 Chaffinches fluttered over my head across the canal. I was sure I could see a flock of Fieldfares or Redwings flying together up river but did not have the good skills to identify these birds in flight at the distance they were away from me, they were not starlings in my estimation as the wing beats seemed too rapid like a Blackbird‘s. As I began along the small canal side path at the side of the water board’s sewage works headquarters, a few of 100+ Black Headed Gulls and 26 Herring Gulls were seen swooping low over the water as if to land. The route proved uneventful until the sewage works gate livened only by 2 Coots at the Lime Kilns basin section, at the gate were 2 Song Thrushes playfully flitting after each other on the path whilst a Dunnock studiously navigated the decaying weeds for it’s evening meal. Time was not on my side so I had to walk on to have any chance of a Bearded Tit before dark thereby scaring off the spotted thrushes along with several white tailed rabbits. I arrived at the advised point where there is a sign for Exe Reed Beds and no access, I had half expected a huge red sign with the authoritarian words ‘No Access’ in bold white typeface and instead found a simple print out in plastic on a stick. Here a good fifteen minutes was spent scanning the vast reed bed, it really is enormous. Unfortunately I only managed to see a dark shadow flit out of the reeds and back in before I could blink twice. I could not bring myself to shout for joy and tick it off for I want to see a bird’s plumage or definitive silhouette before I can consider it seen. In the fields behind the canal were 19 Mute Swans that had settled for the night. I painfully dragged myself away stopping every twenty yards for another look back between openings in the trees without any luck, the reed heads often played tricks on my eyes as they blew about in the wind. I had the sole consolation of a dazzling Kingfisher darting down the channel in a perfectly parallel path with the edge of the reeds. As I came back under the motorway bridge, forty of the evening’s 46 Wood Pigeons flew to roost in the woods bordering the reed bed. I stopped off at the Old Sludge Beds for a brief look around and was shocked at the repugnant stench, in the middle was a small ivy clad brick building with broken windows that I watched for a while in the hope an Owl would pop out. As I returned to the sewage gate I glimpses a tiny movement leading to a sight of a flock of 7 Goldcrests working their way through the various trees and bushes. I had not seen more than two Goldcrests before and this really pleased me. As I approached the narrower part of the path bordering the water board’s offices a Marsh Tit sped away from me after I watched it for two minutes until I had no option but to cough. In the canal side vegetation were 2 Wrens keeping slightly ahead of me as I ambled along. Along what was left of the return to the car park in the dying light I picked out 3 Magpies, 21 Carrion Crows, 1 Moorhen, 9 Rooks and a flock of around 100+ Starlings. I was slightly disappointed not to get the birds I hoped for, nevertheless it was a great end to the day even though it was only an hour’s walk which shows how much a little time can save the day. I was also delighted at discovering such a varied habitat that looked very promising come the spring and summer. I was miffed as I returned home to discover that a Green Sandpiper was reported there half an hour before my arrival, probably by the two birders I spoke to!