Backwater Birding - Seaton, Devon (1 Viewer)

Gavin Haig · Feb 3, 2006

Very cold today, which was motivation enough to pack in work early.... Following up a suggestion Steve Waite made I spent some time stomping around a quiet corner of the estuary this afternoon - success....2 Jack Snipe, one of which showed well on the deck briefly. Also 10+ Rock Pipits, a Water Rail, 12 Snipe, and a forlorn looking Chiff, that obviously hadn't read the 'habitat' bit in the field guide.

Elsewhere on the estuary - 2 adult Meds, 2 Barwits and 2 Pintail (a smart drake on the river and a female flying S).

Off Axmouth harbour were 55 Common Scoter and a Velvet - looked like the same, slightly elusive imm. male that popped up at Beer 2 days ago. Also, a Great Northern Diver surfaced for a little while, submerged and vanished for ever - how do they do that?

Finally, Seaton Hole gull roost produced 5 adult Meds.

The Jack Snipe take the year list to 113.

Wonder if this cold snap will encourage any oddities to drop by......Smew or Scaup would be nice.

Gavin Haig · Feb 5, 2006

Only had a little free time this afternoon, so thought I'd take my scope and have a proper look at the presumed abietinus Chiff (if it was still there) at Kilmington sewage works.....it was still there, with 7 standard collybita birds, and another abietinus-type. Brain damage! I suppose making the effort to take a careful description on these occasions is all part of the never-ending learning curve in birding, but why can't I just find something bright and obvious, like a Waxwing or Great Grey Shrike?

Elsewhere, 44 Golden Plover near Boshill Cross, and 2 Barwits and a smart adult Med on the estuary, along with 100+ Common Gulls which steadfastly refused to yield a Ring-billed........

Meant to do this a few days ago, but thought it might be good to have a little summary at the end of each month, with a few of Steve Waite's pics, if poss.....don't have time right now, but watch this space......

Gavin Haig · Feb 5, 2006

January Summary

Gavin Haig said:
Meant to do this a few days ago, but thought it might be good to have a little summary at the end of each month, with a few of Steve Waite's pics, if poss.....don't have time right now, but watch this space......

A good start to the year, with a record-busting 105 on our Jan 2 bird-race. Our best bird that day, Hawfinch, was probably the best bird of the month, with 2 being present. Other Jan highlights were Slavonian Grebe, 3 diver sp., up to 14 Water Pipits and a Firecrest. Ducks featured well - a flock of up to c.150 Common Scoter was enhanced by a Velvet Scoter and 2 Eider; plus a Mandarin, 2 or more Pochard, the odd Gadwall and a few Pintail added variety, but the only scarce wader was a Ruff. Med Gulls were regular, with up to at least 8 roosting, and generally a few on the estuary.

Talking of Med Gulls.....Steve photographed a colour-ringed bird earlier in the month, which turned out to have been ringed in Poland last spring, then was recorded on the Torridge estuary (N Devon) last summer.....pic attached (the one with the red ring)

A few other Jan pics attached, courtesy of Steve Waite......forgive the inclusion of Pochard - they are scarce here, honest!

Gavin Haig · Feb 5, 2006

I was beaten to the biggy today.......Having mentioned to Steve that I'd be out after lunch to count Water Pipits at Colyford Common he only went and phoned while I still had half a mug of tea left - "11 Whitefronts at Colyford Common". No manners at all.........

Looked superb in the afternoon sun and, apart from abietinus Chiff, our first Devon A-list rarity of the year - 11 European Whitefronts (8 adults, 3 1st winters)....pics attached (cheers Steve). A minor Devon twitch ensued, I think! Oh, and there were 5 Water Pipits.

Elsewhere: off Branscombe were 2 Black-throated and at least 8 Red-throated Divers, plus a few just too distant to ID. Also 100+ auks, mostly Razorbills.

Beer produced a fem. Eider and 35 Common Scoter.

Golden Plover have increased to 79 at Boshill Cross, and the Velvet Scoter was off Axmouth again, along with a Great Northern Diver.

Steve-w8 · Feb 5, 2006

Few more Pics

Hi Gav,

A few more White-front Pics for you. Sorry for disturbing your lunch!!!!!!

Keep up the blog, its ace

Steve

Gavin Haig · Feb 5, 2006

What, Where and When??

Steve-w8 said:
Sorry for disturbing your lunch!!!!!!

Forgiven.

All these fine pics got me to reminiscing.....years ago (like, 2 decades!) I too photographed many of the good birds I saw, but it was just a phase......for me, birding and photography wouldn't mix, so eventually the camera was left at home. The other day, though, I dug out a load of my old pics and came up with an idea........

Just to add a bit of variety I thought I'd occasionaly feature an old photo in this thread (permissable digression??) under the above title. Some of you middling-to-old timers may like to have a go at answering the Qs What, Where and When? No intention of alienating you younger BFers....it's just that these are just about all going to be mid-80s-ish....

They won't all be rarities, and some will be very ropey, quality-wise, but here's a classy one to get things going.........

A clue - don't think I've ever seen a photo of this one by anyone else. That's not a boast - I'd be the last to boast about my usually iffy photographic prowess - it's just that it wasn't particularly obliging, if I remember.....

Gavin Haig · Feb 6, 2006

The Whitefronts drew in 4 more overnight, so now 15 White-fronted Geese, and they've moved a couple of fields N of the A3052......still present at dusk.

Off the seafront was an Eider and 4 Red-throated Divers; 65 Golden Plover with the Lapwings at Colyford and just 1 ad. Med on the estuary.

Forgot to mention - 2 Peregrines on the deck at Colyford Common late afternoon, eyeing up the Wigeon.......

Gavin Haig · Feb 7, 2006

The 15 Whitefronts look pretty settled - in the same field near Colyford all day. The Velvet Scoter still off Axmouth with 50 Commons. Talking of which, our Scoters seem to be dribbling away - from a peak of 150 or so there are now probably no more than 75 in Seaton Bay.

3 Red-throated Divers were off Axmouth first thing, and a cracking not-too-far-out-for-a-change Black-throated off Branscombe at lunch time.

Colyford Common produced 12 rather distant Water Pipits and 3 Stonechats, a mass of Wigeon and 7 Golden Plover in the air.

Finally, the Axe estuary coughed up a few waders - 38 Dunlin (the most this winter for me) and, scarcity-wise, the Ruff and 2 Barwits. Also 2 adult Med Gulls.

So, nothing new exactly - just a selection of what's already around - but great winter birding. It'll do for me..............

Gavin Haig · Feb 8, 2006

Tried a brief sea-watch this morning - 20 min produced 2 Red-throated Divers and 7 Gannets west, plus 25 Common Scoter on the sea off Seaton Hole/Beer. The 15 Whitefronts were still present (though I couldn't find them late afternoon).

A field next to Colyton 'Waste Water Treatment Works' (flash name for the sewage works) has recently been manured. Last winter it was manured in mid-December and became a bit of a Water Pipit haunt (peaking at around 20). It's beginning to look quite attractive now (to birds, anyway) and rumour has it that a male Merlin paid a visit today - hope it hangs around. We'll see what develops there............. Still, there were 10+ Chiffs at the sewage works this afternoon, including yet another abietinus-type - can't seem to shake them off......

On the estuary, late pm, were 1 Barwit, 20 Blackwits and 28 Dunlin. No Med Gulls though. Still, I thought, they'll all be at the roost......wrong! Couldn't find any there either. Where are they??

Steve told me the Black-throated Diver showed well off Branscombe this morning, and I heard a Slavonian Grebe was off Seaton Hole again earlier today.

If someone doesn't get the 'What, Where and When?' mystery bird pretty soon, or at least have a guess (see a couple of posts up) it'll have to become my avatar (haven't had one of those yet)

devon.birder · Feb 8, 2006

Phil Sydenham and I saw the male Merlin this morning in the field the opposite side of the road to the manured field by the side of the sewage works. It was seen eating a small bird whilst perched on one of the fence posts. My second Merlin for the year and the second one this week.
We eventually picked out the Velvet Scoter off the harbour but the flock was quite a way out and the sea was choppy. We thought we would have to wait until the flock flew but the Velvet then flapped its wings and the id was clinched.
From the hide at Seaton Marshes we saw a Common Sandpiper, a Ruff and 2 Bar-tailed Godwits. Ended the day with 2 Green Sandpipers, at least 400 Bramblings and 4 Common Cranes but that was a bit further west!!!.
Sorry we did not bump in to you this morning. Roger

Gavin Haig · Feb 8, 2006

devon.birder said:
at least 400 Bramblings............

Wow! Sounds like all the Bramblings in the SW have been sucked into this flock!

Thanks for the Merlin confirmation - I'm a tiny bit gripped, as it took me until the autumn to see one last year. I hope it's a wintering bird.

Glad you got the Velvet - not always easy..........

devon.birder · Feb 8, 2006

Gavin Haig said:
Wow! Sounds like all the Bramblings in the SW have been sucked into this flock!

Thanks for the Merlin confirmation - I'm a tiny bit gripped, as it took me until the autumn to see one last year. I hope it's a wintering bird.

Glad you got the Velvet - not always easy..........

Funny thing was Gavin I didn't see any Bramblings actually in the sunflower field but all the trees around seemed to be dripping with Bramblings. One Birder estimated nearer 500. The trees at the bottom of the sunflower field held hundreds and when you turned around to look at the trees along the hedge of the field behind you they were also dripping with Bramblings. The biggest flock I have ever seen in Devon. Roger

daveyboy · Feb 8, 2006

Hello all,
I appreciate I am straying from the thread a little but......Do any of you have any recommendations for a birding location in Teignbridge?I live in Teignmouth, but cant really travel to far most weekends.I regularly go to Dawlish Warren and along the Exe.I tried Dartmoor(Warren house inn,and several other likely spots etc) last weekend but things are a little slow up there,not much about at all.So......what locations do you suggest??Any help would be much appreciated!!Cheers,
Dave
www.devonenvironment.co.uk

Gavin Haig · Feb 8, 2006

daveyboy said:
......Do any of you have any recommendations for a birding location in Teignbridge?........

Greetings daveyboy - I'll chip in straight away with a "sorry mate, no I don't". Thought I'd better do that, than be silent and seem churlish. My non-local birding knowledge (Devon-wise, anyway) is quite close to nil.....don't know what it'll take to drag me away from the Seaton locale.....more than wild horses I suspect.

Sorry I can't be of help........but I'll bet some others can.........

Andrew · Feb 9, 2006

Nice one, hope to come down for those Geese sometime in the next few days. Gonna try for the cranes today.

Wonder if I have met you, Steve, as you would be an armchair BF200 tick!

Gavin Haig · Feb 9, 2006

Andrew said:
Nice one, hope to come down for those Geese sometime in the next few days..........

Don't rush! Although I was working all day (a couple of fly-over Ravens was the highlight) Steve mentioned that he couldn't find the Whitefronts late pm. So, maybe pastures new........

A small influx of 'out-of-the-area' birders was noticeable during the last few days. Be nice to tempt them back by turning up something new.......

Andrew · Feb 9, 2006

May be down your way tomorrow anyway for the Velvet.

Got the cranes this evening.

Ranger James · Feb 10, 2006

Andrew said:
May be down your way tomorrow anyway for the Velvet.

Got the cranes this evening.

I am very envious - I was there as late as I could allow and had to rush off meet guests, cranes arrived 5 minutes later. I fumed. I am banning all house guests from here on.

What's more infuriating is that I can't get out there this evening either, so its going to have to be an early saturday morning for me (which will not please the Mrs) if they are seen roosting tonight.

Cheers
James

Andrew · Feb 10, 2006

Sadly could not get down there today. Now hoping they stick there until Monday.

Ranger James · Feb 10, 2006

Fingers crossed, that should give me a chance to catch up with them too!
James

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