Backwater Birding - Seaton, Devon (2 Viewers)

Steve Waite · Mar 13, 2007

What a beautiful day!!!! Really gorgeous isn't it hey?

With the flat seas, I started at Branscombe today, and was treated to two Black-throated Divers sat on the sea (1 flew in from the west). Very nice, my first for over a month. And I did double check - neither of them showed any obvious features of Pacific Diver!! 4 Canade Geese flew west here and an alba Wagtail came in/off.

Along the river there were only a handful of Gulls, but did include a certain Herring Gull that I have seen on three different occasions in the last week or so (see picture) and 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls including 1 intermedius.

Had a nice little surprise besides Colyford Water Treatment Works with 2 cracking adult male White Wagtails feeding on the 'Water Pipit field', with two Pied Wags.

Pics:
1. A comparison of single intermedius and graellsii Lesser Black-backed Gulls, I couldn't quite fit them in one frame when taking the photo, so had to do a bit of cutting and pasting!
2. An Oystercatcher behaving like an Ostrich!
3. The Herring Gull!
4. A record pic of one of the White Wags.

Can I just mention, whenever opening up a photo, make sure to maximise the window the photo is in, makes the quality better.

KarenWoolley · Mar 13, 2007

Steve Waite said:
What a beautiful day!!!! Really gorgeous isn't it hey?

Indeed!!!

I popped up Axe cliff this morning, it was sublime!

Took this pic of Yellowhammer ( take a look if only for the sky colour!!)

Beer head looked great from hear too. I'm sure the returning migrants won't be able to resist!

Gavin Haig · Mar 13, 2007

Great Pics, Karen - I now have a new desktop.... |=)|

Roger Boswell · Mar 13, 2007

Great day at Seaton hide today - looking inland for a change. Greenfinches, Blue Tits and Chaffinches on the feeders then a Wren on one of the posts. Later a Dunnock chose this place to sing. Two male Reed Buntings and a female - still having problems with the sleeping Mallard on the bird-table. Then a Chiffchaff (or Willow Warbler?) appeared. There were also two very sleek Pipits on the tram lines (Meadow?).

Hope someone will be able to help me with the Warbler and Pipit.

Roger

Fraser Rush · Mar 13, 2007

Greetings backwater bods, long time no post

Coly Common first thing this morning was just brilliant, the place had a real calm serenity about it, as if it was resting before the onset of all the spring migrants en masse. Mind you there was some evidence of spring migration with about half a dozen chiffchaffs all singing away in the hedges. Also singing were skylark, meadow pipit, reed bunting and Cetti's warbler (probably a couple of the latter).

The peace will be shattered tomorrow with another bout of 'Fraser messing about with diggers and dumpers'. Maybe I didn't have enough Tonka toys when I was a saucepan.

Anyway we will be hopefully completing the new reed bed at Colyford Common. My previous predictions of three to five years for this project to bear fruit have been shortened you will be pleased to hear. Basically the huge amount of rainfall the weekend before last helped us enormously by simulating the effects of a huge tide. This means we can roll out phase two of the work now rather than having to wait another year to collect water level data.

Also, as it's nearly the end of the financial year and I've got a little bit of money left, I can afford to have the machines on site for another day or two which means that not only are we going to sort out the hydrological management but we are also going to complete the reed planting. It'll still take a year or two to grow up and maybe another year or two before it fills in the gaps but I reckon, with luck it should get its first pair of reed warblers in '09.

So if you're at Coly Common in the next three days you'll see us working in the field by the viewing platfrom. Come and have a look at what we're doing and I may even show you the new water control system (is that a threat or a promise you ask).

Hope to see you all there !

Fraser

Jos Stratford · Mar 13, 2007

Nice stuff there Fraser, I'm deeply envious of your Tonka Toys ...excavating pools on my land costs me a month's wages each time and there is so much I'd like to do

Simon Wakely · Mar 13, 2007

Hi All,Son reports Terry, Plymouth high street packed out with hopefull Twitchers , looking for Bearded tits. Well, hope they have more luck than us, Estuary am, 50 Widgeon, 2 Redshanks,and a few gull. Farm Gate, our Egyptian Goose,a Chiff calling. Even our Garden quite, Male Blackcap singing with female near by. Goldfinch total 3.Well done Kev on the Crossbills.

KarenWoolley · Mar 14, 2007

Gavin Haig said:
Great Pics, Karen - I now have a new desktop.... |=)|

I'm glad you like it Gav, I have it on my desktop too, only problem is, I'm a bit concerned it will prove distracting in the coming weeks looking as inviting as it does!!! :-O

This morning I went to check on a field full of cattle & mud which I thought may be a good place for Wheatears. Unusually for me my hunch paid off and on my first scan of the field there it was, a gorgeous male Wheatear.

Probably the same one Bun had 6 days ago or possibly a new one?

The field is not far from Beer Head being at the top of Mare Lane to the rear of the large barns.

I managed to get a shot of him, taking the photo whilst standing in the midst of a herd of cattle (including a huge bull) and holding the dog by his lead in one hand. Hence it's a bit shaky but shows what a looker he was!

Terry Smith · Mar 14, 2007

KarenWoolley said:
Probably the same one Bun had 6 days ago or possibly a new one?

The field is not far from Beer Head being at the top of Mare Lane to the rear of the large barns.

QUOTE]

Great shot Karen, given your circumstances! :hi:

It's more likely to be a different bird to the one Bun had, as migrants are trickling through nicely now, and given the splendid weather, birds will soon move on northwards taking advantage of no adverse winds! I had 5 Sand Martins at Bowling Green on Sunday but these soon moved on through........

Terry

KarenWoolley · Mar 15, 2007

Terry Smith said:
It's more likely to be a different bird to the one Bun had, as migrants are trickling through nicely now, and given the splendid weather, birds will soon move on northwards taking advantage of no adverse winds! Terry

Duh! How daft am I ?? :flyaway:

Of course your right Terry, When I think about it, six days is ages to a bird in a hurry!

Steve Waite · Mar 15, 2007

Yepo Karen, that would defo be a different bird, they won't be hanging about at this time of year!

Anyway, no birding for yesterday, and only a bit this morning after I woke up to thick fog (though it has well and truely cleared now!), Lower Bruckland Ponds were very pleasant this morning - but rather bird-less! 19 Canada Geese, a Chiffchaff and 2 Snipe the only highlights, plus a half-built Coots nest on the top pond.

Am so looking forward to April this year, migrants migrants and migrants!!!! I hear by word and mouth it might be getting cooler again first though....

Keep it up guys and girls, mid to late March is a super time..... as we proved last year!!!!

Ranger James · Mar 15, 2007

Steve Waite said:
they won't be hanging about at this time of year!

Nope, they've only got one thing on thier mind at this time of year.

Remind me what grassy places look like - I'm living in a world of sand and pebbles, and its not fun. Oh, I do partake in a spot of printer chasing, but this is more frustrating than sporting.

James

Roger Boswell · Mar 16, 2007

Hi,
I am still having difficulty identifying these birds seen from Seaton hide in the last few days. When I look at the images they get me even more confused.

The first two I hope are female Reed Buntings,

the third a Pipit of sorts ....

and the fourth must be a Chiffchaff?

Could anyone help please?

Roger

KarenWoolley · Mar 16, 2007

Roger Boswell said:
Hi,
I am still having difficulty identifying these birds seen from Seaton hide in the last few days. When I look at the images they get me even more confused.

The first two I hope are female Reed Buntings,

the third a Pipit of sorts ....

and the fourth must be a Chiffchaff?

Could anyone help please?

Roger

Hi Roger, Yes, you are right and the pipit is a meadow pipit.

Terry Smith · Mar 16, 2007

So who had the Red Kite at Beer then, and which way was it heading?

Steve Waite · Mar 16, 2007

Terry Smith said:
So who had the Red Kite at Beer then, and which way was it heading?

Hi Terry,

I picked it on my exit from Beer Head, great views for 15mins til I lost it flying east over the bay towards Seaton. Gav then got on to it off Seaton when it came in and flew NE over Axe Cliff Golf Course. Am pleased both Phil and Bun saw it too (both working in Beer - handy!). A nice bit of excitment.

Terry Smith · Mar 16, 2007

Thanks Steve,

Going in the wrong direction then! At least I know not to drive over this afternoon!

And thanks for the text Phil, having problems with my phone so couldn't text you back!

Cheers

Terry

Steve Waite · Mar 16, 2007

Worth looking about for another one though mate, Buzzards up all over the place today, even at 10am!

Interestingly, it didn't have any wing-tags.....a proper continental migrant...???

Steve Waite · Mar 16, 2007

Well I think that's me done for today - it's my girlfriend 18th today, so off out this afternoon/evening for some top nosh.

Ok, brief run down of today:

Seawatching first thing was very dull, a very distant male Mallard sat on the sea off Beer was rather out of place to say the least! (and surprisingly hard to identify too...until it flew!). Then a look up the river produced little except for this cracking intermedius Lesser Black-backed Gull - it was probably the biggest Lesser Black-backed Gull I have ever seen! Being larger and bulkier than the surrounding Herring Gulls, striking is the word!

Then it was up to Beer Head. Grounded migrants were few and far between with just 3 Chiffchaffs, a Blackcap and 2 Meadow Pipits. Overhead were several Buzzards, 2 Peregrines and 2 Pied Wags flew west. It wasn't til I was walking back off the head that I picked up the Red Kite. I had some wonderful views of it flying around low in the sky for about five minutes til it started to gain height. I watched it for a further 8+ minutes as it soared up with a Buzzard and then headed off east over the bay. Am really glad most people got on to it. This bird is the 9th raptor on my Beer Head list...I'm fairly sure no one else has above 5 (one or two may have 6)....I must be doing something right!!!

Have been down the river and marshes since but haven't seen anything else of note.

Simon Wakely · Mar 16, 2007

Its Sues Birthday as well, 21 Today. Great to hear about the Kite wish we also had seen it.

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