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Backwater Birding - Seaton, Devon (1 Viewer)

Well - I don't seem to be getting any birding in at the moment, which isn't going to help me pump up the 'Bonanza' total. Can't be helped, though - life just a bit full right now, and likely to remain so until May at least. Still, there are going to be plenty of opportunities for me to accumulate Brownie points, which are arguably FAR more valuable than Bonanza ones ;)

Nevertheless, thanks to a very prompt phone call from Steve (cheers, mate!) I was able to watch a Red Kite come in off the sea this morning, and cruise over Axe Cliff Golf Course. It was rather high, but quite identifiable.


Steve Waite said:
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!!!
Click to expand...
Spending every available minute in the field! That'll do it every time! Make the most of it while you can, Steve, before wedlock/kids/mortgage and other sundry encumbrances cramp your style.......... |=)|
 
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The Axe Estuary Wetland Project

Coming to an estuary near you.

Well folks, after possibly the longest lead-in time in history, the Axe Estuary Wetland Project is about to start with the appointment of a project officer and lots of subsequent enhancements down on the marshes.

I'll post more details on this thread when I get around to it but for the time being we're holding a couple of public events this coming week to which you are all cordially invited.

The idea is we pitch up in the town hall and the Seaton Marshes hide to show people what the proposals are all about, where we intend to do what, when it will happen and any other details. We'll have a few basic displays with draft layouts, general ideas and concepts plus we'll be there to explain stuff to whoever comes along.

Dates are:

Weds. 21st March, Seaton Town Hall, 10am till 3pm

Fri. 23rd March, Seaton Marshes hide, 10am till 3pm

Please come along to one of these events if you can, it's intended for you birders as much as anyone else.

By way of a further bribe - There's gonna be free tea, coffee and cakes !

Finally, to try to learn how to post pictures I've (hopefully) attached a photo, subject self explanatory.

Cheers

Fraser
 

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Thanks for sharing that one Frazer - I'll be there on the Friday - am working all day Wednesday. Just want to clarify one very important issue though, is the free tea and cake also a feature of the Friday display??? Be nice if you could show off a hot off the press copy of the 2006 Bird Report wouldn't it?!!!

No birding today I'm sad to say....and next to nothing for me tomorrow as well!!! This change in the weather will be interesting. We are down on Geese-ticks this year, this time last year we had both Barnacle and White-front safely under the belt, maybe this blast of cold air will amend this?!
 
After a day at work I broke free at four and had half an hour of birding time before dining with the Mrs....

Heard Phil had seen a few Sand Martins (10) at Seaton Marshes in the morning, so I toddled along there.... and in the north west corner were a nice little bunch of Sand Martins, now 15 of them (though they were probably all different birds to Phils!). A quick trip up to Lower Bruckland afterwards revealed one here too, along with 22 Fieldfares!!!

I see on birdguides someone has seen the/one of the/another 1st-winter Iceland Gull on the river today....anyone we know???

I will be out for most of tomorrow, I look forward to it... and I have a good feeling about it too....
 
A fairly quiet day today on the whole, with little action in the cold wind....that is except for one rather pleasant 45 minute period mid-late afternoon.

I tucked myself in a sheltered corner of the Borrow Pit (Seaton Marshes), with a Chiffchaff singing its heart out from the bush next to me. I stood there watching a flock of 25 Sand Martins feeding low over the water, skimming the water feet from me, they were totally oblivious to my presence. While watching these, I heard the distinctive 'yelp' from a Med Gull, and looked up to see a cracking full-hooded second summer Med loafing about in the wind - it joined up with the Black-heads feeding on the sewage works. To cap it all off, soon after this, there appeared a Swallow! It looked absolutely beautiful in the sunlight feeding amongst the Sand Martins, really great to see one again!!! This was probably the most relaxing 45 mins of my life.....

This Swallow comes 7 days earlier than the first one last year (in fact it is my earliest ever!), keeping in tune with the ultra early first Wheatear and Sand Martin this year.

I saw virtually nothing else all day, apart from 2 Peregrines (1 with breakfast!) and a Common Scoter off Seaton. It was so bird-less at one point that I even resorted to taking a photo of this mean looking cloud!
 

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Fourth post in a row!!! Heck!

Not much this morning, but Seaton Marshes was pleasant again with the small flock of Sand Martins still hawking over the Borrow Pit, and at last I've seen a Wheatear! It was making its way (rather hurridly) north along the tramline at about 8am.

I had a wander about the top of Beer too (some super habbo up there): 3 Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap the only rewards though.

Frazer and James, good luck tomorrow with the display at the town hall, sorry I can't be there but I will see you Friday.
 
Bird ID

Hi all,

Coul anyone help me identify these birds?

Thanks

Silvio

P.S: My guess was reed bunting (or rustic?) and short-toed lark.
 

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That's a Reed Bunt alright, and as for the other one, yeah looks like a Short-toed Lark, I'm just concerned by the apparant lack of white outer tail feathers, it actually looks Wheatear-like at a push!!
 
Glaucous-winged Gull nearly visits Axe!!

Well, I've not been TOTALLY inactive these past few days, and now have something almost exciting to report.

Firstly, today's birdies: finally caught up with a genuine summer visitor at lunchtime - Sand Martin - 25 of them, actually, at Seaton Marshes. Very nice. Late afternoon there was an Iceland Gull on the estuary - looked like the pale, blotchy one, though now it is almost white.

Received an email today from gull ringer Peter Stewart, to whom I had reported a colour-ringed Herring Gull that was on the river on Monday. It had a dark blue ring with orange code (102). Ring any bells, you twitchy types?? It was ringed 16 months ago at Gloucester landfill site. That ought to have some significance for you followers of birdy news. That's right - the UK's first Glaucous-winged Gull was ringed with the same blue-with-orange-code combo, also at Gloucester landfill. The Herring Gull has also been seen there since ringing (by one 'JDS' - maybe John Sanders of G-W Gull fame??). Rumour has it that this particular Herring Gull was seen in animated conversation with the Glaucous-winged as the two buddies flew S together, heading towards Devon. There was apparently some kind of tiff over a partially digested piece of shoe leather regurgitated by Blue 102 which resulted in the G-W Gull peeling off and heading towards Wales in a major strop. The rest is history - we got the Herring Gull.

So close........................ |=)|

PS - Hi Silvio. You'll get more eyes looking at your ID queries if you post them here: http://www.birdforum.net/forumdisplay.php?f=114
 
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Evening folks, day off today so managed to get out and about to see what was about - first stop Beer Beach not very much at all! 3 gannets, 1 razorbill (w) the only birds of note, then went for a walk around Beer quarrys & the surrounding fields, 60+ linnets, 24 goldfinches, 7 bullfinch, 2 green woodpeckers, 2 G.S woodpeckers and 5 chiffchaffs, then took a afternoon walk up to Beer Head - 7 meadow pipits, 6 alba wags, 2 chiffs, and a mega fall of 2 wheatears!! ( both male)...finished off at burrow pit, Seaton Marshes watching the sand martins, skimming around counted 17 when i left, also 1 chiffy calling.
 
Not much for me, kept Frazer and James company in my lunch break, but did sneak in birding time early morning and late afternoon.
I too enjoyed the Sand Martins this evening - they are ever so hard to count, also 4 Chiffs here is a definite increase. This evening I spent an hour sat at the farm gate till absolute dark - it really is amazing how many large Gulls fly down the valley just before dark. I had just over a thousand go down between 18:10 and 18:40....the number of decent Gulls we must miss this way....all those Glaucs that are passing over!?!?! Also two Sand Martins flew over me here looking for somewhere to roost.

I have a fair bit of time tomorrow morning....we shall wait and see....
 
Silvio,

Where did you photograph your mystery birds mate? I have some thoughts on the second bird but I really do need to know where the bird was................:brains:

Cheers

Terry
 
Hi Terry,

These photos are part of a contest in Italy....I don't know where it was taken but the birds in the ID competition must have been reported in Italy at least once. Here's Italy's check-list......
I thought it could be short-toed lark....but then I saw a drawing of the juvenile temminck's which looks just the same: dark tail, light cap with no stripes or specific markings and the light-coloured eyebrow. But there have been reported NO Temminck's in Italy!
Hope you've got the answer,

Silvio
 

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Gavin Haig said:
Well, I've not been TOTALLY inactive these past few days, and now have something almost exciting to report.

Firstly, today's birdies: finally caught up with a genuine summer visitor at lunchtime - Sand Martin - 25 of them, actually, at Seaton Marshes. Very nice. Late afternoon there was an Iceland Gull on the estuary - looked like the pale, blotchy one, though now it is almost white.
Click to expand...

Gavin,

Something wrong here. When we lived in London weren't all the Iceland Gulls in the north and the wintering Spotted Red's and Greenshanks in the south-west?
 
Good one Terry! Hadn't thought of that! I'll know the answer in a few days...you're prob right! Thanks...see if you find out what the first is.
If you guys wanted we could (or indeed, you could) do the contest on this thread and then see the final score...a bit like birding bonanza

cheers

Silvio :scribe:
 
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