Andrew
wibble wibble
02-05-03
Location : Bowling Green Marsh & Topsham Recreation Ground, Devon. SX973875 & SX962884.
The weather was not very good to say the least on the way to Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham with the car wipers set to express. Undaunted by this, we shortly parked in Bowling Green Lane. The rain reduced to a slight trickle however the cold strong winds were doing their best to chill me as much as possible.
On the way to the hide I had the pleasure of watching 11 Swifts right above us, these are the slim line acrobatic marvels of the skies. Through a gap in the hedge, I glimpsed a departing Grey Heron and it was obvious that there was not much to be seen. I knew it was a low tide but I still expected to see quite a few birds. The last of the Teal and Wigeon have finally left for the summer grounds and there were not even any Tufted Ducks to be seen. I spoke to a birder on his way home, and the exceptional birds he had seen were a couple of Knot and some Whimbrel and nothing much else.
Settling down into a relatively empty hide, my mood was lifted by the sight of 200+ Sand Martins with a few of 100+ Swallows and 50+ Swifts hovering low over the water catching flies. There were only about ten each of the Swallows and House Martins, it was a blanket of brown Sand Martins. In the grass near the hide a Swallow came to roost on a clump of mud and the scope came out with the camera too. As soon as I had it all lined up the bird behaved customarily by flitting off when I was about to press the button! Around the marsh there were not many birds really. I counted 7 Canada Geese, a lone Mute Swan, 12 Shelducks, 7 Wood Pigeons, one Pied Wagtail, a female Goldeneye, one Magpie, 15 Coots, three of 5 Mallards and only 4 Black Headed Gulls. I was scanning from left to right and in the very far right corner of the field there was Izzy the Glossy Ibis feeding away. I then concluded, it actually uses the southern field at high tide when the marsh is busy and then comes into the marsh when the birds have vacated it. I took some pictures of the two Spoonbills and got an unusual one with a Barn Swallow flying past!
I left the hide and made for the viewing platform with the rain increasing, on the way the only birds added were 4 Blue Tits, 4 Chaffinches, 6 Greenfinches and a single Dunnock. I was on the platform at quarter past twelve and expecting to see a large assortment of waders. The mudflats were practically devoid of anything at first sight except 47 Shelducks and lots of Black Headed Gulls. I had to look hard through the dark and gloomy weather for some birds of note and added 26 Oystercatchers, a single Curlew, 2 Great Black Backed Gulls and one low flying Cormorant. The wind was so strong it was making viewing through the scope a difficult job and the rain was covering the lens as soon as I had wiped it dry.
I was hopeful that the estuary from the Goatwalk would throw up the Whimbrels and Knot. Walking back to the lane I saw the sky was solid with Swallows and House Martins. Arriving at the slope down to the estuary I was really glad to see two of 6 Whimbrels and got out the camera but they were having none of it and moved along towards Topsham with the other four. On the other side in the low light I could make out 156 Godwits and could not tell which they were but my money would be on Black Tailed Godwits. That was really all there was on offer here so I went back to the car seeing a Whimbrel in the tide wrack that had come to an unfortunate end.
After a nice comforting cup of Rosie Lee we moved on to the Recreation ground in Topsham. I walked round this riverside park by myself looking for a Water Pipit which I have yet to see. Along the riverside I searched the phragmites and found nothing at all to my dismay, the mud that was exposed in winter is now covered with a lush green grassy growth. This would make any bird very hard to see without being able to hear them. The birds on the playing fields were 3 Blackbirds, 11 Carrion Crows, a single Rook and 4 Starlings.
Looking out from the causeway, I was depressed by the continuing lack of birds, the wintering birds have mainly dispersed to other habitats to breed and the river’s mud banks were devoid of any waders. The only birds were a few Shelduck, lots of Black Headed Gulls and one or two Mallards. I was determined to see a Water Pipit or at this rate, anything interesting really. At the northern corner of the park I scanned the river again and got a morale booster in the form of a pair of Little Egrets. The reeds held some of 8 House Sparrows clinging onto the reed stems pretending to be Reed Buntings!
The path now ran along the back of some houses with reed beds to the left occasionally opening up to give views of the mud and sand banks. Using the gardens were many of the House Sparrows, a Robin and a Dunnock. My clumsy footsteps had spooked a bird from the reeds and I stopped to wait for it to return and only a few seconds later a pair of Reed Buntings alighted on the reed stems, both were male birds.
The split in the river soon came into view and the usual melee of gulls were there on the point to study. The majority of them were Black Headed Gulls with 23 Herring Gulls, 9 Great Black Backed Gulls and 6 Lesser Black Backed Gulls. There were some gulls in different stages and the weather was not the kind to stay there and identify them so I just took one or two pictures of a Lesser Black Backed Gull and returned back up the path.
Returning to the car was quite uneventful with only a single Magpie, 4 Goldfinches and one Pied Wagtail showing. I tried to take some pictures of the Goldfinches feeding on dandelion heads but the light was not bright enough for a fast shutter speed which in combination with the wind made it difficult to get a picture worth using at all.
The day had not really gone well with poor weather and no special birds to show for my efforts except for Izzy the Glossy Ibis, the Sand Martin spectacle and the Swifts circling above. Strangely enough I have to admit I really did enjoy today which goes to show sometimes it is not just the birds that make a good day, it is actively birding and walking that brings satisfaction. I distinctly remember having a day very similar to today last winter and I even enjoyed that one.
Location : Bowling Green Marsh & Topsham Recreation Ground, Devon. SX973875 & SX962884.
The weather was not very good to say the least on the way to Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham with the car wipers set to express. Undaunted by this, we shortly parked in Bowling Green Lane. The rain reduced to a slight trickle however the cold strong winds were doing their best to chill me as much as possible.
On the way to the hide I had the pleasure of watching 11 Swifts right above us, these are the slim line acrobatic marvels of the skies. Through a gap in the hedge, I glimpsed a departing Grey Heron and it was obvious that there was not much to be seen. I knew it was a low tide but I still expected to see quite a few birds. The last of the Teal and Wigeon have finally left for the summer grounds and there were not even any Tufted Ducks to be seen. I spoke to a birder on his way home, and the exceptional birds he had seen were a couple of Knot and some Whimbrel and nothing much else.
Settling down into a relatively empty hide, my mood was lifted by the sight of 200+ Sand Martins with a few of 100+ Swallows and 50+ Swifts hovering low over the water catching flies. There were only about ten each of the Swallows and House Martins, it was a blanket of brown Sand Martins. In the grass near the hide a Swallow came to roost on a clump of mud and the scope came out with the camera too. As soon as I had it all lined up the bird behaved customarily by flitting off when I was about to press the button! Around the marsh there were not many birds really. I counted 7 Canada Geese, a lone Mute Swan, 12 Shelducks, 7 Wood Pigeons, one Pied Wagtail, a female Goldeneye, one Magpie, 15 Coots, three of 5 Mallards and only 4 Black Headed Gulls. I was scanning from left to right and in the very far right corner of the field there was Izzy the Glossy Ibis feeding away. I then concluded, it actually uses the southern field at high tide when the marsh is busy and then comes into the marsh when the birds have vacated it. I took some pictures of the two Spoonbills and got an unusual one with a Barn Swallow flying past!
I left the hide and made for the viewing platform with the rain increasing, on the way the only birds added were 4 Blue Tits, 4 Chaffinches, 6 Greenfinches and a single Dunnock. I was on the platform at quarter past twelve and expecting to see a large assortment of waders. The mudflats were practically devoid of anything at first sight except 47 Shelducks and lots of Black Headed Gulls. I had to look hard through the dark and gloomy weather for some birds of note and added 26 Oystercatchers, a single Curlew, 2 Great Black Backed Gulls and one low flying Cormorant. The wind was so strong it was making viewing through the scope a difficult job and the rain was covering the lens as soon as I had wiped it dry.
I was hopeful that the estuary from the Goatwalk would throw up the Whimbrels and Knot. Walking back to the lane I saw the sky was solid with Swallows and House Martins. Arriving at the slope down to the estuary I was really glad to see two of 6 Whimbrels and got out the camera but they were having none of it and moved along towards Topsham with the other four. On the other side in the low light I could make out 156 Godwits and could not tell which they were but my money would be on Black Tailed Godwits. That was really all there was on offer here so I went back to the car seeing a Whimbrel in the tide wrack that had come to an unfortunate end.
After a nice comforting cup of Rosie Lee we moved on to the Recreation ground in Topsham. I walked round this riverside park by myself looking for a Water Pipit which I have yet to see. Along the riverside I searched the phragmites and found nothing at all to my dismay, the mud that was exposed in winter is now covered with a lush green grassy growth. This would make any bird very hard to see without being able to hear them. The birds on the playing fields were 3 Blackbirds, 11 Carrion Crows, a single Rook and 4 Starlings.
Looking out from the causeway, I was depressed by the continuing lack of birds, the wintering birds have mainly dispersed to other habitats to breed and the river’s mud banks were devoid of any waders. The only birds were a few Shelduck, lots of Black Headed Gulls and one or two Mallards. I was determined to see a Water Pipit or at this rate, anything interesting really. At the northern corner of the park I scanned the river again and got a morale booster in the form of a pair of Little Egrets. The reeds held some of 8 House Sparrows clinging onto the reed stems pretending to be Reed Buntings!
The path now ran along the back of some houses with reed beds to the left occasionally opening up to give views of the mud and sand banks. Using the gardens were many of the House Sparrows, a Robin and a Dunnock. My clumsy footsteps had spooked a bird from the reeds and I stopped to wait for it to return and only a few seconds later a pair of Reed Buntings alighted on the reed stems, both were male birds.
The split in the river soon came into view and the usual melee of gulls were there on the point to study. The majority of them were Black Headed Gulls with 23 Herring Gulls, 9 Great Black Backed Gulls and 6 Lesser Black Backed Gulls. There were some gulls in different stages and the weather was not the kind to stay there and identify them so I just took one or two pictures of a Lesser Black Backed Gull and returned back up the path.
Returning to the car was quite uneventful with only a single Magpie, 4 Goldfinches and one Pied Wagtail showing. I tried to take some pictures of the Goldfinches feeding on dandelion heads but the light was not bright enough for a fast shutter speed which in combination with the wind made it difficult to get a picture worth using at all.
The day had not really gone well with poor weather and no special birds to show for my efforts except for Izzy the Glossy Ibis, the Sand Martin spectacle and the Swifts circling above. Strangely enough I have to admit I really did enjoy today which goes to show sometimes it is not just the birds that make a good day, it is actively birding and walking that brings satisfaction. I distinctly remember having a day very similar to today last winter and I even enjoyed that one.
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