Backwater Birding - Seaton, Devon (2 Viewers)

[Simon Wakely]

Kev, by the way the three plovers we had at 7.30. Were ringed Large black breast band the give away. Well done on Little ringed. Well will tomorrow bring more forum Luck lets hope so.

 

[tereksora]

Well done Steve on a great find, and many thanks Gav for sticking with it while I impersonated a sick headless chicken! and thanks for getting news out so quick.
Brilliant
Bri

 

[Terry Smith]

I finally made it over for the Stone Curlew at 1930hrs! I had been busy ferrying elderly parents around all day, and when I returned home I was surprised to hear of the bird. I ate a hasty tea, dropped my parents back to their accommodation, kissed the wife and hurtled towards Seaton Marshes as fast as the traffic would allow. I got to S.M. carpark to find it deserted. Holy Cow, I thought (or words to that effect), the darned things gorn. I jogged out to the hide just in case but could find no Stoner. I scanned over the estuary and was pleased to see a small knot of birders gathered at Coronation Corner. I was even more pleased when I recognised a friendly face amongst them. A quick phone call confirmed they were watching the bird, and Martin was even good enough to wait for me to arrive to put me onto the bird, thanks mate. I sprinted back to the car (not something one should be doing in their 50's!), jumped in and it was pedal to the metal all the way to CC!

I was kindly put on to the beast and enjoyed views of it until at least 1950hrs. By this time it was getting rather active and feeding quite a bit. I last saw it walking fast round the bend of the river. So that brings you all up to date with the final sighting of today.

A quick look at Brucklands pools last thing only produced a male Tuftie and a male Sparrowhawk with prey sat on a rusty gate.

But thanks for the Devon Tick Steve, keep up the good work!

 

[Steve Waite]

A quick look at Brucklands pools last thing only produced a male Tuftie

Interesting record that one - maybe the male from last week, but it hasn't been seen at all.....so, quite possibly a new bird. Thanks for that.
Im super glad everyone who wanted to, got to see the bird, always makes it that little bit nicer...

Now, lets see what tomorrow brings....

 

[Gavin Haig]

A quick look at Brucklands pools last thing only produced a male Tuftie......

In this neck of the woods the word 'only' cannot be linked with 'Tuftie' unless an even rarer beast is included in the same sentence, eg. 'The Ring-necked Duck had done a bunk, leaving only the Tuftie'.

Im super glad everyone who wanted to, got to see the bird......

I'm sure Phil is having a lovely time in the Canaries......

So glad you got it in the end, Bri - I won't tell anyone about all the stamping and swearing when it wouldn't behave at first............... |=)|

EDIT - thanks to all the visitors for your +ve comments. It's great to get a bird that warrants a bit of a twitch. Hopefully we'll need to see you all again soon. Cheers. And, from the proprietors of Frydays, special thanks to Andrew for keeping them in business!

A good day.

 

[Terry Smith]

Is the Axe Estuary & Seaton Bay Bird Report available from any shops? Perhaps the RSPB would be kind enough to sell them at their new shop at Darts Farm in Topsham? Or is this expecting too much? Regrettably I've only found them too willing to sell their own goods, but when it comes to promoting some other good local cause, then a blind eye is turned...........

I speak from years of experience...............honest!

Sorry about the 'only' factor regarding your patch Tuftie, Gav, didn't realise they are unusual on yer patch - take them for granted around the Exe!

 

[bob hastie]

Two visits to Beer Head today, first one at about 7.30 fairly quiet, one wheatear and a couple of swallows.
Second visit just after lunch, also fairly quiet bird wise but I finally got to see an adder (thanks alot for the directions Karen)
First shot is as taken, second is a crop of the first
The third one has me completely stumped, I saw this fly past but have no idea what it is, any ideas?

 

[Andrew]

The third one has me completely stumped, I saw this fly past but have no idea what it is, any ideas?

Ah, that picture brings it back. I recognise them easily as Brummie Grockles (Homo moronius), quite common on the coast as they often leave the dull boredom of their existences in the Black Country and it's environs to leap off our cliffs in desperate attempts to seek a minor thrill. You should try Berry Head as it is swarming with them.

 

[Simon Wakely]

Terry, Sue and i Wish we introduced ourselfs to you.Your Owl hunt turned up a Tuftie, Great stuff rare on our patch.River am Iceland Gull on C.Corner. Out 6.30 pm, 3 Ringed plovers and a Little ringed, a great spot running in and out behind a grass bank well up river at C. Corner.20 mins at Farm Gate, Swallows, Canada Geese, Mistle Thursh Wonderful bird. And Bobs pic of Phil Fantastic stuff. Spain has nothing on our patch, the Stone Curlew must have been proved irresistible. Just hoping he didnt land on a Adder.

 

[Gavin Haig]

Just to let you know gavin i have had Adders on the estuary,on the hedgerow by the campsite at axmouth,mightbe worth a look!!

Sorry Jez - meant to respond to this before. Thanks for the tip. Think I'll be looking for adders a bit more often now that I know for sure they exist.... |=)|

A rapid whizz round the valley first thing was fairly quiet, though a Green Sandpiper at Colyford Common was a year tick. The Lesser Whitethroat was in good voice there too.

An early afternoon walk on Beer Head was hot, still and bird-free, but other creatures compensated nicely. 2 adders (one was very fat), 2 Clouded Yellows and several Holly Blues, plus my first Orange Tip and Speckled Wood (2) of the year. Home via seafront and estuary, where there were, respectively, a Sandwich Tern on a buoy and an intermedius LBB Gull.

Finally, a late evening look at the estuary revealed a little wader passage - 4 Ringed Plovers and a Dunlin, along with a couple of points-earners - 2 Bar-tailed Godwits. They may only be worth 3 points (each, Steve??), but I need all I can get after the Golden Child's monster scoring yesterday. How far in the lead are you now Steve?

 

[Steve Waite]

Cracking pic of an adder that Bob!!!!

Beer Head was quiet this morning - though my first male Redstart of the year brightened things up a tad - a very vocal one too!!! 16 Willow Warblers were the supporting cast. Apart from this, and the white Iceland Gull off Coronation Corner - not much to report from me.

Best moment of the day occured this evening - I went off to ring 3 gorgeous baby Tawny Owls!!

 

[Steve Waite]

And at last I've updated Bonanza - hope I haven't missed anything out. Gav, just 3 points for the Barwits.

Also of interest Clive (from Sidmouth) had an LRP briefly on Colyford Scrape late morning.

 

[bun]

Bobs third picture is of me looking for the pound coin i dropped up Beer Head earlier in the morning ( i never found it)

 

[Gavin Haig]

Didn't get out until this evening, so missed out on the little flurry of activity at Beer Head this morning - hopefully the details will be posted later. Very quiet at Colyford Common - just a single Wheatear and a small feeding gang of Swallows and Sand Martins. Still haven't seen a House Martin.

As far as I know Little Egrets have not been proven to breed locally. Definitely getting a little closer to that almost inevitable event though - a pair was mating this evening, and yanking away at twigs as if checking out their nest-building suitability. We'll see..........

 

[Andrew]

Now, now, Gavin, don't tease inland county patch workers like this convert by using the words "only" and "Wheatear" in the same sentence!

Still searching hard for a local Wheatear for the third year running. Looks a forlorn hope now. Switching my attention to those common Stone-curlews!

(BTW, thanks for the report, read it all now and liked it.)

 

[Simon Wakely]

Hi All, Grasshopper warbler at Farm Gate heard it last night not Reeling its Cricket call was great and agian at 7oclock this evening, Steve drove past, popped to Bruckland,the call of Cuckoo, Steve saw your car there did you hear it. We are praying you did. I took my hat off to your Fantastic find, and got Bitternd by six Million Nats.

 

[bun]

Evening all, managed to spend a very pleasant 13 hours out and about today, first stop at 6.00 was Beer Head, which turned out to be a very good choice - saw 3 Redstarts, 2 females and a suberb male ( ian w had another male on a different part of the headland at the same time, so there must have been 4, smashing!) also saw 14 willows, 6 chiffs, 5 wheatears, 2 red legged partridge and 3 blackcaps and strangely 5 shelduck sat on castle rocks at under hooken!....then just as i was leaving 9.30ish i heard the reeling of a Grasshopper Warbler, got some very good views of it too as it sat in the middle of the hedge quivering its wings and still reeling! ( only the second one ive ever seen)......after this i went to a few scrub/ bramble patch fields opposite Beer Quarry ( which was quiet bar a few chiffs).. luckily the fields were not 18 willows, 10 chiffs, 5 blackcaps and my first whitethroat of the year, Then i went over to seaton marshes which was quiet apart from 2 Bar Tailed Godwits on the river, a cetti,s warbler singing and showing at borrow pit and 3 wheatear, then took my self off to coly common saw the 2 Egyptian geese looking very happy together and 2 Lapwing, finished up sat on the seafront saw me first sandwich tern (w) 2 gannets(w) 1 common scoter sat on the sea and 8 swallows in off....also logged 1 clouded yellow, 2 speckled wood, 2 orange tips, 1 brimstone and a Holly Blue when out and about today.... sounds promising with the little egrets who would have thought that 15 or even 10 years ago..

 

[Steve Waite]

Still haven't seen a House Martin.

There's a few flying around in Colyford - opposite the Wheelright, they've been there a couple of days now.

Yeah, had a bit of time out this evening - no Cuckoo heard by me Simon, which direction did the sound come from? Infact saw nowt, although Willow Warblers seem a lot more numerous.

 

[Gavin Haig]

Now, now, Gavin, don't tease inland county patch workers like this convert by using the words "only" and "Wheatear" in the same sentence!

Still searching hard for a local Wheatear for the third year running......

If only a Wheatear would visit the Grand Western Canal....

Glad you like the report, Andrew. Any constructive comments very welcome (via PM). Don't hold back!

I'm sure a GWC Wheatear is only days away....... 3

There's a few flying around in Colyford - opposite the Wheelright, they've been there a couple of days now.

Ha ha! Ok - thanks Steve. I wasn't really appealing for House Martin gen, though! I'm sure I'll see one or two soon. Now it looks like I drive around with blinkers on......actually I probably do...

 

[KarenWoolley]

I've been away most of the weekend, arrived back around two o'clock and was up on Beer Head by three! After getting Bun's texts this morning I was hoping to see at least one Redstart but no such luck! I did see 12 Willow Warblers, 2 Wheatears and another Adder. Plenty of butterflies around too. Very Nice indeed! I was glad to be back! |=)|

Bob, I'm glad you caught up with one of the adders (and could follow my directions!)