Backwater Birding - Seaton, Devon (3 Viewers)

[bob hastie]

Finally caught up with the Osprey today.
Got to Coronation Corner at about 4 just in time to see it flying up stream past the car carrying a small fish, no time to set up the camera!
Just after 6 the Osprey appeared again, catching upstream from where I was and then went off to the nest box pole at Colyford Common.
Quickly drove round there and managed to get a few shots, the light was going fast giving very low shutter speeds so apologies for the image noise as I had to push the ISO up further than I like.

 

[Gavin Haig]

Actually TWO Ospreys today (around 14:00) - both juvs. Presumably only one of them has adopted the Kestrel Box post!

Lovely photos Bob! :t:

 

[Steve Waite]

Actually TWO Ospreys today (around 14:00)

Hmmmm, that may explain why when I was on the estuary late morning yesterday an Osprey drifted in from the Axmouth ridge before fishing, thought it was odd that our 'kestrel box' one came in from this direction. But who knows!?

Has anyone else noticed how Siskins are vocal magicians? So many times I've heard a cacophony of all different Siskin calls (tuus, shweets, sluurs, the lot!), and have looked up expecting to see a huge flock...when actually there's just two! Well today, they got me twice, but the other way round! I was stood near the old Racal site (actually looking for Wrynecks!) when I heard a quiet single Siskin call. I looked up trying to pick out a lone bird passing high overhead, and then a flock of 23 came shooting through! It happened again later along the river, this time a flock of 25.

Other than these I've seen very little of note today. The sea gave a flock of 9 Sandwich Terns close east. The estuary has shown the five Ruff, one Barwit, one Gypo Goose and one Osprey still. A walk around Alhallows produced lots of Meadow Pipits, two Wheatears but no Wrynecks!

 

[Steve Waite]

Colyford Common this morning up to 09:00 gave the 5 Ruff still, 2 Dunlin and now 2 Bar-tailed Godwits amongst the 30+ Blackwits. 3 Yellow Wags and a Tree Pipit flew over.

I spent half hour at the farm gate before I started work at 12:00. After I'd been there about ten mins I picked up a distant Osprey circling high over Colyton. It continued to gain height and drifted south until I lost it. Don't know what it was doing, maybe it was another new one, or maybe it was one of ours departing??

 

[Roger Boswell]

Great to see not one but two Ospreys from Coronation Corner. One was flying up-river and later another was fishing beside the tram sheds. Later in the morning it flew directly over the Seaton Hide - I wish I had been OUTSIDE!

The Great Crested Grebe was still on the river and a Kingfisher was fishing from the shrubs near the caravan park. Lots of Curlews and Black-tailed Godwits were flying around - and a couple of Buzzards were also circling overhead.

 

[Phil Abbott]

At colyford common tonight there were 5 Ruff,2 Dunlin,2 Little Stints 1 on the main scrape with a couple of Dunlin and 1 on the small scrape,this one was limping and looked to be struggling also 2 Barwits , 7 Blackwits and 2 Green sands.

 

[Simon and Sue Wakely]

Evening all,

A visit to the farm gate at 11:50am hoping to repeat yesterdays stop of an Ospray, thanks to Steve for pointing us in the right direction!:t: It seemed to be sat on its favorite post eating a fish, terrible mist made viewing very difficult, but no Ospray for us today. A fly catcher sat in one of our apple trees was not the species we had in mind, also a late juvenile was gagging for food; well it's got a long way to fly in the near future!

Two pictures below;
Happy hoping for a Wryneck...
Simon and Sue

 

[Steve Waite]

Still two Little Stints at Colyford Marsh early this morning, lovely birds! Otherwise there seemed to be very little new in today just the same old 5 Ruff, Osprey, etc... Beer Cemetery and Beer Quarry were both very quiet, except for the massive numbers of Swallows and House Martins, plus one lateish Sand Martin.

I think today was the day we missed our Honey Buzzard, ah well - plenty of time for another one!

 

[KarenWoolley]

I managed to see the Little Stints at Colyford Common this morning, when I eventually found the 'get up and go' to go. It appeared I needed a couple of gallons of tea first!! Fortunately Gav and Steve had both gotten there early and texted me the news t. The 'same old' Osprey was also there and I took this 'artistic' snap of it. That's fog obscuring the bird in case your wondering!:king:

 

[Phil Abbott]

At Beer head this morning 3 Wheatears,3 Whitethroats,7 Blackcaps,10 Chiffchaffs,2 Willow warblers and a Stonechat were all the grounded migrants.4 Golden plover,2 Yellow wags,2 Grey wags,4 albas,8 Tree pipits,300 swallows,400 House martins,5 Sand martins,10 siskins, and 3 skylarks,over plus meadow pipits everywhere.
At Coly common theres now 4 Little stints,2 Barwits,17 Blackwits,5 Ruff and 2 Dunlin on the scrape,Whinchat on the north hedge and also the Osprey still present.

 

[Phil Abbott]

Grounded migrants at Beer head this morning were few and far between only 2 Wheatears, 4 chiffchaffs and loads of meadow pipits.
Vis mig was a bit more productive with a single crossbill being the highlight also 30 siskins 3 Tree pipits,4 yellow wags,2 Grey wags also lots of mipits and hundreds of Hirundines mostly House martins with a few Swallows and Sand martins.
While walking around Trinity hill this afternoon with Bun we flushed a Gropper off the path which showed well in a small fir tree also Tree pipit over.
Its just come on the pager that there was a Honey buzzard at coly common today.

 

[Simon and Sue Wakely]

Evening all,

Farm gate 11:30, our Ospray was eating a fish and being harassed by crows; so off and flying around the common, still holding its meal, it landed in a tree, finished it off and then it was flying again. Wonderful views, it flew higher and higher.

Then at 12noon, Africa here i come! Ruffs, Godwits and Dunlin on the scrape. There's a possiblity that Gavins Montegu's Harrier is still here, a large bird flew out of a tree, in the far corner of the field. I was looking down on it, darkish brown showing a white rump. A very quick glimps, but the image is strong in my head. From our position we wouldn't have seen it but coly common hide, if you get the chance to visit, scope the trees in the corner of the sheep field next to the marshes, perhaps it's roosting there by day?

Our local Tawy olws had there usual 15 minute coversation. Perhaps they were commenting on the weather and how much easier it is to detect their pray!! The barn owl was screaming its head off and 9o'clock. Hope you enjoy our pictures, we've named them 'horseshoe for luck' and 'see you next spring'!

Happy birding
Simon and Sue:t:

 

[bun]

6 Wheatears, 2 Whinchats, 2 Blackcaps and 4 Chiffchaff at the Beer Cemetery fields this morning.

Managed to catch up with the Little Stints (176) and Ruff,s at Colyford common this evening, also the Osprey perched in a tree opposite the hide/box ( which was jam packed with 5 people at one stage, and left me gasping for oxygen)

Spent a lot of time looking at the sky today for raptors, and probably saw about 10 Buzzards but no Honeys, interestingly as Phil has mentioned one reported at Colyford sometime today.

 

[Steve Waite]

Honey Buzzards continue to flirt with us, with the sighting on Birdguides yesterday of one over Colyford. Anyone reading this know anything about it? I see one flew over Charmouth this afternoon, so near...

Colyford Common this morning gave 4 Little Stint, 10 Dunlin, 5 Ruff, 1 Barwit, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Wheatear and the Osprey eating a huge fish on the Kestrel box pole. I looked over the scrape again about half an hour later from the farm gate as after I left a Spotted Redshank had dropped in, my second of the year. I'm sure this pleased a certain year lister....

A wander around my favourite part of Allhallows today produced singles of Spot Fly and Tree Pipit. A couple of Wheatear were on the beach with a Sandwich Tern past. Lastly a pleasant stroll over Musbury Castle (where I must add our only rare Wheatear record comes from!) produced a Wheatear (just a Northern though!) and 30 grounded Meadow Pipits.

 

[andy r]

Honey Buzzards continue to flirt with us, with the sighting on Birdguides yesterday of one over Colyford. Anyone reading this know anything about it? I see one flew over Charmouth this afternoon, so near...

Colyford Common this morning gave 4 Little Stint, 10 Dunlin, 5 Ruff, 1 Barwit, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Wheatear and the Osprey eating a huge fish on the Kestrel box pole. I looked over the scrape again about half an hour later from the farm gate as after I left a Spotted Redshank had dropped in, my second of the year. I'm sure this pleased a certain year lister....

A wander around my favourite part of Allhallows today produced singles of Spot Fly and Tree Pipit. A couple of Wheatear were on the beach with a Sandwich Tern past. Lastly a pleasant stroll over Musbury Castle (where I must add our only rare Wheatear record comes from!) produced a Wheatear (just a Northern though!) and 30 grounded Meadow Pipits.

Steve, when are you going to get your arse up here - on crap winds we've had 4 Yellow-browed, R B Fly, 2 Barreds and a sprinkling of common migrants - sad as it is - the Yorkshire folk would like to see you again B

 

[KarenWoolley]

It was nice to see our second Spotted Redshank of the year at Colyford Common late this morning. I managed to get a few snaps of this one too.:king:

Axe Cliff wasn't very productive but was very cold first thing. I counted 12 Wheatears, 4 Chiffchaffs, 3 Goldcrests 2 Blackcaps, a nice flock of 11 Siskin, 40 or so Meadow Pipits, 10 Skylarks and 2-300 Linnets.

 

[Steve Waite]

Sat at the farm gate for a while mid afternoon, again! Now 6 Little Stints on the scrape, but only 3 Ruff and no Spotted Redshank. The Osprey spent ages doing nothing but eating on its favourite post...that's my kind of bird! (though fish isn't my most favoured meal!). Incredible numbers of House Martins high over the valley too, every sky-ward bin view seem to have at least 20 in it!

When I arrived home, I saw a small motorised aeroplane fly past the house, I decided to take a few pics of it. It's only when I was looking at the photos on my laptop much later on this evening that I realise I was wrong and have made a massive cock up! It was actually a Honey Buzzard! Note the protruding 'Cuckoo-like' head, flat wings and long tail. It didn't flap once!!! Sorry for the lack of texts guys but I've only just looked at the pics.

Andy R - you will see me (or the others will if you're not there), sometime within the next 2 months, I have plans... Miss the east coast like mad!!!

 

[Simon and Sue Wakely]

Evening all,

Sorry about the late report, a Hobby flew over this morning; we also sighted one yesterday. Estuary 11:30, a great crested grebe, 8 dunlin, 35 redshanks, 4 black tailed godwit and one bar tailed godwit. We enjoyed a chat with a fellow birder who informed us that on radio 4 this morning, they were talking about Osprays and some are now over-wintering in Brittany. Farm gate, there was an Ospray on a post, we are sure one flew out on sunday, the question is, would it be a diffrent one vacating the same post? Who knows?!? It was enjoying a mega mullet! No ruffs for us this morning. A barn owl was early tonight, at 7:50 having great success in a just cut corn field.

Apologies about the quality of the pictures, it was so windy I was sturggling to hold the camera steady as I always digi-scope.

Happy birding
Simon and Sue

 

[Phil Abbott]

just messing around with photos and attachments so heres one of a tail less sub alp i took in Cyprus

 

[Steve Waite]

What a day! And only spent about 2 hours out in the field!

A nice surprise early this morning were a gorgeous pod of Bottle-nosed Dolphins off the seafront, in view for at least 40 minutes. Watch the footage I recorded of them here, here and the splash caused by one here.

This afternoons highlight was from the farm gate. At 15:25 I lined up my scope with a raptor circling just the west of me, it was a dark-phased juvenile Honey Buzzard!!! It was a corker, but all rather spoilt by the fact it rapidly soared away south, and presumably straight out to sea. It's nice that my skyward effort has finally been rewarded though!

Other sightings today include 9 Sanderling (2 in summer plumage) and 2 Ringed Plover on the beach, a 2nd-winter Med Gull and Osprey still on the estuary and on Colyford Scape 6 Little Stints and 3 Ruff still.

Why so brief I hear you all ask? Because of this! I wasn't actually planning to get it up and running for a few days, but after this mornings Dolphin excitement I just couldn't hold back! Why? Well, Gav's is bloody brilliant, as is Karens....so why not? We'll see how long it lasts!