Andrew
wibble wibble
26-09-04
Location : Bowling Green Marsh. Devon. SX973875.
I was back at Bowling Green again early this morning to meet Pete Duxon (pduxon) for the first time. The pressure was on me as at the weekend Jason (Bluetail) had shown him his first Cirl Buntings and provided close proximity views of a fine winter plumaged male Snow Bunting. I held on to the very slim hope that the Spotted Crake was after all still there. Just to make sure I got there I accounted for several buses miraculously breaking down and got on the first available bus early in the morning. The plan almost failed as the bus driver nearly drove past me despite shouting and waving my arms like a lunatic on steroids! It occurred to me that might have put him off wanting to pick me up. Once in Topsham I was surprised to see the water still quite high even though high tide was late this evening. I did not want to waste this opportunity so made my way to the hide to catch the wader roost. From the Goatwalk I ticked off Common Pheasant from Powderham's fields on the other side of the River Exe as well as Black-headed Gull and Herring Gull on the river. Bowling Green Lane gave a few more birds but nothing to hold the presses for, just Great Tit, European Greenfinch, Wood Pigeon, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, European Robin, Dunnock and Common Blackbird. I arrived at the hide a good hour before Pete came so I used the time to count each species for submission to the county recorder and started off with the Eurasian Curlews and got to a hundred and forty seven before they all took off for the river so put them down as a hundred and fifty plus. Other waders present were more obliging by giving me time before taking off. The wader count came in at 2 Ruff, approximately 367 Black-tailed Godwits, at least 109 Common Redshanks, 14 Common Greenshanks, a couple of Dunlin and just one Red Knot. Wildfowl numbers seemed to have dropped since Saturday and the numbers proved so with just 11 Northern Shoveler, 83 Canada Geese, the lone Greylag Goose, 12 Eurasian Wigeon, 6 Gadwall, just one Northern Pintail along with a Common Shelduck, 3 Little Grebes, two adult Mute Swans with eight well grown cygnets. Also present but uncounted were Mallard, Eurasian Teal and Common Moorhen. A Common Buzzard soared over the marsh and flushed a considerable number of waders over to the river. The list was backed up with Carrion Crow, a Little Egret, Magpie, Great Cormorant, European Goldfinch and a Grey Heron. I got a text from Pete saying he was in a car park in Topsham and went over to meet him. He had walked to the hide by a different route so we bypassed each other and I returned to the hide to find him already set up. He was in full summer plumage complete with Bird Forum shirt and cap! By the time Pete arrived the majority of the waders had left the marsh and there was a small selection of birds to entertain him with. Even the Ruff had departed, I had banked on them staying to salvage Bowling Green’s reputation to a visitor! The RSPB volunteers had to go on to the reserve for maintenance work which scared more birds off the marsh. I took Pete round to the viewing platform where just Eurasian Oystercatcher was added. He was hopeful that I would find him a Whimbrel as one was seen the other day from the hide but it is a bit late in the year to easily find one. It would have been a lifer for him. The Goatwalk was no better with the interest being a dead fox washed up on the shore and a distant hovering Common Kestrel on the opposite side of the river as well as a single Barn Swallow that flew into my scope view while watching the Kestrel. I struggled to get Pete onto the Kestrel, even in my scope as it was quite mobile. That was it for the morning as Pete left to view Powderham Castle in the afternoon. Sadly with Pete’s visit coinciding with a low tide it had failed to deliver and I felt dejected as I had not shown Bowling Green Marsh at it‘s finest.
Location : Bowling Green Marsh. Devon. SX973875.
I was back at Bowling Green again early this morning to meet Pete Duxon (pduxon) for the first time. The pressure was on me as at the weekend Jason (Bluetail) had shown him his first Cirl Buntings and provided close proximity views of a fine winter plumaged male Snow Bunting. I held on to the very slim hope that the Spotted Crake was after all still there. Just to make sure I got there I accounted for several buses miraculously breaking down and got on the first available bus early in the morning. The plan almost failed as the bus driver nearly drove past me despite shouting and waving my arms like a lunatic on steroids! It occurred to me that might have put him off wanting to pick me up. Once in Topsham I was surprised to see the water still quite high even though high tide was late this evening. I did not want to waste this opportunity so made my way to the hide to catch the wader roost. From the Goatwalk I ticked off Common Pheasant from Powderham's fields on the other side of the River Exe as well as Black-headed Gull and Herring Gull on the river. Bowling Green Lane gave a few more birds but nothing to hold the presses for, just Great Tit, European Greenfinch, Wood Pigeon, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, European Robin, Dunnock and Common Blackbird. I arrived at the hide a good hour before Pete came so I used the time to count each species for submission to the county recorder and started off with the Eurasian Curlews and got to a hundred and forty seven before they all took off for the river so put them down as a hundred and fifty plus. Other waders present were more obliging by giving me time before taking off. The wader count came in at 2 Ruff, approximately 367 Black-tailed Godwits, at least 109 Common Redshanks, 14 Common Greenshanks, a couple of Dunlin and just one Red Knot. Wildfowl numbers seemed to have dropped since Saturday and the numbers proved so with just 11 Northern Shoveler, 83 Canada Geese, the lone Greylag Goose, 12 Eurasian Wigeon, 6 Gadwall, just one Northern Pintail along with a Common Shelduck, 3 Little Grebes, two adult Mute Swans with eight well grown cygnets. Also present but uncounted were Mallard, Eurasian Teal and Common Moorhen. A Common Buzzard soared over the marsh and flushed a considerable number of waders over to the river. The list was backed up with Carrion Crow, a Little Egret, Magpie, Great Cormorant, European Goldfinch and a Grey Heron. I got a text from Pete saying he was in a car park in Topsham and went over to meet him. He had walked to the hide by a different route so we bypassed each other and I returned to the hide to find him already set up. He was in full summer plumage complete with Bird Forum shirt and cap! By the time Pete arrived the majority of the waders had left the marsh and there was a small selection of birds to entertain him with. Even the Ruff had departed, I had banked on them staying to salvage Bowling Green’s reputation to a visitor! The RSPB volunteers had to go on to the reserve for maintenance work which scared more birds off the marsh. I took Pete round to the viewing platform where just Eurasian Oystercatcher was added. He was hopeful that I would find him a Whimbrel as one was seen the other day from the hide but it is a bit late in the year to easily find one. It would have been a lifer for him. The Goatwalk was no better with the interest being a dead fox washed up on the shore and a distant hovering Common Kestrel on the opposite side of the river as well as a single Barn Swallow that flew into my scope view while watching the Kestrel. I struggled to get Pete onto the Kestrel, even in my scope as it was quite mobile. That was it for the morning as Pete left to view Powderham Castle in the afternoon. Sadly with Pete’s visit coinciding with a low tide it had failed to deliver and I felt dejected as I had not shown Bowling Green Marsh at it‘s finest.
