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Devon Birding (3 Viewers)
- Thread starter JRE
- Start date
JRE
Guest
Desperately frustrating day today.
Was offered a lift to Bowling Green this morning, only had half an hour but dropped in anyway. 231 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Avocet but b*gger all else as the tide was out.
Spent the afternoon at Haldon. Peregrine, Sparowhawk, Kestrel and 11 Common Buzzards but no Honeys.
Got home to find an email from Alan Doidge telling me Nick Ward had relocated the Aquatic at Slapton (I was with Nick yesterday all morning at one of the ringing sessions, and we didn't get a sniff of it).
Pleaded with my parents to get me down to Slapton but drew a blank.
Logged onto RBA just now: Aquatic Warbler, Slapton, still at edge of reedbed, 100m north of road junction, view from road only.
Back to school tomorrow so not a hope.
Managed to dip Little Crake, Marsh Sand and King Eider in Devon this year (amongst other things). In a national context, I'll pick them up eventually. But in my home county... :-C
Was offered a lift to Bowling Green this morning, only had half an hour but dropped in anyway. 231 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Avocet but b*gger all else as the tide was out.
Spent the afternoon at Haldon. Peregrine, Sparowhawk, Kestrel and 11 Common Buzzards but no Honeys.
Got home to find an email from Alan Doidge telling me Nick Ward had relocated the Aquatic at Slapton (I was with Nick yesterday all morning at one of the ringing sessions, and we didn't get a sniff of it).
Pleaded with my parents to get me down to Slapton but drew a blank.
Logged onto RBA just now: Aquatic Warbler, Slapton, still at edge of reedbed, 100m north of road junction, view from road only.
Back to school tomorrow so not a hope.
Managed to dip Little Crake, Marsh Sand and King Eider in Devon this year (amongst other things). In a national context, I'll pick them up eventually. But in my home county... :-C
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Hyrax
Well-known member
I've just moved to Starcross and I've seen the osprey hanging around close to Powderham castle about a mile up the road a few times already so it is quite likely. Having said that it is noticably bigger than a buzzard - the first time I saw it I had no idea there was one around either and I intially thought it was a heron flapping out a tree!
JRE
Guest
No sign of the Aquatic Warbler this afternoon (although there was an unconfirmed report from 7.50am). The regular female Marsh Harrier was over the Higher Ley.
Red-breasted Flycatcher at Bolt Head and Red-backed Shrike at West Charleton, so at least some stuff is filtering through from the east.
Red-breasted Flycatcher at Bolt Head and Red-backed Shrike at West Charleton, so at least some stuff is filtering through from the east.
kmonty1950
Well-known member
Have a look at this site - you'd be surprised what the Exe estaury turns up! http://www.dawlishwarren.co.uk/
Or this one - http://www.wildlifeindevon.org.uk/index.html - and Joe Ray's (see link on his posts) for Devon in general.
Good birding
Ken.
JRE
Guest
Excellent seawatch off Berry Head this morning. Final totals:
Sabine's Gull (adult), 5 Long-tailed Skua (adult, 4 juveniles), 5 Pomarine Skua, 66 Arctic Skua, 43 Great Skua, 20 Balearic Shearwater, 6 Sooty Shearwater, 14 Manx Shearwater, Great Northern Diver, 28 Common Scoter, Velvet Scoter, 403 Kittiwakes, 64 Razorbills, 11 Bottle-nosed Dolphin, Harbour Porpoise.
Sabine's Gull (adult), 5 Long-tailed Skua (adult, 4 juveniles), 5 Pomarine Skua, 66 Arctic Skua, 43 Great Skua, 20 Balearic Shearwater, 6 Sooty Shearwater, 14 Manx Shearwater, Great Northern Diver, 28 Common Scoter, Velvet Scoter, 403 Kittiwakes, 64 Razorbills, 11 Bottle-nosed Dolphin, Harbour Porpoise.
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Ppedro
Well-known member
Start Point
Conditions looked promising for Start this morning but sadly the results did not live up to the promise.
Birds on the move included 220 Swallows, 30 House Martins, 450 Meadow Pipits, 180 Linnets, 130 Goldfinches and 2 Redpolls ( surprised no Siskins ). In the bushes were 20 Song Thrushes, 5 Blackcaps, 14 Chiffchaffs and 15 Goldcrests. Best of the rest were 2 Merlins, 3 Wheatears and 2 Reed Buntings. A bird i've not seen at Start before was a Little Grebe on a farm pond.
Conditions looked promising for Start this morning but sadly the results did not live up to the promise.
Birds on the move included 220 Swallows, 30 House Martins, 450 Meadow Pipits, 180 Linnets, 130 Goldfinches and 2 Redpolls ( surprised no Siskins ). In the bushes were 20 Song Thrushes, 5 Blackcaps, 14 Chiffchaffs and 15 Goldcrests. Best of the rest were 2 Merlins, 3 Wheatears and 2 Reed Buntings. A bird i've not seen at Start before was a Little Grebe on a farm pond.
Chris Oates
Why does a Black-headed Gull have a brown head...
Plymouth City Centre - not seen it before so I don't know if it's a resident dislodged by the scaffolding around the Guildhall but a Peregrine was circling overhead calling continuously at 4:45pm.
da2m
Well-known member
Pretty much the same at the warren except arctics where in good numbers.
JRE
Guest
On Sunday, Steve Waite had a Great Northern Diver fly west past Seaton. Shortly afterwards, it was seen again, still going west, past Dawlish Warren. Half an hour later and it passed Berry Head, this time going south (like everything does, when it passes Torbay). The bird evidently hugged the coastline, as the simpler option would have been to go straight past The Bill (assuming it had come from further east) and then past Prawle Point (assuming it was continuing west), effectively cutting straight across Lyme Bay and would therefore be far to distant to be seen from Seaton or Dawlish.
The above may not make perfect sense, but I've tried to illustrate it below, making the assumption that the bird originated from east of Dorset.
It's a rather crap map, sorry, but it should give an impression of what I mean.
Any thoughts?
Joe
The above may not make perfect sense, but I've tried to illustrate it below, making the assumption that the bird originated from east of Dorset.
It's a rather crap map, sorry, but it should give an impression of what I mean.
Any thoughts?
Joe
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Ppedro
Well-known member
If the visibility offshore was not great perhaps it was a first year bird needing the security of following the coastline on its first migration. Also with autumn migration being fairly leisurly why not just amble along to the wintering quarters taking things slowly.
I have often thought that divers may have a great memory of the bits of coastline they have travelled along before. Almost like a built in Sat Nav system. Often in the spring I have watched them head south low over the sea through Start Bay towards the point and then suddenly rise up and fly very high over the land and again low over the sea in Lannacombe Bay. This implies to me they were very aware of the topography of small and very local stretches of coastline. Also seen similar things at Bolt Head.
I have often thought that divers may have a great memory of the bits of coastline they have travelled along before. Almost like a built in Sat Nav system. Often in the spring I have watched them head south low over the sea through Start Bay towards the point and then suddenly rise up and fly very high over the land and again low over the sea in Lannacombe Bay. This implies to me they were very aware of the topography of small and very local stretches of coastline. Also seen similar things at Bolt Head.
Steve Waite
What you looking at?
Nice map Joe.
Other option is that it may have lifted off the sea only slightly east of Seaton, so it's route wouldn't look like an upside down 'U', but more a straight line, which would make more sense!
We've had some interesting sightings of seabirds seen elsewhere first/later. For example a spring adult Long-tailed Skua (May '06) flew west past us 45 minutes after it had left Chesil Cove. Also a whole movement of Balearics last autumn. A short but strong passage occured past Portland Bill one morning, then 1 hour plus later they started passing us. Counts were almost identical, as were the flock sizes! But other times, for example today, Portland had 46 Bonxies and we had NONE!
Just don't get it!!!???
Other option is that it may have lifted off the sea only slightly east of Seaton, so it's route wouldn't look like an upside down 'U', but more a straight line, which would make more sense!
We've had some interesting sightings of seabirds seen elsewhere first/later. For example a spring adult Long-tailed Skua (May '06) flew west past us 45 minutes after it had left Chesil Cove. Also a whole movement of Balearics last autumn. A short but strong passage occured past Portland Bill one morning, then 1 hour plus later they started passing us. Counts were almost identical, as were the flock sizes! But other times, for example today, Portland had 46 Bonxies and we had NONE!
Just don't get it!!!???
Ppedro
Well-known member
Start Point
Beautiful morning, some vis mig for an hour after first light. Nothing great, would love to find a Tanager, a Nighthawk would make smile permanently until next autumn. As for an Alder / Willow Flycatcher.............. i'll ring someone else and they can have it !!
Today saw Merlin, Water Rail, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 90 Swallow, 30 House Martin, 80 Meadow Pipit, Wheatear, 290 Linnet, 360 Goldfinch, 5 Redpoll, 42 Siskin, Blackcap, Dartford Warbler, 12 Chiffchaff, 6 Goldcrest, Coal Tit and Reed Bunting.
Beautiful morning, some vis mig for an hour after first light. Nothing great, would love to find a Tanager, a Nighthawk would make smile permanently until next autumn. As for an Alder / Willow Flycatcher.............. i'll ring someone else and they can have it !!
Today saw Merlin, Water Rail, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 90 Swallow, 30 House Martin, 80 Meadow Pipit, Wheatear, 290 Linnet, 360 Goldfinch, 5 Redpoll, 42 Siskin, Blackcap, Dartford Warbler, 12 Chiffchaff, 6 Goldcrest, Coal Tit and Reed Bunting.
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Ppedro
Well-known member
Start Point
Little vis mig this morning. 30 Goldcrest, 12 Chiffs and a couple Blackcaps in Start Farm.
Must be as good a time as any for someone to add Upland Sandpiper or Nighthawk to the Devon list this weekend. Bolt Head or the Warren has to be as good as anywhere Soareyes.
Little vis mig this morning. 30 Goldcrest, 12 Chiffs and a couple Blackcaps in Start Farm.
Must be as good a time as any for someone to add Upland Sandpiper or Nighthawk to the Devon list this weekend. Bolt Head or the Warren has to be as good as anywhere Soareyes.
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