Simon Wakely
Well-known member
Hi Gavin,
Thanks for the kind words.
As soon as the nature reserve is up and running you shall be invited over for a cup of tea and hopefully some good birding.
Simon and Sue W.
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Backwater Birding - Seaton, Devon (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Gavin Haig
- Start date
Hi Gavin,
Thanks for the kind words.
As soon as the nature reserve is up and running you shall be invited over for a cup of tea and hopefully some good birding.
Simon and Sue W.
Ranger James
Well-known member
Sounds like paradise Simon - just make sure you don't forget to venture out and see some birds away from your garden!
Nice day down at Seaton Marshes yesterday, feels like ages since I was down there last. Couple of calling Cettis on the borrow pit, loads of sedge warblers and an errant shovller on the lagoon. Six little egrets on the estuary creek too.
Found a spot on the reserve where you can watch grass snakes bask early in the morning without disturbing them. Watched for a while as three individuals slithered into view, including one ENORMOURS female. Great snakes.
James
Nice day down at Seaton Marshes yesterday, feels like ages since I was down there last. Couple of calling Cettis on the borrow pit, loads of sedge warblers and an errant shovller on the lagoon. Six little egrets on the estuary creek too.
Found a spot on the reserve where you can watch grass snakes bask early in the morning without disturbing them. Watched for a while as three individuals slithered into view, including one ENORMOURS female. Great snakes.
James
Steve Waite
What you looking at?
Good luck with the move Simon and Sue...hope it all goes smoothly!!!
Highly gripped yesterday to miss the THIRD Glaucous Gull of the year, twice!!!! I was so close to it too!! I just hope it is still around.
Just had a seawatch, 09:30 - 10:40: a really nice Stormie came west - it was a real close one too, white rump easily visible - super view, also 4 Great Northern Divers W, 34 Gannets (5E), 5 Fulmar, 2 Kits (1E), 2 Sandwich Terns, 1 Whimbrel, 4 Razorbills and 3 Guillemots. There was also a mega passage of Swallows - for the first half hour they were passing at about 20/minute....mega!!! Odd Sand and House Martin mixed in too.
Highly gripped yesterday to miss the THIRD Glaucous Gull of the year, twice!!!! I was so close to it too!! I just hope it is still around.
Just had a seawatch, 09:30 - 10:40: a really nice Stormie came west - it was a real close one too, white rump easily visible - super view, also 4 Great Northern Divers W, 34 Gannets (5E), 5 Fulmar, 2 Kits (1E), 2 Sandwich Terns, 1 Whimbrel, 4 Razorbills and 3 Guillemots. There was also a mega passage of Swallows - for the first half hour they were passing at about 20/minute....mega!!! Odd Sand and House Martin mixed in too.
Managed a few hours out and about today, pretty quiet on the whole - at Beer Head i saw 2 spotted flycatchers and a wheatear, but the most numerous bird seemed to be Goldfinches 20+...then had a look round Beer Quarry- 4 stock dove, and opposite the quarry 2 chiffs, 2 blackcap and a whitethroat...then come home to plant some more sunflower plants in the garden got about 50, all i need now is a rare bunting to find them in autumn...
KarenWoolley
Well-known member
I managed to 'squeeze in' a seawatch this morning, a large part of which overlapped with Steve's.
All I can add to his totals from after he left are; KIttiwake 4, Gannet 9, Whimbrel 3 (1E), and Manx Shearwater 4. Swallow passage continued too.
I also saw the Storm Petrel, a very close one and a brilliant view this time, I called Steve who'd already spotted it, although I'm bound to have seen it first, being at the Yacht Club and miles further east!!!??
All I can add to his totals from after he left are; KIttiwake 4, Gannet 9, Whimbrel 3 (1E), and Manx Shearwater 4. Swallow passage continued too.
I also saw the Storm Petrel, a very close one and a brilliant view this time, I called Steve who'd already spotted it, although I'm bound to have seen it first, being at the Yacht Club and miles further east!!!??
Gavin Haig
Well-known member
No birding at all for me today, but I will nevertheless be attempting a claim for some Bonanza Points.....
It happened this morning, before I was even out of bed.
"Did you hear the Cuckoo?" said Sandra.
"Er....." I replied.
"About 5 o'clock" she said, helpfully, "I heard it 'cuckoo' a few times"
For Bonanza purposes a handy response from me would have been: "Oh, that one. Yes, yes. Of course!"
NOT a handy response would have been: "No. Why didn't you wake me up?"
Because that might have started a discussion on the relative patheticness of an obsession with a silly bird-finding points game, ie. not a good start to the day.....not when I'm so far behind.....|=)|
It happened this morning, before I was even out of bed.
"Did you hear the Cuckoo?" said Sandra.
"Er....." I replied.
"About 5 o'clock" she said, helpfully, "I heard it 'cuckoo' a few times"
For Bonanza purposes a handy response from me would have been: "Oh, that one. Yes, yes. Of course!"
NOT a handy response would have been: "No. Why didn't you wake me up?"
Because that might have started a discussion on the relative patheticness of an obsession with a silly bird-finding points game, ie. not a good start to the day.....not when I'm so far behind.....|=)|
Steve Waite
What you looking at?
Gripping that one Gav, good record though!!!
As yet I've had no grips like that from my better half, though I'm waiting for the day she says "Steve - I saw this funny bird at college today on the football pitch, orange with black and white wings, flew a bit like a huge butterfly!!!" ...of course my immediate response would be..."what are you doing near the football pitch?????!!!!!!!"
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Evening all, went out and about at Bovey lane in Beer this morning - walking up the lane i was surprised to see a Tawny Owl flying down the lane towards me ( guess it must have quite large young to feed , and is hunting in the day as well as night)..also saw a single spotted flycatcher, 5 blackcaps ( including a pair going in and out a bramble patch with food) also a family of chiffchaff ( at least 3 fledglings) 1 whitethroat and 1 Lesser whitethroat..went out again early evening around the stables and horse fields and saw very little 2 yellowhammer, 2 skylark, and stacks of swallows ( no red rumped ones though!)..
Steve Waite
What you looking at?
Lots of goodies in the country at the moment aren’t there? Hopefully we’ll have another cracking bird here in the next few days….
If this post was about birds I’ve see today, it would end here! But I’ll tell you all about a dream I had last night…..I did honestly dream this, every last detail of it!!!
The field next to my house (there isn’t actually a field next to my house – just more houses, but there was in my dream) was really wet – which attracted lots of waders; there were hundreds of them, mostly little jobbies!!!! A summer plumage Goldie had me stumped for a while ‘til I clinched it as a Pacific Golden Plover (though a little further into the dream there was no sign of it, just 20+ European Goldies!) In amongst the waders were several summer plumaged Curlew Sands, a Stone Curlew (which I remember actually landing in my front garden) and about 6 Dotterel (unusually all in winter plumage!!!). One of the weirdest things was dipping a Long-billed Dowitcher! Some old dear came up to me and told me she thought she’d just seen one, albeit distant – I had a scan through but couldn’t pick it out (though that was when I found the Dotterel). Weird or what!!!?? I promise I really did dream this….I obviously need to see some more rare birds….or maybe go to the Doctors….
I look forward to going to sleep in a few minutes time, see what I can add to my local patch dream list……
If this post was about birds I’ve see today, it would end here! But I’ll tell you all about a dream I had last night…..I did honestly dream this, every last detail of it!!!
The field next to my house (there isn’t actually a field next to my house – just more houses, but there was in my dream) was really wet – which attracted lots of waders; there were hundreds of them, mostly little jobbies!!!! A summer plumage Goldie had me stumped for a while ‘til I clinched it as a Pacific Golden Plover (though a little further into the dream there was no sign of it, just 20+ European Goldies!) In amongst the waders were several summer plumaged Curlew Sands, a Stone Curlew (which I remember actually landing in my front garden) and about 6 Dotterel (unusually all in winter plumage!!!). One of the weirdest things was dipping a Long-billed Dowitcher! Some old dear came up to me and told me she thought she’d just seen one, albeit distant – I had a scan through but couldn’t pick it out (though that was when I found the Dotterel). Weird or what!!!?? I promise I really did dream this….I obviously need to see some more rare birds….or maybe go to the Doctors….
I look forward to going to sleep in a few minutes time, see what I can add to my local patch dream list……
briansharkeyuk
Member
Evening all, just returned with my father-in-law, from Colyford Common. Amongst the usual birds present were two Wheaters, one of the nominate race and one Greenland Wheatear. Other birds present included two Reed Warbler, five Goldfinch including young, 10 plus Starling, the Greylag Goose, Mallard with young, linnet (2), Greenfinch (2), Chiffchaff, Sand Martin 2, House Martin 2. Best wishes (Brian Sharkey - visiting from Hampshire)
Gavin Haig
Well-known member
Greetings Brian - thanks for posting on here. Nice to hear there are still some late Wheatears coming through. Hope you enjoyed your visit.
Minimal birding for me this week - well, not likely to be any at all really (loads of work) - but I tried to respond (albeit nearly 2 hours late) to a text from Ian M. 'Curlew Sand at Coronation Corner', it said. All I could find in a ten minute scan was a Dunlin and a sleeping Greylag. Anybody know if I've missed a nice red one? Haven't seen one of those in years.
Re. Birding Dreams.....
Don't often dream about birding, and can't recall any in the recent past, but coincidentally had one a couple of nights ago. If dreams mean anything I suspect mine reveals a troubled mind - I went seawatching, saw no birds, and lost my scope.......
I too along with karen and ian w, missed the curlew sandpiper after recieving ian m, text - apparently it was quite reddish and almost in full summer plummage - nevermind hopefully there will be a few dullish looking ones around in autumn....popped up to trinity hill tonight and after waiting for half ahour and being bit a few hundred times by midges, a few churr,s and up popped a Nightjar which then called then sat itself on a dead tree continuing to churr for a few minutes..really good to hear and see one again...
KarenWoolley
Well-known member
Another lifer for Bun and me (Chinese tonight Bun!) this afternoon. I got a text from Ian M at 3:10 whilst I was at school waiting for the kids, ‘unidentified wader from Farm Gate’. This sounded promising but I couldn’t get there till 4ish, and after missing yesterday’s Curlew Sandpiper I wasn’t holding out much hope. When I arrived I was pleased to see Ian was already back there and had the bird in his scope.
The conditions were temporarily cloudy and we had distant but reasonably good views until the sun came out again and the glare reduced the bird to a silhouette. Fortunately I had my trusty Collins Bird Guide with me in the car and we tentatively identified the bird as Pectoral Sandpiper and awaited conformation, which we got from Phil who, with Ian, had shot off to Colyford Common for a closer view. Bun and I joined them there later and I tried a few digiscoped snapshots (200+!!) ( it was playing very hard to get!) the best few of which are here. Gav arrived a bit later and also took some, so we should have a good one between us!
Well Spotted Ian!! |=)| |=)|
The conditions were temporarily cloudy and we had distant but reasonably good views until the sun came out again and the glare reduced the bird to a silhouette. Fortunately I had my trusty Collins Bird Guide with me in the car and we tentatively identified the bird as Pectoral Sandpiper and awaited conformation, which we got from Phil who, with Ian, had shot off to Colyford Common for a closer view. Bun and I joined them there later and I tried a few digiscoped snapshots (200+!!) ( it was playing very hard to get!) the best few of which are here. Gav arrived a bit later and also took some, so we should have a good one between us!
Well Spotted Ian!! |=)| |=)|
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Gavin Haig
Well-known member
Working well off-patch today, so not able to get involved in the ID of a distant small wader first seen from the 'Farm Gate' viewpoint in poor light and lots of heat-haze. By the time I headed for home it was sorted - a Pectoral Sandpiper. At last a very nice wader for the patch. I had very little time to go and have a look before going out this evening, but managed a few pics, even though it hardly showed its legs the whole time I was there!
EDIT - Nice pics Karen!
EDIT - Nice pics Karen!
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Steve Waite
What you looking at?
I too couldn't cash in on the wader till after work - at 5. Pulled up at farm gate to see a distant dark outline of a very distinctive shaped, small but not small wader, down on the river. A little later Phil and Ian moved in on it confirming it as our first rare wader for what seems like yonks - in fact it is yonks, our last rare wader on the estuary (which was a Pec) was in October 2003, that's 3 and half years ago!!!! Now it is time for the REALLY rare wader......I'm with Mr McCarthy - our river looks spot on for Terek Sand..... I'll do some more dreaming!!!
Nice highlight this evening; en-route to collecting my Chinese I remembered it was my go to check the Cows on Coly Common - as I was doing so a really cool Hobby came zooming through low down, scattering the hirrundines, my first this year.
Was going out to sea tomorrow, but that looks doubtful now so I'll see what I get up to. I heard Hawfinch John had a good day on-patch today, I hope he posts later.
Nice highlight this evening; en-route to collecting my Chinese I remembered it was my go to check the Cows on Coly Common - as I was doing so a really cool Hobby came zooming through low down, scattering the hirrundines, my first this year.
Was going out to sea tomorrow, but that looks doubtful now so I'll see what I get up to. I heard Hawfinch John had a good day on-patch today, I hope he posts later.
Hawfinch John
John Chambers
I've been checking the lanes behind the house recently to see if I could see any evidence of breeding of nuthatch, GSW, blackcap and grey wagtails and also any spotted flycatchers. I have seen the latter at 4 local locations in the past but nothing so far this year. A favoured tree of GSW (it has 7 holes in one large bramch) showed no evidence of nesting although a pair of blue tits are doing nicely in a crevice in the branch.
Both male and female GSW, however, have visited the nut feeder in the garden on several occasions. Male and female bullfinch are making daily appearances. Plenty of tits,finches (including young) plus good numbers of adult and young house sparrows. And a chiffchaff and blackcap continue to sing happily at the rear of the garden.
Today I went further afield. I saw a male blackcap and heard willow warbler and chiffchaff on the road by Heathayne Farm. Further west along the Bonehayne and Purlbridge Road opposite the next thatched cottage after Heathayne Farm, I first heard and then had good views of a singing garden warbler. It was singing from the top of what looked like an old apple tree in a small enclosed field opposite the thatched cottage.
I went down to the River Coly and saw c25 sand martins who had returned to their colony near Ratshole Gate.
I walked down various bridleways, footpaths and lanes to Lexhayne Farm, Shute with some nice views of male blackcaps, goldfinches, song thrush plus singing chiffchaffs on the way.
I then followed the footpath south alongside the Umborne Brook and at the first wooden bridge I heard a cuckoo to the west. There is not a clear view at that point (GR 245954) so I was unable to locate it. I am not sure how far away it was but a quarter of mile directly west is Tritchayne Farm so it could be in that sort of area.
Finally I thought I had seen a spotted flycatcher on the way back in Ridgeway Lane. A most spectacular aerobatic display by a small bird to catch an insect in flight gave me hope - but it was a male blackcap.
Both male and female GSW, however, have visited the nut feeder in the garden on several occasions. Male and female bullfinch are making daily appearances. Plenty of tits,finches (including young) plus good numbers of adult and young house sparrows. And a chiffchaff and blackcap continue to sing happily at the rear of the garden.
Today I went further afield. I saw a male blackcap and heard willow warbler and chiffchaff on the road by Heathayne Farm. Further west along the Bonehayne and Purlbridge Road opposite the next thatched cottage after Heathayne Farm, I first heard and then had good views of a singing garden warbler. It was singing from the top of what looked like an old apple tree in a small enclosed field opposite the thatched cottage.
I went down to the River Coly and saw c25 sand martins who had returned to their colony near Ratshole Gate.
I walked down various bridleways, footpaths and lanes to Lexhayne Farm, Shute with some nice views of male blackcaps, goldfinches, song thrush plus singing chiffchaffs on the way.
I then followed the footpath south alongside the Umborne Brook and at the first wooden bridge I heard a cuckoo to the west. There is not a clear view at that point (GR 245954) so I was unable to locate it. I am not sure how far away it was but a quarter of mile directly west is Tritchayne Farm so it could be in that sort of area.
Finally I thought I had seen a spotted flycatcher on the way back in Ridgeway Lane. A most spectacular aerobatic display by a small bird to catch an insect in flight gave me hope - but it was a male blackcap.
Ranger James
Well-known member
Pec sand in May, does that mean its Autumn already?
Still about today?
James
Still about today?
James
