Backwater Birding - Seaton, Devon (1 Viewer)

[Steve Waite]

I'm gona try and find that Whooper if it's the last thing I do

It won't take you long mate, showing proud this morning - and I'm glad too, it's the first time I've seen it! Light was really dull, but I fired a few pics off (attached). I will have an ask about but I think it might be a 2nd/3rd-winter bird. While watching it, in flew the three Egyptian Geese, the furthest north I've ever seen them!!
A rather cool thing happened with the Swan, at one point I could see it had bitten off more than it could chew and it had a struggle swallowing it, but once it got it down its beak I could see the 'lump' move slowly down it's curvey neck - amusing!!!

Surf Scoter was showing ok off Beer on a rather up and down sea. Looks quite different now, it's got a big pale patch on its bill and appears more blackish overall (though that could have been the light). It seems to be getting more and more like the 1st-winter male off Weston.

 

[James McCarthy]

Good nos of auk (100) fishing in groups close off Beer Head with 20 adult Gannet, 2 kitts and some Fulmar. If anyone wants to walk off some pud, take your scope up & try & find the murrelet

 

[Steve Waite]

Hey James, birding with the Crosses was fun, showed them a Med Gull - yeah ok, not the best non-birders bird!! The Kingfisher kept them all happy, and the bunnies!!!

 

[JRE]

What a day.
On the road by 7am, off to Exminster Marshes. No sign of the Falcated Duck, but found my first Devon 'A' bird - a White-fronted Goose. Lovely bird, showing well, but quite nervous, at one point flushed by a car. Took some field notes and made a sketch, but don't know if it'll pass the county recorder. I'll try and attach my notes later.
Had brief views of a Water Rail as I was leaving

Anyway, on to Beer. Arrived at about 10am, and soon found both the Surf Scoter and Black Redsart, both showing well.

Drove round for the next half an hour trying to find Kilmington. Finnaly found it, and made our way to Hills Farm. Viewing from the top of the hill near the farm produced nothing, so decided to drive on down. Eventually saw a few white blobs in a field, and parked the car on the verge. Struggled through the mud of a footpath, under a small railway bridge, and into the edge of a field where the swans were feeding. 20 minutes of scanning produced 26 Mute Swans, but nothing else. On the final scan, before I decided to return to the car, I picked up one more swan, very distant indeed. Head down, feeding behind a bank. Only had bins with me, had left the scope in the car, couldn't carry it through the mud. By the time the bird put its head up, my arms were aching like hell. Up goes the head. Yellow patch on the bill. Thank God! Whooper Swan, lifer.

So now it was time for Weymouth. Arrived in time for an excellent lunch, then on to Radipole. Rewarded by beautiful views of Bearded Tits, feeding only a few feet away, several of them males.
Wonderful sight, to end a great day. The usual was also at Radipole, wildfowl and a few waders, plus a couple of Cetti's Warblers.

 

[Hawfinch John]

Hey James, birding with the Crosses was fun, showed them a Med Gull - yeah ok, not the best non-birders bird!! The Kingfisher kept them all happy, and the bunnies!!!

Thought I ought to post something at last having been registered and checking the site for some time. I'm an average birder who got into it through my love of walking. I've got more serious in the last couple of years mainly thanks to Ian (Waite), bought some decent equipment and hopefully I'm slowly improving. As an average birder you will probably not get news of any rarities from me but I'll post anything which might be of general interest.

No sign of any Hawfinches from the kitchen window! Goldfinches, greenfinches, pair of bullfinches, various tits, including coal tit, coming to the garden but nothing else to excite.

Thanks to Ian for RTD today off Seaton sea front. In response to his text managed to get out on morning of Xmas eve, on the understanding that I returned for lunch at 1.00 pm! Took 65 mins. patient watching to see Firecrest at Beer in company of Karen and Clive and his wife, followed by obliging Black Redstart on beach and Surf Scoter. Got home at 1.10 pm!

Previous afternoon Ian had shown me the delights of Kilmington Sewage Works, a new local site for me. 100 or so pied wags. c20 m.pipits, 3 chiffs, 1 grey wag. and a GSW. We walked towards the river on the byway where we saw a couple of stonechats and the Whooper - which Ian 'clocked' first - then later saw it from Hill Farm.

 

[JRE]

Hi John, welcome to Birdforum! Whereabouts in Devon do you live? If your out and about in Devon as a whole, come and post on the Devon Birding thread.
Cheers,
Jyothi

 

[Simon Wakely]

Tried for surfer 11 am no luck, by reading todays reports we are Gutted. Mind you saw female common scoter,25 razorbills in a raft,redstart,stonechat. Home for coffee and watch our garden. At last 1 siskin female, still got 3 blackcaps. Chaffinch numbers well up on last year, greenfinch numbers well down.Also song thrush, last year a frequent visitor, none to date.

 

[Terry Smith]

Firecrest,

Could you tell us whereabouts on Exminster Marshes you saw your White-fronted Goose please? I will probably be up there tomorrow afternoon, so will have a look for it!

Where is Hills Farm at Kilmington? Will be there tomorrow morning, so any directions gratefully received.

Thanks.

Terry.

 

[Steve Waite]

Thought I ought to post something at last having been registered and checking the site for some time

Hi John, great choice of user name!! It's good to have you aboard. One suggestion from me, only make posts in the hours of darkness, any spare time you have during the day, spend it looking out in your garden!!! :bounce:

Working a brain killing 7 til 5 tomorrow, so not a smidge of birding for me! Must get my head down,

One last pic I took today (you can tell I got a new tripod!!!)

Goodnight all.

 

[Terry Smith]

The Whooper Swan is still along near Kilmington this morning, together with the 3 Egyptian Geese. Take the Kilmington road north out of Whitford. Pass under railway bridge, and farm entrance on left. Fifty yards after this, park car, then take muddy footpath on right, going under railway arch. Whooper was with Mutes, looking north from the bottom gate, Egyptian Geese looking south from same spot.
Have fun!

Terry

 

[JRE]

Hi Terry, the White-front was on the right when coming from the Swan's Nest Inn direction, by the small lagoon half way down the track to the canal bank car park. At one point it was flushed by a car coming past, and was very nervous when it landed again, I doubt it will stay long.
I'll try and attach my notes, let me know, anyone, if they're not detailed enough to get accepted.

Edit. OK, it didn't work.
I'll try and upload it into the gallery, and then post a link.

 

[JRE]

OK, here's a link to the pic of it I put in the gallery.

 

[Terry Smith]

Thanks for the info. Firecrest. Your sketch looks OK to me, let's hope the bird sticks around!

 

[James McCarthy]

Eider in Beer Bay this am (under the Beer Head side) along with the Surfie & a bunch of Razorbills.

 

[Hawfinch John]

Hi John, great choice of user name!! It's good to have you aboard. One suggestion from me, only make posts in the hours of darkness, any spare time you have during the day, spend it looking out in your garden!!! :bounce:

Working a brain killing 7 til 5 tomorrow, so not a smidge of birding for me! Must get my head down,

One last pic I took today (you can tell I got a new tripod!!!)

Goodnight all.

Wife and mother-in-law went to Exeter for the sales leaving me at home to keep an eye on my 91 year old mother who is also staying with us!

Decided to wash the car and clean the bird feeders. Wasn't all bad news as there were small flocks of winter thrushes and finches flying around, sometimes combining into mixed groups of about 50 birds, and sometimes perching on the trees at the back of the garden. Largest flock of fieldfare was about 30, with redwing at about 15.

Finches more numerous and more active today so I shall keep checking. As I was cleaning one of the seed feeders, I was surrounded by a flock of about 15 long tailed tits, a couple brazenly feeding off the fat balls next to me.

Glad you liked the user name Steve. I decided on it, as when I have introduced myself to local birders on the patch, the response was invariably 'you're the bloke who had the hawfinches from his garden'!
(For those who don't know me my name is John Chambers and I live in Colyton).

Will take your advice Steve and post any info. after dark!






Maximum count of fieldfare flock was c30

 

[Steve Waite]

White-fronted Goose. Lovely bird, showing well, but quite nervous, at one point flushed by a car. Took some field notes and made a sketch, but don't know if it'll pass the county recorder

I do hope you pass it on to the county recorder, if you saw a White-fronted Goose, you gotta report it the proper way! If they do reject it (sure they won't though) - so what! YOU know what you saw, and you are just doing what should be done. Give them a copy of that page of your notepad, just double check you've jotted down all the things you saw on it. Were you able to age and race it? If so, put that down too.

Will be out for a bit in the morning.

 

[JRE]

Yeah, done it all. It's going to Mike Tyler tommorow. Have a look at the pic of my notes in the gallery (see link above). I'm really familiar with this species from Slimbridge, and I had great scope views. Was a European, btw., pink bill.
J

 

[Simon Wakely]

Out and about for an hour,Bindon barns nothing grounding, loads chaffinch,and redwings. Garden turned up more, redwing eating berries , female siskin,3 blackcap, 2 gold crests eating our bird cake. Male bullfinch.

 

[Steve Waite]

Will take your advice Steve and post any info. after dark!

That is unless it's a mega rare, then post ASAP!!!! |=)| (after the phonecalls of course!).

 

[devon.birder]

Yeah, done it all. It's going to Mike Tyler tommorow. Have a look at the pic of my notes in the gallery (see link above). I'm really familiar with this species from Slimbridge, and I had great scope views. Was a European, btw., pink bill.
J

Dave Stone has put a photograph on his Surfbirds blog. You could always ask him to let you have a copy to submit with your record to the County Recorder. Roger