Devon Birding (1 Viewer)

[Andrew]

At Down End today, (it's the small headland between Saunton and Croyde). 13 Common Scoter off the point out towards Lundy, then another smaller group off towards Hartland on closer inspection turned out to be 7 Velvet Scoter. There was also a group of 24 Wigeon on the sea - a sure sign of hard weather.

Jon

Nice one with the Velvet Scoters Jon.

 

[The Kerreran]

Met the finder of yesterday's Snow Geese and the report did not refer to the two resident white farmyard geese. He described them as having dark bodies and white necks.

There were two blue morph Snow Geese knocking about on Exminster Marsh last winter, could these be the same birds?

Is it just me or does it NOT feel as cold as it is?

In the howling wind on the Exe this afternoon it felt just as cold as it is....

 

[Jon Turner]

Nice one with the Velvet Scoters Jon.

Thanks Andrew, I'm staying in Croyde for a while, so I'll keep an eye on them and post again if they remain. 2 Chiffchaffs in Croyde today.

Jon

 

[Maurice499]

Downend/Saunton Down. 7 Velvet Scoter and a seperate raft of 17 Common Scoter and 1 Tufted Duck just off Downend at 09:10 this morning. Further out to sea was a Black-throated Diver.

 

[Ppedro]

On the Kingsbridge Estuary this morning did the walk from Curlew Drive to Charleton Marsh. A proper snow shower on the way around and icy patches. Went ass over tit bottom of Curlew Drive. Optics and Bones ok, looked around and don't think anyone saw me, phew. The birding was no great shakes, best being 2 Tufted Duck, 4 Goldeneyeand the wintering Great Northern Diver. 95 Brent Geese were seen but only 3 first winter birds noted, the second succesive winter they have been virtually absent here.
Charleton Marsh looking great at the moment and held 243 Wigeon, 179 Teal, 4 Gadwall and 11 Shoveler.
Had a trip over to a partly frozen over Beesands ley in the afternoon. 40 Mute Swans may be a site record, 117 Gadwall maybe nearing a county record ? Also 18 Shoveler, 6 Teal, 57 Wigeon ( 7 on ley, rest grazing in adjacent field which i cannot recall seeing here before), 46 Pochard, 16 Tufted Duck, Scaup ( fem ) and 60 Coot.
Redwings all over the place, many in West Charleton squabbling over pockets of leaf litter by the main road, must be a lot of road casualties around. Thinking optimistically the forecast for the coming week not so severe as was previously predicted so lets hope there remains enough areas around here where the Redwings can make it through. Still does not look great for some resident birds though.

 

[Roy C]

I have had Redwing in my garden for the past couple of days and today a Fieldfare has joined them - this is a first for my garden for both species. From what I can gather they are scarcer in the north now as they are being driven further South.
These shots were taken through a double glazed window from the comfort of my study.

 

[Jon Turner]

Went ass over tit bottom of Curlew Drive. Optics and Bones ok, looked around and don't think anyone saw me, phew.
Redwings all over the place, many in West Charleton squabbling over pockets of leaf litter by the main road, must be a lot of road casualties around. Thinking optimistically the forecast for the coming week not so severe as was previously predicted so lets hope there remains enough areas around here where the Redwings can make it through. Still does not look great for some sedentary resident birds though.

Yup, I took a fall today too, fortunately only my pride hurt!

Re the welfare of the birds; found a dead Fieldfare in the garden this morning, extremely emaciated. (muscle score zero) weighed only 64.2 grams. My Svensson doesn't give a weight range for Fieldfare, but a couple of Mistle Thrushes I have ringed lately have both been over 130 grams. The bird otherwise looked healthy.

Met a friend in Croyde this morning who told me of 'some' Woodcock down by the ponds in Croyde. Planned to go that way, when almost immediately one flew past us and on down the road! I'll check the ponds 'dreckly' to see how many there might be. An oddly out of place Golden Plover on the way out to Baggy Point, but little else of note.

Jon

 

[Jon Turner]

I have had Redwing in my garden for the past couple of days and today a Fieldfare has joined them - this is a first for my garden for both species. From what I can gather they are scarcer in the north now as they are being driven further South.
These shots were taken through a double glazed window from the comfort of my study.

And very fine they look too!! Lots of both in and around Croyde at present.

Jon

 

[SANDYMERE]

A few hours down the Burrows

Spent a couple of hours with the camera down Northam burrows lunchtime. Lots of golden plovers and Meadow pipits along with the usual waders and geese.
Everything looking cold and hungry, on the frozen mud flats, other than the Carrion Crow!

 

[Andrew]

Went ass over tit bottom of Curlew Drive. Optics and Bones ok, looked around and don't think anyone saw me, phew.

Keep an eye on 'You Have Been Framed' this year Perry!

The two Smew were visible from Exton Railway Station this afternoon. Very distant as they were nearer to the other bank close to Turf but appreciable enough. One was a smart drake.

Redwings and Fieldfares now shockingly close to human habitation. Fieldfares are coming into our garden for the extra apples I am putting out and plenty of Redwings were in Matalan car park in Exeter unconcerned by people.

Hope to get a few pics of the Fieldfares tomorrow having put a bed sheet up as a hide today. White is now 'camouflage'.

Regards,
Andrew.

 

[Andrew]

I have had Redwing in my garden for the past couple of days and today a Fieldfare has joined them - this is a first for my garden for both species. From what I can gather they are scarcer in the north now as they are being driven further South.
These shots were taken through a double glazed window from the comfort of my study.

Lovely pics Roy! I hope to have a shot or two in the next few days having put extra apples out.

By the way, got myself a Jobu sidekick and it is a dream like you said.

 

[Matt Prince]

Saw my first 'garden tick' meadow pipit yesterday in the burial ground outside my house in Exeter. Watching blackbirds shooing off redwings out there as well yesterday and today.

Popped into Exton and saw Ruff amongst the asembled blackwits, avocet and dunlin.

Further afield more winter thrushes and meadow pipits in Manor Gardens, Exmouth, plus the black redstart on the tourist information building. Looked for slavonian grebes off the sea front, but could only find mixed scoter flocks, great northern diver and gc grebe.

Met Martin Wolinksi at Tospham rec on the way back home and fortunately he tipped me off about the male + female smew from Exton, which were still present albeit the other side of the river. Large group of barwits flew in whilst we were scoping the smew.


Lapwing today within 10 feet of me on a grassy bank - everything is getting bolder with the cold weather, though it was much warmer today. Above freezing anyway

 

[Gavin Haig]

Re the welfare of the birds; found a dead Fieldfare in the garden this morning, extremely emaciated. (muscle score zero) weighed only 64.2 grams. My Svensson doesn't give a weight range for Fieldfare, but a couiple of Mistle Thrushes I have ringed lately have both been over 130 grams. The bird otherwise looked healthy.

Hi Jon. This may be of interest - some weight figures for Redwing and Fieldfare ('healthy' vs 'in trouble') can be found on the Portland Bird Observatory website. Have a look at the entry for 8th Jan.

Edit: ...and a bit more info in the entry for 10th Jan.

 

[Maurice499]

Golden Plover at Baggy

Yup, I took a fall today too, fortunately only my pride hurt!

Re the welfare of the birds; found a dead Fieldfare in the garden this morning, extremely emaciated. (muscle score zero) weighed only 64.2 grams. My Svensson doesn't give a weight range for Fieldfare, but a couiple of Mistle Thrushes I have ringed lately have both been over 130 grams. The bird otherwise looked healthy.

Met a friend in Croyde this morning who told me of 'some' Woodcock down by the ponds in Croyde. Planned to go that way, when almost immediately one flew past us and on down the road! I'll check the ponds 'dreckly' to see how many there might be. An oddly out of place Golden Plover on the way out to Baggy Point, but little else of note.

Jon

I counted 25 Golden Plover in fields adjoining Hoe Farm on the 3rd.

 

[Maurice499]

Canada Geese at Barnstaple.

John W estimated c800 on the Taw yesterday with a very large number of Wigeon as well. You don`t normall see Wigeon up the river as far as the new bridge?

 

[Jon Turner]

Hi Jon. This may be of interest - some weight figures for Redwing and Fieldfare ('healthy' vs 'in trouble') can be found on the Portland Bird Observatory website. Have a look at the entry for 8th Jan.

Edit: ...and a bit more info in the entry for 10th Jan.

Thanks for that Gavin, I saw a reference to the Obs site on another thread, and see that winter Fieldfares are usually about 115 grams, so the one I found was almost half weight. Found a dead Robin this morning!

Maurice, that's a lot of Canada Geese! I counted over 700 in Braunton a few months back, but I thought a lot of them had emigrated to Cornwall! Certainly don't often get Wigeon up-river, in fact there have been hardly any Wigeon at all in recent years, compared to twenty years ago.

The 7 Velvet Scoter are still off Down End this morning, although I couldn't see any Common Scoter. A Pochard was with the Velvets!

Jon

 

[Maurice499]

Hi Jon, It was John Wicks who saw all those Canada geese off Barnstaple. You saw a Pochard and I saw a Tufted Duck with the Scoter. Is it normal to see either on the open sea?

 

[Jon Turner]

Hi Jon, It was John Wicks who saw all those Canada geese off Barnstaple. You saw a Pochard and I saw a Tufted Duck with the Scoter. Is it normal to see either on the open sea?

I don't think so, which is probably why we both reported them! Neither there this morning, in rather more inclement conditions. So cold and windy I couldn't keep my scope still enough to count the Common Scoter further out!

Jon

ps I thought it was the JW to whom you were referring!

 

[Jon Turner]

Drove out to the point this morning (great surf coming in!). The Velvet Scoters were close in under the lay-by and although there were now nine birds in the group, I only counted 5 Velvet Scoter. Further out towards Lundy the Common Scoter flock is now at least 14. A Peregrine flew off inland just as I arrived.

BBC Spotlight on wedenesday night had a report of a Bittern at Arlington Court. Roger Doble emailed me to say another Bittern had been seen on Northam Burrows by the stream at the southern edge of the park on Thursday. So, worth looking around any piece of water with reeds I guess.

Jon

 

[parttimer]

Anybody know if the Whoopers are still around Weare Gifford I'm hoping to get out tomorow at some point.