5 hours in a car park!

On Saturday I went to the DBWPS meeting at Broadsands, Paignton. It was gloomy with a strong & very cold wind, but at least it didn't rain. We met in the car park, and stayed there for most of the day! There are actually three car parks, only one of which is actually in use. The other two are closed to cars & are bordered by lots of bushes & trees with a narrow pond in between them. This all makes for a nice habitat for any birds passing through, or looking for a nice spot to over-winter.

Unfortunately it was actually really quiet, possibly due to the wind which was keeping everything down. The only birds I saw in the smaller closed car park was a Goldcrest & a couple of Greenfinch. Onto the larger closed car park where there was a Grey Wagtail & a Rock Pipit on the boggy patch in front of the beach huts & quite a few Cirl Buntings on the seeds that are regularly put down for them. The highlight of the day came as we were watching the Cirls when a Firecrest put in a brief appearance. Unfortunately only two of us saw it, despite staking out the corner of the car park for quite a while. Whilst most of us were up the adjoining footpath checking out the back of the hedge, David caught a brief glimpse of it as it left that hedge & flew into the mass of brambles on the south side of the car park. We waited there for ages but unfortunately it didn't re-appear.

Cirl Bunting & Firecrest stake out

We had a quick look at the sea whilst trying to shelter from the wind. There were a few Common Scoter & Great Crested Grebes which were visible occasionally between the waves, and several Fulmars, but that was about it. We then had a wander up a farm track towards Elberry Cove, but that was pretty quiet as well.

After lunch we had another go at finding the Firecrest. There was a lot of activity in the bushes with quite a few Goldcrests, Long-tailed Tits & a Chiffchaf, and a Sparrowhawk flew low across the car park & along the pond looking for a snack. There seemed to be more Cirl Buntings than in the morning & they were now joined by several Reed Buntings. We tried to count the Cirls but they were very jumpy making an accurate count impossible, although there were at least 10. We explored the paths out the back of the car park, where a Blackcap & Bullfinch were seen, although I missed them both.

Action! I think that was the Bullfinch flying off!

Eventually we gave up on the Firecrest & left at about 3.30pm, by which time our numbers had dwindled from the original 16 to a hard core of 7. Maybe '5 hrs in a car park' is a bit of an exaggeration, but not by much! Still, we enjoyed ourselves!

Torbay & a Somerset Hawfinch

As I'd enjoyed my visit to Hope's Nose, on Saturday (22nd) I headed to Berry Head, the other side of Torbay, to see how it compared. When I arrived it was pouring with rain & blowing a hooley, it was supposed to be from the SE but seemed to vary quite a bit. I headed down past the quarry to sea-watch from the bottom of the cliff to get some shelter. The Fulmars really close on the cliff, I think it's the first time I've ever actually heard them. I saw a couple of Great Northern Divers, lots of Gannets, Razorbills & Guillemots, and a few Kittiwakes. I stayed for about an hour before trudging back up the hill with my head down against the wind & rain. Half way up I happened to glance up and saw a dorsal fin really close into the shore in the bay. It was fantastic to see, the first time I've seen anything like it in this country. The tip of the fin had been damaged & looked quite jagged. I saw it a few times before it disappeared. About 10 minutes later I saw 2 much further out, I don't know if one of them was the same individual as I didn't notice the tip of the fin. However, this time there were 2, a large one & a calf. The large one was gracefully breaking the surface of the water with its back & fin, but the small one kept making a splash, although I couldn't quite work out what it was doing. Having some fun maybe! I've since been told that they were probably Harbour Porpoises. They certainly made my day.

View back towards Torbay from the lower level at Berry Head

View West from Berry Head

I stopped at Brixham Harbour next & saw 2 Great Northern Divers just beyond the marina. Then on to Broadsands where I saw another Great Northern Diver, 6 Great Crested Grebes & a Black-necked Grebe.

I later checked Devon Bird News to see an entry by Mike Langman which mentioned a boat trip in Torbay on Sunday (23rd). So I got up at 5.45am to head back to Paignton Harbour for a 2 1/2 hr trip around the bay. There were only 4 of us, including Mike, and the organiser Nigel. The weather was pretty good, and the water was quite calm apart from the short time we spent beyond Berry Head, when it got a bit lumpy. We had some fantastic views of Great Northern Divers, Razorbills & Guillemots, and a glimpse of the Black-necked Grebe & more Harbour Porpoises. We also saw some Purple Sandpipers in the breakwater & 2 Peregrines. The others saw a Red-throated Diver, but I missed it. It was well worth £12 & I'll certainly booking on a few more trips in the future.

Our transport around the bay

Approaching Berry Head

After the trip I headed to Boradsands again to look for the 'Tristis type' Chiffchaff that had been seen there for a while. Luckily I met a local birder who had seen it regularly since its arrival & had heard it calling. He found it for me and the differences were quite marked. I guess officially I shouldn't count it on my list as I didn't hear it call, but I'm happy it was a Siberian Chiffchaff, so I'm going to!

At the end of the boat trip I'd asked Mike Langman if he could suggest somewhere locally that I could find a Woodcock. I was expecting him to send me off to a soggy woodland somewhere, but instead he suggested Morrison's in Paignton! He said to park in the small car park beside the fuel station & that when it got dark the Woodcocks fly from the direction of the Paignton Zoo Aviary over the car park in the direction of the school. I was about to give up and go home at 5 as it was dark, when I suddenly heard an odd whistling noise approaching rapidly, although unfortunately it was coming up Morrison's access road the other side of the street lights to where I was standing. I only had a brief glimpse of the bird as it went past the last street light & headed low over the petrol station, but between that, the noise & it taking the predicted route, I'm happy it was a Woodcock.

Morrison's in Paignton......Woodcock country!

That was the last of my 2012 Devon birding. On Christmas morning we headed to Reading to spend a couple of days with my sister, her family & my parents. Our route took us just 15 minutes away from Bruton in Somerset where a couple of Hawfinches have been seen for a week or so. It would have been rude not to try for them, so we diverted off the A303, allowing a maximum of 30 minutes at the churchyard. We didn't even need that long as I found a female at the top of a tree after about 15 mins. A Christmas Day tick!

Bruton Church & Hawfinch tree (the middle tall twiggy one!)

It's a shame there's no more access to the Queen Mother Reservoir near Windsor until 2013, a Buff-bellied Pipit would look nice on my list.

Year List now on 220 + 3

Broadsands

Yesterday I went to Broadsands, Paignton for my 3rd DBWPS field meeting. About 16 of us met up in the car park at 10am & headed straight into the unused rear-car park to look for Cirl Buntings. They are regular visitors as seed is put down for them every few days. I've only ever seen a Cirl Bunting in Spain, so I was hoping for an addition to my UK Life List as well as the Year List.

As we walked into the car park a chap was just leaving with his dog & no birds were to be seen. We all lined up with scopes & bins & were amazed by a woman that insisted on walking her dog right across the seeded area in front of us, despite our request that she walk around. There's always one.....

After she'd gone we waited a while with only a few Dunnocks appearing for the seed. Then I spotted a bright yellow blob deep in the hedge, which was indeed our first glimpse of the Cirls. 13 of them then descended on the seed, including 5 gorgeous males. I was now a happy birder!

Admiring Cirl Buntings feeding under the hedge

Broadsands Beach & location of Cirl Buntings

We admired them for a while before moving up to the sea front to look for divers & grebes. A Black-necked Grebe had been seen earlier (which I need), but all we could find were a few Shag, Cormorant, Great Crested Grebe & a small flock of Common Scoter. And a seal! I have no idea what type. Again we were amazed by another 'friendly' local. We were lined up on the pathway, but it was very wide with plenty of room for people to pass. A large chap on a mobility scooter headed straight at us and wound his way between us complaining that he was blind and that we get in his way every weekend! Why he didn't just scoot past on the 5 feet of empty pavement is a mystery!

Broadsands Bay looking North

Looking East towards the headland

A novel way to take the dog out....

It's quite difficult to get your head round compass directions, looking out to sea you feel that you should be looking South, but you are actually looking East due to the fact that you are on the West side of Torbay.We walked East onto the headland, which had a lovely rocky shore with crystal clear water, a Rock Pipit & a Kestrel.

Just like the Med....but colder

At the next bay we turned back across the headland towards the car park, admiring a Buzzard on a post & a playing 'hunt the Blackcap' after hearing a male starting to sing in a hedge. After a while we finally found a pair.

We lunched in the car park in the sunshine. Some of the group left, but most of us then went on to the Clennon Valley, also in Paignton. I'd been there once before with Mary in April 2003 when we twitched a Dusky Warbler.

We walked across the playing fields into the wooded valley, which was unfortunately a bit quiet. There were a few ducks & Mute Swans on the pond, but nothing exciting. We had a close encounter with a Coot on the path which climbed the bank to munch on a Tongue Fern. I just love those feet!

The Clennon Valley pond

Beware, Coot crossing

We had a bit of excitement when 2 Peregrines flew overhead, one carrying a pigeon.We saw them again about 20 mins later, still with one carrying a pigeon & leaving a trail of feathers.

The only other interest was a couple of Chiffchaffs & an unusually large group of about 22 Magpies ( I looked it up & the collective noun is apparently a 'tidings'!).

We had walked quite a way during the day and it was beginning to tell.....

Slacking birders!

It was about 4pm & as everyone headed for home I had a quick look at the 'Where to Watch Birds' book & decided to stop at Preston Sands, between Paignton & Torbay, on my way back. I had a quick scan but didn't find anything new on the water. There were 14 Turnstones on the rocks below. I was watching them through the scope when I saw a movement out of the corner of my eye. There were 4 more Turnstones standing beside me on the pavement!!

Preston Sands looking North towards Torquay

It's behind you....................

Just the 1 new species for the Year List; Cirl Bunting, the 'Devon Joker' as Dom of the 'Year List Race' called it! In the UK they're only found in this part of Devon, so the chaps will have to make a trip down here to get one! List now on 136 & 1 Sub-species