A windy Grey Phalarope

Last night just before I went to bed I happened to look at the Devon Birds website & saw that there had been a Grey Phalarope on the Otter at Budleigh during the day. This morning it was blowing a hooley, but after a bit of early indecision I finally got myself in gear & headed for the estuary. Actually, I couldn't have been entirely in gear as I forgot my bins! Still, I had the scope & camera so it wasn't a complete disaster!

There were already a couple of people with a scope by the car park looking at the Phalarope, so I didn't even have to search for it. We walked along the top of the shingle bank, not wanting to get too close & scare it off, but then a couple of people & dogs walked right past it on the lower path & it didn't bat an eyelid…so we then went down the slope and had fantastic views of it feeding in the mud. It was definitely a bit of a show off, walking back & forth right in front of us. I'd called Libby when I first arrived, so she came along and got number 203 on her Year List, and brought along her friend Delia, a photographer, who took lots of photos which I have no doubt will be far better than mine!

It's the little white sport on the far side of the water ahead of my shadow!

Axe Estuary Wetlands

About 15 of us attended a meeting of the East Devon Birders at the Axe Estuary Wetlands today. Although the weather was a bit gloomy & chilly at first, we did have a bit of sunshine for a minute or two & more importantly, no rain. There was also a meeting of another birding group from Taunton, so we set off to start at Colyford Common so that we wouldn't be fighting for space.

Heading for Colyford Common. 

The group split into 2, half of us went to the platform & half to the hide. The birds were a bit thin on the ground, but I did get a 'first' for a birding trip. A bit of advice for anyone that lives next to a bird reserve….don't get out of the bath/ shower & stand in front of the French windows to dry off! I didn't manage to find the bird that had just landed in the top of a tree, but saw rather more than I wanted to in the house behind! We then swapped places & went to the hide where we saw a Green Sandpiper, Curlew, Black-tailed Godwit, Lapwing & Stonechat.

Outside the hide at Colyford Common

We couldn't see the other half of the group at the platform, so assumed they'd headed back towards the information centre without us. However, when we got there & looked back towards Colyford Common, we discovered that they had in fact been in the reed beds & it was us that had left them behind! We added Snipe to the list,  made use of the excellent new toilet facilities, passed the Taunton group that was now heading for the Common & headed to Black Hole Marsh. Again, it was very quiet. There were a few Swallows & a Buzzard overhead, one Ruff, one Dunlin, some Oystercatchers, Lapwing & Teal.

The platform at Black Hole Marsh

After a spell in the Island Hide, lunch called & we headed back to the car park. About half of us then went back to the Tower Hide, where there was a bit more action. Several Water Rails made fleeting appearances, or one was moving about a lot! There was a nice Grey Plover, Redshank, Black-tailed Godwit, Curlew, Wigeon, Little Grebe & a very obliging Kingfisher. There were also lots of gulls on the estuary, mostly Black-headed, with a few Great Black-backed & a Med.

The Axe from the Tower Hide

I finished with 52 species for the day, plus a possible Cetti's Warbler in the reeds on the way back to the car park. A very pleasant day.

W Day

This morning I collected Libby at 8.30 & we went to Bowling Green Marsh for a few hours. It was really busy out on the marsh as the waders flew in on the rising tide. There were some nice birds including about 10 Curlew Sandpipers, Knot, Ruff, Spotted Redshank, Avocet & a Med Gull. Surprisingly for a Sunday morning, it wasn't too busy in the hide.

Despite there being no reports of the Wryneck at Dawlish Warren, we decided to go and give it a try. We paid our £3.50 for the car park, giving us 4 hours to walk out to Warren Point,  find the Wryneck & get back. By now a sighting had been posted on Birdguides, so at least we knew it was still about. Out on Warren Point we met a chap who had been walking along the path & flushed the Wryneck, so we walked a loop around the path and set up the scopes on the dunes overlooking the area where the bird had vanished.

Wryneck hunting

We saw plenty of Linnets, Stonechats, Juvenile Starlings, a few Wheatears & a Skylark, and then a rather nice Whinchat, my first of the year. There had been quite a few birders about when we arrived, but they'd gradually wandered off leaving only us and one other chap. We'd set a deadline for leaving, and as it approached we decided to wander back to the path where the Wryneck had been flushed earlier. We hadn't been there long when I heard a whistle & looked up to see the other birder waving at us. We dashed over & he pointed out a Willow tree where the Wryneck had just landed, having been flushed from the path again.

The Wryneck Willow....the right of the 2 trees in the centre of the photo

Luckily it was still there & we managed to watch it for several minutes before it dropped down out of sight. Not the best of views as it was partially obscured by foliage, but good enough to see all of its distinguishing features. It was a Lifer for Libby, and only my second ever, the first having been on the Scillies in 2004. We followed the path back towards the car park, and had a better view of it as it flew up into the Willow again. We were happy bunnies as we hurried back to the car park, having over run our ticket in our excitement.

A thoroughly good day......

Must try harder.....

I've been a bit lax in the birding department lately.....too many other things going on! I really must try & get out more.

I'm not really Year Listing this year, as evidenced by the fact that I'm on a measly 146. However, Libby is trying for a good list, and is rapidly approaching 200.  It's been fun joining her as she adds a few to her list, including the Caspian Tern, Temminck's Stint & Spotted Crake around the Exe. We've also been over to Black Hole Marsh a couple of times, the latest being on Friday in search of the Little Crake, which unfortunately failed to materialise. However, we went away quite happy with our Little Stint & Curlew Sandpiper. I don't think the chaps from Stoke & Leicester were quite as happy!

The Little Crake hunt at Black Hole Marsh.

I tried out the new hide at Bowling Green Marsh yesterday afternoon & saw my first Osprey of the year. It seems a bit odd to build a nice new hide & then make a large part of it virtually unusable for birders by fitting full height glass which isn't of sufficient quality to use bins or scope through. However, apparently that section may be locked up & used as a classroom anyway....what a waste!

Nightjars on Mutters Moor

On Wednesday I joined 18 other members of Devon Birds for a Nightjar hunt on Mutters Moor near Sidmouth. It was a clear dry evening with a nice bright moon to help the Nightjars hunt for supper, although there was a reasonably strong chilly wind which probably kept  some of their insect menu grounded. At least we didn't get nibbled by any mozzies.

We arrived at 8.30pm & wandered to the North of the moor for fantastic views as the sun set.

It must have been about 9.45pm when we first heard the Nightjar's 'churring', and shortly after that one was spotted perching in a nearby tree. Most of us got a decent look at it in the scope before it flew off. We then had good but brief views as a pair flew around not far from where we were watching.

Headed back to the car park in the dark after a good night out!

Venford

Yesterday I had a very enjoyable day out on Dartmoor with the East Devon Birds group. The weather may not have been as good as on the trip to Belstone last week, but the birds were just as good.

Seven of us met up at the car park at Venford Reservoir. When I arrived the list was already growing... unfortunately I'd missed the Crossbills in the trees beside the car park which had been seen by a couple of the early arrivers,  but I did see a Cuckoo & Tree Pipit. We set off to walk across the dam, and spent ages watching the House Martins flying below us, along with my first Spotted Flycatcher of the year.

Watching a Cuckoo from the car park....we could have stayed there all day!

The dam bridge isn't designed for the shorter birdwatcher

The reservoir was devoid of birds apart from a Great Crested Grebe

We walked around the back of the water works buildings and into the valley, picking up a male Yellowhammer, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Blackcap, Siskin & Goldcrest en route. It was a lovely walk down the valley, and not long before we saw a beautiful male Redstart & started hearing Wood Warblers. There were quite a few, but although we could hear them it took quite a while before we managed to see one.

A lovely walk even without the birds

Playing the Wood Warbler challenge! Fay was on top form, definitely top spotter for the day!

Everything was carpeted in moss

A miniature forest

Whilst watching for the Wood Warblers we found a nice hole in the trunk of a tree. We were wondering who may live there when a Pied Flycatcher appeared on the scene and disappeared inside with a beak full!

Just managed to catch her....

We continued down the valley before climbing up onto the edge of the moor, and heading back to the car park for a very late lunch.

We had to negotiate an obstacle course....Ian took the hard way!

Looking back along the valley...unfortunately no Dippers on the river!

I was hoping to see the Crossbills over lunch....I thought I heard them but didn't see them & I wasn't 100% sure. After lunch, myself Ian & Bob went for a short wander whilst Fay & her Mum had a cuppa in the car park. We hadn't found anything new when Fay kindly came & found us to let us know the Crossbills had returned the the car park. We hurried back....I dashed fastest & managed to see a male Crossbill, pointed out by Fay's Mum who'd been keeping watch. Unfortunately before Bob & Ian arrived it vanished. We stayed for a while, but there was no sign. I was the last to leave as I needed to use the facilities before heading home. Murphy's Law....as I returned to the van, there was a commotion in the trees & 5 or 6 Crossbills appeared & gave me a good view before flying off across the road. A nice male came back to the car park for a while, but then again crossed the road & sat in a dead tree. The minute I decided to try for a photo it flew off.

It had been an excellent day. Despite the awful weather forecast, we only got showered on a couple of times & I added 8 new birds to my Year List.

Belstone

On Saturday I had a great day out with the Mid Devon Birds group, exploring the area around Belstone on the Northern edge of Dartmoor. We had glorious sunshine & fantastic scenery all day, and the birds were pretty good too.

We started off by walking down into the lovely wooded River Taw valley. There were quite a few Swallows & House Martins collecting mud from the edges of a puddle as we entered the valley & we could hear Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers & Cuckoos. A different song caught our attention as we descended towards the river, which we soon discovered belonged to an obliging Garden Warbler.

It was quite a steep climb down

The Garden Warbler gave us great views, I managed this shot with my 'point & shoot' Lumix.

Unfortunately no Dipper. Chris, the walk leader, says he very rarely sees them here

Diversification....John gave us a geocashing lesson

Stopping to admire the view we saw 2 cuckoos & heard a 3rd, and saw 4 Ravens

Looking back towards the village...

...and out to the North over the fields of bluebells 

We descended back into the valley, passing a singing Redstart on the way, and walked back to the car park in Belstone for lunch. Then we headed out through the village onto the moor towards Belstone Tor.

Communications centre...the old Telegraph Office

On the moor...we soon saw Meadow Pipits & Skylarks

I really should have put the tripod legs up!

This is what we were looking at. I really must practise digiscoping.

A Stonechat with limited orange on the breast & large white collar....a bit like a Siberian

As we started heading back towards the village, a female Wheatear gave us some nice views and a couple of Stock Doves flew over, putting the day list on 40, although I think we did add a couple more after that. The day finished in style....Chris's wife is still waiting for the lease to get sorted out on a tea shop in the village, so she catered for us at their house instead!

An afternoon cream tea on the lawn, how civilised!