Category Archives: Birdwatching/Birding

Axe Estuary Birds No 151 February 28^th 2011

NB: The following is reproduced by kind permission of Axe Estuary Birds. Full credit goes to the team that produces the newsletter (see the bottom of the post for specific details). Photographs are credited throughout the text although we are working to preserve the original layout wherever possible in the future.

The Birds

There have been 36 Mute Swans on the field near Stedcombe, together with a Bewick, and many Shelduck. Donald Campbell saw 145 Scoter and a couple of Fulmars from Haven Cliff while helping to clear the new path there, and later an Otter flushed a Woodcock in the Undercliff.

Alan Salter saw no less than 50 Snipe fly up from Colyford Marsh on 13^th March, possible put up by a Raptor, and Ian Waite reports 10 pairs of Fulmar off Seaton Hole on 23^rd and a male Black Redstart, a dozen Velvet Scoter and a Peregrine.

Grey Herons have returned to their now traditional heronry in a private garden in Axmouth, and this morning , 25^th, there were at least four pairs busy around the nests. The Little Egrets have not joined them yet, but hopefully will before long. Watch this space.

At Colyford Common, there were more of the same with dreary days of low cloud, mist and rain relieved by 2 gloriously sunny days, especially the 19^th but there were hardly any records that day. At the start of the half term week there were many visitors, 15 were counted in thirty minutes late Sunday afternoon (20^th).

Mute Swans, ALF and ALU continued to graze near the boardwalk at Colyford Common, unconcerned by passing visitors to the hide. The ‘Stedcombe’ Mute Swans peaked at 36 including three immature birds; the Bewick’s Swan and the Greylag Goose were with them on the 14^th. Canada Goose numbers were down from numbers in the thirties in previous weeks to a maximum of 16 on the marsh this week. Wigeon peaked at 200 (17^th and 20^th), the largest Teal count was 56 on the scrape on 14^th with 3 Shoveler there on the same day; the maximum Shelduck count was 12 on 20^th on the marsh. As so often happens, Mallard were hardly noticed! Little Egrets were again absent (in 2010, up to four were present throughout February) and only 2 Grey Herons were noted. There were several counts of 200 or more Lapwing on the marsh with 450 noted in flight on 19^th. 30 Black-tailed Godwits were seen on the marsh on 14^th, 200 Curlew were there on the same day and 10 Dunlin were seen in flight on 19^th. There were no records of Sandpipers. As usual at the moment, passerines were scarcely recorded so a count of 20 Linnets on the reserve on 14^th and 3 Rock Pipits there on 19^th were nice to see. The only Meadow Pipit was one on Stafford Marsh on 17^th.

Seaton Marshes log book shows a goodly array of ducks -17 Shelduck, 86 Wigeon, 24 Mallard, 22 Teal and four Shoveler. No less than 24 Pheasant were noted, and eight Heron, about 500 Lapwing and 44 Black-tailed Godwit.

Steve Waite had a few looks along the Estuary on Friday 25^th, the weather conditions had been pretty good for ‘gulling’. The best he could muster though (so far anyway!) were two Med Gulls, including presumably the same first-winter as the other day… Have also noted c200 Common and 26 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (one or two looking quite black-backed, but also one very pale second-winter bird).

Ringing

Neil Croton feels we may be interested in the history of a Black Tailed Godwit, ringed by the group. It was ringed by AERG on the 3^rd Oct 08 as a juvenile, and stayed on the estuary until 1^st March 09. It was then noted at Otterton on 29^th March that year, then returned to the Axe from the 30^th right through April. In May it was seen at Bowling Green Marsh, and on 14^th September that year was spotted at Penistin, France. It returned to the Axe in March 2010, and again in February 2011. It looks like this bird passes through and stops off on the Axe in the early spring and is wintering much further south.

The group took part in the Wild and Wet Weekend on Saturday at Colyford Common, in the morning it certainly was wet and wild! Nevertheless in between the heavy showers and windy gusts we did catch 11 birds, which were very much appreciated by the public who watched the activities from the new field centre. The children really did enjoy the opportunity to see the birds close up. The birds caught were Coal Tit 1, Dunnock (2), Long-tailed Tit 2, Goldcrest 2, Wren 1 and Robin 3 (1).

News from Holyford Woods

Signs of spring are developing with leaps and bounds, with many more bird calls. Now the ramsons are up. Walking on those on the path edge releases that loved or hated pungent smell of garlic. Beneath a tree root the first early purple orchid is peeping out, its juicy leaves already nibbled by some little creature. Several times over the last two months in various places I have caught the strong scent of a travelling dog fox, and today it came from around one of the badger setts which pleased Paco. Not only is there a frequently used badger latrine beside my seat, but there are 2 long tunnels into the bramble thicket nearby, also of interest to Paco, so maybe a badger rests there. Seated there, at still and quiet times I can often hear the waves crashing on Seaton beach. On the pond there are approximately 39 blobs of frog spawn, and now there is a lot of frog activity along the edge of Top Pool, so more to come there. Today, from the log seat I watched two Long Tailed Tits feeding through the willows, and two Goldcrests came down from the trees to drink. The two pairs of Moorhen and Mallard Duck are frequently seen dabbling in the patches of clear water among the temporarily dead parrot feather weed. Also today there were three Greater Spotted Woodpeckers calling and chasing around in the oak trees above me, then eventually two flew off, leaving the remaining one drumming furiously. Jean Kreiseler

The Trivia

Roger Boswll writes “I was very interested in Karen’s image of the yawning BTG. The reason being that I had photographed a Purple Sandpiper on the Cobb that I thought had a deformed bill. After I put it into Birdforum I got a reply saying it was probably an example of rhynchokinesis.”

Karen Woolley says “ The Godwit in my photo is indeed showing rhynchokinesis, apparently it’s most prevalent in waders such as godwits/dowitchers. It isn’t an affliction just the ability to flex the end of the bill. Amazing what photos can show up isn’t it?” Makes me wonder if it is recent evolution in action – or a past ability fading?

Simon Wakely took this picture of a male Blackbird with a peanut, surely not their usual choice of food , and a Robin making a good imitation of a shuttle cock! He also says “Whitford has come alive, Bumble, & Honey bees on our crocus. Loads of Ladybirds, our birds are showing signs of pairing up, Great Spotted Woodpeckers drumming, Green Woodpeckers calling in our Apple trees, and plenty of Jays.

Garden Bird Watch

No doubt many of you took part in the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch again this year, and you may remember that we have done something similar, on a much smaller scale, for the last few years. And we plan to do it again this year over the weekend of 5^th and 6^th March. There is a suitable form attached to this email. It doesn’t matter how far away from the Axe Valley you are – entries from Colyford or California, Botswana or Brisbane all equally welcome. There was not a huge response last year – lets hope for more this year.

Birds for Beginners

For the new season’s Birds for Beginners sessions, it is planned to have a “Guide in the Hide” every Friday from 10.00 am. At the moment the sessions will start at either The Island Hide or Colyford Common Hide, and a notice will be posted to indicate which one. Then from 12.30pm the guide will move to Seaton Marshes Hide.

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This twice-monthly email newsletter is freely available to anyone who would like it, as is a periodic one about the activities of the East Devon Local Group of the Devon Wildlife Trust. Just send me an email with Axe Estuary Birds and/or East Devon DWT in the subject line. Also, for those without a computer, I will send a copy by post if you would like to send me some stamps.

Thanks to those who keep me informed. Please continue to tell me of any unusual, interesting or amusing sightings, and what is about locally, and send any photos you would like to share.

Mike, Jean, and David. (and many others!) davidwalters@eclipse.co.uk. tel. 01297 552616 Mobile 0779 1541 744.

Axe Estuary Birds No 150 February 15th 2011

NB: The following is reproduced by kind permission of Axe Estuary Birds. Full credit goes to the team that produces the newsletter (see the bottom of the post for specific details). Photographs are credited throughout the text although we are working to preserve the original layout wherever possible in the future.

The Birds

On the whole it has been a fairly quiet week. As I write this 150^th edition of Axe Estuary News, it is St.Valentine’s Day, the first day of National Nest Box Week, the day traditionally that birds think about choosing a mate. Certainly in our garden some seem to have jumped the gun – Robins are pairing up, Dunnocks singing and of course the Pigeons, who have been at it all year! Unusually we have had a pair of Reed Buntings in our garden at Colyford; I think that is the first time in 11 years.

Karen Woolley saw a pair of Great Bustards in Dorset – wonderful for her, but not on our patch. Closer to home she saw this Black-tailed Godwit, apparently yawning, and this lovely Black Redstart which she thinks is her best photograph of it yet.

Simon Wakely got this stunning photograph of a Great Tit in his garden, and another of a Robin doing battle with a huge earth worm. I suspect the Robin won!

Colyford Common.

Interestingly two pairs of Mute Swans were noted on the reserve on the 6^th; ALF and ALU continued to graze close to the boardwalk but a new pair seem to have taken over their breeding ‘patch’ in the southern corner of the reserve used by them last year. Typically, c20 Mute Swans are to be seen on the fields below Stedcombe and the Bewick’s was again with them on 1^st and 6^th as was the Greylag Goose on the 6^th; the flock of Canada Geese frequenting the marsh and the fields below Stedcombe remained at 32-33. About 900 Wigeon were noted on the 1^st and 95 Teal were flushed from the scrape area by a passing Sparrowhawk. These diminutive ducks are notoriously difficult to count as they ‘hide’ in the narrow channels and behind grass tussocks of the marsh. A single Shoveler was seen on the scrape on 1^st and a single Peregrine was noted over the marsh on 3^rd. Lapwing flocks are quite mobile within the valley but c900 were present on the marsh late afternoon on the 6^th. Some remarkable counts of gulls were made on the marsh on 5^th when 1250 Black-headed, 85 Common, 35 Herring, 14 Lesser Black-backed and 4 Great Black-backed Gulls were present. 10 Rock Pipits, possibly of the Scandinavian ‘littoralis’ type were on the reserve on 1^st. Corvids seem to be forming quite mixed flocks, about 200 strong, at times on the reserve and marsh with a count of 40 Jackdaws, 80 Rooks and 100 Carrion Crows on the 1^st (when a Raven flew over the reserve), being typical.

A Stoat was seen running along the boardwalk parallel to the ditch near the hide on 1^st. Photo Sue Smith.

Ian McLean’s seawatching produced Velvet and Common Scoter, Red-throated Diver, Razor Bill and 230 Gannet.

There are several Blogs of interest – well worth looking at once a week or so, for both local bird news and wonderful photographs:

http://karenwoolley.blogspot.com/

http://stevesbirdingblog.blogspot.com/

http://notquitescilly.blogspot.com/

http://www.timwhitewildlife.blogspot.com/

http://devonbirdnews.blogspot.com/

You might also like to look at this website, which details a walk at the end of May that celebrates the Tree of Life http://ancestorstrail.net/.

Ringing

A tremendous turnout this morning (12^th ) with 25 volunteers, but only 27 birds comprising of 26 (18) Shelduck and one Crow! Only a few Shelduck were bearing colour-rings from previous catches so although only a few birds it was a useful catch for colour-ringing. Many thanks to you all for coming along especially those of you who travelled from so far.

The next session is a public demonstration, part of the Wet and Wild Weekend, on Saturday 26^th February at which Mike Hounsome has agreed to be ringer-in-charge as per our new programme. This will be at the new Field Centre at Black Hole Marsh, approached from Colyford Common.

News from Holyford Woods

Spring is advancing rapidly now. On the first of February there were 3 blobs of frogspawn in the pool, the first bluebells had broken through the leaf litter, celandines and primroses were showing in lots of places, red campion shoots were up and foxglove plants growing. The catkins are at their golden best now. Now there are 30 blobs of frogspawn, the bluebells are up everywhere, and all the other ground cover plants are growing rapidly. The birds are more vocal and today I have seen and heard a Song Thrush, and a Mistle Thrush, the 3 Buzzards cruising over Seaton Down, and the Raven in its usual tree. Over the last two weeks I have twice heard a Tawny Owl calling in the day. A big thank you is due to members of the AVDCS together with some locals who have made a wonderful job of clearing the undergrowth and willows from the bank on the North side of Top Pool. It was always smothered with primroses, so we hope they will come through for this year. Together with some clearing of the glade through the conifers, there is now a view right across to the top of The Hangings. Jean Kreiseler.

The Trivia

Signs of spring are everywhere, from Snowdrops to Catkins, Daffodils. and Snowdrops by Peter Vernon.

Blackcap by Stuart Olliver, of Elizabeth Road, Seaton, taken through his kitchen window. It’s been around since December, and his father, Bob, has had a female Brambling in his Colyton garden.

Garden Bird Watch

No doubt many of you took part in the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch again this year, and you may remember that we have done something similar, on a much smaller scale, for the last few years. And we plan to do it again this year over the weekend of 5^th and 6^th March. There is a suitable form attached to this email. It doesn’t matter how far away from the Axe Valley you are – entries from Colyford or California, Botswana or Brisbane all equally welcome. There was not a huge response last year – lets hope for more this year.

Wet and Wild Weekend 26^th and 27^th February and Birds for Beginners

Numerous events on both the Saturday and Sunday, including Bird Ringing, Guided Walks, Tram Trips etc. If you feel like helping, you would be welcome. All the Wet and Wild guided events start at the Field Studies Base and all the tram trips start at Seaton Terminus.

Birds for Beginners this Friday 18 Feb with a morning session (10am – 12 noon) in one of the hides on the northern end of the Wetlands (so either Colyford Common or Island Hide).  The ranger for the day will be Jim Hunter and he will decide which hide to use and will put a notice at the Colyford Common and BHM entrances.  In the afternoon he will move down to Seaton Marshes for 12.30 until 2.30pm

For full details contact Diane Berry 01395 517557 or go to www.eastdevon.gov.uk/countryside.

This twice-monthly email newsletter is freely available to anyone who would like it, as is a periodic one about the activities of the East Devon Local Group of the Devon Wildlife Trust. Just send me an email with Axe Estuary Birds and/or East Devon DWT in the subject line. Also, for those without a computer, I will send a copy by post if you would like to send me some stamps.

Thanks to those who keep me informed. Please continue to tell me of any unusual, interesting or amusing sightings, and what is about locally, and send any photos you would like to share.

Mike, Jean, and David. (and many others!) davidwalters@eclipse.co.uk. tel. 01297 552616 Mobile 0779 1541 744.

NB: The following is reproduced by kind permission of Axe Estuary Birds. Full credit goes to the team that produces the newsletter (see the bottom of the post for specific details). Photographs are credited throughout the text although we are working to preserve the original layout wherever possible in the future.

Axe Estuary Birds No 149 31^st January 2011

The Birds

There was a Grey Wagtail at Seaton Hole 21/1, which Sue Smith managed to photograph.

Some good news about the Colyton Waxwing sightings over Christmas (One on wires above Rosemary Lane, Colyton   on Christmas Day and five in a garden by the river on Boxing Day:  Steve Waite has been in contact with the lady who saw them and has told me that her written description will be acceptable so we have a new species for the ‘patch’ !

Steve managed a look on the sea off Branscombe one morning, with Ian McLean. This showed 20+ Red-throated Divers, good numbers of auks, and a Velvet Scoter passed west. The next day off Seaton, he could see only seven Velvets, the week before he counted 11 – his highest count for the patch ever!

A couple of weeks ago in daylight after a wet night Ian Waite saw a Barn Owl fly across Musbury Road near Axmouth F.C. towards Lower Bruckland Farm chased by two Crows.

On 29^th a Jack Snipe flew from Salt Marsh in front of the Hide at Seaton to the Lagoon where it quickly disappeared in vegetation.

There are now approx. 90 Dunlin on the River.

Ian McLean also tells of 30 Common Scoter and Nine Red Throated Diver on the sea, two Pintail on 5^th, a Gadwall on the 14^th, a Great Skua on 24^th and ten Shag off Branscombe on 25^th.

From Colyford Common Log Book, Bob Olliver highlights the following:- An estimated 1,000 Wigeon (11^th) were spread across the marsh and into neighbouring Bridge Marsh near the A3052 with 200 Teal on the same day.

Two Buzzards on the 10^th were of interest, one being very dark and the other strikingly white about the head and breast; the latter was perched on a post close to the river looking for all the world like a distant osprey! A male Marsh Harrier was logged on 16^th.

Lapwing numbers were high on 10^th and 11^th with some 500 on Colyford Marsh and a further 1,000 on Bridge Marsh. A single Golden Plover was again picked out (11^th) and there were 40 Snipe around the scrape on the same day; c.60 Curlew were in the area.

The scrape sometimes attracts the smaller gulls, particularly at high tide; 100 Black-headed Gulls were noted on 16^th and a Mediterranean Gull on the same day, five Common Gulls were present on the 10^th.

The Barn Owl appeared at the entrance to the nest box across the river (11^th). Among the corvids, just 52 Carrion Crows were present on the marsh and a Raven flew over, mobbed by two crows on 16^th. Photo Sue Smith

At Seaton Marshes the notables were 74 Shelduck recorded and 50 Teal, nine Shoveler and a Water Rail.

There were 19 Mute Swans on the field near Stedcombe House on 30^th, and 32 Lapwing

News from Holyford Woods

Gradually there are more signs that spring is on its way. There is evidence of Badger activity everywhere. Beside my seat at the top of Holyford Coppice, the latrine has been dug out and used, the Badger track which crosses the Woods from North to South shows signs of use, and Paco spent some time deep-breathing down a freshly cleared sett. One Squirrel dashed across the path. The two Ravens are displaying and calling, as are the Buzzards. From my seat today I watched five Long-tailed Tits and two Goldcrests feeding through the trees. There was very brief singing from a Mistle Thrush in the top of an ash tree, and a longer and more confident one from a Song Thrush deep in the valley. Today I saw a total of five Blackbirds, and while watching the two Moorhens on Top Pool I had a cloud of midges round my head. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was hammering in an oak tree nearby. Catkins are lengthening rapidly, and the Gorse on and below The Hangings is about to burst in to flower. As yet no bluebell spikes peeping through the leaf litter.

I did visit Pratts Hill at dusk three further times and saw more flocks of Jackdaws dropping in to roost but not in such great numbers. Jean Kreiseler

Ringing

Not a bad catch on 22^nd which totaled 53 birds as follows: Shelduck 33(19); Wigeon 3; Mallard 7; Teal 2; and Shoveler 8(1). The number of Shoveler was a nice surprise especially as it is not one of our usual catches. Photo Karen Woolley

The Trivia

Thanks to all of you who explained why a Waxwing is so called, particularly Mike Dannat, who sent this photograph of the wing of a dead Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulous) as it shows the red waxy tips of some of the secondary feather tips common to both species.. Red waxy tips may be fewer and less distinct on females. We live and learn!

Imogen Thomas  writes “My great, great uncle, the Rev. C. A. Johns, who published ‘British Birds and their Haunts’ in 1862 writes that the Waxwing is so called because of ‘the appendages to its secondaries and tertiaries which resemble in colour and substance, sealing wax’.  He also says that it is sometimes called the Bohemian Waxwing, not because it comes from Bohemia, but because Bohemians, like Egyptians or gypsies, were thought to be a wandering people. He concludes his piece ‘It is a stupid  lazy bird, occupied only in eating and reposing for digestion’ which seems rather unkind.”

You will have seen on the news that the government plans to sell of all our National Woodlands. Please help to stop this outrage. You can sign by clicking this link: http://www.38degrees.org.uk/save-our-forests

Attached is a poster about the Volunteer Welcome Day next Sunday 6^th February. Do come along and find out more about this wonderful area. Being a Volunteer changed my life!

Now, here is a challenge for you all! Can you identify this bird, snapped by Simon Wakely? An unusual shot, and I admit it fooled me.

Another bit of nonsense. What is the most common Owl in the UK?

Answers below.

Peter Mason sent this photo of a Blue Tit by Gerry Bennett, of Colyford, which I forwarded to the BTO. The usual method of taking a seed, flying to a nearby branch, sticking it under a foot  to peck at it, is clearly not possible for this bird! This is the BTO response. “Thank you for forwarding the email about beak deformities in birds. I have passed it on, with the photo, to the organiser of the Beakwatch survey, Dr Tim Harrison. Comments about feeding methods are starting to emerge and it is interesting to speculate about how these birds adapt.

“Tim has received a big response to his request for more information, and I think it will take time to sift and examine all of the replies. Results will be sent to Big Garden Beak Watch survey participants via email if requested at the end of the survey form, and will also be published on the BTO website and in the BTO e-newsletter.”

This twice-monthly email newsletter is freely available to anyone who would like it, as is a periodic one about the activities of the East Devon Local Group of the Devon Wildlife Trust. Just send me an email with Axe Estuary Birds and/or East Devon DWT in the subject line. Also, for those without a computer, I will send a copy by post if you would like to send me some stamps.

Thanks to those who keep me informed. Please continue to tell me of any unusual, interesting or amusing sightings, and what is about locally, and send any photos you would like to share.

Mike, Jean, and David. (and many others!) davidwalters@eclipse.co.uk. tel. 01297 552616 Mobile 0779 1541 744.

FOR SALE

£200 o.v.n.o. for 20 x 60 zoom lens for Swarovski Telescope.  Contact Ian Waite:-  01297 20326

The puzzle bird? Male Chaffinch. The most common owl? TeatOwl. Is this the worst ever bird joke?

15^th January 2011

NB: The following is reproduced by kind permission of Axe Estuary Birds. Full credit goes to the team that produces the newsletter (see the bottom of the post for specific details). Photographs are credited throughout the text although we are working to preserve the original layout wherever possible in the future.

The Birds

2010 was a memorable birding year. Steve Waite may not be contributing to this newsletter direct any more, but his blog has recorded some of the highlights First, of course, the Solitary Sand-piper at Black Hole Marsh, which brought birders from all over the country, a first for Devon. The Long-billed Dowitcher at Boshill Cross, another patch first, the greyish Yellow Wagtail at the Colyton Water Treatment Works, a Bittern and two Bearded Tits at Colyford Common, an Alpine Swift over Musbury, a Dotterel at Axe Cliff, a “stonking” Glaucous Gull in November and both Whooper and Bewick Swans. Photo Brett

And Steve is still very active, as this extract from his blog shows. “ Five Velvet Scoters had been seen off the sea front earlier on 1^st January, so I headed here first. I was pleasantly surprised to see there were now eight Velvet Scoters loosely associating with the flock of 42 Common Scoter – all female-types (the Velvets not the Commons!). Two Brent Geese flew in from the east and landed with the Scoters, a Jan 1^st bonus! I also logged three Red-throated Divers and several Razorbills.”

In addition, Ian Mclean has seen up to seven Red-throated Divers, a Tufted Duck, two Pintail, ten Kittiwake and
15 Great Crested Grebe in Seaton Bay, and Peter Mason reports a Common Tern off Seaton Beach on January 3^rd.

Bob Olliver has sent the following snippets from the Colyford Common log book for the first week of the year:- Canada Geese numbers reached 50 but there were no large counts of wildfowl, and a Goose which turned out to be a Greylag, opposite Stedcombe House. Lapwing numbers reached 585, with one Golden Plover, and there was a high count of 71 Snipe on the Marsh, single Green Sandpipers were noted, and another on the Marsh. Two Rock Pipits were there on 7^th and also the first Water Pipit of the year.  The only record of winter thrushes was of ten Redwing on and elsewhere locally literally thousands of Lapwing have been seen. There were four Little Grebes on the reserve plus two on the river on 6^th and a Water Rail on the reserve on 1^st.

At Lower Bruckland Ponds Mike Lock saw up to 13 Tufted Duck, a pair of Pochard, four Little Grebes and several Coots. He also had no less than ten Greenfinches in his garden together with six Goldfinches.

Karen Woolley “Popped over to Seaton Hole today to see if the male Black Redstart which Bun found there on Tuesday was still around. He was. What a stunning little chap he is too.”

Photo Karen Woolley

Up to now, Waxwings have been elusive on our patch, although a small flock was reported in trees near the cemetery, and Rodney Gayer saw seven near the Cloakham Lawns sports centre SY300993, on 11^th January, and in spite of poor light Sue Smith took lots of photos on 12^th. They were still there on 13^th. Does any one know why they are called “Wax”wings?

Waxwings – Punk and Posh – Sue Smith

Pride of place for the first week of the New Year must go to the Bittern, seen briefly at Black Hole Marsh on 4^th January.

Rodney Gayer from Axminster also reports that on 10^th January, there was a female-type Goosander fishing on the river Axe between Cloakham Lawns and Weycroft Bridge. He thinks it may be one of the two birds that were present for much of December.

These Godwits were snapped by Sue Smith at Black Hole Marsh, and this Buzzard was there too, although continually harried by Carrion Crows.

Ringing

On 8^th January at the catching site at its peak only 14 birds could be found (including five Moorhens) whereas the day before there were c.60. Eventually after a patient wait we were able to fire on eight birds which included 2 Shelduck,
5 Wigeon and 1 Moorhen. What a contrast to the last session of 2010 when 191 birds were ringed.

The group had its best year last year with  787 new birds ringed and a total processed of 1,150 of 37 varieties.

News from Holyford Woods

Jean reports “ I was walking Paco along White Gate Lane late one dusky evening at the weekend, when I watched three huge flocks of what sounded to be only Jackdaws fly in from the North, West and East, converging over Pratts Hill. They swirled round for a while, calling loudly all the time, before suddenly swooping  down in to the Western end of Holyford Woods to roost.  There must have been at least 500 to 600 birds in total. An amazing sight and sound.

I have never seen or heard anything like it.  The sound of all that ‘jacking’ was really loud.  It was so like the gathering of the starlings. I have not had a chance to go there again to see if it is still happening.

The effects of the snow can be seen everywhere in the woods. The brambles and dead bracken was weighed down, and ferns, apart from the Hart’s Tongue, were broken off. This has given an unusual open view across the floor of the wood, so down by the stream and on the Hangings, 3 Roe Deer were easy to spot without Paco’s help. Sadly he found a freshly dead Doe just off the path, which had already provided a meal for a Fox. The overlapping of the seasons is very evident already. Spring is well on its way. There is a noticeable increase in small bird activity and calls, in particular Great Tits, and the Rooks have started inspecting last year’s nests. 2 Buzzards are floating on the thermals again and 2 Ravens are swooping and wheeling together. Hazel trees are loaded with catkins about to produce pollen with the pussy willow buds filling out and honeysuckle leaves well advanced. Underfoot primroses are throwing up fresh leaves, as are the foxgloves. Following the thaw there is a wonderful display of bright green mosses. Soon I should be doing a frog spawn count. The first few clumps appeared in the first week of February last year.” Jean Kreiseler.

The Trivia

Just a few years ago the sighting of a Little Egret would have caused considerable excitement, but now, as Sue Smith says, it is a somewhat neglected bird. She “just loves his feet !”

Another neglected but very fine bird is the Starling, this one snapped by Simon Wakely in his garden.

Have a look at this: http://www.38degrees.org.uk/page/s/save-our-forests The government is floating plans to sell off our national forests to private firms. Please consider signing the petition.

Don’t forget the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch on the 29^th and 30^th January. Just spend one hour counting numbers and species of bird landing in your garden, and fill in the form at http://www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch.

This twice-monthly email newsletter is freely available to anyone who would like it, as is a periodic one about the activities of the East Devon Local Group of the Devon Wildlife Trust. Just send me an email with Axe Estuary Birds and/or East Devon DWT in the subject line. Also, for those without a computer, I will send a copy by post if you would like to send me some stamps.

Thanks to those who keep me informed. Please continue to tell me of any unusual, interesting or amusing sightings, and what is about locally, and send any photos you would like to share.

Mike, Jean, and David. (and many others!) davidwalters@eclipse.co.uk. tel. 01297 552616 Mobile 0779 1541 744.

NB: The following is reproduced by kind permission of Axe Estuary Birds. Full credit goes to the team that produces the newsletter (see the bottom of the post for specific details). Photographs are credited throughout the text although we are working to preserve the original layout wherever possible in the future.