Category Archives: Birdwatching/Birding

Note: the following post is an online version of the Axe Estuary Birds Newsletter, #133 dated 31st May 2010. Reproduced here with permission. You can also get this newsletter in PDF format and see years of archives at DevonBirds.org. Thanks to Steve, Mike, Jean and David!

The Birds

May this year can probably go down as the worst May in recent times for birding on patch! It was very poor, with very few waders, no sea watching worth mentioning, no real rarities, and no numbers of anything…

A couple of Red Kites weren’t surprising, as large numbers drifted into the south west peninsular of Britain during the hot weather of this period. Singles were seen over Colyton on 25^th and Musbury on 26^th. I’m surprised we didn’t have more, as twenty were over the Lizard (Cornwall) on one day, a flock of seven flew south over a town in Somerset and closer to home, Exmouth boasted five in two days.

A couple of single Sanderling have been seen, one on the beach on 14^th and one on the Estuary on 23^rd. 15 Black-tailed Godwits, 17 Ringed Plover and 14 Dunlin were the peak counts for these species, all on 25^th. It really has been a dreadful spring for wader passage, for all species.

It has been a good spring for Cuckoos by recent standards. Another bird was heard near Axmouth, with calling birds also noted in the Farway area. Reed Warblers and Sedge Warblers seem to be really thriving this year, the reed beds are alive with them!

Mothing has been the saviour for me this period, with some excellent catches and some very nice variety. A White-spot was described by one well known UK moth expert as being “the best catch of the month so far”. There are only about six breeding sites for this species in the whole of the UK, with one of these in the Beer/Branscombe area. For some reason though, one found its way into my front garden!

Dunlin and ringed plover – Ian McLean; White-spot – Steve Waite

Light brocade & cream-spot Tiger – Steve Waite

Eyed hawkmoth & white ermine – Steve Waite

News from Holyford Woods

The Dawn Chorus and Evensong have filled the woods with glorious birdsong these last two weeks. One late evening a Tawny Owl flew silently along The Hangings. A heavy dew this morning showed up the dainty little spider webs low in the grass, and I caught a brief glimpse of a Roe doe with a young one on The Hangings. A family of Great tits, demanding food, were parked in a hazel bush near my seat. On the main path a Thrush has been using a flat stone as an anvil, leaving the broken Snail shells lying about. The place is a hive of activity during the day, with the search for titbits in response to the insistent chirping. It now seems the Moorhen young are down to 3. The first Bluebells are now going down but the late ones are still at their best, their perfume pervading everywhere. Likewise the Ramsons. At this time Badgers low-slung tummies flatten everything and their tracks are clearly defined. Deer paths are less obvious. Butterflies are active, and I have seen 1 Holly Blue, 6 Orange Tip, 8 Speckled Wood and 7 Green-veined White. In places Goosegrass is on the rampage, and the pretty Greater Stitchwort is going to seed – those little pods we popped as children. Now it is the turn of the Foxgloves, tall and erect, with buds poised to open very soon.

Ringing

Thirty-six birds were caught at the last session and six Great Tit nestlings ringed. There were four other nest boxes checked: 2 contained Great Tits, too large to disturb; one contained Blue Tits too small to ring; and the fourth contained Blue Tits, but we were unable to open the box.
The tally of general ringing was: Reed Warbler 18 (7); Cetti’s Warbler 1 (Brood patch); Sedge Warbler 3 (breeding); Chaffinch 1; Blackbird 3 (1); Greenfinch 2; Meadow Pipit 1 (caught flying down the Stafford Brook, close to the Axe); Great Tit 2; Reed Bunting 1; Dunnock 2; and Robin 2.
The next session will be on 7^th or 8^th June.

Biodiversity Exhibition

The temporary Biodiversity Exhibition at Seaton will be officially opened on Thursday 3^rd June at 10.00 a.m. and currently has 20 volunteers, allowing opening on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, from 10.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. Please come, and bring friends and family More volunteers for the exhibition are still very welcome and – just as importantly – the Countryside Service would be very grateful indeed if everyone would text or ring the exhibition mobile phone number on 07734 568923 as often as they like with interesting wildlife sightings from the estuary and coast. This will help to make the exhibition as live and up to date as possible and show what a great place for wildlife watching Seaton is. The organisers would also welcome any object such as bones, nests, archaeology or other things demonstrating the biodiversity of the estuary. Such objects should be hygienic, and not treasured – you may not get them back!

Black Hole Marsh

The planning application for access to Black Hole Marsh was approved in early May; many thanks to all of you who commented. Work is commencing very soon on the hedgebank to screen the lagoon and the reedbed in Stafford Marsh. We will need to limit public access whilst these works go on so signs will be posted on site when this happens. This will be followed by the construction of the hide and boardwalk in the centre of the lagoon. One of our funding partners has recently been affected by government spending cuts, which leaves us looking elsewhere for some funding and causes delays to some of the works. We have put in a bid to Making it Local for one of the other hides. Our most critical funding gap is the main path alongside the lagoon and we are looking at all other options to fund this quickly. We will keep you up to date with progress. On a more positive note, AVDCS have offered us a grant to extend the pond dipping platform at the Borrow Pit, which will be much appreciated by our visiting schools and families.

The Trivia

Vic Dew reports a hearing rather than a sighting of a Cuckoo yesterday (Tues 18^th) at 9.15 a.m.

“I was at my front door at River View Drive Colyton , and first heard the bird in the direction of the doctors stone near the picnic site , above us. And then again, a few minutes later, over to the South in  Colyvale housing estate.

Quite a surprise as not too many about so I hear.”

Not sure this picture is entirely suitable for a family newsletter – a veritable damselfly orgy caught in the act by Helene Buse.

Damselflies – Helene Buse

And an Oyster Catcher guarding her chick at Black Hole Marsh, spotted by Sue Smith.

Oyster Catcher – Sue Smith

Axe Vale and District Conservation Society Coffee Morning:– This will be held at the home of Donald and Nicky Campbell at The Court House, Colyton on Saturday June 19^th 2010. Please come

Diary Dates

Wednesday 2^nd June 9.00am – 11.00am Birds from the Tram for Junior Birders with James Chubb.

Thursday 3^rd June 10.00 am Opening of the Biodiversity Exhibition in the old TIC in Seaton.

Saturday 19^th June 10.00 am AVDCS Coffee Morning – see above

Monday 14^th June 10.00 am – 12 noon New Venue – Holyford Woods! Meet in layby at the top of Seaton Down Hill

Saturday 19^th June 10.00 am – 12 noon AVDCS Coffee Morning The Court House, Colyton

Saturday 19^th June 3.00 pm – 5.00 pm Marsh Plants with David Allen. Meet at White Hart Inn,
Colyford

Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 10.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. Biodiversity Exhibition at the old TIC in Seaton’s Underfleet Carpark, with various informal walks and talks – more details at the Exhibition or phone 01395 517557.

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 us informed – please continue to tell us of any unusual, interesting or amusing sightings, and what is about locally, and send any photos you would like to share.

Steve, Mike, Jean and David,

davidwalters@eclipse.co.uk. tel. 01297 552616 Mobile 0779 1541 744.

7 Springfields, Colyford, Colyton, EX24 6RE

Note: the following post is an abridged online version of the Axe Estuary Birds Newsletter, #132 dated 15th May 2010. Reproduced here with permission. You can also get this newsletter in PDF format and see years of archives at DevonBirds.org.

The Birds

Well, it has felt more like March than May. It is only just beginning to warm up now, with the wind having gone round to the south….at last! The cold north/north east did little to encourage local birders into the field – as whenever they did there wasn’t much to see!

Another Marsh Harrier proved ‘bird of the period’ as it spent the evening over Colyford Marsh on 11th. Unlike the only other Harrier of this year, this one remained for a good few hours. There was no sign of it the next morning though.

Mid May is usually the best time of the year for passage waders. It is when we get three figure strong flocks of small waders (mostly Dunlin and Ringed Plover) feeding on the Estuary, but for some reason this year it just isn’t happening. Peak counts for these two species were 37 Dunlin on 12th, and ten Ringed Plovers on 10th. A fairly late Little Ringed Plover spent a few days on Blackhole Marsh from 10th. A couple of Greenshank and several Whimbrel have been seen with a summer plumaged Bar-tailed Godwit in the vicinity from 9th, probably the most attractive wader we’ve had so far.

Swifts have been arriving in good numbers, with some very strong passage occurring on many dates. Blackhole Marsh is proving a good site to see this species, along with all the usual hirundines feeding low over the water. A couple of Hobbys have been seen here amongst them.

Spotted Flycatcher secured its place on the 2010 year list on 4th, with one in Beer. Several have been seen since. The 8th saw a bit of an arrival of Lesser Whitethroats, with six at Beer Head and one in Axmouth. Also on this date a late Black Redstart on Beer Head along with two Redstart.

The sea is still dire, though the 14th saw a slight increase with the second Arctic Skua of 2010 along with a few Manx Shearwaters, Great Northern Divers and a good passage of Guillemots and Razorbills.

Photos: Little Ringed Plover – Steve Waite; Whimbrel – Karen Woolley.

Mothing this month has been slow, with the cold nights. I have captured a couple of nice species though, along with my first immigrant of the year…

Photos: Pine Beauty, Pale Tussock and Silver Y – Steve Waite.

News from Holyford Woods

The Bluebells are stunning, and their perfume where the sun warms them is over-powering. Bluebell Day was a great success, and many people and Friends of Holyford Woods were able to enjoy the walks, especially those unable to cross the fields, who were kindly ferried by Colin Pady. All the woodland birds were heard on the Dawn Chorus Walk, and their songs ring through the Woods any time of the day. Peter Vernon tells me the missing Wrens have been in the surrounding hedgerows through the bitter weather. Now many are back and their songs are heard all over the Woods again. There have been two reports of a Cuckoo heard briefly, and I am told of one calling in Bindon Valley behind Axmouth.

Flowers which have now joined the Bluebells are Red Campion, Stitchwort, Yellow Archangel, and most of the Ramsons. Foxgloves are not far behind.

One afternoon I enjoyed ten minutes closely watching the Roe buck, nibbling brambles on the slope of The Hangings. He now has fine antlers, though one point is bent over. Not much sign of the does who will be having young soon. Butterflies have been lovely, with 3 Orange Tips, 3 Green-veined White, 7 Speckled Wood and 2 Peacock.

Diary Dates

Thursday 20th May, 2.00pm – 4.00 pm Stop Line Way Walk and Talk Led by archeologist Bill Horner, who will explore the southern section, where you may have noticed those little ‘Pill Boxes’. Meet at Colyford Memorial Hall.

Sunday 30th May 5.00 pm – 7.00 pm Birds from the Tram with Donald Campbell.

Wednesday 2nd June 9.00 am – 11.00 am Birds from the Tram for Junior Birders with James Chubb.

Many thanks to David, Steve, Jean and all contributors!

According to @AFairCoop and a few other local sources, alpine swifts have been spotted in the Colyford region…

Birding sites (for example Rare Bird Alert) have been reporting sightings of the alpine swift in the UK for some time now. Alpine swifts have been regular visitors to Lower Bruckland over the past few years so I suppose there is a good chance of seeing them at the nature reserve again.

If I hear anything else or get hold of any pictures I’ll post an update here.

Update: According to our reporter at the scene, an alpine swift was spotted at Lower Bruckland at 12.53pm, seen flying over the lakes.

Update #2: Steve’s Birding Blog has some photos of the alpine swift