Category Archives: Birdwatching/Birding

Christmas Birding: Wheatear, Great Spotted Woodpecker

NB: The following is reproduced with thanks and permission. We had some trouble with one of the photos this time round but always try to recreate the newsletter as accurately as possible!

Axe Estuary Birds No 170   December 15th     2011  

Happy Christmas!

The Birds

On December 1st  Roger Turner reported seeing a Wheatear on the path to the hide.  It is the latest I had heard of, then Ian Waite saw it on the 2nd.  It was still there on  the 12th.

 

Photo Sue Smith

Mike Tyler wrote “According to the book, The Birds of Devon (Tyler 2010), (whoever he is!!) the latest record for this species in Devonwas 11th December 1945. Overwintering or a late migrant? “

Sue Smith has been out with her camera again, and sent this picture of a Snipe from Seaton Marshes

Mike Lock writes “While doing a count for the Devon Bird Atlas around Alston (north of Axminster) I heard a Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming – several times. So they seem a bit confused by the weather. Song Thrushes were singing there and also in the Raymonds Hill area where I was doing another count.  There are lots of Redwings and rather fewer Fieldfares around, mainly feeding on the very abundant holly berries. Almost every fruiting holly bush has an attendant flock of Redwings. A lot of Blackbirds, too; I have had up to 18 in a single hour’s counting.”

Here’s an observation from Mike Dannat which, although ‘off-patch’, is definitely related to it.

“Where we live is on the edge of the Axe valley and our living room and conservatory face approximately E-N-E so we have a view over the Axe at Chard Junction and over the tributary which comes down from Chard. Over the last few mornings, at around 7:30am, I have noticed large numbers of Cormorants flying up the Axe and then diverting, more or less over the Dairy Crest plant, towards Chard reservoir. Each morning there has been a large flock which I have counted at around 40 birds and a few smaller groups. When it got to around 70 in total on Saturday 11th  December, I checked with the Chard Reservoir web-site and found that a record count of 51 individuals had been recorded on the 7th  and the 9th . I contacted Kevin Harris who runs the web-site. He checked and found that another record of 55 had been set on the 10th ! So now you know where a lot of the Axe Estuary birds may be spending their days! (Don’t tell the fishermen!)”.

Ringing

We had a good catch this morning, the 11th, comprising of 63 birds processed. These were: Mute Swan 3(2); Canada Geese 13(1); Shelduck 11(5); Wigeon 22(2); and Mallard 14(1). (Retraps of totals shown in brackets). If it was not for the swans and geese, allowing the smaller species to escape, the total would have been a little higher.

Many thanks to Fraser for bringing along the trailer enabling the processing to take place in the countryside classroom next to the FSB at Black Hole Marsh, and of course providing refreshment of coffee and tea.

 

 

Colyford Common Snippets

Wildfowl records included up to 70 Canada Geese, just 2 Greylags on the scrape (3rd), 12 Shelduck on the marsh on 8th and 36 at Black Hole Marsh on 2nd, approx. 200 Wigeon, up to 30 Teal on the scrape and 26 at BHM (2nd). Perhaps unusually a Teal was with a small group of Mallard close to the boardwalk near the hide.  Two Little Grebes were on a ditch in the reserve on two occasions and no more than two Little Egrets or Grey Herons were noted at any one time.  Singles of Sparrowhawk and Kestrel were seen over the marsh on 8th and 2nd respectively.  Of the waders just 30 Lapwing were noted on the scrape (8th) and a maximum of 300 on the marsh (5th), six Dunlin (3rd), four Snipe (10th) and 20 Black-tailed Godwit (8th) were on the scrape and a single Green Sandpiper was noted on the marsh on the 3rd. 213 Black-headed and 94 Herring Gulls were resting on the marsh on 1st.  A Kingfisher and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were seen on the reserve on 3rd, seven ‘littoralis’ Rock Pipits on 10th and three Water Pipits there on 3rd with possibly a fourth on the scrape on the same day.  A Stonechat was at BHM on the 5th.  Song Thrushes were very much in evidence, in full song, and seven were noted on the reserves on 10th.  Eleven Blackbirds were along the approach path from Coly Road on 1st and a Redwing was ringed on the same day when two Bullfinches were also ringed.  Up to 120 Starlings were present on the reserve and the marsh.  Otter spraints were found near the hide on 2nd and two deer, probably Roe Deer, were seen on 3rd.

 

News from Holyford Woods

Already positive signs of spring have been developing recently.  There are bluebell shoots showing through the leaf litter, and over a few days catkins have grown as much as two inches. An early morning walk yielded views of a Tree Creeper, the flock of 7+ Long Tailed Tits accompanied by a Goldcrest, and a sizeable flock of members of the Thrush family stripping berries off holly trees. It has been foggy and still, sunshine, heavy rain and storms – a true variety of winter weather.  Paths are now squelchy,  emitting that typical wet woods smell. Strong winds have brought down 2 trees, the largest, smothered in ivy, across the path up to my seat, and the remainder of the leaves have been ripped off the Oak trees. This morning Paco and I were bombarded with sleet then hail as we crossed The Hangings, while serenaded by two ‘storm cocks’ (Mistle thrush) defying the elements in ash trees above us.  It was good to see that for a change the stream beneath the top bridge was a bubbling torrent racing down through the goyle. Too wet to use binoculars, I watched a flock of L.B.J’s among the willow trees, accompanied, unusually, by a well marked pair of Bullfinches. Twice we have seen a lone Roe doe, but have had no sightings of the buck lately.

I visited Black Hole Marsh this morning, intending to go to the tower hide, but was foiled by the flooded track.  I went and changed to wellies, and, with the water not far from the tops, waded along to the hide.  In the reeds  near the viewing platform came the distinctive ‘squealing pig’ call of a Water Rail, but it stayed well hidden. Jean Kreiseler

 

The not so Trivial

I am sure many of you will wish to join me in Congratulating James and Jo Chubb, on the arrival of their daughter, Bethany Jane on 12th December.

 

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.

Bob, Jean, Mike and David.  (and many others!) davidwalters@eclipse.co.uk.   7 Springfields,Colyford,EX24 6RE.

tel. 01297 552616 Mobile0779 1541 744.

December 15, 2011Permalink Leave a comment

Temmink’s Stint: Axe Estuary Birds 169

Axe Estuary Birds No 169 November 30th 2011

The Birds

David Cox reports “This morning (Sunday, 20th) I was with my two grandsons and we saw a female Mallard with about 10 tiny ducklings on the pond next to the Education Centre. Hope they fatten up quickly!” Ian Waite has seen them too, as well as baby Moorhens, a Wheatear and the Snow Buntings which are still around.

On 17th there was local excitement when a Temmink’s Stint was found at Colyford Common – only the second one on the Axe, and a first for Devon in November, I have put in two photos showing the relative size of the Stint compared with the Lapwing.

Untitled Poem

Did you think

Temmink’s Stint

Was extinct?

No! it trills and twitters

On the Tundra,

In case you wundra.

Rarely on the Axe –

and that’s a fax!

By A. Nonny-Mouse

Then came news of a Desert Wheatear, which had the twitchers who had missed out on the Temminck’s Stint all rushing off towards to Mansands, near Brixham, where Karen Woolley got this super photo.

Two of Sue Smith’s photos.

A Cormorant, standing out from the crowd, and a Little Grebe who looks as though he has bitten off more than he can chew.

The Trivia

I thought you might like to see a December Moth I caught in my moth trap last night – cute little beggar isn’t he, all wrapped up warm for winter? I had around 100 Yellow Dung Flies in the moth trap yesterday and no moths!! One of the Dung Flies was in the process of devouring another smaller fly (images attached) I was not aware that Dung Flies ate other insects? Maybe one of you could enlighten me to their eating habits. Peter Vernon

Yet another sign of this very mild autumn. On my walk yesterday I saw Red Campion, Dogwood, and Honeysuckle in full bloom. Mike Lock

Colyford Common Snippets

Fresh wildfowl interest was provided by the arrival of seven Greylag Geese which were first seen on 14th and were still present at the end of the period. Twelve Brent Geese were present throughout although some individuals proved difficult to see! The maximum Canada Goose count was 59 and 32 Shelduck were on the marsh at high tide on 14th; Wigeon were less noticeable with the only count being of 40 on the river opposite the hide on 18th. Teal numbers on the other hand reached an estimated 200 on the marsh on 18th and there was a count of 145 on the larger scrape on 15th. Two Little Grebes were on the reserve ditches on 14th and five Cormorants were roosting in the trees bordering the River Coly at the edge of the marsh on the 18th. A Kestrel was on the reserve (20th) and a Peregrine over the marsh on 15th and 18th when it caused ‘mayhem’ among the Lapwing and Teal. The discovery of a Temminck’s Stint, which is a real rarity in November, on the scrape on 17th led to the arrival of several ‘twitchers’ on the following day. There was a claimed sighting by one person who had arrived early but the bird did not stay and was not seen again and the twitchers moved on in haste mid morning when news broke of a Desert Wheatear near Brixham and a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper at Blagdon leaving just a couple of people in peace to enjoy the sight of large numbers of Lapwing close to the hide and three species of geese plus Teal not far away. Lapwing were plentiful with up to 400 on the scrape and about 700 in all in the area with a Golden Plover in attendance on the 14th. Up to 12 Dunlin were also present on the scrape and four Snipe were there on 14th and up to 30 Black-tailed Godwits frequented the reserve, scrape and marsh while the Spotted Redshank put in an appearances on the marsh (14th) and reserve reed bed (15th). Up to 60 (18th) Curlew could be seen regularly on the scrape. At high tide Black-headed Gulls in particular gather on the scrape; 300 were counted on 18th. Small numbers of Great and Lesser Black-backed, Herring and Common Gulls were also present on the marsh and scrape during the week. Single Kingfishers were seen on the reserve and marsh and up to six (17th) ‘littoralis’ Rock Pipits were on the reserve and the first Water Pipit of this winter period seen there on 15th. A Pied Wagtail frequented the scrape and a party of 11 Long-tailed Tits was seen along the access path to the reserve on 18th

Bob Olliver.

News from Holyford Woods

On dry days walking the paths has been like stepping along a glowing gold and bronze crunchy carpet. I have caught the scent of Fox several times, and there are known to be two in the vicinity. Not long and the dog foxes will be looking for mates. When reaching my seat one sunny morning Paco dived into the brambles and out shot 2 (healthy) rabbits which sped down the hillside. They don’t interest him very much, he prefers Pheasants, of which there are several around . Since the ground has softened I have been surprised to see mole heaps in a few places. Why tunnel through such shallow soil when there is deep soil out in the fields? Probably more worms in the deep leaf litter. The call of a Jay has echoed through the trees on several occasions, a regular occurrence at acorn time. Apart from the Oaks, the leaves on most trees are falling rapidly now, and my binoculars have been in use again. A lovely sight has been a flock of 7 Long Tailed Tits to enjoy. Best of all was hearing a Mistle Thrush boldly singing in an Ash Tree on the Southern boundary. It was a very windy afternoon and the name Storm Cock came to mind. The Rooks were enjoying swooping, climbing, tumbling and gliding in the strong wind. Crows and the 2 Ravens have been regularly mobbing the Buzzard. On more than one occasion I have watched a lone female Hornet gliding among the trees, looking for somewhere to over-winter. No Roe Deer lately, only prints in the mud. Jean Kreiseler

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.

Bob, Jean and David. (and many others!) davidwalters@eclipse.co.uk. 7 Springfields, Colyford, EX24 6RE. tel. 01297 552616 Mobile 0779 1541 744.

These two photos of a Lion and a Narins Trogon from the Kruger Park in S Africa, where my grandson and his wife have been attending a course on game park management, and having a marvelous time.

December 1, 2011Permalink Leave a comment

Seaton Hide repaired, Black Hole Marsh water levels: Axe Estuary Birds 168

Thanks, as always, to the seemingly tireless team behind Axe Estuary Birds. Reproduced with permission and gratitude!

Seaton Marshes Hide and Black Hole Marsh

The hide has now been repaired, and was opened again on November 7th. Good speedy work by EDDC!

There have been several comments recently about the water levels at Black Hole Marsh, and Fraser writes “Now we’re into the winter, the levels on BHM will be kept higher for a while. This is for the sake of the mud and waders as you can’t have mud full of invertebrates all year round as it will simply dry out. I try to keep the wetting periods to a minimum and to time them to coincide with relatively wader-less times of the year but it’s not possible to keep all the waders happy all the time. From Christmas/New Year onwards I’ll lower the levels again slightly but I intend to keep the tidegate engaged so that it will flood for a few days every fortnight. Then in the spring we can have lower levels again for longer periods to provide mud for migrant waders.”

The Birds
Two lovely photos from Sue Smith. How often do we see the glorious plumage of the Lapwing? And the Curlew is great too.

Mike Lock writes: “Over the past week or two we have had a marked return of blackbirds here. They have been absent from the garden for the past 3-4 months. I had assumed this was due to the very dry summer making it difficult for them to find worms etc. Now, quite suddenly, they are back, with at least three disputing the section of hedge whence they can come and take the pyracantha berries from the front of the house. Are these just local birds coming back from damper places after the recent heavy rain, or are they immigrants from eastern England or even from Europe? Some have suggested the latter on account of their dark beaks.” Can anyone say why some have dark beaks? Are they immigrants?

Steve Waite got excited on Monday 7th and says “I ran from my car, and scoped it from the side of the Estuary just north of Coronation Corner. It was distant, but thankfully with a Dunlin. The different feeding action, shorter bill, and the whole shape of the bird prompted me to start making phone calls. This distance meant I could see very few plumage features – just that its mantle wasn’t plain and it looked overall darker than the Dunlin, with some facial markings. Although I’ve never seen White-rumped Sandpiper before, this is what it ‘felt like’ to me…” And it was! Photo Ian McLean

And Karen Woolley, on the beach near the Yacht Club came across a pair of Snow Buntings, gorgeous little birds, and took some lovely pictures, of which this is just one.
After the report by Ann Smith of a Short-eared Owl near Budleigh Salterton in the last newsletter, one has been seen at Black Hole Marsh, and photographed by Sue Smith .
There are still a few Swallows about, and bees have been seen collecting pollen. Will it be winter soon? By way of contrast, there have been several reports of winter visitors such as Redwing and Fieldfares
The Trivia
An item of jewelry has been found in the Seaton Marshes Hide. If you have lost something please contact David Walters in the first instance on 01297 552616 with the details.
Another Vandal ! Steve Waite had his car attacked by a Pied Wagtail who obviously took exception to his own image !

Colyford Common Snippets
A Peregrine was seen over the reserve on the 5th and the 9th.
Of the waders, up to 120 Lapwing were present on the scrape and just one Dunlin there on 6th when two Snipe were also seen and a Green Sandpiper, but the ‘star’ of the week’s waders was the Spotted Redshank which although elusive was seen by several observers on the marsh or the scrapes and was still present on the 6th.
A Cetti’s Warbler was noted on the reserve reed bed on the 4th and a Jay near the entrance gate on the 6th presumably feeding on the acorns from several oak trees in the area – there has been a bumper crop this year.
Canada Goose numbers have increased to 66 (7th), there were 47 Shelduck present on the 12th and a small group of Dark-bellied Brent Geese have returned to the marsh where between 9 and 13 have been counted since the 9th
Grey Herons were still frequenting the area behind the scrape on the marsh with up to 9 (12th) present. Bob Olliver
News from Holyford Woods Fungus Foray, Thursday, 3rd November, 2011.
This morning was arranged by Meg Knowles of EDDC and led by Dr. David Allen, many thanks to both of them. We set off hopefully for Holyford Woods, about 12 of us ably escorted by several dogs. Vanilla, David’s yellow Labrador, wallowing in muddy puddles, couldn’t decide whether to be black, blond or piebald. Serrin was black already. Paco thought “What a daft pair of b****es.”
David started by explaining about the colour of spores going from dark to light and the fact that black and white paper could be used for determining spore colour. Also fungi on a fallen branch can re-orientate, so that the spores fall down, (geotropism).
First find – photogenic layers of Turkeytail, prettily arranged on a log. Next Birch Polypore, or Razor Strop Fungus. It can be used for sharpening blades but also for healing wounds. (So doubly useful in old Barber shops.) 5,300 years ago the ice mummy, Otzi, was carrying pieces of this Fungus. He may have used it as tinder in the Ray Mears fashion. Next, Clouded Agaric, edible, but causing gastric upsets in some people – so perhaps best avoided. Common Inkcap, edible, but causing alarming symptoms if taken with alcohol! ( Thus given, in medicine form, to alcoholics.) A useful ink was made from it in the past. A good patch of Earthballs and King Alfred’s Cakes were found and a pretty Bonnet Fungi but, as it did not exude blood red latex, we had to agree we had not found a Bleeding Bonnet! We did find the black “bootlaces”, the dreaded Honey Fungus. On the path back was a patch of Sulphur Tuft Fungus, always a good photo stop. We kept the best until last. Right at the gate and the piece de resistance was a magnificent Stinkhorn (aptly named by a Frenchman with a sense of humour, Phallus impudicus). It was complete with a disgusting fly revelling in the slimy top. A happy ending to a very enjoyable morning. Marjorie Waters.
Ringing
Despite the incorrect weather forecast for the 10th, the day was ideal and 33 birds were caught. These were: Robin (3); Blue Tit 7(6); Goldfinch 3(2); Chaffinch 1; Dunnock 2; Wren (1); Great Tit 1; Goldcreast 1(1); and Greenfinch 3 (2). A Greenfinch was probably a control, ringed by Steve Waite in his garden in Seaton, within the range to be a retrap.
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, Marjorie and David. (and many others!) davidwalters@eclipse.co.uk. 7 Springfields, Colyford, EX24 6RE.
tel. 01297 552616 Mobile 0779 1541 744.

November 16, 2011Permalink Leave a comment