It may still be mild, but some of the birds certainly know we are heading towards winter. During this month all five species of wintering thrush have been recorded at the Ponds. Blackbirds and SongThrush most regularly, along with flocks of Redwings and Fieldfares that often just drop in briefly before moving on, and on the last day of the month two Mistle Thrush that nicely completed the set.
Warbler numbers have dropped as expected, but there are still a couple of Chiffchaffs in the bushes, and on the 11th a Cetti’s Warbler was heard and seen well.
It’s been a very productive month for bird ringing at the Ponds, with 56 birds trapped and ringed. On the first of the month an impressive 27 Long-tailed Tits were ringed (four different flocks), including one showing an unusual pale claw! Also in this session, and three others during the month, highlights included a Treecreeper, a Coal Tit, a Grey Wagtail and biggest of all a Mute Swan!
A small team from Abbotsbury Swannery came over to help with the capture, ringing and inspection of the female Mute Swan of the resident pair. It was hoped both birds would be caught and fitted with uniquely lettered colour-rings so they can be identified as an individual forever, but at the moment it’s one down one to go…
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Thanks to Steve for the November birding news — check out photos and more on the Lower Bruckland Facebook page (and please give us a like)!
The usual thanks go out to Steve for this September birding update — a bit shorter than usual but he assures us he will be around a bit more in the coming months — be seeing you soon then mate!
September Update
I’ll start with some old news, remember the adult female Swallow I caught at the Ponds on 26th June which was already wearing a ring? Well I have heard back from the British Trust for Ornithology with the full details of this bird.
It was ringed as a young bird on 2nd August 2013, when it was caught whilst roosting at Chew Valley Lake which is a large inland water body five miles south of Bristol. Lower Bruckland Ponds is 44 miles from Chew, but this is only half the story. Swallows are migratory birds and spend the winter in South Africa, so in reality between the two occasions this bird has been handled by bird ringers (Aug 2013 and June 2015) it’s probably flown in excess of 16,000 miles! Amaz ing when you consider the bird weighs just 18 grams.
Back to this month, and September is always the month that summer turns into autumn, with many of our summer visitors’ leave and are replaced with birds passing through from further north and Scandinavia. Not all have gone yet, with plenty of Swallows and House Martins still feeding over the Ponds. All across the UK there has been exceptional numbers of Siskins and Coal Tits following influxes from the east, and both these have species have been recorded at the ponds far more frequently than usual. Often the Coal Tits can be found tagged on to the end of one of the many passing Long-tailed Tit flocks, which hopefully will also attract a late autumn rarity within the next month or two.
The Sky over Whitford, Saturday 18th June – Simon Wakely
The Birds
Steve Waite writes ;- “I hadn’t seen or heard a Cuckoo on patch for at least seven years – and have only heard/seen three ever. So as I was driving between Southleigh and Colyton, I came to a sudden halt when I saw a Cuckoo perched right besides the road! Unfortunately, the stopping of my car made it take to the air. A couple of Swallows chased it as it flew towards a near by wood, but it U-turned and flew back low over the road – heading for a large Oak tree.”
Recent photos by Steve – a Mistle Thrush with hungry mouths to feed, and three Little Egrets.
A Hobby was seen by Ian Maclean over Colyford Common on 29th, and on the same day there were approx 40 House Martins at Black Hole Marsh. The Reed Warblers and Reed Buntings can still be heard there, but seldom seen!
Images from Black Hole Marsh –Young Shelduck and two young Sedge Warblers, and one from Colyton – a Spotted Flycatcher allbySusan Smith.
The Trivia
Peter Mason tells me there are Pyramid Orchids on the Seaton Hole to Beer Cliff path.
Maggie Dilley asks “Did anyone else notice how “happy” the birds seemed to be after that rainy Sunday’? Our bird feeders were busy all day with many birds and many young – Blue Tit, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Nuthatch, Woodpecker, and even a young Bullfinch (had to look that one up in the book!). We also had a Mistle Thrush that sang all day from most of the tall trees in the garden. A bit after the event but we have been putting apples out again for the Blackbirds which they seem to appreciate.”
The Water Voles have been showing well near the Tower Hide recently. Sue Smith saw six, and managed two lovely photos, and even I saw one on the 29th! And on the next day a Stoat showed as well. For good measure, a Fox Cub also joined the party.
A Lens Cap for a Sony camera has been found, and is currently in a locked notice board at Black Hole Marsh Island hide. Please contact me on 01297 552616 if you have lost one.
The Log Books at Colyford Common and Seaton Marshes, seldom used and sometimes defaced, have been removed, so please tell me if you see anything of interest there.
Ringing
Another excellent catch on 23rd June of 60 birds with some interesting retraps, including a House Martin the Group ringed in 2009. The tally was:
Reed Warbler 23 (11); Kingfisher 2; Blue Tit 4 (1); Great Tit 5; Goldfinch 3; Treecreeper 1; Sedge Warbler 6 (2); Greenfinch 2; Mallard 1; Swallow 2; House Martin (1); Blackbird (2); Chiffchaff 6; Wren 1; Blackcap 1.
News from Holyford Woods
The rampant undergrowth invading the paths would have soon meant wet legs and nettle stings, but thanks to Dave Palmer, our Countryside Ranger, they have all been cut back. He is also called in to clear the paths of fallen trees and limbs after storms, and helps with keeping open the glades that have been created. The rabbit numbers are well up this year, so I am very surprised that there are as yet no young Buzzards calling in or over Seaton Down Coppice. It is a long time since I have seen any Long Tailed Tits but there are 4 Chiffchaffs calling loudly and 3 Blackcaps singing in their territories. Bird numbers are generally down, and we cannot blame the squirrels as I have only seen one over the last month. I think two bitter snowy winters can be blamed for the low number of feisty little Wrens. Checking in the fields along the North side of the Woods, I have seen 2 Mistle Thrush, and 1 Green Woodpecker though I have been told 2young Green Woodpeckers were seen recently near the bridleway. This morning Paco disturbed a hen Blackbird feeding 2 juveniles on the way to my seat. Also the peace of the Woods was shattered with a group of children from Seaton Primary School learning about the different types and texture of tree bark. They were very happy to be out of the classroom. I spoke to one boy who said his parents often bring him and his sister to Holyford which is good to know.
Because I am worried about the fewer numbers, I have recently made a donation to the Corvid Research Project Appeal for Songbird Survival.
Note:- Last week I was travelling from the 3052 to Axmouth when I spotted a Red Kite being hassled by a Buzzard. By the time I could park, and get my bins out, they had flown East towards the North side of Hawkesdown Hill. They are such a wonderful sight, and hopefully we will have them breeding here. 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.
Mike, Jean, and David. (and many others!) davidwalters@eclipse.co.uk. tel. 01297 552616 Mobile 0779 1541 744.
NB: the following is reproduced for the web by kind permission of Axe Estuary Birds. Photos/text are the work of the respective contributors.
Axe Estuary Birds No 157 May 31st 2011
The Birds
Steve Waite went to the Island Hide at Black Hole Marsh on Friday 20th hoping for something special, and was not disappointed. There was an adult White-fronted Goose.
White-Fronted Goose by Steve Waite
Ian Waite reports that from the tram on Sunday 22nd visitors ere treated to the sight of two adult Water Rail collecting food from the mouth of Stafford Brook, and taking it back into the reeds,
Reed Warblers are noisily present in the reed bed alongside path to The Tower Hide at Black Hole Marsh, more often heard than seen, and Reed Buntings have also been seen in the hedge opposite.
Tim White has a blog well worth looking at, with many fine photos. This one of four young Kingfishers on the Coly caught my eye. Have look – you wont be disappointed. http://timwhitewildlife.blogspot.com
Kingfishers by Tim White
Snippets from Colyford Common Log Book
Four Little Egrets were on the scrape on 17th and 2 Grey Herons on the marsh on 21st. A single Purple Heron is listed for the 17th but no location is given nor signature or initials of the observer. There do not seem to have been other reports of this bird and juvenile Grey Heron cannot be ruled out. The same observer listed 12 Ringed Plover, again with no location given. This is a rather high number for the scrape although 3 were present there on 18th and 2 on 19th. 6 Dunlin were at Black Hole Marsh on 17th and 3 on the scrape on 18th. Two Whimbrel were there on the same day and 2 Curlew reported there on the following day. One Redshank was seen on the scrape on 16th.
There was just one record of a raptor, a Buzzard on 17th. A single Sand Martin was noted on 21st, c20 Swallows (16th) and House Martins on 16th and 18th with a maximum of c20 on 18th. A Lesser Whitethroat was reported from Stafford Marsh on 18th. Bob Olliver
The Trivia
Report of two Fieldfares near the FSC at Black Hole Marsh on Saturday 21st. The observer was positive that they were Fieldfares, a bit of a rarity in this country at this time of year, but often seen further south on the continent.
Possible Red-backed Shrike in Axmouth? Wendy Hyde writes “I saw a bird land on a branch, it had a coppery red back a tail that had a black centre and white either side, I think I saw a flash of white on its wings as it landed and a dark patch round its eye. It was the size of a Starling. A day or two before this my husband came in from the Garden and said he had seen two birds he did not recognise that were a beige colour and about the size of a Blackbird, we now presume he had seen two females.”
The long, warm, dry spring seems to have had contrasting effects on the birds. The BTO report the earliest ever Reed Warbler egg, and lots of nests (The reed bed on the way to the Tower Hide is full of their song, and some people have been lucky enough to see them!), but Blackbirds are struggling to find enough worms. Indeed one male in our garden has conquered a hanging feeder to get sunflower seeds to feed his chick.
Mute Swans by Sue SmithFox by Sue Smith
A pair of Grey Herons with a juvenile were spotted at Colyford Common, and two young Mute Swans were rescued from the ditch by the Tower Hide path, and reunited with their mum who appeared reluctant to cross the reed bed.
Sue also spotted this fox at Black Hole Marsh.
Moths
Photo by Steve WaitePhoto by Steve Waite
On Wednesday 28th Steve Waite had a moth trap out in the back garden, a few more new species for the year were amongst the 34 moths of 13 species…
Karen Woolley writes “I’d never seen one of these stunning bugs before. It’s a Corizus hyoscyami,which as far as I’m aware doesn’t have a common name.A once rare bug of coastal dunes, it is now becoming more regular inland apparently. I also managed a better shot of a Ruby-tailed Wasp.”
How many Moths can fit in a Buttercup? Here are eightmicro moth Micropterix calthellaall in a Buttercup flower snapped by Peter Vernon.
Micropterix calthella by Peter Vernon
Ringing
A reasonable number of 24 birds were caught on 14th May as follows: Reed Warbler 8(3); Sedge Warbler 3(2); Blackbird 4(2); Reed Bunting 2; Dunnock 1; Robin (1); Goldfinch 1; Great Tit (1); Blue Tit (1); Long-tailed Tit (1); and Song Thrush 1. One Reed Warbler, on checking the database, was a control.
The team had a good catch on 26th, including three Swifts, a new species for the Group. The tally was 38 birds and only five of these were retraps. Species count: Great Tit 4; Song Thrush 2; Blackcap 2; Blackbird 5(3); Blue Tit (1); House Martin 10; Robin 3(1); Long-tailed Tit 5; Swallow 1; Linnet 1; Reed Warbler (1); Swift 3.
News from Holyford Woods
Hasn’t springtime flown by, roughly 12 weeks between mid February and late May. From the first Primroses and Violets peeping through, then on with the Bluebells, Red Campions and Ramsons, the glorious greens of the trees when the leaves open, Greater Stitchwort and Goosegrass on the rampage, to the Foxgloves which are now flowering, mostly along The Hangings. (They seem to get less and less as each year passes, smothered as the grasses and brambles increase). All that has happened to the accompaniment of the glorious dawn chorus. Recently in some places paths have been strewn with petals from the May blossom and at the top of Holyford Coppice with those off the Spindle trees that unusually have been absolutely smothered with flowers.
The young of the Corvids (mostly Rooks) that nest in the trees in Seaton Down Copse are now off their nests, their raucous calls for food ringing out from the surrounding trees. The cold has cut down on butterfly numbers. On only one day have I seen any, a peacock, orange tip and holly blue enjoying a brief sunny moment by Top Pool. There the Moorhen was calling as if to defend her chicks, but nothing came in to view. Just after sunrise one morning I checked the boundary fence against Pratts Hill, enjoying the dawn chorus and hoping to see young Roe, but was unlucky. Later however I did see a doe feeding on bramble shoots on The Hangings.
Doe by Jean Kreiseler
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.
Mike, Jean and David. (and many others!) davidwalters@eclipse.co.uk. tel. 01297 552616 Mobile 0779 1541 744.
