Devon Birding

Spent most of this morning setting up a feeding station and makeshift hide/screen in the garden. Limited success, but hopefully the images will improve as more birds are attracted allowing more photographic opportunities.

A good weekend spent photographing anything and everything. I am becoming more and more impressed with the camera's performance, 40D and 400mm f5.6 L is a great combination it seems. All the images used on this website have been heavily resized, so that loading time is fairly quick, however when this is done, the pictures inevitably lose some quality. All of the shots below are considerably higher quality when viewed at their original resolution, so the copies here do not really do justice to the camera's ability. I'm still pleased with the results though.

At long long last, after a wait of 18 days, on Friday 27th my new 40D arrived. With it was the 400mm f5.6 prime lens, which I had chosen above the 100-400mm zoom. Good decision? It seems so.

On Friday it rained and the light was poor, so I could not get out and try out the camera. However, a bright Saturday morning and I was up early, eager to get a few shots.

I headed down to the local pond/small lake (see Local Patch page) with the intention of photographing the Canada Goose family in residence. They showed well, and I spent half an hour or so testing the camera on them. I currently only have a 1GB CF card, so I was shooting in Jpeg as opposed to RAW. I was pleased with the clean images that the camera produced.

There's very little point in me trying to write a review. There's literally hundreds of better informed and more technical reviews all over the Internet. All I will say is it's an excellent camera, I'm glad I got it. 

More images to follow tomorrow. 

Another early start after a sleepless night. This time however, I was in the car by 7am, and heading for the train station.

On arrival, I was irritated to find the train was delayed by half an hour. It was the only service that was delayed, but there was nothing I could do except wait. An hour later, and finally the train pulled in. Two and a half hours after this, and I was off the train at Hayle, having met up with Henerz, (see his Falmouth Birding website).

We set off around the estuary, having walked through the town from the station (a remarkably accessible and easy walk).

Small numbers of waders were on the mudflats. 7 Oystercatchers, 11 Dunlin, 5 Ringed Plovers and a Curlew. Out int the main channel were a few roosting Herring Gulls. Nothing of note amongst them, save a few Great Black-backed. 

We continued along the B3301 causeway, until we reached the spot that gives views over both the estuary and RSPB Ryan's Field. There was nothing of note on the marsh, so we turned our full attention to the estuary. 

Far out in the main channel was a dirty looking white dot. An immature Spoonbill. We watched it for a while, and I manged one or two incredibly distant record shots.

After bumping into Simon (see Yarner Wood trip report) and exchanging a few sightings, we walked onwards to the train station.

As the train pulled in, I realised (oh joy of joys) that I had lost both my ticket for the train to Penzance, AND my ticket for the return journey home. They had presumably come out of my pocket on the journey down. Idiot. The air turned blue, but there was not a lot I could do, so we got on at the back of the train, hoping not to be asked for tickets. Fortunately the ticket collector did not come, and we arrived at Penzance somewhat relieved.

Our luck changed however, as there was space on the top of an open double decker bus, which was heading to Lands End. For an hour or so during the journey, we discussed, amongst other things, the River Warbler in Sussex, our recent trip to Norfolk and the coming prospect of the Scillies for a week in October. 

We soon found ourselves at Lands End, where we decided to head north on foot towards Sennen. The area was full of Whitethroats and Stonechats, and we ended the day with approximate counts of 10 and 15 respectively. A few Linnets and Meadow Pipits were also in the area, and a Tree Pipit was heard.

In a small ploughed field above Sennen, there was no sign of the Short-toed Lark that had been reported two days previously, so we completed the loop we had walked, and carried on down back to the main car park at Lands End.

From here, we decided on having a quick look at what was on the sea. As it turned out, not a great deal, although there were a few Gannets passing, along with a handful of Fulmars, a Kittiwake, and a Manx Shearwater south. The best bird came in the form of a Chough. At least one individual was seen around the cliffs right at the point, with a few Jackdaws for company. Shortly after the Chough had passed, Henerz picked out something on the sea. 2 huge fins sticking out of the water - Basking Shark. A little further on was another. Both were fairly close in, and allowed brief but quite good views.

After this, we continued along the coast path, south towards Nanjizal valley. Not much was seen along the way however, apart from a few more Linnets, Meadow Pipits, Whitethroats and Stonechats. We reached the cove adjacent to Nanjizal valley, but unfortunately if we were going to have time to catch the last bus back to Penzance, we would not be able to do the valley itself.

Nevertheless, looking over the bay, we were able to watch at quite close range two Grey Seals basking in the water near the rocks.

This was all we had time for however, and we began to make our way back to the bus stop at the point. Whilst passing through some vegetation, a glance upwards revealed a flock of 11 Collared Doves dropping down into some conifers, just in off the sea and the day's only real sign of migration. As we continued along the path, a Turtle Dove was flushed from deep cover, and flew off north. This was the final notable bird of the day as last minute checks of Penzance and Newlyn harbour proved fruitless. This brought to a close a decent day's birding, many thanks to Henerz for organising transport, bus times etc. 

After getting less than an hour of sleep during the night due to hayfever, I was out of bed at 6am. After getting dressed and realising that my nose was not going to clear and that the sneezing would not stop, I gave up on the idea of going back to bed, and with nothing else to do, I decided to walk round my patch.

The woods were very quiet, with only a few Chiffchaffs calling, and a small family group of very loud and active Goldfinches doing their best to shatter the peace.

I headed up a nearby hill, which holds a few arable fields and a couple of decent hedgerows, in the hope of maybe coming across a couple of migrants, perhaps a Whinchat or shrike, I thought optimistically but not very realistically.

But no luck. 4 Siskins flew North West, but this was the only sign of any movement. A few Swallows were milling around, and a Linnet went over.

Further up the track, and something called briefly in the hedge. Female Cirl Bunting, always nice to see. A male was located on territory slightly further up, and continued to sing in the distance long after I had moved on.

Good views of 6 Skylarks in amongst the clods of earth in a ploughed field. 4 of them proceeded to scatter around the field and sing menacingly at one another. A couple of scraps ensued, however no Skylarks came to any harm during the writing of this diary entry.

A little further along another hedge, and a third Cirl Bunting was found, another male on territory. This individual was even more vocal than the bird before, and as he seemed so preoccupied with proclaiming to the world his tuneless little rattle, I decided to divert around him, so as not to cross his territory and cause any disturbance. 

The rest of the walk was very unproductive. A Green Woodpecker called, and 7 Stock Doves were feeding in a field, but other than a few House Martins and a Blackcap, nothing more was seen. 

Sunday evening's weather forecast had predicted drizzle and light south easterlies along the coast, so with the possibility of good numbers of migrants coming in, I decided on a visit to the under-watched South Huish Marsh area. I awoke on Monday morning to the sound of torrential rain. A quick look on the computer and the BBC website told me there was going to be a strong northerly wind, and very heavy rain all day. Great. Still, less than optimistic but still determined, I held my mum to the promise of taking me to the site, and we set off. As we approached the coast, the rain got heavier, and I began thinking we'd made the wrong decision. I've got nothing to lose though, I thought, and we continued.

Having parked, I got out of the car and was promptly smashed in the face by the wind. The door was almost wrenched off it's hinges, as the whole car rocked in the howling gusts. I put my scope on my back, and struggled straight into the wind in the direction of the marsh. I reached the fence which gives the best views over the area, and put my scope down with the legs fully spread. It immediately fell over. No matter, I'll just use bins I thought. A few hirundines were battling their way over the water, but after a thorough look through them, the only noteworthy birds were Sand Martins and a couple of Swifts. I turned my attention to the pool, where a few Mallards and gulls had gathered. No Garganey, and only a handful of Great Black-backed were amongst them. The previous day a Spoonbill had been reported, but after viewing from all possible angles including walking up the nearby hill to get an elevated overview of the marsh, it was evidently not present. There was however a Cattle Egret, presumably the same bird that had been seen the day before. No photos because of the torrential rain, but here's a shot of a bird in Greece that I took in April.

After another few scans over the marsh and having checked the reeds and scrub for passerines (2 Linnet, a Stonechat and a Reed Warbler), I moved on towards the beach. 

3 Rock Pipits were feeding amongst the seaweed, and there were a couple of Pied Wagtails with them, although an attempt at finding a White Wagtail proved fruitless. On the rocks were 6 Turnstones, but other than a few Herring Gulls and Jackdaws, the beach was very quiet. Offshore was a Gannet and 4 Shags, but no sign of any terns passing. 

I moved on towards South Milton Ley, Devon's second largest reedbed, which lies about a 5 minute walk along the road. Nothing of great interest was seen here, although a Sedge Warbler was briefly heard in song. 

Madly, I forced my way on through the ever-increasing wind, with hail and rain lashing down. I passed Thurlestone golf course, and arrived at Thurlestone Marsh, which is separated from the golf course by a road. By this point, the wind and rain were so strong that holding binoculars steady was impossible, let alone using the scope. However the only way of viewing the marsh is from the roadside. You can only look onto the pools from one angle. Straight into the rain and wind. In amongst the reeds though, was something white. A Cattle Egret. A nice bird to find, and clearly a different individual to the one at South Huish, which I saw again in the exact same position on the way back.

This lifted my spirits somewhat, as the last few hours had proved difficult and unproductive. Reaching the car, I had a final check of the surrounding area, and then left. It had been very quiet, but the second Cattle Egret had been a genuine and unexpected bonus, and made the trip worthwhile.

The Exminster Marshes American Golden Plover was reported once again at lunch time, so in the afternoon, a few words with my dad and we were off. I had dipped the bird three times, so was really hoping we would strike it lucky. No news since 1.30, but 3rd attempt, surely the law of averages stated we would get it, I thought as we arrived at the reserve.

A relatively empty car park and the sight of a bank devoid of birders did not bode well, however I set off quickly along the canal towpath. Reed and Sedge Warblers were in full song, and a handful of hirundines were ever-present overhead.

I soon reached the area of the path that overlooks the main lagoon. A quick scan over the lagoon revealed 4 Tufted Ducks, but there was no sign of any Garganey. 20-30 Swifts were sweeping overhead.

After this, I turned my full attention to the long pool between the path and the lagoon. Several scans along it, the spot that the plover had been favouring, proved fruitless. I carried on along the path, the get a different angle on the pool. A brief movement from behind the edge of some tall grass. Bins up. American Golden Plover!.

A moved a little further along, and was able to get some good views. At this point however, a jogger came past, and unintentionally flushed the bird. It flew around ten metres to my right, but then circled back towards me and landed on a small marshy area on the edge of the pool. I stood in the rain and watched it for about half an hour, enjoying the solitude of watching a rarity with no one else around. 

Still, time was pressing and the light was fading, so I left the bird and walked elatedly back to the car.

An early start on a dry and windy Saturday morning. I was up at 6am, and on the road (after much persuasion of my mum) by 6.30.

We drove to Buckfastleigh, where half an hour later, I was picked up by Simon who had driven up from Cornwall along with Henerz, Graham and Chris. Another half an hour and we found ourselves in the car park of Yarner Wood. Paul soon arrived, and after brief views of a Treecreeper, we set off for a birding walk through the woods. Stopping for about 20 minutes in the hide, we got fairly distant views of 2-3 Pied Flycatchers around the nestboxes at the bottom of the small valley. A Raven flew across, and a few warblers such as Chiffchaff and Willow were heard.

Moving on down the track, a Wood Warbler was located in trees to our right. Reasonable views turned into spectacular views, as the bird sang and displayed right over our heads, sometimes coming within just a few metres. Paul and Chris both got some good shots, but I did not have my camera with me, and at any rate it would have been nigh on impossible to digiscope. Picture (taken by Chris) can be found here. We watched it for about 5 minutes, before moving on to cover the rest of the wood. No Lesser Spotted Woodpecker this time around, but we had good views of up to 4 more Wood Warblers, as well as small numbers of Pied Flycatchers. After a couple of hours we decided there was little else we would see in staying, so we headed back to the car park.

20 minutes later and we were pulling into the car park at Warren House Inn. It was cold and windy,so we quickly moved down into the relative shelter of the valley. Numerous Willow Warblers and a songflighting Stonechat, were seen. A couple of Reed Buntings were in the low Willows. Apart from a few of Whitethroats and a Tree Pipit, not a great deal else was seen in the first half of the valley. We continued round the hill towards Challacombe Farm. Here, it was more sheltered and immediately birds began to show. Swallow, House Martin and Linnet, then, after 5 minutes of scanning through the oaks, a male Redstart appeared. Shortly followed by another, there were at least 3 in total, as well as another Pied Flycatcher. A distant Cuckoo could be heard, and both Grey and Pied Wagtails flew over. Paul then picked out 3 very distant Swifts scything their way through the air, being lost to view almost as soon as they had appeared. 

We retraced our steps back to Warren House, via Soussons Plantation where we stopped for a rest. Another Redstart was seen, as well as 2 Kestrels, a Sparrowhawk, and a very showy Tree Pipit. Chris disappeared for 10 minutes, slowly stalking the Pipit. Photos here and here.

After a distant Whinchat, we arrived back at the car park. It was 2.30, so we just about had time for a visit to nearby Fernworthy Reservoir in search of Crossbills. No such luck, but we added Lesser Black-backed Gull and Siskin to the daylist, as well as getting short views of the 5th Redstart of the day.

On the way back, while driving alongside the river Dart just past Dartmeet, Henerz somehow picked out a blob on a rock across the river. We screeched to a halt, and leapt out to view it, Graham still in his socks! It was a drake Mandarin. In the same binocular field of view was another yeartick in the form of a Dipper. A good end to what had been a successful day.

Around 70 species recorded between us.

Many thanks to Simon for organising the trip and doing the driving.

In the pouring rain this afternoon, I decided I had nothing to lose with a walk around my patch.

It turned out fairly well. At times the rain eased up and there were patches of sunshine. With the sun came the birds. First notable bird up was a singing Garden Warbler, my first of the year. During the course of three hours, 4 miles and while getting an absolute soaking, I recorded 24 Chiffchaffs (local patch record), 7 Blackcaps, 2 Whitethroats, 4 Yellowhammers, 6 Buzzards, 2 Red-legged Partridges, 12 Swallows, 3 White-type Wagtails (distant and in heavy rain, so left as only 'probable'), a Bullfinch, 2 Mistle Thrushes, a Raven, 4 singing Skylarks and 11 Stock Doves. Best bird was a male Cirl Bunting, briefly in a hedge near Marldon.

42 Species recorded in all.

I have just returned from a great 2 week holiday in Greece. Please see HERE for a full trip report including photos, species list etc.

Joe 

Tuesday afternoon, and as my parents were seeing friends in Topsham, I thought I'd tag along and spend an hour in the hide at Bowling Green.

When I arrived, I was surprised to find not single other birder. Normally the hide is pretty full, but I had it all to myself.

No sign of the Long-billed Dowitcher, but most of the waders were roosting partially hidden behind a land spit. Several hundred each of Dunlin, Redshansk and Black-tailed Godwit, around 20% of them in striking breeding plumage. Scattered amongst them were a few Curlew.

Shelduck, Wigeon and Teal were the main species on the water. More noteworthy birds included 3 Pintail and 2 Little Grebes. Grey Heron and Little Egret were fishing around the edges of the small lagoon. Overhead there was a steady trickle of very vocal Sand Martins, fresh in off the sea. This was a yeartick, and because of this, probably the only species to make the trip worthwhile. 

I left the hide and continued along Bowling Green Road. Goldfinch, Meadow Pipit and Linnet went over in small numbers, and a Skylark was singing in fields above the road. A Dunnock showed well in the hedgerow, and I was able to get a few digiscoped shots.

I continued along towards the viewing platform. Not alot else was seen except for a Song Thrush and a few finches. A rather quiet visit, 43 species casually recorded during the course of about an hour. 

I was picked up at 11.30pm at Buckfastleigh on Saturday 1st March by Paul (Conorbirda2 on BF), Simon (thenorthernmonkey), Henerz (Henerz1) and Chris (Tav94) for the long drive up to Norfolk.

We reached Cley by around 5am, ahead of schedule, after seeing Barn Owl and a couple of rabbits on the journey. Henerz and Chris ventured out of the car in the darkness, and were rewarded with Little and Tawny Owls calling.

As soon as it became light enough to see, we made our way to the site of the wintering White-crowned Sparrow. By 7.30am it showed well, feeding on an area of an overgrown paddock that had been specifically cut and seeded. Unfortunately I was unable to get any digiscoped shots, as the bird was moving too fast, however Paul, Chris and Henerz all have excellent images (bloody DSLRs!). 

After good views of the sparrow, we drove east to Kelling Heath. Along the way we had good views of a male Marsh Harrier near Salthouse. After finally finding the site, we searched for the best part of an hour but were unable to locate the target bird, a wintering Great Grey Shrike. However consolation came in the form of a male Dartford Warbler, as well as Stonechat and Yellowhammer.

Next stop was Salthouse, where the regular flock of Snow Buntings was feeding just west of the beach car park. A quick scan through, and Henerz picked up a Lapland Bunting, which we all had good but brief views of.

After this we moved on towards Cley. Walking along the East Bank towards the sea, we heard Bearded Tit calling from the reeds. A few waders were added to the growing daylist. We reached the seawall, and after a pretty stiff walk along the shingle, we reached the spot where 3 Shorelarks had been feeding along the ridge. We had very brief views, and were just settling down to try and get a few shots when a photographer with a 600mm lense got too close, and flushed them. I only have the below record shot.  The birds moved a few hundred metres further down to shingle ridge, and so with limited time we decided not to pursue them.

We headed back along the East Bank, enjoying good views of Mash Harrier, and half way along were treated to a reedtop flypast by a couple of Bearded Tits. 

A Cetti's called from reeds by the small pond near which we'd parked along the A148, and Little Grebe and Pochard were on the water.

Back in the car, and 10 mins later we were scanning the couple of thousand Pink-footed Geese from Lady Anne's Drive, at Holkham. The wintering Ross's goose was soon picked out, although it was extremely distant (invisible to the naked eye and hardly discern able through bins), and I was only able to get another record shot.

 Pinkfeet showed better however.

The other side of the drive was a flock of Brents. I was lucky, and after a brief check through, I picked out the Black Brant. It was moving in and out of a dip in the ground however, and impossible to photograph.

The final stop was Titchwell, where we completed an excellent day. Bearded Tit, Brambling, Spotted Redshank and Ruff were the pick of the birds.

 Finally, on the long drive home, a field near Kings Lynn provided us with species no. 103 for the day, a pair of Grey Partridges sat in a field.

A good trip and excellent company, thanks guys.

Waking up to a sunny day made a nice change, after the dull wet days that have been so monotonous recently. I treated myself to a lie in, and after doing a bit of homework/revision (honestly!) I decided to go to Stover for half an hour to make the most of the light.

The usual Pochards, Tufties and Mallards were present, with a Great Crested Grebe and 2 Cormorants, although no sign of the wintering female Scaup.  After a quick look round, I decided that by far the best subject for digiscoping were the numerous Black-headed Gulls, as the wildfowl were quite a distance away. A few shots are below. Taken with a Samsung NV10 and Swarovski ATS65HD, no adapter.

And a Mallard, because there wasn't anything else...

A windy Saturday saw my mum and myself down at Slapton Ley for the morning. First stop was Strete Gate, half way between the leys, where Firecrest and Cetti's Warbler are regular. In the almost gale force winds there was no sign of either species however, so we continued to the monument beach car park. Here I was able to scan the sea from the relative shelter of the car. After half an hour or so of little more than Kittiwakes, Fulmars and Gannets, I was rewarded with excellent views of a flock of 12 Velvet Scoter which flew west, relatively close inshore.

After a short while more with nothing new seen, we drove down towards Torcross to check the lower part of the ley. 3 Ruddy Ducks were sheltering in the reeds amongst numerous Tufties and Coot. Little else was on the ley, so we continued further round towards Beesands.

Here, after an hour and a half of seawatching from the car park, I had picked up nothing save a couple of Eider and 60+ Common Scoter. The main target had been the wintering female Long-tailed Duck, but with high winds the sea was incredibly choppy, and any brief glimpses of birds settled on the water were rare. 

Disappointed, I decided to check Beesands Ley, smaller and more sheltered than Slapton. Once again no sign of the wintering female Red-crested Pochard, but having seen the bird before Christmas I did not persevere long, as I wanted to make it up to Kingsbridge. 

Driving through Frogmore, we stopped briefly at the small creek. It was low tide, and a Greenshank, 3 Redshank and a Little Egret fed in the channel.

 On through Kingsbridge, we made our way to Park Farm on the western side, in search of the reported Cattle Egrets. We parked up, and I checked thoroughly the surrounding fields, flushing 5 Snipe in a damp meadow.

Eventually, I located a group of egrets in a field further down the road, and away to the left. Here, 5 Cattle Egrets showed well (albeit through a gap in the hedge) with at least 3 Little Egrets with them. 

A decent morning's birding, 8 yearticks bringing my total for 2008 to 122. 

Once again, I met up with Iain and his partner at Reading, to head up to Norfolk for a second bite at the cherry that is the UK's fourth White-crowned Sparrow.
The journey went smoothly, train was on time, car didn't break down etc (see previous post 'The only ones to dip').

We arrived in Cley at about 1pm, and made straight for the site. Around 30 birders were assembled, scanning the drive and surrounding bushes, but no sign of the bird so far.
 

Anyone recognise themselves in there?

After 10 minutes or so, the White-crowned Sparrow appeared in brambles across the road from The Swallows driveway, and showed well for a couple of minutes before relocating to the driveway. Here, excellent views were eventually had by all, as it fed near to the gate with House Sparrows and finches.

Digiscoping was difficult, as I do not have an adapter, and the bird was constantly shuffling around on the drive. Therefore the following pics are merely record shots, compared to some of the high quality images that DSLR users managed to get.

After good views of the sparrow, we drove to Salthouse where 50+ Snow Buntings were showing along the shingle ridge. The light was fading and the wind howling, so again, only a couple of appalling record shots

After good views of the buntings, and the added bonus of Common Scoter and Red-throated Diver on the sea, we decided to try and make it to Cromer before dark to get the Waxwing that had been present in Rainbow Foodstore car park.

We arrived, and after around 10 minutes of searching through the hawthorns and Cotoneaster the bird was located at the very back of a thick clump of bushes. The twigs partially obscured it, preventing any photography, and the road bordered the other side, so we were unable to move round to get a better view. After about 10 minutes, the bird (a first-winter) moved up onto the top of the twigs and showed well, however the light had faded and once again I could not get any images better than the one below.

The end of a quality afternoon's birding.

The following day, Sunday, Iain and me were up early and went down to try and get more views of the White-crowned Sparrow. There was no sign by 8am, so we left and decided upon a quick check of the buntings at Salthouse. Still no sign of any Laps, so we checked the beach. At this point, my scope blew over in a sudden gust of wind, the objective lense was scratched by pebbles, and the lense hood chipped and scratched. With any luck, good old Swarovski will repair it for me under guarantee.We left Salthouse to have breakfast in the cottage we had rented for the night, and after clearing up the house, we were off again, in the direction of Holkham.

Small numbers of Pink-footed Geese were of course present, and a quick scan revealed 2 Eurasian White-fronted Geese.

After this, we continued to Holme, where a handful of Ruff were feeding on the scrape. Little else was seen however, and we decided to end the day at Titchwell.

Here, the wintering Woodcock was showing in undergrowth 5 metres off the path from the car park to the visitor centre. Initially very hard to locate, I eventually had excellent views.

The Black Brant was showing distantly with Brent Geese. No sign of the reported Med Gull from the Parrinder hide, although plenty of Spotted Redshanks and Ruff were feeding relatively close to the hide. On the sea were large numbers of Goldeneye, nice to see, but seemingly nothing else. Sanderling, Knot and Dunlin were showing on the beach.

An excellent weekend.