Saturday saw me confined to the Patch - the nearby bits with berries got well bashed, but that was it. I did succeed in finding no less than 15 'wings munching berries in the morning. Redwings, of course, and no sign of them in the pouring rain later...
Sunday was a family day, with an afternoon stroll around Ideford Common providing some unexpected stuff. Firstly the nice person[s] providing seed at the car park tempted not just the usuals, but two Nuthatches and at least one Marsh Tit - both site firsts for me. Then came a big flock of Starlings [500+] heading towards the Exe valley followed a couple of minutes later by 17 Fieldfare and 3 Redwing going the same way.
Today I was naughty and chose a Personal Tick over seeing Waxwings on the ground [ok, 'in the tree']. Personal Tick? Not being a competitive lister, I operate by my own rules and go by bird forms on my personal list* - as 'species' is an archaic concept in bird identification**. Thus I consider there to be lots of 'Yellow Wagtails' out there - though before today I'd still only seen one! [Oh, the shame...]. I'm wandering off on a very long tangent and getting ahead of myself at the same time though...
Right then, to Colyton! Getting on site was fairly simple - the roads were ice-free, though the stiles were another matter... Finding the right filter bed was altogether different. 'The second filter bed' had been mentioned; ok, sounds simple - walk along footpath until second bed, ah here's a nice gap in the hedge. Oooh, lots of birds! Wagtails Pied and Grey, Pipits Meadow, Rock and Water, Dunnocks and Chaffinches and Robins and Blackbirds... No Yellow Wagtail form. Hmm. Wander on a bit more and meet another birder - no sign in 20 minutes he'd been there, though apparently it was loyal to one particular bed. But which one? What about the third one in? [Ie. second from the back] I move back a bit towards the road to another, smaller gap. Within 10 seconds of raising my bins we both have it!
A couple more Famous Devon Birders show up, and we play 'spot the Wag' for nigh on an hour, eventually all getting good views. They move on, as it's really quite nippy. Did I not mention that? Though the thermometer in my little car only says -1, it feels much much colder, not least due to a light to moderate but insanely biting wind. At Exminster I wore my mitts but took them off as I was too hot in them, today I dug 'em out and was very grateful I'd kept them in my bag! My poor tattered thinsulate gloves were no match for the freezing fog of the Axe valley...
I stayed put for about an hour 45, also seeing a very sneaky female Sprawk that flew past low, perched in the open, but then buggered off just as I got my scope on her.. A Chiff [ordinary] was messing about in the frozen crop in the field by the works, and the larks, assorted were in the field opposite. Heading to Stedcombe Vale, I narrowly missed running over a Buzzard by the roadside [gave me a horrible moment as I didn't see it until it took off...], had a quick cuppa while noting the bill pattern of the Bewick's there [what a smart bird - so much cleaner-looking than the Mutes] and then tossed a coin to see which hide I'd cower out of the wind in while I had some lunch.
Arriving at Colyford Common to find it all deserted I have to admit I grinned a bit. When I saw how many birds were knocking about I grinned a lot more. Pipits, Starlings and Wigeon mostly - first the pipits from the walkway; at least 3 Water Pipit [anywhere else you'd be jumping around to say that], the Starlings were, well Starlings but in the sunshine trying to force it's way through the mist they were looking very pretty and had a fine repertoire of impersonations too. 400 odd Wigeon were grazing out on the marsh, with no yanks hiding among them that I could find [I forgot my "Hi, my name is Steve Waite" badge to let me find rarities, unfortunately... ;) ].
I spent quite a while there, admiring the new hide and it's novel paint job [brown on the outside, green on the inside]. On leaving I disturbed a Kingfisher; it flew down the ditch by the hide and perched on a leaning concrete post, the backlight showing it to be female. I stood there watching it for a minute or so, then was amazed as she flew back towards me, to what must be her favourite perch, just south of the hide! WOW. After the due admiration I moved off as quietly as the frozen ramp would let me, and as I headed across the walkway it just got better with a 1w Blackstart :D Really confiding, it sat on the edge of the walkway and looked at me, like it was a Robin! I love Colyford Common, it always gets you with something..
*[[This is not the one I quote when asked what I'm 'on', btw, it's just for me.]]
**[[I think I've gone on about this before, if not and if you're really interested, ask and I'll bore you to sleep... ;) ]]
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