The Jade Sea

Sunday. Front passing in the night, wind strong and westerly, with sun in the morning and maybe a more SW with some big showers in the afternoon. What to do...??

What's the default setting, boys and girls? Yup, I went off to Prawle.  :)


Only had to drive through 2 flooded sections of road to get there, too. With blazing sunshine - I'd set my alarm for the crack o' doom just in case and seen the last clouds zipping off - I decided it might be a good idea to wander over to Horseley Cove to see the Water Pipits before trying a seawatch later on, when hopefully some clouds might have arrived. Before I'd left the car park, a Goldcrest showed very well and in hopeful mood I squelched off down the slope, past some rather brassed-off looking sheep.

Getting there proved interesting, as the coast path is more of a coast swamp in several places. Negotiating these in a strong blustery wind, while avoiding thick brambles, cliff edges, and live electric fences proved a challenge. In the end I managed to not fall over or get my boots topped, but I did get a good thump off one of the fences; all of which are highly unnecessary as there's not a single animal in need of restraining except for any loose dogs, which the fences do nothing to stop...

Ahem.

Horseley Cove was it's usual picturesque self - with the wonderful rocks and drifts of pebbles that I've waxed on about before - though now with a few added slumps from the cliffs. These are just minor soil slips, but are of great interest to the gathered birds. Watching a half dozen Rockits clinging to the new bare faces as they searched for food was quite something. There were at least 20 there [the wind may have helped coalesce them, of course] plus the 2 Water Pipits, at least 8 Pied Wagtails, a Grey Wagtail, at least 3 Chiffchaffs, plus Dunnocks, Robins and Wrens. Quite a gathering!

I stayed put for quite a while, admiring them and the small group of waders on the shoreline. Long enough for a male Sprawk to pop over the edge and have a go - unsuccessfully. Casting an eye over the swell, a few auks and Gannets were passing. While I watched, a Red-throated Diver came along west, but seemed to change it's mind once it got out into the full force of the wind, turned back and started climbing away to the SE!

With the sky having clouded over, I took this to be a hint to get to the Point and packed up. The 'mega-flock' of 100+ Cirls seems to have split up, as I found two separate 30+ groups plus a dozen or so scattered out along the usual fields. The wind was keeping them down, and they only moved when skipping up into the hedges as people passed.

Getting up to the rocks of Prawle Point, I was soon greeted by a nice squally shower, but after that nowt and then the sun came back out! This turned the sea to jade - utterly beautiful. It was unsurprisingly quiet, bird-wise, with very low numbers. In 3.5 hours; 40 Gannets, 30 Kittiwakes, and 50 auks [all Razorbills in the air, 6 Guilles on the sea] - mostly west with a few of each back east. 10 LBBs passed west, as did 2 Fulmar. A lone Bonxie was the only real quality. With a big regular pattern of rollers, it was a surprise to actually see [albeit in brief glimpses] some cetaceans! Firstly at least 2 grey dolphins, probably Bottlenose, went west, then closer in at least one Harbour Porpoise went east. Pure luck in catching them in the wide troughs, of course..

I headed back via Slapton on the off chance of Big Brown Things, but to no joy, and from a quick scan from the Memorial, only a few auks on the sea.


In the Garden, Frau Schwartzkopf still holds the fat, with the male and another female sneaking in now and again. Bird numbers aren't super high, though. I hope this is due to them getting fed elsewhere, rather than an indication of mortality.