Buffing Up The List

Events conspired to have me twitching a Rare and chasing Yearticks at the same time. Nice when that happens. :)

I've already posted about the Joy of the Buff-bellied Pipit - and the Terror of the Bonxie! - but that's not going to stop me from a bit of repetition.

BBP

Yikes!

Rockit and Grey Wag

After the success on the beach, I tried a little sweeping-up exercise. Beesands first;

I think there's a different one there...

Beesands reeds Ley

That Ringer can be a little so and so, but this time behaved. Even better, a Kingfisher flew across right in front of the hide while I was cooing over him . :) A small party of Pochard seemed like a good thing, but presaged them finally arriving in numbers of not good numbers [it had been an awful winter for them].

The sea had nothing remarkable, so north to Slapton, chasing another duck, oh, and another slippery customer...

Lesser Scaup

Showing well at last!

This was as I was leaving, having given up....

'One final sweep' is always worth a try! The White-fronted Goose was with Canadas at very long scope range and seemed to be the only success, as another birder and I went through Tufty after Tufty.

Up even further north, by the Memorial... Nowt. Zip. North and South. The SnoBunt defeated me for the second time.

Drat.

Not a Bittern or Barn Owl in sight on the way home, either.

Have more LS, instead.

"Knew I should have stayed in the

reeds another 5 minutes..."

Up to 104 spp., though.

[Don't worry, no more of that.]

Devon Tick and not-bad success on the yearlist. I also avoided getting hit by the apocalyptic rain which soaked the early twitchers - driving in through it instead - but I failed to avoid falling over. Managed to twist as I went down and didn't land on the optics, which is what matters. :) [[No, no pictures. 😝 ]]

Coming up, some assorted mixed bits on themes.

[That sounded better in my head]

Anyways, we have a week's fun and games and so on to come. [No, not seven posts.]

Be Seeing You...

The Glorious First. In Parts.

My attempt at a Devon yearlist [chasing, not just counting] started in traditional manner with the 1/1 Big Day. Having to think strategically about said yearlist, I wasn't able to make a serious attempt at my record. A good thing, probably, as the weather really wasn't playing ball. The birds weren't exactly on-message either.

I started, as you should, on Patch.

Sunrise at the Nose

Things started before sunrise, of course. My eternal hopes of a 0001 Tawny Owl were dashed by the horrific amount of fireworks let off [which started about 7pm and didn't really stop until gone 0100....].

Still, it was very dark when the localest Robin opened up with assorted beautiful death threats to all and sundry. Most pleasingly, second was a Tawny Owl, causing even the Robin to pause as he gave a good series of hoots.

At the Nose, it was both windy and rather wet. I watched the sea until the sideways rain eased enough to let me scope the Buoy Farm for the Common Scoter and Eider. This took a while, which was fortunately enough of a while to get all three flavours of diver - currently to be found by day off Broadsands but who roost north of the Nose [so QED where they pass, right] - and while the rain got into my camera and stopped me shooting them, I did get the better one later on in the week. [So look to future post for awful record shot of BTD]. Also of interest, two groups of Curlew - heading south.

Heading north, I hit the Exe, as is traditional.

Camera decided to unstick [nice howling wind helps some things] so here's somethings;

Great-crested and Black-necked Grebes

Cockwood Crossing gave a fair array of species, including sneakily scoped Spoonbill way off the other side [all according to plan], but not the oft-reported Goldeneye.

Onward to Powderham Bend, where there was absolutely no sign at all whatsoever of any Egyptian Geese all day. The Pinkie was eventually [only took and hour and a half] found up by Turf - lurking across the railway line - and a nice flock of Avocet were alas on the far side of the estuary.

Avocets

All the waiting for the Pink-footed Goose did leave me right where I needed to be when a thousand waders dropped in right across the channel from me, though. So swings and Sanderlings [groan]

 

A few of the throng.

 

How many spp. can you see?

There was one bird not too far away I needed to go for, but the Clyst St. Mary Whooper Swan had gone long before I got there.. And not come back or set down a little way away, either [you have to check]. Found this out the fun way, walking around hordes of frothing Chiefs fans [I didn't realise quite how close the ground is] and trying to find views of the downstream section of the floodplain.

With the goose-chasing, goose-waiting and swan-hunting eating hours, the light faded and that was that.

86spp.  Not too bad, considering.

Be Seeing You...

The Charm

Another post out of order, in fact a post from today.

It took three goes to get what you're looking at, so I hope you appreciate this in all its glory.

One of these birds

is not like the others

If you know, you know.

I did see it better, earlier. Right before and indeed during the inevitable flush. But only for about 2 seconds. Here we all had minutes, many minutes. 

Earlier I was looking at it - as was proved in those 2 seconds - for, well, an age it seemed. Perhaps 'at where it was' is better, but can YOU see where he is?

Spot the Baikal.

"Now, the third pylon from the right, with the big clump of reeds, go down and left a bit until you see the Lapwing, no not that Lapwing the other one, go left 'til you get to the Great Big Teal - yes, that HUGE one with the legs - you've got that? Then it's just 17 birds right and 3 down..."

[This was almost exactly instructions given at one point today. Honest. :) ]

Yes, on my third attempt - aided I have no doubt by the Dark power of The Artefact ::Ominous chanting:: - today at Greylake up in zumerzet, I yearticked the Murphys and Lifeticked Baikal Teal.

Oh. BLEEEEEP! Yes.

:D

Proper twitchin'; up with the Teacher and No.1 Son, we also saw a few other things, but this waits due turn for a proper post with awful long-range shots. Yes, worse than those.

But right now - well at aaaaaaaaargh o'clock -  I am back to the funny farm and so I shall

Be Seeing You...

The Great New Year's Eve Seawatch.

Sometimes a post has to do what it says on the tin.

After suffering brain pain, apathy, and inclement weather, I was resolved to get another seawatch in at year's end. And maybe, just maybe get my Patch Yearlist up to the Magic 150.

Ok, the list of birds that could provide said results were... Er, a bit unlikely. Though you never know, and rough weather after the Solstice can provide all sorts of things. [You may recall certain Ivory Sabre-toting demigods?]

Things didn't start very auspiciously, as I managed to turn my alarm off in my sleep, resulting in a 90 minute delay to proceedings.

Bugger and other comments.

But I got there, I got set up on the Steps, and I gave it a whole 2.5 hours before everything was so dead I gave up. Then I spent the rest of the day [which I had had plans for] looking for then at seaducks and nattering with the Teacher. Worse ways to wile away the day there are. [[Yes, especially when the THIRD white-winged gull of the year for the Nose pops up in front of the two of your astonished eyes...]]

Gear down...

GND coming in to

the Ore Stone channel

Formation flying.

RTDs pass into the Bay

These two pulled the same thing the next morning, too; one above the other, both 1w birds.

Adult RTD

Note the inconspicuous feet, head-down hump-backed silhouette and overall paleness.

Pied Wagtail

Many pipits and wagtails in evidence around the Sole [and further westwards when not so windy!]

Numbers of Gannets, Kittiwakes, and [largely] Razorbills were passing. 88 Gannets [mostly second hour], 164 Kittiwakes [almost all in first hour], 186 auks [even]. Also 3 Fulmar [not counting local prospectors] and 2 C Scoter.

At least 4 Common Dolphin popped up just as I was about to stop. 27 BHG and 20 Common Gull were about the slick.

Best bird by far though came through at 1109.... Little Grebe!!!!

Aside from very rare winter surprises, this is a species you just don't see on Patch; once at the Blackball roost and a couple of times in the Harbour. First record at the Nose, completes the grebes on site, and other happy epithets.

Naturally a Patch Yeartick, and took me to my final total of 149.

[And yes, I was out until dark hoping for the Big 150...]

Despite chasing said List, I spent far too little time seawatching in 2021 - a clear indicator of how badly the year went - so getting some in on the last day was definitely the right choice.

Anyways, I have finally sort-of finished this post and so now can GET ON WITH IT!!! with regards to 2022.

Oh, there's the latest Scwewy Duck, too..

Hmmm.

Be Seeing You...

2021

Legally required Year Review / Highlights / Wotsit Post.

 

[[I've been over this a few times and have finally decided.. Well, I can't put up my exact thoughts but you probably can guess the gist.    So, here's a token effort. If you'd like more details, feel free to archive binge. Go on, you know you want to. Surprisingly few horrid gull pics in 2021, you know... ::Nods encouragingly:: ]]

Well, 2021 largely went to CENSORED

But there were some good bits, largely bird-related.

 

 

 

Starting as I'd hoped it would go on, with the ongoing Glonk at the Nose. Superstar of a bird, with that lovely LTD for company.

 

And speaking of white-wingers, finding two in a week at the Nose at the end of December - even if nobody not there at the moment saw them... -  was quite something. 

Then, ah then we had that Mockingbird.

You know, the one I twitched on the first day it was legal to do so [by which time almost everyone else had..... Naughty*.]

A certain River Warbler stands out, as does its spectacular supporting cast [and I don't just mean our Recorder actually twitching something away from the Warren.!]. Proper twitching, just like in The Olden Dayes.

That Hen Harrier [any Hen Harrier].

Chasing a Partch Yearlist and falling just short of a nice number. Yes, I ended up with 149.

[This is a spoiler, as I still haven't finished last year's posts yet... I am a poor blogger and unrepentant.]

But I think the single best moment of the year was those few seconds on an un-named area of Dartmoor, when I met a Red Grouse and her adorable fluffballs chicks. Close enough to pick up, if I were that irresponsible.

You could express joy and relief that they're still breeding up there. You could nod and say something like 'time in the field'. You could give fervent thanks to whichever deity you believe in [Science counts, btw, atheists ;) ]. **  But I think the best response is simply  "Awwwwww...."

And on that best of notes I shall

Be Seeing You...

[[* Opinions on lockdown-breakers removed. I'm sure you can guess.]]

[[** You could go 'Oh why not in a year when I'm chasing Devon..???'    Ahem. ]]

It's The Wingbars.

After the Glorious-in-parts First, I'd anticipated not being quite so manic the next day.

But birds have other ideas, and a First For Devon demands celerity.

So I found myself driving through some epic rain [tardiness pays sometimes.!] down to Prawle, passing soggy but happy members of Devon's Finest dragging themselves back up as I [mostly] walked down to Maelcombe Beach, where this little beauty was hiding from It, sheltering for the howling gale, and generally zipping around amongst a veritable horde of All the pipits. 

 

Buff-bellied Pipit

"Beep! Beep!"

It was a little similar to the other one I've seen; in a windswept field full of bits to hide behind, with loads of other little birds running around to distract the eye, and everything under the shadow of an ever-lurking threat.

While at the Paddyfield it was an allegedly shotgun-toting farmer*, here the threat was more tangible. Just not for us [probably...].

 

I speak of It. The Great Winged Terror;

B-B-B-B-B-B-Bonxie!!!!!

Low-flying Doom

[plus terrified pipit!]

Nice white feathering, there.

Insane views as it repeatedly cruised by, scattering all before [and below] it. Which was a bit frustrating when you're trying to find one little bird amongst about 50....

'All the pipits' included a Water, which was nice, and were added to by lots of wagtails, including this [quite likely wishing it was slightly less bright at that point!];

Grey Wagtail!

[plus Rockit]

The day was far from over when I wandered back up, 

 

Looking over Maelcombe towards Peartree Point

 

The bird in question was at the far end of that pale patch of shingle centre field.

Of interest, note the black wave-cut platform, and the now grassy raised beach [with older wave-cut platform underneath] leading up to the former sea cliffs. This is a common feature around the SouthWest, but rarely seen so nicely.

As for the rest of the day's events [which may well include me chasing yearticks with varied result - shock], you shall have to await a future post.

Be Seeing You...

[[* Very allegedly, if you ask me, but it makes a good story and maybe kept a few out of the crop... ]]

Battering And Filling

The Patch and a few irritating gaps in the yearlist respectively was how I ended the year.

 

[[You're not actually expecting 2022 posts in 2022, are you?!? Come on, what blog is this??]]

It's been a bit - ok a lot - samey at the Nose, perhaps the samey time of year and samey weather have something to do with that..?

But attention has been diverted a bit to this place;

Blackball Roost

I hope you're not expecting to actually see birds are you..?!???

Well, if you do, turn up to the Downs at a little before sunset with your best low-light long-range kit. [Trying to count gulls and especially pick out non-gulls when they mix {argh!} is when I truly covet a £3000 Swaro....]

My ED50 doesn't do too badly in the light stakes, but with only 20x it suffers a little when they're not right close in. The Big Scope does not like the dark. I do the best I can, though there are always still birds arriving when I have to give up...

Three evenings in the last week of the year gave maximum numbers of 1 GND,  53 GCG, 18 ComScoter, 360 SmG, and 1600 LWHG. [Though not on the same day]

Great Northern

at the Nose

Guillemot

[with funky grey cheeks]

at the Nose

Most Nose trips involve a GND, lots of auks, and the 22 Common Scoter and the female type Eider [both around the Oyster Beds]. The odd Blackcap or three in the bushes, plus sometimes a winter thrush or two [and I do mean that literally...] on land, and the usual ragtag assortment of standard winter gulls loitering.

With the year coming to a close, the yearlist I've resolutely not chased has had a few gaps, and a couple of these I decided I just couldn't tolerate.

So, Wednesday saw me toddle up to the Exe [after a standard Nose visit] and take a scenic route home.

I messed about the Matford / RVP / etc. area and after about 7km of scope-lugging finally caught up with the Prime target;

Le gasp! Waders!

That most contrasty of waders, the Green Sandpiper. Plus 4 [yes, there are if you look] Snipe.

 

Notably not here;

 

Slightly damp Matford

 

 

I know... Scrabbling to see Green Sand.. But I was not chasing and shoulder and then car issues and...

Ok, yes I am ashamed.

::Clang:: Shame!

Ahem.

Relocation for another important bird;

This photo has killed The Artist.

Killed him dead.

I'm kidding!!

 

[Anyone got a defibrillator?]

I mean these;

Brightly coloured and floating...

;)

[Better credentials than the Saltram RCP*; these are at least wary of humans and don't sit in a 20' duck pond by the gift shop..!]

Ahem.

Also present at Newton Dogs were;

Pochard, male

Pochard, female, plus 4 Gadwall

And a few of the usual suspects, though no grebes.

And so 2021 ende- Oh No, wait no it didn't.

Because the Great New Year's Eve Seawatch hadn't happened yet, had it?

:D

Be Seeing You...

[[* Which I will now attempt to shamelessly yeartick anyway. :p ]]