From the Exe to the Axe

Sun Feb 7.  Nothing to report on my Carsington beginners walk, apart from very good close up views of the Great Northern Diver. Well voted Bird of the Day, and later on was even closer to the boardwalk by the Wildlife Centre.

Mon Feb 8 – Thurs Feb 11. Had 3 days at Exmouth in Devon, and although gales battered the West Country on Monday, from Tuesday we had 3 days (almost-) of excellent weather.

Monday,  The bad news.... Foreign lorries jammed the Gloucester lay-by opposite the Penduline Tits site, so we aborted a search. The good news.. the Imperial hotel gave us an upgraded room with a balcony overlooking Dawlish Warren, and although it was too cold to open the window, we had an incredible view particularly of the fast running spring tides.

Tuesday, At 1.30pm, after a short morning walk (ticking off a Rock Pipit near the marina), I joined the 3 hour Stuart Lines birdwatching cruise on the Exe to Topsham, my 5^th trip over the years. For just £12.50 this is an excellent trip, and the commentary by David Smallshire is very good and professional. I ticked off 35 birds on the trip, and added 7 to my 2016 list.  , and the cruise always leaves at low tide giving excellent views of the birds on the sand banks. Well recommended.

Of course most of the species were water birds, although David did spot a Peregrine on Exmouth church. A good early start was being very close to a Great Northern Diver, and Shags and Mergansers were very frequent. One of the top areas was near Powderham castle where the River Kenn joins the Exe. Greenshank and Spotted Redshank were spotted and near Starcross station, the Slavonian Grebe which has been living for 2/3 years all year round on the Exe, had a friend ??!!

A good number of Avocets added some charisma, and David added a lot of help in sorting Plovers (Ringed; Grey; Golden and Green).  A rarity and a highlight for him was a Mediterranean Gull, which tested the identification skills of newbie’s to birding, especially when it flew past!.. oh and one seal.

Wednesday, Knowing that we had very high spring tides, we got to Budleigh Salterton and the marshes at the mouth of the river Otter. Hi tide was c7.15am, so 10.00am was a bit too late to see the marshes flooding. So we kept heading East to Sidmouth, Beer and then to Seaton to look at the Axe marshes. I’d had reports that at Black Hole marsh, there was a Glossy Ibis, and a Green Winged Teal. Maybe there was, but they are big marshes and the 2 guys in the hide said “they could be anywhere”. Dipped again! Still 7 to add to the list and now on 124.

Thursday was non-birding, although it was interesting to see from the train that on the Teign estuary, whereas when I was at school, I saw Herons, now it’s all about Little Egrets.

I thought you might like to hear about the annual award presented by the Chairman of DOS to recognise a person who has made a significant contribution to Avian conservation. The well deserved 2016 award goes to Roger Carrington who for 10 years was the recorder for Carsington. Whenever I saw him whilst I was doing my bird walks, Roger would share his findings, but those “goodies” that he saw at 7.00am on the dam wall, would be for him to savour. In 10 years of my Bird Walks for Beginners, the highest  one morning count was when Roger led the walk. Says it all, doesn’t it!

Modesty forbids me mentioning that I received the Chairman’s award in 2013.

A Raptorous (?) Week

Saturday Jan 30, With Mary and our daughter Sarah, we were heading for another visit to Surrey, and as it was daylight, I, as driver, insisted we journeyed via Silverstone to the M40, so that I could tick off Red Kite en route. And was it well worthwhile!! Sarah had the clicker counter and between Oxford and the magic roundabout (M25) we all saw 18 Red Kites, which meant goodness knows how many were outside of our line of vision. Not my best count – that was Sunday 23^rd March 2012, heading South at c1.30pm.....61. (Did I mention that I keep records??)

Tuesday Feb 2, gave my 25th talk about the Carsington Osprey project to 18 ladies from a group at St Mathews Church, Darley Abbey. They were very enthusiastic about the project, and despite the projector giving a distinct green hue to the pictures, they still gave me a very helpful donation for our ongoing costs... one said it was worth it for my enthusiasm!

As usual I embellish my talk with some interesting bird facts, and I got on to the experiences of my grandson Leo, and the Peregrines on Derby cathedral.

In 2014 I took him to a vantage point behind Derby cathedral, to see the Peregrine nesting tray, which was installed on the cathedral by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust in 2006. My telescope enabled Leo to get a very close view of a Peregrine, but he was even more thrilled when he looked at the Jury’s Inn sign on the nearby hotel. He now saw 3 Peregrines, and commented that 2 of them, the juveniles, were fluffier! He was very proud to tell his school mates that he had seen a “pair-of-greens”!

I told the ladies that if they are on an A6 bus going towards Belper, to check the hotel sign as they pass ...my success rate is about 60%. Why are the adults on that spot?  a) The adults can see the nest from there; b) it faces the sun: and c) the illuminated sign presumably gives there claws warmth, all the better for hunting.

Friday Feb 5 On impulse I decided to have a short visit to try and tick off the Brambling and Yellowhammer at Old Moor, and after the second attempt, I did indeed add them to my year list. As a bonus for my diligence, I arrived at Old Moor to find a Red Necked Grebe had arrived on Thursday and was on the Mere, clearly why there were so many cars in the car park. 117 to date – looking good.

Just to keep you up to date, I popped over to Wombwell Ings to see if the new hide being installed by the Garganey Trust was open yet. But unfortunately it appears that it will be another 10 – 14 days. Must make a note to go up early March because it is a good place to see Red Necked Partridge, and possibly Grey.

Right, time to pack for my visit to Exmouth next week, during which I hope to see Penduline Tits at Gloucester, a scan of Bowling Green marsh, a train journey along the Dawlish Wall via Exe marshes, an Avocet cruise on the Exe, and a run to Seaton to  look for a Golden Ibis at the Axe estuary. The weather prospects can be described as decidedly iffy!   

You know where I am if the SW gets stormy.

Captain Nemo.