Not Quite Scilly...

A Working Day

2012-02-15T23:55:00.000Z

Another day of steady toil. And once again my only birding involved a couple of estuary passes - brief, and big gull oriented. Plenty of them, but I couldn't winkle anything out. Recently I've noticed an increase in unfamiliar faces pointing bins at the estuary gulls. Occasionally they're standing beside the road, but more often peering out from the comfort of a warm car. Obviously I don't resent these people ~~making free with my birds~~ enjoying a nice bit of birding here, but...

Well, to be honest I'm worried they might find something. If Steve or Phil or Ian or any of the regular locals found a good gull I would just about be able to cope, but if some outsider stole what is rightfully mine...

Tsk! Look what I've just typed! That's one of the things about blogging - before you can say 'small-minded parochial bigot' you'll find yourself losing all restraint, and the real you will be right there on the screen for everyone to see, all snarling and ugly. Of course, we all have a dark side. Normally it's tucked away in some secret, sweaty corner, but occasionally the blogger's creative juices will bring it squirming out into the light. Not pretty. Luckily it usually happens within the first couple of paragraphs, so you can quickly delete it and start again. Even so, it's often good to just go with the flow for a while first, and see what would have happened if you'd just kept typing. Quite frequently it can lead to a good idea for a future post...something original maybe. Hah, I've just had a thought! Imagine if you'd just typed a load of stream-of-consciousness garbage and then had a power cut or something, and it all got saved and published before you could dele

Ducks Dominate

2012-02-14T23:17:00.001Z

Yesterday was slightly unusual - a 100% birding-free day. But it needn't have been. I am in the fortunate position of being able to get something in virtually every day if I want to, so what happened? Couldn't work up the enthusiasm required for a dawn raid, then got engrossed in the never-ending DIY project and, before I knew it, night had fallen. The blog suffered too - no Monday post. Of course it would have to have been a filler anyway, but that's rarely an issue - I can usually fill quite adequately. So why not? No, something was definitely wrong yesterday, some unpleasant malaise had me in its grip. No fire in the belly. What I needed was some thrilling event to get those juices flowing again...

So when Steve's text interrupted some conscientious bread-winning this afternoon, I knew from the massive surge of adrenaline that it was just what the doctor ordered.

Tufty at Lower Brucklands!

Alr-i-i-i-i-ght! Year tick number 96

There was still some light left when I finished work, so it was off to the estuary for a look at the gulls. [Really? How uncharacteristic!]

There were still loads present, so in the time available I settled for checking the big ones as thoroughly as possible and didn't worry about the little ones. The 'interesting' possible argentatus from Sunday was by the tram sheds again, but nothing else caught my eye, and certainly no white-wingers. I find it hugely ironic (and amusing) that the only Iceland Gull to thus far grace the Axe in the biggest influx of the species since Tudor times popped up in front of a visiting birder, rather than one of us patch-thrashing locals. 'Ironic' and 'amusing' are of course euphemisms for vastly more colourful phrases that you'll never catch me using on this blog. Or out loud, even.

Anyway, when I'd done with gulls I headed home via the Farm Gate. On the saltmarsh below the viewpoint are a couple of recently scraped scrapes - presumably created for shooting purposes - and one of them was exceptionally full of Gadwall...

A 21 Gadwall salute

That's a very big Gadwall count for this patch. That, and the staggering appearance of a pukka diving duck, got me wondering if there might be other duckish thrills to be had before I went home. Sure enough, over the back of Bridge Marsh I could see all the Wigeon were up and grazing within scope-able range. Hoping to come across the vaguely possible female American Wigeon candidate again I picked through them in the gloom...

Sorry, there is no fairy-tale ending to this post.

I Do Like a Challenge

2012-02-12T23:19:00.000Z

So, it's Sunday afternoon, around 2:40, and a quick look from the seafront shows the sea fairly flat, and a distant smear of a few hundred Wigeon in the bay. So distant, in fact, that I would really need to walk out to the east side of the river mouth to view them and pick out the Scaup, Smew and Surf Scoters that will no doubt be hiding there. So I drive round to the golf course layby and prepare to do just that. Across the river - in front of the tram sheds - are lots of big gulls. As I cast my eyes upstream I can see lots more gulls...

And thus all hope of a walk to the river mouth to look at ducks receives the kiss of death.

The tally was 10 Med Gulls (9 adults and a 1st-winter) with 3 of the adults wearing colour-rings - White 32P1, White 3J23 and Red 5P5. Red rings with a 'P' in the code are from Poland. I've had a few of these, but recently learned that details are no longer sent promptly back to observers reporting sightings of Polish rings - apparently there is a 6-month wait now. This is a bit sad, because half the fun of colour-ring reporting is learning about the birds' history. Ah well, at least I've had life histories back on the other two. Ironically, White 32P1 was originally ringed as Red PAR7 in Poland. That was in May 2007, and it was an adult then. In June 2010 it was fitted with White 32P1 in Belgium. I have seen it as both. Looking through its combined list of observers got me in contemplative mood. I see several familiar names - Terry Smith, Kev Rylands, Brian Heasman, Ivan Lakin, Lee Collins and Ian McLean - and am reminded how these colour-ringed Meds make curious little connections between us all...

Anyway, the big gulls brought me down to earth again. Nil white-wingers of course, but there was one bird of interest. To me, that is. I do appreciate that for most birders this post ends here.

Here it is with some friends...

Can you see which one has caught my eye?

It's the slightly darker bird in the background. The first thing to stand out is the mantle shade. Noticeably darker than argenteus ('British') Herring Gull, but not so dark as to instantly imply Herring x LBBG hybrid. There was a good candidate for one of the latter present elsewhere in the flock, and that was a shade darker still. Here's a portrait of the gull in question...

With that long and fairly hefty bill, and its seemingly long wings, I wondered if it could be an argentatus ('Scandinavian') Herring Gull. The only thing is, argentatus HG is a rare bird in Devon. There have been a few on the Axe, but I've personally seen only two - both adults, and on the same day! I have seen loads more Yellow-legged Gulls (which this clearly isn't) and several more 'darker-mantled indeterminates', most (all?) of which are nasty hybrid things. So a darker mantled gull which isn't a YLG is statistically more likely to be a hybrid than an argentatus in my experience.

So why isn't this just a hybrid?

Call it a gut thing, but it just oozes 'Herring Gull' to me. It's certainly a small one, and therefore presumably a female, but it still looks mean and fierce like I would expect an argentatus to look. And I can't help thinking the shade of grey is just right. Here's another shot, side by side with some regular jobs...

That's a long bill. Female argentatus...or hybrid?

I got one flight shot, which confirms the age as 3rd-winter (see the nice adult-type inner primaries?) although the bill colour, mantle, scaps, coverts etc all pointed in that direction anyway.

According to Malling Olsen and Larsson (assuming I am interpreting the runes correctly) there is nothing about this bird which rules out argentatus Herring Gull. My hesitation is down to four things:

Although an adult argentatus is perfectly do-able, I would imagine immature birds are less so, especially in the face of the subspecies' rarity in Devon and (when younger than this and therefore with little or no grey) the massive variability evident in young Herring Gulls generally. Could a 1st-winter even be unequivocally identifiable in the county?
The hybrid complication. We see way too many darkish things which appear to be of mixed parentage - I guess mostly Herring x LBBG, though other options are surely available? I am slowly realising that these horrors are too common by half.
It is a Devon 'A' list rarity, meaning I would have to write a description if I wanted to 'claim' it. Hmmm...not really, thanks.
It's only a subspecies anyway (whatever that means!) and cannot fatten my year-list. Therefore I need not champion its cause.

So there it is. An interesting and educational bird which had me (yet again!) thumbing the literature, and had many of you (yet again!) speed-reading.

Trophies From the Field

2012-02-11T22:44:00.000Z

Non-birding stuff this morning produced year tick number 95 - Redwing.

This afternoon I thought a quick and easy Jack Snipe would be nice. I'm sure it would have been too, but the only Snipe that Phil and I managed to kick up were decidedly Common. Never mind though, because I came home with some trophies...

Many years ago I went through a brief (and smelly) phase of collecting dead birds' wings. Various spousal ultimata put a stop to that boyish behaviour (I think it was the Mute Swan which did for me) so ever since then I've been collecting dead birds' Rings instead. One snag - unfortunately I've never found any. I guess I kind of make up for it by photographing gulls wearing colour-rings...but it's not the same. The feeling of tangible acquisition which goes with picking something up and putting it in your pocket (or dragging it along behind you) to take home simply isn't there. That all changed today.

First, among the minimum 9 Med Gulls (8 adults and a 1st-winter) on the estuary were 2 with colour-rings. One I couldn't read, but the other was this one...

White 32P1 - it's nice when you can actually read them in a photo, and a-a-a-lmost makes it a trophy. Almost.

Once in a while I come across dead birds. They never have rings. A Black-headed Gull today didn't even have legs! Everything else, almost, but no legs. Maybe another ring collector got to it first? Or maybe there's a twisted collector of dead birds' legs out there? That's just sick. Oh, I know what you're thinking, but wings are ok. No, really, because wings are aesthetically pleasing, and kind of sum up what a bird is, which makes their removal from a festering corpse perfectly acceptable...

Anyway, Phil found the remains of a Shelduck on the saltmarsh just north of Coronation Corner. Whatever had eaten it had left little more than the legs and bill, but what legs! There was a ring on each one!! Here they are...

Collage to show the whole ring number

Black and yellow gem amid the carnage

I am pretty sure the colour-ring indicates that this is an Axe-ringed bird. Hopefully Steve will confirm this for me.

A bit of makeshift field butchery (and some grunting and straining) produced two slightly gory trophies. They cleaned up pretty good, and now sit smiling at me from slots 1 and 2 of the optimistically large mahogany Dead Birds' Rings display cabinet I had custom-bulit over 20 years ago.

A Fairly Fruitless Skive

2012-02-10T22:10:00.001Z

Today's bitterly cold SE wind and rain absolutely convinced me I'd be getting year ticks. In the event I feel totally diddled - I didn't get any at all, despite a great deal of skiving with optics. I tried all sorts - sea, estuary, marsh, more estuary - no fireworks anywhere. Highlights were a flock of 7 Ruff with the Lapwings, 4 Gadwall, a count of 147 Dunlin and 8 adult Med Gulls. Actually, gullish offerings were a bit measly today (again!) and I have now looked at 15 million big gulls in the last month without so much as a hint of thrill.

I spent a bit of time in the nicely empty Tower Hide, and took this photo with the FZ38...

When it climbed on to dry land I could see it was colour-ringed. One of two seen today - both new to me...

Red PJY4

White 3J23

Anyway, as I didn't get any year ticks it's a good job I saved one from yesterday isn't it! Forgot to mention I had a little flock of Fieldfares go over in the morning - 94. Strange that I haven't bagged any winter thrushes until now. There were loads around in December but I can't recall seeing any since the new year. Of course that doesn't mean I haven't seen any, just that I haven't noticed. I mean, full-throttle birding is such an effort isn't it? You've got to notice stuff, and then look at it, identify it, and then later try and remember it and think whether you've seen one yet this year. Whereas really relaxed year-listers are barely in first gear...

Dum...

di...

dum...

di...

dum...

di...oh...right...yeah...some gulls over there on the mud....suppose I'd better raise me bins...

Oh...erm...oh yes, Med Gulls. Yep, seen them already..........er, what about those other ones though?

More Relaxed Listing...

2012-02-09T23:32:00.000Z

Yesterday a Bittern was seen on the estuary at lunch time, when a small group in the Tower Hide were treated to some nice flight views. I found out just on dusk, and joined Steve at the Farm Gate for an evening vigil. No sign of course, but then we may well have been too late anyway, the bird either having gone to roost earlier or flown far, far away.

However, with my recent penchant for turning slim-to-negligible chances into stunning goals, I headed out to the Tower Hide at the crack of dawn today. Sadly, no Bitterns. Never mind though, because a couple of year ticks were still bagged - Cetti's Warbler and Water Rail.

That's 92 then.

And that was it for today...or so I thought.

16:35 - Phil calls.

"Gav, small grebe off Seaton Hole. Thought it was your Slav coming round from Branscombe at first, but as it's getting nearer it's looking more and more like a Black-necked..."

Black-necked Grebe would not simply be a year tick for me, but a full-blown patch tick too!

"Thanks Phil," I replied, and sat back down to finish the rest of my afternoon tea and crumpets. I knocked out and scrupulously cleaned my pipe, removed my slippers and collected my bird-spotting equipment. Then it was a simple matter of checking the oil, coolant and tyre pressures on the Volvo 240, carefully positioning the trilby upon my head, and crawling sedately to Seaton Hole...

Eye-witness accounts of my arrival being preceded by the squeal of tortured rubber, or my rushing from the car in a blur of wide-flung doors and undone laces are simply lies.

Sure enough, a Black-necked Grebe, and what a fine sight it was on the flat-calm sea.........93.

The List Thickens

2012-02-08T17:54:00.000Z

When I awoke this morning I could sense sub-zero temperatures outside. This made exit from the cosy pit even less appealing than usual, and I was a bit late into the field. So, instead of being at the seafront with Ian M when 5 Pintail turned up, I was scanning Bridge Marsh. From Ian's first text I thought they were on the sea and drove straight for the Yacht Club, but another text made me pull over...

'Flew past us and seemed to land in the vicinity of Seaton Marshes'

Guessing the marshes would all be solid, I decided to try the river instead. There's a nice gateway just north of Axmouth village where you can see much of the river above Coronation Corner. And there they were...

Distant (c.450m) but unmistakeable - 5 superb Pintails

Pintail is a scarce bird on the patch, though I've so far managed to see the species here every year. Within a minute or so they had swum upstream and out of view, so my timing couldn't have been better. There were also 4 Ruff prodding about on an island with a load of Lapwings, and I guess it was the same 4 that were later to be found with the Lapwings on Bridge Marsh.

When I sent the gloaty Dipper text yesterday, Steve replied 'You'll be in woods next!' The implication was clear - Steve thinks my year-listing approach is not as relaxed as I would have everyone believe. Of course, I refute this suggestion. After all, what could be more soul-soothing than a gentle stroll along a riverbank?

Or, indeed, a peaceful walk in the woods? In fact, the more I thought about that idea, the more I liked it. After all, everyone knows I love Morganhayes Woods and am always looking for an excuse to spend time there. It was way too cold for work today, so why not...?

As I sauntered [in an ultra-relaxed version of] casually along the main ride, I marvelled at the myriad small birds eking out a living in the frigid habbo. Goldcrests, Coal Tits (tick!) lots of Siskins, a couple of Treecreepers and a Nuthatch (tick!) all kept me busy until I branched on to a narrow track beside some well-coned Larches. Within 2 minutes I heard a familiar 'jip-jip' and a female Crossbill landed in the top of a nearby tree, joined moments later by a smart male. Annoyingly I hadn't bothered bringing the camera, so spent 10 or 15 minutes just watching them instead. Crossbill can be a right pig to catch up with on the patch, and I've certainly had blank years, so am particularly chuffed that this laid-back approach to year-listing is paying such rich dividends. One attempt for Dipper - score! One attempt for Crossbill - score! Easy.

I've had another tot-up and got 90. As well as those listed in the last two posts, other recent additions include Tawny Owl and Skylark. I'm still without Peregrine or Linnet, and every single auk thus far has been a Razorbill, so Guillemot is missing too. So are Stock Dove, Stonechat and a host of other easy stuff. Gently does it...

Still no white-wingers from the river, but these are always nice...

A white-winger, Jim, but...

Postscript. Upon helpfully informing my fellow patchers that I'd just enjoyed cracking views of 2 Crossbills in Morganhayes Woods, I received the following text from Steve...

'Hahahahahaha. Oh dear oh dear oh dear!'

As I sit here by the crackling log fire, wearing my cosiest slippers and packing my favourite briar, I take a sip of cocoa and wonder what Steve might be getting at...

In Which a Gloaty Text is Necessary...

2012-02-07T21:31:00.000Z

A photo from the archive...

Dipper on the River Coly - 25 January 2008

Unless my memory issues are a lot more serious than I imagine, this is the last Dipper I saw on patch. Four years ago! I have tried since then of course (Oh, how I've tried!) but the many hours of riverbank walking have all been fruitless. There are basically two places where Dipper is realistically possible on the patch - the tiny stream at Branscombe (where I haven't seen one since February 2006) and the River Coly, of which there's about 2 miles within the patch boundary. I think I've scored just twice on the Coly, but considering the bird(s) can range widely and might easily be upstream of the boundary this is not surprising. So, as far as year-listing goes, Dipper is now filed under 'Mythical' with Lesser Spotted Woodpecker...

Right, I have clearly stated on here that my 2012 year-listing is going to be very laid-back. I have every intention of sticking to this leisurely approach for the sake of my fragile sanity. 'Relaxed' is the word I have used on more than one occasion. And what could be more relaxing than a gentle amble along a pretty little river before work? No pressure, just a nice, e-e-e-asy stroll...

I even worked out a strategy - a relaxed one of course. I reckoned I could cover half a mile plus in the time available. There's a stretch starting at Colyton which is very popular with dog walkers. I figured if I joined the river a few hundred yards upstream of that, and then walked to the patch boundary by Ratshole Gate, any Dippers flushed by the dog walkers would fly straight up the river past me. I congratulated myself on a superb plan and set off at 07:30. By 08:40 I had walked my stretch, out and back, coinciding my return with the appearance of the first dog walker coming towards me. Obviously I hadn't seen a Dipper, but I didn't care and had anyway enjoyed a nice flock of maybe 40 Siskins. I climbed back in the car and drove off...

As I approached the spot in Colyton where the dog walkers park I thought "Hmmm, they all head straight upstream from this bridge don't they, so why not pull in and just have a quick look downstream?" I obeyed this uncharacteristic urging, pulled in, got out, walked quickly to the bridge and peered over.

A Dipper looked up at me, horrified!

I don't know which of us was more surprised! It bobbed up and down nervously, so I quickly ducked out of view. I hurried to the car for my camera, came back to the bridge and cautiously poked my head over the parapet. No sign. Very slowly I stood up. Nope. Gone. I leaned over slightly and the Dipper exploded out from directly below, hurtling off downsream, round a bend and out of sight.

"Blast!" I thought, but then realised how handy that I hadn't left the thing sitting on a plate for all my year-listing ~~rivals~~ colleagues. Actually, it's been so long since I've scored a potential patch year-list blocker that I'd forgotten just what a useful tactic is the Judicious Flush. It's all coming back to me...

For Sale or Swap - One Duck, for Anything Much Easier

2012-02-06T19:30:00.002Z

The day began very well. I was at Branscombe beach just after sunrise - my first visit this year. Initially it all looked rather dead, but after a lot of scanning I picked up a little bird flying straight in from the SW. When it finally ditched it turned into a Slavonian Grebe - patch scarcity and gripping year tick. Nice. Smiling now, I scanned some more. A big splash caught my eye...then a fin...dolphins! It was a pod of at least 8 Bottlenose Dolphins, the first I've definitely seen on the patch. They moved very slowly eastwards and were still in view (off Beer Head) when I left. I was seriously grinning now - a classy year tick, a patch cetacean tick, plus 20-odd Common Scoters W and a handful of Red-throated Divers on the sea. Superb. Right, I thought, I'll just have a quick look at the river and then get on with real life...

On the way I passed Bridge Marsh. It was obviously stuffed with ducks so I stopped to see if we still had any Gadwall. There seemed a lot more Wigeon than of late, and unfortunately one of the blasted things looked really interesting. It was one of the first birds I looked at (out of 500+) and although only a nasty female I couldn't help noticing its pale, greyish head and rather striking eye mask. I wondered if it was the bird Steve had seen briefly on 1 January. After about three days it raised its wings and had a little flap. Aaagh! White axillaries! I was certain. Brief, but definite. White! Surely an American Wigeon then? I sent a clutch of optimistic texts and was soon joined by Bun, Ian M and Karen, with Steve arriving a bit later. I'll cut the long story short - we never had another decent view of its armpit. The inevitable niggling doubts began to creep in. Was it really white? You know, white white? One or two of those regular Wigeon sometimes appear to show rather white axillaries too, don't you think? And what about other features? Are those flanks orange enough? Is there enough contrast between the head and breast? Blah...blah...

Pretty soon I'd managed to downgrade it to a slim 'possible' and lost my happy grin. One thing we could say - it was dead easy to pick out from the crowd. But, as Steve pointed out - you could see why there aren't many claims of female American Wigeon! Tricky! Thankfully the flock eventually decamped to Colyford Marsh and put us out of our misery.

Here are a couple of really naff shots...

It's the one at the back, with its head up

ditto...

I'm not going to reveal how long I spent waiting for the horrible thing to slowly raise its wings and give them a good stretch, because it's embarrassing. Much, much longer then it deserved, anyway. When I got home and had a little read-up, I learned that I should also have paid careful attention to the greater covert pattern on the open wing. Chance would have been a fine thing.

After some pills and a lie-down I ventured out again for a look at Iceland Gulls. Not a roaring success, but I did find another nice year tick...

This smart Ruff accompanied some 45 Black-tailed Godwits and 125 Dunlin - a bit of an increase since the last time I counted waders. Along with a Kestrel I couldn't help spotting, Slav Grebe and Ruff put me on 84. On fire!

Gripped!

2012-02-05T23:01:00.000Z

I dread to think how much time we have all spent looking through the estuary gulls this year. The hoped-for Iceland Gulls have turned up at Weymouth, Brixham, Exmouth...all over Lyme Bay really. The Axe though? As if you needed reminding! No, not the Axe. I managed only a late afternoon trip to the estuary today, but even at 4:15 there were still lots of big gulls to check. Nothing. Phil had been through them all at least a couple of times earlier. Surely we have cast such a fine-mesh net that nothing could slip through unnoticed?

Wrong!

Early this evening I opened an email from a visiting birder. A little photo...of a 2nd-winter Iceland Gull on the Axe at midday!

Anyway, while out seeing no pale gulls this afternoon I happened to notice a Kingfisher on the river. "That reminds me," I thought, "I'm doing a yearlist." When I got home I dug out a blank list and started putting crosses in boxes (not ticks - that would be too sad) and then added them all up. I got 81. This is pathetic. I've had 100+ in a January day on the patch before, so I can safely say that my approach to this year's effort is very, very relaxed. As planned. Horizontal, even.

Making a Move

2012-02-04T18:51:00.002Z

Phil had to point out today's yeartick, because I'd walked straight past without seeing it. A Knot, really obvious and right out out in the open, but....surrounded by gulls. One of these days I am going to overlook a rare wader on the estuary because I cannot see beyond the gulls. Talking of which, there were stacks on the river today. More Herring Gulls than I've seen for a long, long time. I spent most of the afternoon sifting and sorting, absolutely certain there couldn't be all those millions of big gulls without a gem or two tucked away in there. Well, if there was anything I couldn't find it. At least 8 of these though...

This one digiscoped from the lower footpath. That's ice in the background.

And this one 'Lumixed' from the car

Talking of overlooking things - I didn't notice the 2nd Med Gull in the background as I was photographing the one in front. Mind you, at least it was in the background - compare with this recent example of chronic oversight! Oops!

When I was chatting with Phil earlier it had come up that 2012 so far seems to be one of the worst years to have chosen for a patch year list attempt. And as I trolled up and down the estuary in the freezing rain I couldn't help but note the continued lack of white-wingers. How easy it would be to moan about all this. But how churlish too...

Just over 9 years ago Sandra and I made the rather momentous decision to move from the outskirts of NW London to the coast of E Devon. Our two previous uprootings had each taken us a bit further from the centre of the metropolis, and the final break has been the best move we've ever made. My income is now peanuts (though sufficient peanuts) but this is compensated for many times over by the vastly superior quality of life - and that's not just the relaxed and excellent birding. The seafront is a short cycle ride from the house, and on a warm day I can tootle down there, buy a triple-scoop sugar cone of death, sit down on the pebbles, gaze out to sea and quietly harden my arteries in the sun. Thinking on that, it's a bit trickier to find stuff to moan about...

Why don't more people make the break? I don't really know, but at least it keeps the ice-cream queue short.

Assorted Mild Frustrations

2012-02-01T22:16:00.000Z

I thought very seriously about going to work this morning. After all, it was dry and sunny. But a few moments outdoors helped me see that earning brownie points by means of a paintbrush was the best option. Certainly the warmest option. Steve helpfully kept me informed of the day's cold-weather influx - 12 Gadwall and 7 Golden Plover. Around 3:45 I headed out and cleaned up, the Golden Plovers being on Bridge Marsh and the Gadwall on the river. Two more year ticks then. I really must tot up my score so far. I don't think I've missed anything really crucial yet, though Phil and Bun have seen Firecrest and Crossbill, and the latter can prove tricky. I hear a rumour that Dippers have been seen on the River Coly, which is a temptation I can well do without because Dipper can be a right time-wasting pain. In fact when I think about it, my last bout of repeat prescriptions was brought on by the fruitless chasing of Dippers and Crossbills...

We're going to Scilly this spring. Our last spring visit was a 4-day flyer in 2003, and if I was a Scilly lister I would have to gloat about Savi's Warbler. Otherwise it was notable for being the only spring visit when I haven't found a dozen Short-toed Larks. Anyway, the hunt for accomodation has been the usual source of frustration and annoyance. If you read this, and let self-catering accomodation on Scilly, I wonder if you showcase your property via a nice website? Does it have photos of all the rooms, a helpfully complete inventory of facilities and equipment, unambiguous information about heating and electricity, linen and towel arrangements, etc, and an up-to-date availibility chart? If so, you are unique and I haven't found you yet. Back in the dark ages it was a case of getting an accomodation list from Tourist Information and making a million phone calls, most of them abortive because that was when you found out it wasn't available for your dates. The internet should have made all that a thing of the past. I wish...

Oh, and if your property is still fitted with a coin-operated electricity supply, do you know what century we're in? Do come along and join us.

My irritation might be showing.

The first week of May is pretty much booked solid already. The reason? The World Pilot Gig Racing Championships. You might think the organisers are blessed with a delightful sense of irony, and you're sitting there thinking 'World championships? Really? World?' However, this international competition has gone from strength to strength in the 20-something years it's been running - well over a hundred boats nowadays. Competitors come from all over the globe. Scilly, a couple of small Cornish towns....everywhere!

Here's a photo from the 1996 championships...

In the lead is 'Porthminster' from the far-away land of St. Ives

Digressing...

2012-01-31T23:30:00.000Z

Judging by the comments on yesterday's post, my decision to post a video that has absolutely nothing to do with birding (though there is a gull in it) was appreciated. I'm glad. A few days ago Jono Lethbridge wrote a post about talent. He was mainly talking about writing talent I guess (modestly omitting reference to his own) but in the wider context noted that there is talent everywhere, much of it unnoticed by you and me. So when a non-birding, non-cycling mate sent me the link to that video I was not surprised (a) that I'd never heard of Danny MacAskill, and (b) that a guy I'd never heard of could impress and entertain me so enormously.

Previously on NQS there have been videos of a beat box performer, and a 12-string guitarist. Both these were recommended by number two son, Baz, who is more in tune with what's what than I am. I also once posted a short video of a vibraphone player we came across busking in Oxford. He was simply amazing. You can find the first two by googling* 'beat box chef' and 'john butler trio ocean' respectively. Again, all three were individuals previously unknown to me.

* Other search engines are available

There is something exciting about 'discovering' new talent. When we're young it happens all the time, for example as our mates introduce us to bands and musicians we've never heard of, and our burgeoning taste in music broadens happily to take them in. In other areas too. Like when a work colleague who was into climbing told me about - and then lent me - Touching the Void by Joe Simpson. Utterly riveting, and so is the more recent film. With the discovery comes the desire to pass it on, to share your 'find', hence yesterday's video. And that's why next week I'll be emailing all my 'friends' with a link to the latest YouTube sensation: Garvan Haag - Grouting Virtuoso. The guy can fill the gaps between tiles in the most spectacular fashion imaginable.

Oh! Quick, before you go, I must tell you about today's birding efforts. To the estuary woods for Woodpeckers and whatnot. Sadly, only gulls. Loads of them in fact, but from 3:40 pm the only interest I could extract involved a measly 4 Med Gulls. I guessed the others must already have headed out to roost in the bay, so when I went to Seaton Hole to check the sea for...er...oh yes, divers, grebes, ducks and stuff, I was mightily surprised to find no more than 6 Med Gulls among the handful of Great Crested Grebes, no divers and zero ducks. As I was there I thought I should check the roosting big gulls for white ones.

None.

Digressing again...

Apart from the bike skills I thought yesterday's video was exceptionally well filmed, had great scenery and excellent tunes also. The editing even seemed to match some of the stunts to the rise and fall of the music. If you enjoyed it, try searching 'Danny MacAskill Industrial Revolutions' for a more recent vid - also really well made. Finally, here's an earlier one - I think it may be the one that got the lad noticed in the first place...

Weather Report

2012-01-30T23:52:00.000Z

Wet. Cold. Dreary. More cold on its way, some 'very'.

Yesterday there were 14 Med Gulls on the river, including this 1st-winter...

...and today's grim weather, with its change to a chill, easterly airflow, had me thinking the river would be rammed with gullish joy. No such thing. Even though there were 11 Meds late afternoon, overall numbers were much lower than recently, and I had to resort to checking out Beer beach for white-wingers. Steve obviously had the same idea...

I had a new (to me anyway) colour-ringed Med yesterday - White 38T1. It was present again today. Did I mention I had another just recently? I think I may have, but haven't checked and can't remember, so I'll mention it anyway - White 3R55. I had a report back on this one - it doesn't exist. Specsavers is calling...

Badly in need of excitement. Mind you, I've just watched 3 episodes of Wallander over the last few days, so should be grateful that I still have the will to live. I am rather drawn to bleak viewing, and Wallander sits quite comfortably in that category.

On a totally (and I mean totally) different note, try this...

Patience...

2012-01-28T21:49:00.002Z

This is what the innocent young machine shop apprentice hears: "Right son, I need you to pop down the stores for a Long Weight."
Eagerly he toddles off.
"Hello Mr. Storeman. Can I have a Long Weight please?"
"Certainly."
A lot of time passes.
"Excuse me Mr. Storeman, I know you must be busy but can I have that Long Weight please?"
"Sorry son, but didn't you know? You've been having it for a good couple of hours already."

About 3 weeks ago I heard a voice say to me: "Right Gav, I need you to pop down the estuary for an Iceland Gull."
Eagerly I toddled off.
"Hello Mr. Axe. Can I have an Iceland Gull please?"
"Certainly."
A lot of time passes....

I began to wonder if Iceland Gull is the birding equivalent of the Long Weight. But then I look at the reports from Brixham, which has enjoyed a thousand Iceland Gulls and a Kumlien's, and I realise the things do actually exist. Unlike the young apprentice, I am sure that patience will pay off eventually...

February 2009....well worth the weight

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes...

2012-01-25T22:38:00.001Z

A late afternoon gull inspection was quite fruitful, with a crop of 14 Med Gulls - 12 adults and a couple of 1st-winters. Apart from yesterday I've only once before had a double figure count in January (10 on 29/1/2008) and my highest winter counts previously have tended to be in mid-February. Either they're a bit early or we're going to get even more of the beauties in a few weeks. I hope the latter - I don't think we've ever had 20+ before, and that would be nice. Nothing else to excite though. Yet. Just got to be patient...

For someone who hadn't been to Cley for many years (16? 17?) what I'm fairly sure I once called 'the coastguards car park' presented a bit of a shock...

The Beach Hotel seems unchanged, but where is the old coastguard's lookout with its warm and welcoming café beneath? Wasn't it approximately where that Volvo is? And is that the sea I see?! What's happened to the massive shingle bank that my feeble memory assures me was once there? Didn't you have to climb several feet before the sea was visible? Paul reckons these changes were wrought by a ferocious storm a few years back. Is that true? If so it looks like the marshes are rather vulnerable to a massive inundation of sea some day soon.

In the background, one of the most iconic views in British birding. In the foreground, well....

More Peregrine Dippage

2012-01-24T23:55:00.000Z

First, some bird news from today. At lunchtime a cursory look at small gulls produced 3 adult Meds, and a microscopic look at big ones produced eye strain and the pity of passers-by. Late afternoon saw no improvement on the large gull front, but a surprising 12 Med Gulls. I shall stick with a day count of 12+, despite a survey of bird observatory wardens revealing that '15' is the correct figure to enter, if not '20' when in the mood, or even '100' after a good cabernet sauvignon.

They comprised a 1st-winter, a 2nd-winter and 10 adults. One of them was colour-ringed (White 3R55) and...

...this one was particularly handsome.

So much for today's birding. I'm trying to think if I saw anything else of interest...ummm....nope, so here's the second instalment of the Great London Peregrine Hunt...

It's Saturday afternoon, and Paul has promised me that Rainham will definitely produce a few dozen Peregrines. All we had to do, apparently, was check the pylons. I'd not been to Rainham in 15-odd years, so this visit was something I'd really been looking forward to. In all my previous visits I only ever met one other birder - Mike Dennis. Mike is sadly deceased now, but his initials 'MKD' were a constant feature next to Rainham records in London Bird Reports. I always listened to him because he would invaribaly be able to tell me exactly where to go and search for the Rainham Twite. Even though I never, ever saw them, I always had that cheery confidence that goes with knowing you are in the correct spot among a zillion acres of homogeneous habbo. Of course it is now an RSPB reserve, which means lots and lots of people. Paul assured me that few of them get further than the visitor centre and gift shop.

Whereas I always used to go in from the west, via Ferry Lane, the entrance is now on the east side, and this is the sight which greets you upon arrival...

Downstairs is the gift shop, upstairs the revolving restaurant and gym. Every single eco-friendly construction method known to man has been employed in this creation, and the olympic-sized indoor pool is heated by both the sun and the Earth's core. On learning that the thing cost 15 billion quid I could easily have allowed this post to descend into cynicism, but no, I shall resist. Instead I will merely comment that Rainham is undoubtedly a pretty amazing reserve. In times past it was always superb birding, but for how long? The RSPB has at least secured its future for birds and wildlife. Some may argue that the associated taming and sanitisation is hard to take, but I would point them straight to the Best Hide in the World...

The Rainham Marshes 'Shooting Butts Hide'

My dislike of hides is well known, but here is sheer, unadulterated luxury. Of course, this also cost 15 billion quid, and if you'd like to learn more you can see everything except an itemised invoice right here. Note the nice bench top, with ample room for your notebooks, sketch pads and 3-course lunch. And adjustable chairs! Adjustable!! You can position your bum and elbows in exactly the right position for perfect birding comfort. And the windows! They are split horizontally, and upon the release of a toggle and a gentle prod the top half pivots smoothly upwards and outwards, held there by a hydraulic ram like you'd find on a car tailgate. The bottom half winds downwards by means of that big wheel thing on the bench top. Delightful.

And don't go looking for irony in the paragraph above - there is none. I seriously believe the RSPB should have a whip-round and plonk one of these in the middle of Exminster Marshes. Why not? It's brilliant!

Note the pylons - normally creaking beneath the weight of a thousand Peregrines apparently. Not today.

We spotted about a dozen Pintail, 2 Whitefronts flying in with a load of Greylags (only the third time I've seen the species in London) and I had a nice drool over an adult argentatus Herring Gull, but that was it.

London Peregrines 1 GMH 0

The Big Peregrine Dip

2012-01-23T23:52:00.000Z

When I was a London birder I three times narrowly missed getting Peregrine on my London list - once at Staines Res (arrived 1 minute after a crippling fly-past), once at KG VI Res (left 1 minute before a crippling fly-past) and once at Sarratt Bottom (bang on time for a crippling fly-past, but 600 yards the wrong side of the London Area boundary). In those days Peregrine was slightly rarer than Unicorn, so no big deal, but since I moved to Devon it has swarmed into the metropolis and become dross. London birders now look right through them. My good buddy Paul promised to rectify this embarrassing gap on my London list and invited Sandra and me to stay at Whiteman Lodge for a long weekend of Peregrine hunting.

We set off on Thursday morning, stopping at Chard Junction for the superb Ring-necked Ducks pictured yesterday - quite possibly a tick for Sandra, though neither of us could remember. We arrived in East London and were warmly greeted by our hosts.
"Right then Paul," I began, "I'm really looking forward to tomorrow! Where are we going to start the Great London Peregrine Hunt?"
"Norfolk," said Paul.

By 8:30 the next morning we were huddled forlornly beneath a tin-roofed shelter on Buckenham Marshes, in the hammering rain. Through the murk we could make out a flock of 140-odd Whitefronts. With them were 7 Taiga Bean Geese. This goosefest was further enhanced by several Greylag and Barnacle Geese. There were also lots of Wigeon and Teal, and myriad Lapwings and Golden Plovers. However, it soon became obvious that there were no London Peregrines, and we were going to have to walk a long way in the rain to check Cantley Marshes. Here we found 200+ Pinkfeet and a flock of Taiga Beans. A very elegant goose, the Taiga Bean, and well worth a serious counting. 60-something was the agreed total, plus 5 Whitefronts, one of which was a runt with a stubby, deformed little bill, aberrantly large white blaze and odd yellow eye-ring...

Probable Whitefront x LRP hybrid

Shame it wasn't a Lesser White-fronted Goose, which would have been a tick for me. Still no London Peregrines, so we went to try Kelling, a tiny village on the North Norfolk coast that often gets them. This whole area is really famous for birders too - you can't move without seeing flocks of them hurrying here and there, emitting little beeping noises. We found quite a few peering into some poor beggar's garden, and stopped to see what they were looking at. There were some trees, a couple of feeders and a lot of Redpolls. One of them was an Arctic Redpoll. The last time I saw an Arctic Redpoll was January 28th 1989, at Thorpe End, Norwich. Back in those days it was just called 'Arctic Redpoll', and my notebook tells me it was '80+ yards away', that my views were 'not very satisfactory' and that it was 'reluctantly ticked'. Now that I'm grown up I can read the word 'desperate' between every line, and this so-called tick was recently purged once I'd checked that 400+ was well and truly in the bag without it. Nowadays they are called Coue's Arctic Redpoll Carduelis hornemanni exilipes and (if I ever bothered writing stuff down) I would have to gush about it somewhat: 'crippling, frosty stonker of a bull-necked, punched-in-faced beastie, almost too close to focus'. Eminently tickable.

Then I took Paul to Weybourne and showed him where my grandparents used to live in the '70s. Their old bungalow was still there, and I almost knocked on the door to ask if if they still had the same bath that I once kept an eel in until it died of chlorine poisoning. After a trip to Weybourne beach to freeze in the wind it seemed only right to go to THE North Norfolk beach to freeze in the wind. Cley.

More than once I saw George right here. If you understand the cryptic reference you are probably a middle-aged anorak

And so we returned to London - in the dark - sans Peregrine...

It's Been a While...

2012-01-22T23:55:00.000Z

It's not often that I vacate the patch for more than a day or two, but this time it was a little longer. To London and beyond, places new and old. Hopefully I'll get to expand on that a bit in the next couple of posts, but in the meantime a couple of tasters...

As we had to drive within a mile of these, it seemed rude not to call in.

Chard Junction - a classy brace of Ring-necked Ducks

This next one was a bit further afield!

A touch paler than yer average Redpoll

No Little Gulls...

2012-01-16T22:33:00.000Z

Yesterday I noticed that a few Little Gulls had turned up to the west of us, in S Devon and in Cornwall. We've had January Little Gulls a few times, so at first light I went to the seafront for a look-see. Lots of BHGs milling around as they came out of the roost, and I was surprised to pick out 4 Meds among them. Considering I probably saw no more than 10% of the total gulls present this was pretty good going. No Little Gulls though. Or anything else.

That was the sum total of my birding. The rest of my day has been spent plumbing and wiring. If you've ever done DIY you'll have noticed that no jobs ever involve sitting comfortably at a table or, if standing up, have the work conveniently situated at chest height. Amongst other things I've been running cable in the loft for a bathroom extractor fan and electric shower, and extending the central heating system in order to add add a heated towel rail. So, a whole day of crouching, kneeling and crawling. When I was 25 I could crouch, kneel and crawl for England, but right now I have interesting pains in every joint of my body.

Thank goodness for wine.

Yeartickery & Troubling Thoughts

2012-01-15T20:47:00.000Z

I did a quick calculation today. So far this year 96.3% of my birding time has been spent on gulls. Which begs the question - on what have I wasted the other 3.7%? Well, because I keep impeccable records I can tell you: 2.4% went on Woodlarks and 0.3% went on swivelling my head away from the gulls occasionally to look at Treecreepers and Bullfinches. Which leaves 1%, and this I have spent very wisely indeed...

Yesterday I got to the estuary at 15:30. The gulls coughed up 5 Meds, but by 16:30 almost everything had flown out to sea, so I went and did what is sometimes known as a 'Farm Gate Vigil'. Steve does these quite a lot, and usually gets at least a few grey geese for his pains. I am less keen, because (a) I rarely find anything, and (b) I am usually supposed to be doing something else (work/shopping/DIY etc) and always get spotted by loads of people I know as they drive past, carefully noting details of my skiving ways for future mischief-making. Yesterday was an exception - I did a guilt-free vigil right up until dark. Barn Owl was what I had in mind. I didn't get one, but right at last knockings a white blob on the river made me reach quickly for the scope. Even through bins I thought it had that odd, warm tinge, and I was right - a drake Goosander. Very handy yeartick - Goosander can be a tricky one to catch up with here.

Today I was down there a bit earlier. Pretty good gull numbers, and this afternoon's haul included 6 Meds. I wasn't unhappy with this, but definitely felt a niggling sense of frustration. What was wrong? I sat down and gave the problem my full attention. Soon it came to me - I was cheesed off because I hadn't found a rare gull. I mean rare for the patch of course - a white-winger, Ring-billed, Ross's or better, basically. But not only that - I could see that most of this frustration stemmed from the fact that because I hadn't found it this afternoon, someone else might find it another day! Aaagh! This would be simply unbearable! With a gasp of horror I suddenly realised what's happened to me. I've become one of those 'I-must-find-it! Me!' birders who pout and sulk when someone else turns up the goody, and screw themselves into such a knot of resentment that they can hardly bear to go and look at the thing...

This is really bad. When I got home I was so concerned that I immediately rang my head-doctor. He said not to worry, and dictated some stuff for me to write down.
"This will help prepare you," he said. "Just look into a mirror and recite the first line a hundred times. When you can say it without gagging or reaching for a weapon, do the same with number two."
I have the paper in front of me...

1. "Cracking Ivory Gull, Bun/James/Karen/Phil/Steve! Nice find!"

2. "I'm really pleased for you!"

Sorry, got a bit side-tracked there. Amidst all the therapy I almost forgot to mention how I spent the rest of my time this afternoon. Bun texted that the Goosander was on the river opposite Colyford Common, and heading downstream, so I went to the BHM Tower Hide to intercept it. It never got there. It never even came into view, though Phil could see it from the Farm Gate. I stayed into dusk, and was rewarded with a superb Barn Owl instead. Tick!

I also spent some time editing this shot of a lovely Little Egret. It's very soothing. I shall look at it for a while and imagine that all my patch birding buddies have vowed never again to look at gulls........never again to look at gulls.........

Btter alerd y.

What a Lovely Day!

2012-01-13T22:23:00.000Z

If you'd found yourself a nice little sun-trap today I reckon you could have sat outside with your shirt off. In fact, for all I know the south coast of Devon was peppered with folks doing just that this afternoon, seeking out sunny little nooks and whipping out vast acres of hairy white flesh. Eeurgh!

Thankfully I was fully wrapped up and looking at gulls, and so frightened no-one. I was in the good company of Lee and Dave - two of the Dawlish Warren regulars - but even 3 pairs of eyes failed to winkle anything very exciting from the gull flocks. There was certainly plenty of material, but 6 Med Gulls were all we gleaned. After that we tried Colyton WTW and Seaton Hole, but saw nothing much. Ooh, I nearly forgot - the Axe Estuary woods produced again! A superb male Bullfinch in the trees between river and road reinforced my belief that this is one of the best places on the patch to yeartick your woodland specialities.

It was nice to have some company, especially at Coronation Corner. A pleasant spot, with convenient picnic tables to sit at while you grill the gulls, but...also very public. So when 3 birders are gathered there, peering with intent down their scopes, it's like a magnet to the curious. And we had some curious people this afternoon! With me strategically seated in the middle it fell to Lee and Dave to field the onslaught. They handled it like the birding ambassadors they undoubtedly are - politely, patiently and with tact. Just like I would have done. One chap went away knowing that he should not bother with an Osprey vigil until at least March or April, and another was so thrilled that those little things were Dunlin that he gave us some gen in return! Up the road there was a field full of swans, he said. Obviously dismayed by our complete indifference he tried again.
"Some geese with them too. Greylag Geese."
My ears pricked up. A potentially gripping yeartick. So of course we jogged the half-mile back down the estuary and scorched off to the swan field. Greylags? Of course not. Duff. Not a goose in sight. There were some Curlew, and I suppose they look a bit like Greylags to the untrained, bloodshot, cataract-obscured eye...

If you got to yesterday evening's post really quick you would have seen a paragraph that isn't there now. This happenes sometimes. An early morning review of a late-night post occasionally has me scrubbing out a portion that now seems injudicious for some reason. So, if you want to catch me at my most unguarded, tune in around 05:00...

More of Our Woodland Chums

2012-01-12T23:57:00.002Z

Yesterday was a birdingless blur, so it was nice to have a walk through the Axe Estuary woods this afternoon. Treecreeper is always a tricky blighter, what with its habit of being very tiny and brown, and rarely being seen probing the mud. Also, it doesn't associate much with the regular woodland inhabitants and I have yet to pick one up while scanning through a gull flock. So, imagine my excitement today when, as I picked through a uniform swathe of Black-headed Gulls, a thin and persistent 'sip...sip......sip' reached my ear. My concentration was shattered, and the disciplined process of gull analysis was replaced by some shamefully inept straw-grasping...
"Hello...what's that?"
"A crest?"
"Could be. It's got to be in these trees somewhere - why don't you turn your head and have a look?"
"Yeah, ok"
[There is a nice line of small trees and bushes between the river and the road. You thought I was joking about the woods didn't you...]
"Nah, nothing. Back to the gulls."
"Tsk! There it is again. Must be Blue Tits or something. ['...or something'?! Good birding!] Have another look."
"Well I'm blowed - Treecreepers, two of 'em!"
And so it was that Treecreeper was added to the yearlist whilst gullwatching. As you would expect.

Again, plenty of larids today, but nothing better than 4 Med Gulls for me. I am very excited though, because hordes of white-winged gulls are pouring into the country. The majority are up north at the moment (apparently 74 Iceland Gulls on Shetland alone today!) but they'll soon notice the dodgy accents and head down here. It is surely inevitable? If Iceland Gull is not on my 2012 patch list (and hopefully Glaucous too) I will eat my red hat. Also, to the east of us Radipole has played host to 3 different Ring-billed Gulls this winter. If any of them chooses to fly west for a change the outcome is inevitable - Steve will find it!

3 Axe Iceland Gulls on one day - 22 February 2009 - will we beat that?

Tomorrow afternoon some actual birding is scheduled. Woo-hoo!

Little Beauties

2012-01-10T19:58:00.000Z

Late morning, and a text from Ian M prompts me to go a-woodlarking. Success (no, really this time) and 11 of the little beauties vied for addition to my burgeoning yearlist. I chose one, and wrote 'Woodlark' in ink.

Meanwhile, down the estuary another little beauty got itself inked in properly at last. An unequivocal Yellow-legged Gull. An adult, and quite a small one, so presumably a girl.

There it is lurking at the back. Nice, bright yellow legs; bright bill with some red bleeding onto the upper mandible; decent mirror on the underside of p10; 'come-hither' look in its red-rimmed eye...oh, no-one else sees that? Anyway, I think it looks pretty lust-worthy. Here are a few more, in traditional NQS neat-and-tidy-table form...

Nothing about this bird rang any hybrid alarm bells

Solid black bar across p5

Gorgeous, and not a brute

No mirror on p9, like about 50% of other YLGs

Well, that was nice. At least four Med Gulls too. They were nice. And finally, this thing, more 'interesting' than nice...

Another dark-mantled job, but seemed too pale for LBBG. I assume it's another Herring x LBB hybrid, and can't help thinking we get more of these than YLG at the moment!

Blast from the Past

2012-01-09T23:18:00.001Z

Well, so much for getting off to a good start in January. A lot of stuff eats into good birding time. Apart from the obvious (like making a living and giving the sofa a regular workout) I have got myself embroiled in another home 'project' involving tools and trips to B&Q. Not good. I broke free for a while yesterday afternoon and notched up 3 Med Gulls on the river. Nothing else was forthcoming and by 4 o'clock I was feeling a weird urge to go cycling. So I saddled up and headed for the hills, rolling home in the pitch dark around 5:30. I recently bought some decent lights, and have one of those new-fangled LED jobs on the front. It's more than 10 years since I last cycled in the dark, and the advances in lighting technology in that time are simply amazing. On a narrow country lane above Beer I met another cyclist coming the other way. As I came round a bend I saw him frantically pulling into the gutter. He looked a bit sheepish as I hailed him in passing - I swear he had thought I was an approaching car.

Anyway, I thought it might be encouraging to share some photos I took less than 5 years ago. Gull photos of course. Why? Because they amusingly illustrate where I was on the Big Gull ID learning curve back then. In summer/autumn 2006 both Steve and I began to get to grips with juv Yellow-legged Gull, and were reasonably confident with them I would say. That same summer Mike Langman found Devon's first Caspian Gull - a juv also - in Torbay, and this species was always the hoped-for prize on the Axe. So when, on 2 April 2007, Steve called to say he had a possible candidate at Coronation Corner I was there in a flash. I too thought it had real promise, and digiscoped the thing to death. I posted some on a BirdForum ID thread, and waited hopefully for the cognoscenti to confirm our hopes....

No doubt you can guess the verdict already, but here are a few of the pics. I look at them now and smile. The bird would definitely get a second glance today, but only because it's...

...got a white head!

Some more...

Very little else going for it I'm afraid. It's a 2cy Herring Gull. Despite extensive wear giving it very plain, dark tertials and rather uniform coverts, the jizz, structure, angular bill, dirty underparts, strongly marked scapulars and a host of other things would see it passed over within a few seconds these days. As I have said before, gulls are very humbling, and it does me no harm at all to review these photos and remember where I've come from.

I went for a little bike ride again this evening. It's not often I'm persuaded to bother using the camera function on my phone, but this view from the top of the sea wall did the trick...

Soapboxes

2012-01-07T21:10:00.001Z

A whole day of absolutely no birding at all. Bad. Responsible bloggers might see this as a cue for absolutely no post at all but, well...am I a responsible blogger?

Some of my birding 'friends' have suggested that yesterday's Woodlark was total fiction. I was just about to email them the photographic evidence when I remembered (darn it!) that I had somehow deleted it all, and that the new evidence I'd found was actually 13 months old...and had snow in it. Darn it again! What can I say? How can I convince the doubting swine? Maybe my many years of single-observer sightings will do the trick?

Seriously, I find it truly amazing that such scenarios are played out in real life. But they are! Birding is a very small world, in which integrity and honesty are vital currency, yet real birders flush any hope of a decent reputation straight down the pan with fabrications like this. Why?

A reasonable question I think. And one which reminds me of something I came across the other day. But first, some food for thought...

Conservation. A word with breadth to its meaning, but in the context I'm thinking, here's a pretty apt definition: 'protection, preservation and careful management of natural resources and the environment.' Most would agree that conservation is a 'good thing'. However, it often involves humans in making interesting judgements. A lot of Ruddy Ducks had to expensively die to conserve the genetic purity of White-headed Ducks. And at a more mundane level, a lot of willow scrub - and everything that lives in it - may be sentenced to death to make way for a habitat with greater biodiversity. For a species which mostly spouts the virtues (or at least the inevitability) of 'natural selection' we're very loath to let it happen! Which leads me to this...

The Great Crane Project (they've all got cute names and everything...)

Again, the question...why?

Perhaps best if I go birding before another post? Mmmm...

Trust Me...er...

2012-01-06T22:14:00.000Z

For a variety of perfectly valid reasons I had to take the day off work. While Sandra was still in this meant scuttling around the house looking busy. When she went out it meant scuttling off with the optics to look for Woodlarks. Woodlark is a highly valuable species to get on the yearlist nice and early. I went to a good place for them...and my luck woz in...

Phew, a bit jammy that - just the one bird. Tick!

Brrring...brrring!

"Hello? Yes...yes...that's right. Yep, just the one. Oh, I see....is there? Oh....err...."

Well, it seems the Listing Police noticed a bit of snow in the photo, and now that I look I can see they're right. I don't know how that got there. Must admit, it was bloomin' chilly out in those fields - I must have been so obsessed with getting good snaps that I didn't notice the blizzard that was obviously going on at the time.

Brrring...brrring!

"Hello? What? Really? Oh....errr....okay then, I'll see if I can work out what could have....erm....happened?"

Blinkin' Listing Police again. Now they're saying it's been more than 10ºC since sunrise, right across the southwest, and the only snow that fell today was in Greenland. Well, I don't know.... Oh, hang o-o-o-on. Tsk! I know what's happened there. Ha ha! Yes...yes...what I've done is accidentally uploaded an old photo that I took last winter. Well, I don't know how I've managed that!

So, what I'll have to do is....

...Oh, will you look at that! I don't believe it! They've gone! All the photos I took today! N-o-o-o-o! I must have accidentally deleted them from my Picasa Exports folder. And from my big folder of keepers. And from every other place on the hard-drive where they might be hiding. And from my camera...

Ah well, what can you do?

Anyway, on the way home I had a look at the gulls. There were loads. Well, for a while. Just after I'd been through them all a helicopter flew upriver and flushed the lot, and then a canoe came downstream and flushed the few that had resettled. I'd seen 2 adult Med Gulls...and I was going to mention the Ring-billed Gull, but with the Listing Police so twitchy right now I'd be better off...er...seeing it...er...another day...

Desire...

2012-01-05T22:29:00.001Z

It's funny how just a single word can send your mind off down a trail of linked thoughts and, before you know it, you're back where you started, going "Ooh, that was weird." Like tonight, for example.

First, I was just uploading this wonderful photo onto the blog...

It was sent to me the other day by Roger Harris, and depicts a fantastic 2nd-winter Yellow-legged Gull which he found at Chard Reservoir on 30 December 2011. When I saw it I thought how much I would like it to visit the Axe. Chard Res isn't such a long way away, and the white Herring Gull that's been here a few times was seen there first.

"Yes" I thought. "That is one spanking gull."

I soon realised that my wish for that delicious gull to grace our estuary could best be described as a desire.

Then I thought how 'Desire' was a rather good track on a rather good album, and immediately tuned in to YouTube to have a listen. In case you missed out on this bit of late 80s quality the track is by Talk Talk.

Then I remembered that TalkTalk sent me a postal invitation to 'Make great savings this New Year, with £6.50 phone and broadband'

This was obviously quite tempting, and I proceeded to have a little surf and see what punters thought of TalkTalk's service. The results weren't too encouraging, so I had another look at the advertising letter I'd received. There was one sentence I couldn't ignore...

Generous 40GB download limit - that's 55 movies, 900 albums or 20,000 gull photos every month

And the circle was thus closed. Spooky....

PS. For some reason I feel the need to offer the uninitiated a dose of late Talk Talk. Try 'I believe in you' from the 1988 album Spirit of Eden.

Working for Your Birds

2012-01-04T19:20:00.002Z

What would happen if you found really good birds every time you went out? You might expect the answer to depend upon whether other people see them too. Well, it doesn't really...
If they don't see them, then you're obviously a stringer and will quickly be ostracised by all your birding buddies.
And if they do see them, well, you're obviously one of those jammy beggars who everyone soon despises, and will quickly be ostracised by all your birding buddies.

So, don't find really good birds every time you go out. Make sure you work for them. Because (a) you'll appreciate them more, and (b) you won't become Billy-no-mates...unless you don't wash or something.

This is good advice which I have followed to the letter throughout my birding life. I've probably had no more than my fair share of jam, so have generally had to slog away pretty hard. Like today, for example. I think the recent gale has blown away all our decent gulls. A careful sort-through at lunchtime, and last knockings, yielded just 2, maybe 3 adult Med Gulls and nowt else, despite lots of gulls.

Added Wigeon to the year list though. And Blackbird.

Once More Unto the Breach...

2012-01-03T22:44:00.003Z

There was a time when I thought my best Patch Year List total was 193. That was the 2006 tally. However, I've just given it some careful scrutiny and been forced to do a bit of pruning. For a start I don't bother with the 'Greater Patch' these days. This was a 10km radius from Axmouth Harbour Bridge, and included Kilmington Quarry, Weston and Trinity Hill. Nowadays I just stick to the 5km radius. Bye-bye Nightjar.

192.

And I can't count Ruddy Shelduck apparently. Bloomin' swizz...

191.

I stopped my careful scrutiny at this point. I didn't want to lose any more. 190 would be one of those nastily untrustworthy round numbers.

I last tried for a decent total in 2008, so it's high time I made an effort again. At lunchtime today I took a walk along the beach from the Yacht Club to the river mouth and back. I didn't see any birds of consequence, but when I returned to the road I met Karen, and then Phil pulled up. It was nice to have a natter, and talk got round to year-listing. Phil's having a go, so is Bun apparently, and I think we persuaded Karen to join in too. So I've got some company - always encouraging. But what about tactics?

Well, there are essentially two ways to go about year-listing - cool and relaxed, or eyeballs-out. Some will tell you there are other approaches too - in between these two extremes. Rubbish. Anyone who tells you this is an eyeballs-out merchant in denial. This year I am definitely going to be co-o-o-l and rela-a-axssss-ed. In fact I already am. I noticed some Canada Geese on the river today, and saw some Kitts and Gannets flying through the bay, so am comfortably into double figures now - 15 or 16 I reckon...I'll tot it up some time...

I have to confess - 2006 was eyeballs-out. I told everyone I was year-listing and begged them to let me know about good birds straight away. They were all great, and I heard about everything really quick. James McC was exceptionally brilliant in this area. Not only did he tell me about stuff, he would go one step further if he could. A knock at the door one evening...

"Hi Gav. Still need Gannet?" asked James, pointing at the lawn....

The Mini Gull Quiz Gull

2012-01-02T20:48:00.002Z

Let's just fast-forward to March. Whilst out on the marshes you come across one of these...

Very nice too. Given views like this the identification is not too challenging. Last time I looked, this was called Charadrius dubius or Little Ringed Plover. I can say this without fear of contradiction because the poor thing is riddled with diagnostic fieldmarks. There are no legitimate thrills to be had from going "Ooh, just a mo...could it be a Dotterel? Or maybe a Killdeer?" No, the only excitement to be extracted from one of these is the sheer pleasure of seeing it, especially if you just found it yourself. Most birds are like that - instantly and incontestably identifiable.

Big gulls are different. Lots are instantly obvious, sure, but many are not and have to be identified by a combination of features. Some of these features are rather subjective (eg., is it more round or square-headed, are the upperparts blue-tinged?) while others are highly variable even within a species (eg., the extent of black in p5, the extent of white in the 1st-generation tertials and how much 'notching' there is, the presence or absence of a white mirror in p9, etc, etc...) You just have to look at a few hundred Herring Gulls to realise this. And for many features there is overlap between species. Plus, have you aged it correctly? Oh, and there's hybridisation!

What does all this mean? It means gulls will often have you scratching your head. It means some birds will effectively be unidentifiable. It means only a fool will be dogmatic about gull identification!

I think this is why I enjoy it so much - it constantly challenges me. Just recently - when the Caspian Gull was still with us - a visiting birder came up to me and said "Ah, so you must be the expert..." Whilst flattered (I am human!) I was also acutely embarrassed by this, because it is SO not true. The more I look at gulls, the more I realise how much there is to learn, and how little of it I know. It is supremely humbling.

And the Mini Gull Quiz Gull is an excellent case in point. This was the bird...

Darker than argenteus Herring, but not dark enough for LBBG, the choices are basically argentatus Herring Gull, Yellow-legged Gull or Herring x LBB hybrid. Next step is to take a partially open wing shot and write on it...

We can quickly rule out argentatus Herring - there is far too much black in the wing. We can also fairly comfortably age it as a [4cy] 4th-winter (in January it becomes 5cy!). Why? The black on the primary coverts means it's not a full adult, but the pure grey mantle, scaps and secondary coverts - plus pure white tail - mean older than 3rd-winter. That's the theory anyway.

So, YLG?

General jizz/structure looks ok to my eye, though perhaps a longer-legged look would have been nice.
The wing-pattern seems to be a reasonable fit, though I would like a bigger mirror on p10. No mirror on p9 is ok, as is the tiny dark speck on p4 and the broad black band on p5. However, on the underside of p10 I would have thought it likely to see something of a pale tongue extending up from the base of the inner web...but I don't know for sure.
Upperparts. Personally I don't see anything wrong with the shade (or hue) of grey.
Bare parts. The bill and eye look ok to me, but the leg colour is rather feeble, and worrying amounts of pink were evident at some angles.
Head-streaking. I would imagine that this would be the kiss of death in many eyes, and at this time of year a clean white head would be nice. However, sub-adult YLG apparently tends to show obvious head streaking much more often than adult, and adults can look like this! But in late December? Hmmm...

Conclusion? Initially I thought Yellow-legged Gull. In fact, checking photos suggested I had already called it one! I am not sure that any (or even all) the question marks actually prove the bird is not YLG, but that's the problem - I cannot be sure. On this basis I feel it's not safe to say it is one. But neither could I categorically say it isn't! Herring x LBB hybrid? I suspect not, but I don't know.

The funny thing is, if it had a pure white head I would never have gone through this analytical process. I would have written down 'YLG - 1 - prob 4th-winter' and learned nothing from it. As it is, I've got dirty fingermarks all over my Malling Olsen & Larsson and looked at a lot of web photos. I still cannot unequivocally identify it though...

A big thank-you to all who had a stab at identifying it from the photos. You may all be correct!

I type a lot of words recommending the pursuit of gull. If, after this post, you believe I still have any credibility left, then allow me to recommend one more thing. Take a look in the mirror. Do you see someone reasonably happy with most facets of bird ID? Someone quite eager to have his self-confidence undermined on a regular basis, to a humiliating degree? Yes? Get down to your local gull flock.

To misquote a famous yellow bloke... 'Gulls. Is there anything they can't do?'

Pffsst-t-t-pfffsss...

2012-01-01T23:50:00.000Z

...is the thrilling sound of a freshly-lit damp squib, quickly followed by a total absence of pyrotechinics.

A bit like the start to my birding year. I was free for birding at lunchtime, but it was hammering down and no amount of Caspian Gull photo-browsing got me sufficiently fired up to brave it. For some reason I had failed to learn of Steve's Interesting Wigeon, so had no obvious motive for abandoning the coffee, the biscuits or (especially) the sofa. However, at 14:40 the coffee was gone, plus most of the biscuits, and I could sense the onset of pressure sores. I looked out of the window. No rain. So, to the river!

I parked up by the tram sheds and started walking. Within 5 minutes the rain began again. I persevered anyway and got 9 Med Gulls and wet.

Not bad really. It was 7 adults plus one each of 1st and 2nd-winters. I also briefly saw what was almost certainly the Mini Gull Quiz Gull, but it was fairly distant and flew away when it caught me looking. Despite my best count of Meds this winter the gull collection was otherwise rather lightweight - not that many birds, and I didn't notice a single Lesser Black-back.

It's probably quite obvious what my birding intentions are for 2012. That's right - I am going for a big Patch Year List. Already I have chalked up 5 species of gull. I also noticed some Mallards, a Chaffinch and - quality! - 2 Bar-tailed Godwits. I am therefore on 8. This may not sound like a big number (because it isn't - it's really really small) but I am following the advice given to me recently by my Uncle Frank, a veteran of 70-odd massive year lists...

"Listen son," he said. "Remember the hare and the tortoise? Start slow and you won't burn out like you normally do. Dipper and Firecrest and all that? Forget them. Stuff like Firecrest will fall sometime or other, and why beat yourself up looking for Dipper? Where's it lead? That's right, depression and nicking your Aunt Lil's happy pills like when you was a kid."
He poured himself another huge slug of my Drambuie.
"And one more thing."
He leaned close, pressed a great horny finger to the side of his crimson hooter and winked.
"Make sure you find any goodies about 5 minutes before dark...know what I mean?"

Anyway, once again I must apologise for not getting around to the Mini Gull Quiz Gull. Again, not enough time. Soon.

Thank You

2011-12-31T23:14:00.000Z

First off, a hearty 'thank-you' to all who have said nice things about NQS generally - and encouraging things about its emergence from the ashes in particular - as well as to those who imply nice, encouraging things by their repeated visits. All much appreciated.

In addition, my thanks to the 5 who commented on yesterday's mystery gull and partially confounded my cynical view of Britishness. I suspect lots more probably wanted to comment but would have liked a few more photos to help with the analytical process. As I am seriously pushed for time right now, and cannot therefore compose the post I would have liked on the last day of 2011, here are the 3 most helpful photos I can offer...

The underside of p10 (the white mirror) and p9

A helpful comparison of leg colour with Herring Gull

The best pic of upperwing - note p10 mostly hidden beneath p9

So, any more offers? It's quite interesting that a concensus is already developing just from one photo yesterday. Go on, have another glass of wine/beer/smoky malt and think gull for a moment. It's not like there's anything better to do tonight is there?

See you all ~~tomorrow~~ next year...

Mini Gull Quiz

2011-12-30T23:57:00.000Z

So, like the masochistic fool that you are, you find yourself down the estuary this afternoon, in the rain, looking at gulls. Why? Because you have an obsessive urge that cannot be denied. You are of course to be pitied. So, when you shuffle up to your birding friends with a photo clutched in your sweaty grip, drooling slightly, they try not to recoil in disgust but remember that you're pretty harmless really and try to humour you.

"Look!" you cry excitedly, pointing at the darker gull in the middle. "I just had this stonker down by the tram sheds. What do you reckon it is? Eh? Eh? Go on, have a guess!"

"It's a gull, right?"

"Well obviously," you reply. "Duh!"
But then you remember that your gull obsession is actually quite weird and that nobody gets it really, so you offer your mates a clue.
"Look, it's got a darkish mantle, right? But not dark enough for Lesser Black-backed Gull. So that pretty much leaves argentatus Herring Gull, Yellow-legged Gull or Herring x LBBG hybrid, yeah? One of those three, right? Kind of a multiple choice, yeah?"
"Er...yeah...ok."
"So which do you reckon it is?"

And that's where we'll leave this little fantasy. Tomorrow I am away and shall have to give the estuary a miss, but in the meantime would quite like to test the mettle of this blog's readers. Here is the challenge...

Have a go at identifying the gull, and tell me what more of it you would like to see to confirm (or at least reinforce) your ID.

Answer tomorrow I hope...well, my answer anyway. In other words I may be wrong. This should allay all fears that posting a comment might leave you open to ridicule. Go on, go for it!

Sadly, I am well aware that the majority of this blog's readers are British, which means they are saddled with hang-ups and insecuritiies that make posting a public comment in a little quiz like this quite impossible. Nevertheless, I would like to come home tomorrow evening, open this blog and be shocked out of my boots to find actual comments, with NQS readers dangerously risking their credibility and reputation by having a stab at the mystery gull... ;o)

Oh, as well as this thing you also tallied 7 Meds - 6 adults (including Red 5P5) and the regular 2nd-winter. Sounds like you thoroughly enjoyed yourself! Oh, you did? Thought so.

Do You Really Want a Camera?

2011-12-29T23:55:00.000Z

After lunch today it all got a bit wet. Consequently I was forced to go and look at gulls from about 2:30pm. There were loads of 'em, but, try as I might, no corkers. I rather skimmed over the small ones in a search for Ring-billed Gulls, but still managed 5 Meds without really trying. It was the big ones that provided the biggest disappointment. Nothing, despite really good numbers. And there I was, braving the freezing cold, the howling wind, the torrential deluge...ah well, at least I'll feel justly rewarded when the next decent gull comes my way.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Quiz - Which of these 3 species is the odd one out?

A. Wheatear

B. Great White Egret

C. Snow Bunting

Hmmm...Well, GWE and Snow Bunting are really rare on this patch, so perhaps you are thinking Wheatear, because it's a very common migrant here?
Good try, but wrong answer.
Or maybe you are thinking taxonomically, and know that Snow Bunting and Wheatear are passerines, so it must be Great White Egret, yes?
Correct, but wrong reason.

It is GWE, but this is why - if you get too close to Snow Buntings and Wheatears they will do no more than move a short distance away, in fact Snow Bunts may not even bother with flying and will just shuffle off a bit. On the other hand, if you get too close to a couple of Great White Egrets they will immediately relocate to the next continent. If you are carrying a camera with intent, you will suddenly look really stupid.

Of course, even though the Wheatear and Snow Bunt won't go far they will certainly cease feeding while they give you the run-around, and if you are instantly replaced by a steady stream of selfish idiots with cameras they may well go hungry. Before anyone gets all uppity about my choice of words, allow me to explain...

I have a camera. Two, in fact. I freely confess that I have on occasion got too close to birds when photographing them. I have made them stop feeding and get all wary sometimes. I have flushed them too. Why? Because I wanted to get a bit closer. And closer still. It's the lure of the frame-filler. This is selfish. I'm not proud of it, but I know it comes with the territory when you carry a camera as a birder. Anyone who denies this simply hasn't had an honest look in the mirror lately.

However, for all my confessions, I do try to be careful. I also try to be respectful of other birders, and I think I know where to draw the line. So I have absolutely no qualms in condemning the reported behaviour of some photographers who have allegedly been harrassing owls at Exminster Marshes. I say 'allegedly' because I haven't personally witnessed it, but I have no doubt it's all true.

At around 16:00 on Tuesday 27 December two characters went round behind a roosting Long-eared Owl and poked their lenses through the fence so that they were only 3 to 4 metres from the bird. One then began firing off a flashgun! The bird flew out at 16:15. Who would have guessed?
On 28 December it was flushed from its roost twice by one photographer.
On 29 December it was....absent. Surprise, surprise.
Also, Short-eared Owls on an accessible (public footpaths) area of marsh have also been targetted by photographers going well off the paths, and regularly flushed. I don't know why I'm using the word 'photographer'. As one correspondent put it - just because a bloke owns a violin doesn't mean he's a violinist.

Once in a while you hear of skulking birds being harrassed and flushed by birders trying to get a decent view. Lots and lots and lots of times you hear of perfectly visible birds being harrassed and flushed by selfish idiots with cameras. Oh, for the existence of a birding Judge Dredd type character who would instantly appear at the scene of photographic transgression and pulverise the offending lenses in his mighty grip, before hauling off the perps for a good seeing-to...

So then, do you really want a camera? Be warned, it could bring out the worst in you, and maybe get you thumped by some big hairy birder who needed what you just flushed.

Woodland Birds

2011-12-28T17:40:00.002Z

Straight down the forest this afternoon. As usual the aim was to notch up a few of our woodland favourites. Sure enough, four Med Gulls frolicked among the leafless branches - including Red 5P5 and White 34K4, plus another adult and the regular 2nd-winter with sparse black primary markings. The woods seemed a bit emptier than usual, and there weren't really that many big gulls on offer. Phil was already there peering into the undergrowth, so we strolled along together, searching the restless flocks for ringed bills and so forth. A couple of canoes paddled past along the tumbling brook, sending those foraging in the lower stories high into the canopy where we couldn't see them properly. Why can't they just stick to the bridleways like mountain bikes?

No Gulls At All

2011-12-27T23:55:00.000Z

Yesterday was what is traditionally called Boxing Day. Of course, most believe the term is derived from the ancient parental practice of sending the vile brats outside with padded gloves to settle their prezzie disputes. This might be fun, but is incorrect. The real origin can be found in the Russian expression 'Вон из моего дома вы паразиты' (pronounced 'botch-sing') which, translated literally, means 'Get out of my house you parasites!' and was traditionally yelled at groups of drunken, bloated gluttons lounging on the sofas of their frazzled hosts during holiday periods.

There was a lot of traditional behaviour going on yesterday then, because there were people out everywhere! I peered across the valley at the Tower Hide and shuddered - the walls were bulging outwards and ramblers in brand new knitwear were popping out through the slots. Eeurgh! A bit of lunchtime trundling up and down the river netted me 6 Med Gulls - 5 adults and a 1st-winter - including Red 5P5. There were lots of gulls, but no sign of Prince Caspian. And so to today...

Once again the river sang its siren song, and I was there by around midday. Four Med Gulls this time, and fewer gulls generally. A 1st-winter and 3 adults - one of the latter was White 34K4 and I somehow managed an amazingly crisp shot, despite the bird being half a mile away across the estuary. You can even read the ring...

Eventually I sat myself down at Coronation Corner and began to sift through the assembled material with a friendly birder from Somerset. Suddenly my attention was grabbed by this really stupid gull.

"Ooh, ooh, quick! A big lump of disgusting hard stuff! I must eat it NOW!!"

How gulls ever make it to adulthood I will never know. Spend a couple of hours going through the estuary gulls and you will see them pick up lumps of wood, stones, leaves and whatnot, hoping optimistically for some nourishment. They don't just pick it up, realize their error and put it down again. No. They carry it around, take it to the water's edge, wash it, put it down and try another angle. Very persistent. Very stupid. I saw one the other day with a golfball. I very nearly waded over there to add it to my collection. It might have been a Srixon Z-STAR XV, a species I still need. You never know...

Anyway, back to the gull. It looked a jolly good candidate for a sub-adult (probably 4th-winter) Yellow-legged Gull. I am rather wary of Herring x LBBG hybrids nowadays, but it spent some time preening, nicely revealing the primary pattern and confirming my suspicions. I didn't see the upperwing open, so cannot say if there were any tell-tale dark markings on the primary coverts to give away its immaturity, but the bill didn't quite fit an adult. A hefty and majestic bird though. Stupid, but nice.

Yellow-legged Gull - a bit too distant for crisp photos, but perfect for fuzzy ones.

Counting Psychology and Other Trivia

2011-12-25T19:42:00.000Z

If I told you there were 60 Dunlin on the estuary today would you believe I'd counted them accurately? As I scanned along, going 55,56,57,58...er...aha...59.. I reached this point and hoped for another - breaking 60 would be good. But when I got another I also felt slightly unhappy. '60 Dunlin' sounds like a rough count, an estimate. It's neat, it's a round number, but it's not trustworthy. Then I spotted one more and was instantly smiling again. 61 Dunlin. Sounds great doesn't it? The stamp of diligence and truth.

I sometimes worry about how my mind works.

Loads of gulls on the river this afternoon, but I couldn't find the Casp. Only 3 Med Gulls (including Red 5P5) but plenty of Common Gulls now, most coming in late. I spent a couple of pleasant hours strolling slowly along the lower path, up the river and back again. Not another birder in sight, despite it being a Sunday afternoon. Where were they all? Was I missing something?

Can I draw your attention to a couple of recently added blog links on the right - Chris Gibbins Gulls & Birds, and GullDK. Excellent gull stuff, and the GullDK blog is heaving with links to other excellent gull stuff. Some of the posts are a bit mouth-watering too...like this one.

And while we are on this unaccustomed topic...

Two years ago to the day (minus 2)...ie. a bit contrived

Is that a ventral bulge?

Anyway, a couple of nice Bank Holidays coming up. I'll be surprised if I don't wangle some time by the estuary....if I can drag myself away from the multiple evils of booze, cheese and chocolate.

No-show

2011-12-24T17:51:00.001Z

The Caspian Gull has a contrary streak. There were quite a few birders along the river today, and absolutely no sign of the quarry. There were noticeably fewer gulls around than yesterday, despite at least 5 different Med Gulls (including Red 5P5 and White 34K4) but I can't help thinking it will be back again when the coast is clear.

White 34K4

I started from the Tower Hide but saw nothing of consequence. A few gullwatchers in the distance at Coronation Corner though...

...and some gulls

I also spent a fair bit of time trailing up and down the river for little reward. Gull-wise there was hardly any 'coming and going' - it was all just 'going'.

After lunch I tried the Colyton WTW, where there were several Chiffchaffs, including an interesting-looking pale job. Rather brown, buff and white it proved really elusive. Despite following it around for a bit with Phil, neither of us got decent views really. Someone else will have to nail it I'm afraid. Unfortunately I don't get anything like as worked up about 'interesting' Chiffchaffs as I do gulls. Flock of gulls...or flock of Chiffs......gulls, chiffs, gulls, chiffs...?

No contest.

I mean, a chiff's a chiff, innit...?

With Apologies...

2011-12-23T16:34:00.001Z

...to any readers who made the trip over to the Axe yesterday, because the main contents of this post are all too predictable.

Well, hel-LO there...

What can I tell you? A steady morning of work before the correctly forecast rain began. After that, it seemed rude not to at least have a cursory look to see what was on the river. I thought I'd begin at the Tower Hide, but from the BHM car park I noticed a huge wheeling mass of gulls in the air as they were all flushed by blokes on the tramline in day-glo orange jackets. I hadn't even got my stuff out of the van, so didn't bother and headed straight round to the estuary. Nothing exciting in a rapid look through the big gulls from the tram sheds. At least a couple of Meds among the small stuff, then a quick drive to Coronation Corner. A nice gathering here. Within a couple of minutes the scope was suddenly full of Caspian Gull again, on the far bank.

After the diligent searching that went on yesterday the irony is not lost on me...

Sorry.

Apart from the Caspian Gull, there was also a nice intermedius type Lesser Black-backed Gull and another adult Med. Noticeably more LBBGs and Common Gulls present too.

So then, another Casp photo gallery - the LHS this time though. It wasn't as close as on Wednesday, and the light was poorer, but these are still quite pleasing. It's worth noting how well it stands out among similarly aged Herring Gulls. Interestingly, when asleep it is not quite so obvious among Great Black-backed Gulls, when it superficially resembles a young one - obviously its silvery-grey mantle is the giveaway.

I realise that not all readers are as stupid about gulls as I am, so here's a promise: unless this bird happens to give me some amazingly close and superb photos at some future date, I will not - from now on - publish more than one pic per post of this particular Caspian Gull. That's a promise I might even be able to stick to.

I first spotted the Casp at approximately 11:50, and at 12:42 it flew off without prompting, heading slowly SW into the strengthening wind towards the bay. Karen had been the only local to join me, and we were just speculating on its destination when (at 12:44) a hopeful head poked round the wall. It was one of yesterday's visitors, and we really sympathised with his duff timing. Or was it the bird's duff timing? It doesn't seem inclined to give itself up easily...

Missing Out

2011-12-22T17:15:00.001Z

If you don't listen to Radio 4 you are giving yourself a serious handicap in life. For example, on Woman's Hour today I learned how being well-informed can save you so much grief. Kate Middleton's taste in £350 grey Ralph Lauren dresses has apparently led to them selling out online. Thank goodness I got in there quick and snapped one up while they were still available. I mean, imagine missing out!

Although I actually managed to knuckle down and do some work today I just happened to sidle by the river around lunchtime, hoping to get a scopeful of Caspian Gull. I was pleasantly surprised to see a small gathering of visitors at Coronation Corner, and it was nice to say hello to a few familiar faces. Unfortunately though, the scopeful of Casp was not available...

There was nothing about this on Woman's Hour...

A Study in Grey, Brown and White

2011-12-21T17:52:00.000Z

Well, the 1st-winter Caspian Gull did us all proud today, giving itself up in superb fashion just across the river near Coronation Corner. On view from around midday to at least 13:15, it had several admirers including Ian McLean, Brian Heasman, Steve and myself, plus one or two from further afield. It was still showing well when I left, bringing my...er...extended lunch break to a close! It obviously likes us, so hopefully is going to perform like this on a regular basis.

It was too good a digiscopic opportunity to miss, so here are a few to browse if you're that way inclined...

1. Standing head and shoulders above the Herring Gulls

5. Probably the best full profile shot

7. From this angle the tertials stand out well

8. Upperwing - amazing inner primary pattern

9. Underwing - very, very white

10. Compare with typical 1st-W Herring Gull behind

11.

12. Northerly wind meant very few shots of the LHS

A significantly bigger bird than any Herring Gull I saw it next to, so it's presumably a male. It is also very aggresive, and several times had a go at any Herring Gull daft enough to get too close. The pale markings visible on the right hand side of the bill show up clearly in the photos, but it's worth mentioning that the LHS was also marked. The markings were even more extensive, but finer, therefore not quite so obvious at range or in photos. Thus...

I am wondering now if these aren't in fact blemishes, but simply what happens as the bill becomes paler with age?

There is now absolutely no room for doubt - this is the same bird that was at Portland Bill on 30 October, and it's quite interesting to compare the bird then and now to see the difference that almost 8 weeks of wear and moult can make...

Top: the Axe, 21 December 2011 ©Gavin Haig Bottom: Portland, 30 October 2011 ©Martin Cade

A few notable points...

Wear has eroded much of the pale fringing on the coverts - especially the medians and lessers - rendering that area a much less contrasty block of plainish brown
Even so, the bird can easily be identified by many retained plumage similarities, particularly on the inner median and greater coverts...and look at that superb arrowhead low down in the outer greater coverts!
According to the literature Caspian Gull quite often moults a few wing covert feathers by now, but as far as I can see on this and other photos (including open wing shots) it still has all its 1st-generation coverts intact. However, unless my eyes are deceiving me it really looks like a small number of mantle and scapulars are now 3rd-generation(!) - noticeably plain, and darker grey. I'm not sure how usual this is.
To my eye the tertials and primaries have become more brown, less black
The flank and belly mottling, although reduced, is still quite prominent. Of course, it would be hard for the head to get any whiter!

A brilliantly educational bird! I am forever grateful to creatures like this - they make me look much more closely at that collection of species so many birders baulk at - G####! It really is worth it.

Also on the estuary today were at least 2 Med Gulls - including White 34K4 - and a couple of darker-mantled big gulls. One was an adult Yellow-legged Gull, but which quickly went too far north of Coronation Corner to bother trying to digiscope; the other was most probably a Herring x LBBG hybrid - it looked too pale to be a pure LBB, but certainly wasn't a YLG.

And finally...

This post is going to reside on the Gull Page eventually. In the meantime, if I can think of any other useful things to be gleaned from the photos I shall edit the post as necessary (I'm sure I'll have to add something about the upperwing pattern, for example) - that's why the photos are numbered. Also, if any reader should spot errors in my analysis of the bird, or has any other comments about it, please feel free. If you don't wish to go public (or embarrass me too much) I can be emailed on gavinmhaig [at] gmail [dot] com. Cheers.

Gull Disrupts Working Day

2011-12-20T17:50:00.003Z

What was supposed to be a quick lunchtime walk up the estuary became something a bit slower due to the presence of this...

Yes, it's that 1st-winter Caspian Gull again

On the way upriver I'd notched up a couple of adult Med Gulls and 3 Shoveler, and 2 kayakists. Unfortunately the gulls all got pushed around a wee bit, but most appeared to stay, so I carried on with my walk. About a third of the way along I had a scan upstream and spotted the Caspian Gull level with the Seaton Marshes hide. This is really good news, suggesting that it might become a regular visitor. I do hope so. Unfortunately I took my eye off it before anyone else arrived, and moments after Karen and Ian M turned up the two kayaks paddled back downstream and flushed almost everything. That was that. I did try again after 3pm but only added a 1st-winter Med.

Today's views (and photos) confirmed something I noticed yesterday - the bird has a pale mark on its upper mandible. This blemish lies almost half way from the bill tip to the outermost feathering, and is visible from above and from the right hand side. Hmmm...

Back at the end of October there was a cracking Caspian Gull seen on Portland and (I think?) Radipole too. Martin Cade kindly sent me some pics of that bird, and a niggling worm of curiosity got me digging them out a little while ago. Have a look at this one...

Portland's 1st-winter Caspian Gull - 30 Oct 2011 ©Martin Cade.....notice anything on its bill?

As I perused this and other photos, I heard the long, slow clang of a dropping penny - our bird is the very same individual which appeared on Portland almost eight weeks ago! Allowing for several weeks worth of wear, there were many subtle similarities still evident in the plumage. I was forced to open up Picasa's 'collage' function and get busy. Here you go (needs clicking on to appreciate fully)...

Portland bird bottom left of course. The blurry jobs are obviously mine - both taken on the Axe this aftrenoon

I've only highlighted a couple of blatent features, but the more time I spent, the more matches I could see. Many are subtle, but it soon becomes obvious that it's the same bird. I find this very interesting for a couple of reasons, not least because it confirms in my mind that Caspian Gull is still a genuinely rare bird in the southwest. We have certainly had two different individuals on the Axe this year, and there's been another (or one of the above) on the Otter, but the discovery that this bird is the Portland one suggests that we really are not seeing a sudden influx of Caspian Gulls, merely a very small number (two? three?) wandering about. I'd be interested in anyone else's opinions.

Anyway, that's my theory for now. I must admit, I don't want them to get really common all of a sudden. Casps are currently serious value!

Caspian Gull Finally Surrenders...

2011-12-19T18:22:00.004Z

It has basically rained all day here. This was forecast, so a glance through the curtains this morning was all I needed to confirm the worst and make plans for other things. First on the list was something virtuous. Some time back I recklessly volunteered to cover a couple of tetrads for the Devon Atlas work. I hadn't got round to covering either for the first winter counts yet, so from 11:10-13:10 I did one of them. This did my conscience the world of good, and paved the way for some guilt-free, post-lunch gulling.

I think it was after 14:30 before I got to the estuary, but fairly soon I was peering through the rain at yesterday's red-ringed Med Gull...

It's just about readable if you click on it - Red 5P5

By the time I got to Coronation Corner around 15:00 I was a little despondent at the lack of anything else, but there was a reasonable gang of big gulls to pick through well to the north. It was drizzly, I was a bit cold, and the thought of hot coffee and comfy sofas was interfering with my concentration, but I was rapidly snatched from this reverie by another blinkin' Caspian Gull! I won't say "I couldn't believe it" because I must candidly admit that I virtually expect one every time I go out! Slight exaggeration maybe, but my hopes are permanently high, VERY high!

So, come on then - hands up who thought last Saturday's claim was a bit of wishful thinking... ;o)

I would guess this is the same bird. That one was certainly a big one, and very white-headed; this one ditto. The range and rubbish light meant good photos were out of the question, but a few record shots follow. Suffice to say, this individual was a classic in most respects, and yet again was a surprisingly 'instant' bird.

The best thing about the whole event was that it was twitchable - locally anyway. Several texts and calls enabled Phil, Bun, Karen, Steve and his dad, Ian to make it in time. So here's a local twitch shot...

Front to back: Karen, Bun and Phil

Phil and I stayed until last knockings, the bird remaining the whole time N of Coronation Corner - it was probably giving superb views in front of an empty Tower Hide! It was still there when we left around 16:15.

One field-mark shown well by this individual (and quite noticeable in the top three photos) was what is called in the literature a 'ventral bulge'. A pro-Caspian feature, Karen observed that it made the bird appear to be waddling about with a full nappy! Very poetic.

Too Little Time

2011-12-18T18:10:00.003Z

I really wish I had a lot more spare time. It's different when the days are a lot longer, but right now I get so little free daylight. I slipped out yesterday and today for a brief afternoon foray, but that's all I've managed. Of course, like a moth to a flame I have been drawn inexorably to the estuary and its gulls. Thankfully no canoes in evidence, meaning they've stuck around for me to check through. Still very few Lesser Black-backs, but more Common Gulls now - especially today. Sadly nothing exciting among the large gulls, but 6 Meds yesterday (4 adults, plus a 1st and 2nd-winter) and 7 today (6 adults and a 2nd-winter). White 34K4 has been present both days, yesterday there was a green-ringed adult that I couldn't read, and today I was reacquainted with an old friend - Red 5P5. This is a Polish bird, ringed as a chick in 2006, and seen by me on the Axe on 28 February 2007. I've emailed the sighting to the project co-ordinator and look forward to hearing what it's been up to since I last saw it.

I wanted to talk about Woman's Hour, why 'nagging' is such an essential word in the average bloke's lexicon, and the numerous ways you can employ it to prevent overwhelming guilt at the massive list of things you haven't got round to yet...but I just don't have time. Maybe tomorrow...

A nice, sparsely-marked 2nd-winter Med Gull on the river today

Just a Quickie

2011-12-16T21:02:00.003Z

A heavy shower at lunchtime forced a little break, so I went the whole hog - toddled home, collected the optics and headed for the river. 3 Med Gulls, including White 34K4, but not much else. The Axe estuary gull demographic swings about all over the place, and I can rarely predict what we are likely to be looking at, given current states of weather, tide etc. For example, despite a reasonable number of Herring Gulls and BHGs, today there were hardly any Common Gulls, and even fewer Lesser Black-backs. This unpredictability is all the more reason to keep checking them of course...

The sun then came out, so I tried Seaton Marshes to see if the Wheatear was still there. It was. I was quite eager to get a decent snap. I know it's only a Wheatear, but this is probably going to be the best mid-December Wheatear photo I ever take!

All puffed up like a little ball. Hardly surprising - it was a bit nippy

Winding Down?

2011-12-15T23:54:00.002Z

I get the distinct feeling that many people have finished with 2011. Like the dregs of a nice cuppa that's been sitting around a bit too long, there seems to be an urge to chuck away what's left of this year and get on to a nice fresh one. The clues are there...

No entries on The Devon Bird News blog for Tuesday this week, the first blank day for a very long time I think.
At least a couple of my favourite blogs have already started the 'wrap-up' posts, involving a look back at 2011 and plans for 2012.
No really juicy, libellous threads on BirdForum right now (unless I've missed them?) as if no-one can be bothered to work up sufficient bile.

Are my fellow birders, bloggers and wastrel losers running out of oomph? I think they are.

Not me though! I am full of energy still, and just five minutes ago RAN to the kitchen for a wine top-up.

I have also been working quite hard. Despite much weather-dodging I have provided the financial means for some alcohol and a tin of Cadbury's Roses for the impending days of rest. I still have plenty of work scheduled for the next week or so, and cannot afford to take it easy just yet. Unless the weather gets in the way I am going to get very little birding time, but I am trying to see this positively - if I am bang-up-to-date come the end of December I will be able to relax into the new year, slipping in a bit more birding than usual. And inevitably there's always a desire to get off to a good start in January. I'm not sure why really. It's not as if anyone's planning a year list or anything...

Yesterday there was a loud thwack as this massive tome hit the doormat -

204 pages of good quality A5 paper - all of them plastered with writing and pictures - it weighs 547g. The cover price is £8. This presents the discerning birder with a real dilemma. In Tesco a 175g bag of Cadbury Giant Buttons is normally £1.98, but until 25 December you can get TWO for the price of one! In other words, do you want a Devon Bird Report, or 8 big bags of Giant Buttons? That's 1.4kg, or just over 3lb in old money! Ha ha...clearly there is no contest. So, what I suggest you do is this: either join the DBWPS and get it for free, or wait until Buttons go back to £1.98 for one pack - when the choice may be slightly less obvious - OR, in the new year take a long, hard look at that disgusting bulge hiding your feet from view and remember that you can't eat a Devon Bird Report.

The Positivity Principle

2011-12-12T22:12:00.001Z

As I sit here typing, a modest hoolie is blowing up outside. The first specks of rain began around 16:00, and it's due to bucket down tonight. Working outdoors puts me at the mercy of the weather, and when I am rained off (or frozen off!) it would be all too easy to get down and despondent. I could dwell on the fact that it puts me behind schedule, that I will be earning less as a result, etc., but I refuse to get sucked into this trap. Whatever the situation, there is always a positive way to look at it.

How the Positivity Principle works
Look at all the benefits to be had from a good raining-off...

a really long tea-break
potential birding time
a chance to catch up on my 2011 bird records a bit
the real possibility that I can avoid the 40% tax bracket for once

Yep, all good. Everyone likes a really long tea-break. And with a clean conscience too. I mean, it's raining - what else can you do? Oh, go birding? True, why not? And if it's still raining when you've been through all the gulls you could always go home and get those 2011 records up to date - a great way to feel all virtuous, plus it will fend off the gently prodding emails from your county recorder that start arriving around January 1st. And of course the loss of earnings will mean you won't fall victim to that temptation to buy every [single] single malt in the shop...not and keep your house. Indeed, all good...all good...

This principle works in other ways too. Say you live and work in some dump like Uxbridge. Like any discerning birder you love gulls, but figure that Uxbridge is about as unlikely a place as any to find a good gull, right? So instead of getting out in some habbo during the winter lunch breaks you sit hunched at your desk with a limp sarnie, fiddling about on BirdForum. Tsk, Mr Negative! Look outside, aren't they gulls flying around?
Well, yes, but just a few BHGs and so on, common stuff.
But isn't Rockingham Recreation Ground just a couple of minutes walk away?
Er...yes...so?

Employ the Positivity Principle and watch what happens...

Much nicer than a limp sarnie

Actually, despite my genuine desire to always try and see a positive angle on things it is often a real challenge. I spend a lot of time listening to Radio 4 while working. Plenty of current affairs stuff on Radio 4. Gloom, doom, the lot. And this evening I opened an email from a friend in the US and was surprised to find this...

It's August 1998. That's me on the floor, with Baz and Sandra (mostly hidden). What was I doing? Taking this...

Quite sobering...

Yes, it would be pretty easy to go quietly nuts in this world. We need positive things...nice, distracting hobbies for example. Have I mentioned the pleasure to be had from gulls at all.....?

Green AATL

2011-12-11T16:56:00.001Z

This afternoon I was down the estuary by 13:30. There were plenty of gulls sheltering from the strong SSW, and I grilled the lot. I was very keen to find yesterday's Caspian and had high hopes but, no, nothing of interest among the big gulls at all. And just a single adult Med Gull among the small gulls. I spent some of my time in the Tower Hide - alone - which was nice in the clattering rain, but equally unproductive. So, a blank, but there was some satisfaction in having made the effort anyway.

I've gone on before about the gullwatching bonus that is Colour-Ring Reading. It really does add an extra bit of zing to what is already a high-octane pursuit. No, really, it's fascinating be able to identify specific individuals from their colour-ring and learn about their life history and travels. One birder I know uses the data to construct superb PDF documents with tables, maps and photos. Great stuff.

Here's an example that demonstrates why I find it interesting...

Green AATL was a 1st-winter Med Gull when I spotted it on the Axe Estuary on 23 February 2007. After submitting details of the sighting I quickly received an email in return. It was from Andreas Zours, the German ringing team leader responsible for AATL's plastic jewellery. His email was endearingly enthusiastic, and informed me that this was the first sighting of Green AATL since it was ringed as a nestling on 17 June 2006. Not only that, but it was the first sighting abroad of any Med Gulls ringed at this particular colony. Andreas signs off with 'Great. I love it.' which seems always to be the attitude of those involved in these colour-ring projects. Quite infectious! Anyway, a few days ago I heard that a pic of AATL had appeared on the Pembrokeshire Birds news blog. My Pembs contact Derek put me in touch with the photographer, who in turn kindly sent me a couple of photos and the latest life history.

Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus

Ring Number	5346 688 Helgoland	Colour Ring	AATL	ringed June 17, 2006, non fledged

Ringing Place: Pionierinsel Lühe / Landkreis Stade / Niedersachsen / Germany / 53° 35' N 09° 36' E

Datum	Beobachtungsort	Bemerkungen	Beobachter	Koordinaten	Land
Finding Date	Finding place	Comments	Finder	Coordinates	Country
19 07 06	Grünendeich	fledged	Martin Schlorf	53 35 N 09 36 E	D
23 02 07	Axe Estuary	Devon	Gavin Haig	50 42 N -3 03 W	UK
23 05 09	Pionierinsel	nest 11 A, 3 eggs	team	53 35 N 09 36 E	D	breeding
27 10 09	Nevern Estuary, Newport	Pembrokeshire	Sam Baxter	52 01 N -4 51 W	WAL
01 12 11	Ramsey Sound	Pembrokeshire	Annie Haycock	51 86 N -5 31 W	WAL	photo!

Green AATL in Ramsey Sound, Pembs (both images ©Annie Haycock)

Of course, when I first met AATL he was still in short trousers, so imagine how thrilled I was to see him all grown up now! What's more, he's a daddy! Yes, on 23 May 2009 he was sitting on 3 eggs in the very colony where he was hatched, and graciously vacated the nest momentarily so they could be counted...

©Simon Hinrichs

The colony at Pionierinsel, a tiny islet in the Elbe estuary NE of Hamburg, has held an average of about 140 pairs of Med Gulls since ringing began there in 2005. The Meds are among about 4,000 pairs of Common Gulls. However, according to a newsletter published by the ringing team, this year there were hardly any Meds, and fewer Common Gulls than usual. This decline has been put down to the presence of a Raccoon Dog, the Med Gulls particularly taking exception to the threat. Where had they all gone? A little fly-round in a light aircraft turned up some of them at least. About 30km away was a huge distribution warehouse with some 70,000 sq m (c.17 acres!) of vegetated flat roof, and on it were 553 Common Gull and 37 Med Gull nests! There were 33 colour-ringed Meds, and all of them were from the Pionierinsel colony!

There you go then. If you get into this thrilling facet of our hobby you've got the excitement of seeing a plucky young gull take his first steps into the big wide world, the pride as he becomes a parent, the drama as his home is invaded by a rapacious predator, the nerve-shredding flight into exile, the tension as you wonder if he made it...and then the relief as he turns up safe and sound for another winter, tempered by the disappointment that he chose Wales...

What more could you want from your birding? Gulls. You know it makes sense...

Oh, and just in case any readers were getting carried away by their emotions, and thinking "Oooh, that gull-ringing looks so exciting...I wonder...?" allow me to put a stop to that foolishness right now. Here's a photo of one of AATL's neighbours getting it's own colour ring - Green AANN - on the very same day in 2006. Take a close look at the ringer's hands...

Another Caspian Gull...Kind of

2011-12-10T18:42:00.001Z

Something interesting happened this afternoon...

First of all, I was out birding a bit earlier than usual. As I had some extra time I thought I would use it to...er...look at gulls. Arriving at the tram sheds (the downstream end of the estuary) around 13:30 I was delighted to see a mass of white dots all the way up the west bank, and more beyond Coronation Corner. I decided to leave the car there and walk upstream along the riverbank, taking my time and really savouring the generous supply of material. Suddenly, a huge swirl of gulls in the air far upstream. Something had put them up. Well, I thought, unworried, at least some of them will come down here and save me a walk. A minute or two later, though, I was far less nonchalant...

A whole fleet of canoes* being led down the river by a swarm of panicking gulls.

I couldn't believe it! They were flushing everything on the river. Soon I wouldn't have any lovely gulls at all. Frantically I began to scan through what I did still have in front of me, but soon got distracted as some of the big ones from upstream started coming past. I tried to look at them all, hoping for something obvious like a Glaucous Gull, but my eye was quickly drawn to a strikingly white-headed bird. It also looked long-billed, and as it went by I noted the upperwing pattern and realised it all looked very good for a 1st-winter Caspian Gull. It was too high to see the tail clearly but, as it reached the tram sheds about 100 yards downsream from me, it circled in to land and I could see a white tail with a strongly contrasting dark terminal band - perfect. I frantically got it in the scope. Straight away it was obvious I'd been right - a stonking Caspian Gull! A big one too. I could hardly believe it - what were the chances? By now all the gulls were streaming past me, and the freshly settled birds all got the jitters and lifted off again, the Caspian Gull included. I watched it through the scope as it climbed and circled a bit, before heading away west with most of the others. I sent several texts, and hoped it would come back. Of course, it didn't.

I was now in a bit of a quandary. I knew I'd just seen a Caspian Gull, but also knew I didn't have enough detail on it for a proper description. I'd seen it on the deck for literally seconds. Ten? Fifteen? When I objectively tried to list exactly what features I'd consciously noted, the tally was woefully inadequate. I couldn't submit it with any realistic hope of acceptance. Right now I cannot think of another time when I've been in this position - being 100% sure I have just seen a particular species but not having enough for a convincing description. Even my Beer Head Short-toed Lark was probably only 90%...

The canoes came past me, full of smiling canoeists thoroughly enjoying their float. I shot them all.

Amazingly, one tiny group of BHGs hadn't bottled it, and nestled among them was White 34K4...

As I was digiscoping White 34K4 Phil strolled up and joined me. While giving him the bad news his eagle eyes picked out 2 Greylags among a group of Canada Geese that dropped in upstream of us. We wondered whether they might be proper wild ones. With all the others littering the land it seemed likely, but I was quite eager to test a little theory of mine, and carried on walking upstream while Phil drove off up to Coronation Corner. As I got level with them it was obvious they were eyeing me up a bit nervously...

So, now to test my theory. Speculating that they were probably Swedish birds I glared across at them meaningfully and, in an undertone, quietly said "Hmmm...Var är min hagelgevär?"

The effect was instantaneous! Look at them!

Sheer terror!

So, it's definite, at least some of these Greylags are true Scandinavian birds. Sorted.

Also on the river were at least 41 Dunlin and 5 Bar-tailed Godwits. I walked all the way to Coronation Corner and joined Phil. Another adult Med Gull amongst the gathering that was starting to build once more, but nothing better. Phil departed and I walked slowly back downstream, spotting a third Med Gull - a 2nd-winter - on the way.

Finally I visited Seaton Hole and spent ages on two miniscule dark dots in the far, far distance. I tried very hard to make them Velvet Scoters but they refused to flap, and even if they had I'm not sure it would have done me any good, they were that distant. Otherwise just 9 Great Crested Grebes of note. I couldn't summon the enthusiasm to sort through the gull roost properly - a half-hearted sweep didn't produce anything.

So, another Caspian Gull then, eh, you jammy beggar? Yep, very nice...but also strangely unsatisfying. I very much hope it reappears, and - given the current tides - reckon a good search around lunchtime tomorrow would be a sound idea...

* I realise they're not all canoes - there's at least one inflatable and a kayak or two. It's a bit sad that I'm bothering to point this out. I suppose it reflects my worry that some readers will be as pathetically pedantic as me, and be snorting at my ignorance.

"Canoes?! Pah! There's at least one inflatable in there, and a kayak or two! What a thicko."

I very nearly did an asterisk thing on yesterday's post to reassure readers I did know that Red Kites, Great Bustards and Capercaillies were not actually alien species, but re-introductions. I refrained, conscious that this would seem a bit paranoid. I'm not paranoid. You don't think I am, do you?

Aliens and First Loves

2011-12-09T20:30:00.000Z

According to an old notebook, on 7 January 1993 I was in the Cobbins Brook area, NW of Epping, Essex. Significantly I was just within the LNHS recording area boundary, and waited patiently from 07:30 - 10:15 for the early morning fog to clear. During that time I was apparently joined by Phil Vines and Ken Perry, and from a suitable vantage point we were rewarded at 10:40 by ten minutes of Red Kite - until this spring the only one I had ever seen in the London Area. My notes tell me we looked hard for wing tags but couldn't see any. However, the bird was pretty distant and it was a London tick, so I don't suppose any of us wanted to sully it with doubt...

Nowadays of course, Red Kites are everywhere. The introduction schemes have been phenomenally successful, and we all no doubt tick away without a twinge of conscience. Will Great Bustards ever achieve this level of happy acceptance? I doubt it. Many birds do though. Capercaillie? From introduced stock, the lot of them. I've spent more than a little time tramping through suitable habbo looking for Capercaillie, and feel reasonably comfortable with its place on my British List. But it's no better than Pheasant really! Little Owl? We don't give their dodgy origins a thought do we? Some aliens are less welcome though. Ring-necked Parakeet maybe? Ruddy Duck definitely - that's why the government was happy to sanction £740 per bird of tax-payers' money in an effort to get rid of them.

This convoluted line of thought brings me quite logically to fishing, another hobby which throws into stark relief this penchant we seem to have for adding to our fragile ecosystems virtually any living thing that takes our fancy. We have Wels (the European Catfish) and Zander for example. Zander have been considered so 'dangerous' to native fish stocks that they've been subject to official culls on more than one occasion since about 1980.

Now that I've arrived at fishing let me tell you something - fishing was my First Love. At the age of 5 I caught 4 Bleak and a Perch from the River Lea where it ran past the bottom of a Broxbourne garden, and I was - appropriately - hooked. I fished my little socks off through childhood and adolescence, until birding took its place in later years. Even so, once bitten by the fishing bug you are never really out of its grip. At least twice that I can think of I flogged every last stitch of my fishing tackle, thinking 'Right, that's it!' only to find myself sheepishly stocking up again some time later. I go fishing only occasionally these days, but I keep a loose finger on the hobby's pulse, and one thing is very, very obvious - fish are getting much bigger. Coarse fish anyway. Sea fish are another matter - when I was a kid winter editions of the Angling Times were stuffed with 20lb+ Cod caught from the shore. Not now! But that's another story...

In all my feverish coarse angling years I caught lots and lots of Barbel, but never a magical 'double', a 10lb+ fish. I went Barbel fishing just once last year, and caught one of 10lb 4oz, and once this year, landing a monster of 12lb 1oz. It almost seemed easy. A couple of days later I added a Chub of 5lb 12oz - also a personal best, and miles bigger than I would ever have expected to catch back in the 1970s, say. I am not exaggerating when I say that such whoppers are nothing out of the ordinary nowadays. Why so? What has produced these giants? I don't really know, but I feel certain of one thing - at least a small part of the reason is down to our incurable tendancy to fiddle about with our flora and fauna. Let me explain...

When I was at school I once took a fascinating little creature to a biology lesson in a Tupperware box - a crayfish. A native White-clawed Crayfish, which I found beneath a stone in the River Gade at Croxley Moor. They were quite numerous and easy to catch. As far as I can discover they are now pretty much extinct in southern waterways. Mainly this is down to the 1970s introduction of the American Signal Crayfish. It is a much bigger creature, and carries a fungal disease that is lethal to our native species Austropotamobius pallipes. It has also spread like the proverbial wildfire, and in many lakes and river systems is present in plague-like numbers. On the stretch of the River Kennet where I fished this year there are many traps set to catch them. The traps are emptied every day, and a glance in the trap-emptying-chappy's bin reveals a huge writhing mass of the things. Every year several tonnes are removed from the river, the larger ones going to the restaurant trade. Obviously, fish eat them too. I would imagine there's a lot of protein in a crayfish, and perhaps the easy pickings have helped make for some very big Chub and Barbel?

I have no particular point to make here. This is not an incisive analysis of man's tinkering with the natural world, merely an observation that we seem incapable of leaving well alone, and that at least some of the consequences are quite enjoyable. I mean...it's pretty pointless and depressing to only ever see a half-empty glass isn't it?

Here are some fishy pics...

Absolutely stunning 12lb 1oz Barbel from the River Kennet - September 2011 - constructed mainly from Signal Crays

A beautiful Brown Trout - also from the Kennet. Like everything else we caught it went back in the river to get fatter still

5lb 12oz Chub - it's huge gob could comfortably have engulfed a lobster, let alone a crayfish

Just for the sake of blogging completeness, here is yesterday's catch - a little jack Pike from the River Culm. This freshwater sharklet was swiftly returned to terrorise the resident minnows and get a great deal bigger. He was caught on the first cast, and the less said about the rest of the day the better. Oversleeping, a lot of walking, a lot of mud, a lot of getting hooked up in trees and underwater snags. Rob caught one even smaller. We had to eat quite large bars of chocolate to get over it.

A long and rambly post; no patch bird stuff; fish. Sorry about that.

December Wheatear

2011-12-07T17:45:00.000Z

Despite having loads of work to do before the hols I took this afternoon off. Our eldest son is visiting for a couple of days and treating us and a couple of friends to some culinary delights this evening. 'Treating us' as in cooking it, not buying it. That's why I took the afternoon off - to accompany Rob to the shops to try and keep the bill reasonable. Five fillets of sea-bass later I sighed, and resigned myself to a vicious walleting. After the shopping there was still daylight left (if not money) so I ventured forth.

The Tower Hide produced nothing of note, despite a reasonable gathering of gulls, so it was off to Seaton Marshes for the final hour. Steve had already let me know that the Wheatear was still present there so I was hoping to get my first December record of that species. I walked the track to the hide in the late afternoon sun and could imagine the stunning photo I would get when it hopped up onto a post for me. Not a sign. Just a Chiffchaff by the sewage works. From the hide - which I had all to myself - I spied a couple of Bar-tailed Godwits and a Common Sandpiper. Again, nothing among the gulls.

Barwit (left) and blurry Blackwit, and why we really shouldn't confuse them when we've been birding a few years

As the sun dipped to the western horizon I reluctantly headed back to the car. And what did I find standing in the middle of the gloomy track? Yes, my first December Wheatear. Naturally I hassled it until it sat on a post, then fired off a few shots. A couple had a measure of sharpness...

I am taking tomorrow off as well - Rob and I have a pike fishing trip planned. I haven't been piking for years and years, and expect to blank spectacularly. I will take the bins and camera too, and blog about it like a good blogger should blog. I might also report back on tonight's gastronomic wonders...

Finally, let me tell you - I am very, very excited! Why? Do you subscribe to British Birds? Yes? Then you'll know already. No? Aaagh! You are missing out BIG TIME!! Part 2 of the Caspian Gull ID article!! Way too much to take in at one sitting, I foresee many slow coffees and a lot of biscuits...

Pink Gulls

2011-12-04T23:13:00.001Z

Right, the purpose of this post is primarily to refute the scandalous gossip being spread down the Bowls Club. Word has apparently reached the committee that, despite my claim to really like gulls, I neither know nor can be bothered to find out why some of them go pink. I detect my cantankerous Aunt Lil's hand in this treacherous leakage of regrettable truth. I have been summoned to a disciplinary hearing on the charge of being 'ignorant and lazy in the matter of seagull stuff' in contravention of Rule 104(b)(iii) but am determined to have a sound defence come Wednesday evening. Usually a few vaguely plausible facts and a case of Stella does the trick, so let me at least share the facts with you, if not the graft material...

First off, I found a fascinating BirdForum thread in the BF archives, with typically spurious hearsay involving human intestines. I'm sure it's just a coincidence that some bloke called Tom McKinney introduced that particular line of 'evidence'...
Anyway, the thread can be found HERE, and interestingly leads to a proper scientific paper which I'd come across independantly. The link to that paper takes you to a PDF download. The paper is quite short and actually a very interesting read. Find it HERE.

I'm sure readers of this blog will already be gagging for enlightenment on this crucial topic, but to just whet your appetite a tiny bit more let me say that it seems the pink pigmentation is IN the feathers rather than ON the feathers. Ooooooh, exciting!

Never let it be said this blog is nothing more than frivolous nonsense...

The Wandering Med

2011-12-03T23:10:00.000Z

Well, it had to happen. My feverish efforts to post something every day finally came to grief this week. It's not that I've had nothing to write about, just no time to do it, so I thought I had better go with the flow. "Take a few days off" said my OCD medication, so I did. I'm fine now, and resigned to blogging in the haphazard way that most do. Sorry.

I've been doing a lot of working this week. One reason is the impending Xmas hols and my desire to be bang-up-to-date by then, another is the fact that I do not have the whopping great index-linked pension that a better career choice might have provided, but the main reason is my failure to marry an heiress. This was pretty stupid, because of course they were queueing up in 1979 when I had the HA Viva van. Lots of work = little birding, as any fule kno. Nevertheless I have got out a couple of times, late in the day.

On Wednesday afternoon I could see a fair few gulls in front of the Tower Hide and headed over there for a look-see. The hide was packed, but most of the crush was due to the very friendly Nigel Pinhorn and his party, and I could hardly play the frowning grump in the face of such affability. Instead I picked out a Med Gull for them, and spent some time discussing the possible reasons for one Black-headed Gull being really pink. You do sometimes see pink BHGs, and I'm sure it's not some kind of deliberate colour marking. Sometimes it's quite subtle, sometimes very obvious, but I've no clue why, and can't summon quite enough curiosity to research it properly. Is it diet? Genes? Anyone? The Med Gull was an adult with a white ring, but too distant to read...

However, on Thursday afternoon I had a trawl up the estuary - doing the gulls again - and came across 3 Med Gulls, one being presumably the same white-ringed bird. I could just about read it. It was ?4K4 and I was pretty sure the '?' was a '3'. I couldn't find a project with that exact combination of alpha-numerics, so emailed the details to Med Gull project co-ordinator Camille Duponcheel, hoping it was one of his. Camille is ultra-reliable and always replies promptly - I got the results back today. When I am in Gull Apologist mode I always neglect to mention that terrific little side benefit of gullwatching: colour-rings. A lot of Med Gulls carry colour-rings, and I've had them from Poland, Czechoslovakia, Germany etc, but this one is probably my most fascinating yet. White 34K4 was originally Green 78T, ringed in Belgium as a >3cy (ie. adult) on 23 May 2001, becoming White 34K4 on 17 May 2007. This means it is at least 14 years old, and it has been recorded many, many times between 2001 and last Thursday. To get some idea why I was so delighted with this bird I ask that you please open the document below, and have a scroll through it. Note the North Somerset site fidelity, but also the off-patch wanderings. For example, it's been to Dungeness, and was recorded there by observatory warden Dave Walker in June 2003 and June 2004. I haven't been to Dunge since the late 1990s, but I last met Dave Walker at the Dawlish Long-billed Murrelet in November 2006. What does this mean? It means that White 34K4 has seen some place in Kent more recently than me, but I have seen the birder who saw it there more recently than it! A truly meaningless piece of trivia that only this blog would ever bother to get excited about.

Don't let my pitiful rambling put you off - go on, click on 'Full Screen' below, and have a look...

Even Shorter

2011-11-28T18:18:00.001Z

A steady day of work was drawn to a swift close by two things. First, it started to rain a bit, which presented me with the temptation to pack in a little early and head down the estuary for a gull check. Secondly, Steve phoned to tell me that he was already down the estuary checking gulls, but that his concentration had been ruined by 'my' warbler calling vigorously from over the road somewhere. Naturally I hurried to join him. In the event, Steve, Ian M and I stood in the wind and drizzle at the roadside, presenting a suitably gormless spectacle to passing motorists I expect. We saw and heard nothing.

Apparently it had called persistently for a while but been difficult to pinpoint, what with the intrusive noise from passing cars. Nice to know it's still there somewhere though, and hopefully we will eventually be able to nail it one way or the other.

Steve and I spent the remaining light trying to find a good gull or two. A 2nd-winter Med Gull flew downstream past us, but that was it.

So, the Hume's claim is still a very long way from being made...

Short and Sweet

2011-11-27T22:40:00.001Z

There were four of us at Coronation Corner/Axmouth Church first this morning, really hoping for the chance to make a solid claim (see yesterday's post) but, sadly, no evidence of anything even slightly resembling a Hume's Warbler. I had to leave around 08:30, by which time we'd notched up a Blackcap. On the way home I spied at least 4 Greylags out on Colyford Marsh.

My next interesting sighting wasn't until well into the afternoon - a pint of Otter Ale resting beside a whacking great plate of Sunday roast. Not far from us is a pub renowned for its carvery. We occasionally drop by to make an unannounced quality spot-check, and did so today in the company of four friends. By the time I was able to stand upright again it was dark, so no more birding for me...

I am ever the optimist, and although I hate the way the days get so horribly short in winter, the chirpy, cheery, chucklesome chappy within happily reminds me that in just over three weeks the days start getting longer again. Excellent!

Finally, an interesting little issue we have had to deal with in recent years. Until January 2008 Woodlark had not been recorded on the patch since 1947, but in that month Phil and Bun found a flock of 22 on some local farmland! Wintering Woodlark are always a sensitive issue, but the news and location was judiciously released to local birders. Although that number has not quite been matched since, Woodlark have become a regular feature of our winter bird population. So I was pleased to get a text from Phil today - 8 Woodlark. Good.

Personally, I have no intention of publicising the location. There is a school of thought - usually in the context of rarities rather than scarce winterers - that says you should not even release news of a bird's presence if you aren't going to reveal the location too. Why not? Because some birders will be unable to get their beauty sleep if they know there's a such-and-such down the road and they're being 'prevented' from seeing it. My desperately simplistic response to this is "Get over it!"

Admittedly it didn't used to be, but I'm older now. So, more relaxed then? Don't be daft! Haven't you heard me going on about hides? It's just that that one doesn't bother me any more...

Not a Claim...Yet

2011-11-26T17:40:00.001Z

No time for a morning excursion, so I didn't get out until about 2:30pm today. Although I didn't really do them justice yesterday it was pretty obvious there were good numbers of gulls to look at, so no need to agonise over where to spend my hour-and-something. Starting at the tram sheds I checked the lot. Today's nuggets were 2 Med Gulls and, at Coronation Corner, 2 excellent Yellow-legged Gulls. Neither was quite in adult plumage, though one was a lot closer than the other...

Although I didn't really see the open wing on this one it didn't go to sleep until I got the camera out, and the bill was very bright, just like an adult. It also has nice, bright legs. However, there is plenty of brownish smudging in the wing coverts, giving away its immaturity. I assume this is a 4th-winter bird

This one had duller legs, and dark markings on the bill. It also had a lot of blackish in the wing, including primary coverts. Despite there being no obvious brown in the tail I reckon this is probably a 3rd-winter.

After a fair old time of slim pickings gull-wise, it was very nice to get some reward again. There seemed to be more Lesser Black-backs around than normal - I wonder if there's any connection with the appearance of these 2 YLGs?

To claim or not to claim..?
I really don't like the way we use the word 'claim' in connection with bird records. It implies a bold, self-assured position, and suggests an out-thrust chin and readiness to defend that position. And it's invariably used by someone other than the person who saw the bird in question, is usually garnished with a derisive little snort, and has the specific aim of making you sincerely doubt that so-and-so ever saw the such-and-such at all, and inciting you to want to shove the cocky beggar right off his smug perch.

"Huh! Have you heard? Jeremy Tartlet is claiming a flyover Blyth's Pipit from his garden!"

You are automatically expected to think "Pah!!" and probably do. Most unfair on poor JT.

Because what Jeremy actually said was: "I was just taking the rubbish out when I heard this call. Reminded me of a sort of...er...kind of...um...high-pitched Richard's Pipit type thing...a bit drawn out and sharp. Wish I could have seen something, but...you know...the trees were in the way... Ah well..."

So, here's my NOT claim...

I pulled up at Coronation Corner this afternoon and climbed out of the car. I had just clapped eye to scope when I suddenly realised a bird was calling quite persistently from the big garden behind me, across the road. There were no cars going past - so no distracting noises to mask the sound - and it made me leave the scope where it was and leg it rapidly back down the road 50 yards or so. Yes, actual running, sort of. I got level with the bird and it stopped. The call had come from back in the trees somewhere, so I waited and waited, peering hopefully among the swaying leaves and branches. Not a peep. There was no doubt in my mind - it had reminded me instantly of the Hume's Warbler we had at Seaton Hole back in November 2005. I played Yellow-browed at it - the only bird on my phone. Nothing. "Could it have been some annoying strain of Chiff?" I thought. I didn't think so, and rang Phil to see if he was about.

With no more calls forthcoming it was back to the gulls with an ear cocked. Phil joined me in time to get one of the YLGs, but nothing better!

When I got home I was straight onto xeno-canto to listen to Hume's Warbler calls. Well, it sounded convincing enough to make me download a little sound file, stick it on my phone, and resolve to be at Coronation Corner for first light...

Birding Again...Just

2011-11-25T23:29:00.001Z

Outdoors with optics this afternoon - first time for a few days. A superficial look at gulls on the river produced nothing of note. Actually, if I'm honest it was just a look at the big gulls, because I wanted to have a quick scamper out past the Yacht Club to see if the Snow Buntings were still there. I could only find the one...

...but it was very obliging.

I've recently been scrabbling around in all my junk, trying to find an old birding notebook. It was the Mansands Desert Wheatear that prompted this. I saw the famous Barn Elms Res Desert Wheatear in London, and felt sure I'd done a sketch, but couldn't remember the year. I did a little googling and found out it was 1989. That got me looking in the right place and I soon located the notebook, and the sketch. But that's not why I'm recounting this long-winded tale - what I really wanted to tell you is how I learned the correct year...

Googling led me to this PDF: The London Bird Report List of Contents 1936-2005.

Absolutely fascinating! A list of every named editor, article author and section writer for every year from 1936-2005. And of course, the titles of all the articles etc. The list of names reads like a Who's Who of British ornithology. Amazing. The 1985 report was a bit special - it was the London Bird Report's golden anniversary, and to celebrate 50 years there are short articles commemorating the first three decades, written respectively by RSR Fitter, CB Ashby and DIM Wallace - all legendary players in the history of bird[watch]ing. Now, this is a bit sad I know, but my little chest swelled with pride when I spotted 'GM Haig' alongside these giants.

Yes, I am quite shallow really.

A Slight Digression

2011-11-24T23:17:00.000Z

Sandra gets back tomorrow. She might have something to say about the evident wine depletion but, due to my careful disposal of packaging, will know nothing of the big bag of Giant Buttons, the honey-roasted cashews and other acts of gluttony.

I do though, and feel a bit guilty.

One consequence of middle age appears to be your body's urgent desire to get itself into bigger and bigger trousers. It's like some kind of evil plot. And your brain is in on it too.
Body: "Hey, he-e-e-e-y! Look at that 4-pack of Chocolate Chip Muffins! Just what we need!"
Brain: "No probs - we'll work it off later with a 25-mile cycle, a nice hilly one."
Body: "Ha ha! Yeah, right!"
Brain: "Ssshhhhh! He he!"

As I look at my gently expanding middle-aged friends I can only assume that there's some sort of secret competition going on that we know nothing about...
"Look at this belt! I've got my bloaty lard-sack thinking about 44" trousers!"
"Oh-ho, nice one! I'm getting mine into doing a fish & chip take-away every week now...and he's constantly on the beer. I reckon we'll be looking at 42's in a few months!"

Any readers who remember this blog's previous incarnation might recall a photo of me aged 19, sans shirt, with a BSA motorcycle. I was very skinny. Not any more. But let's face it, lots of us were very skinny, and look at us now! I, for one, am going to fight back. I did pretty well at the start of this year, and actually managed to go down a trouser size. However, right now I am detecting snugness again. The winter is coming, and the cycling urges seem to have faded a bit, so I have purchased a Turbo-trainer.

For those of you none the wiser, let me explain what a turbo-trainer is. You know what an exercise bike is, right? Of course you do - one of those cycling machines that a female member of your household bought one January, installed in the spare room and used for a few months as a convenient place to hang damp washing, until someone else put their foot down and it went on eBay. [Apologies if that sounds misogynistic, but the data supports me here.] Well, a turbo-trainer is a device upon which you mount your own bicycle, but ultimately fulfills the intended function of an exercise bike, ie. to provide an indoor cycling exercise thing. But because you are using your own bike it should at least fit and be comfortable, and will have an air of 'seriousness' which the Argos 'Thrifty-Pedal' lacked.

Of course my intention is to use it, and to record an occasional summary of my endeavours on this blog. If I combine it with sensible eating and moderate drinking there will be plenty of slack for the inevitable Xmas gorging. As I say, that's my intention. But I could do with help. I am weak and easily led - especially by the nose to the bakery counter - so if you don't see any mention of turbo-training after a couple of weeks please nag me. I will thank you for it...

Struggling for Words...

2011-11-23T19:15:00.001Z

I was going to write a post about twitching, but writer's block has got me again...

I could show you a couple of pics from previous November twitches that I've succumbed to?

Both the above - November 2009 - the Black/White-bellied Storm Petrel thing

November 2010 - the American Robin

The petrel was a massive DIP, but I thoroughly enjoyed it even so. Good company, and a good laugh, plus a Leach's Petrel and Pom Skua. The American Robin I had seen on its second day, but this was a weekend twitch with Sandra. It was also a dip, principally due to the behaviour of a few selfish characters who simply got too close to the bird so that it stayed buried in the hedge. Look, there they all are on the left. There was nothing enjoyable about this occasion.

If you catch me saying negative things about twitchers and twitching, it's probably because I've just had an American Robin experience and been forced to slash some tyres. In truth though, some of my most treasured birding memories involve twitching. I may not do much now, but I used to, and had some great times.

However, it strikes me recently that birders who do a lot of twitching are seen by some as less worthy than the diligent patchworker who finds lots of rarities. This snobbery is - to be frank - pathetic. Of course we're all entitled to our opinion, but I think far more important than the kind of birding you do - and a far better indicator of 'worth' - is the kind of birder you are. I've known one or two diligent patchworker types over the years who I would also descriibe as misanthropic oafs, whereas many of my more twitchy colleagues are immensely likeable, generous to a fault, and excellent company - they certainly put me to shame! I know who I'd rather spend time with. I suppose my point is this: there really is no more, or less, worthy way to pursue this hobby. Do what you enjoy, let others do likewise, and don't get too close to the bird at twitches if I'm there.

Well, some words came after all, though I don't think they're the ones I was looking for.

Quick Quiz
Date: 18 October 1996
Birds seen: male Subalpine Warbler, Red-breasted Flycatcher, 8 Firecrests, flyover Lapland Bunting.
And yet I went home very gloomy. What did I dip?

Devon Bird News

2011-11-22T23:52:00.000Z

A non-birding day for me, so I've been preparing for winter. The waistline needs work because there is currently no slack available, and I'll need some later in the year. After a summer of cycling there was loads of room, and I just don't understand where it's gone. As I sit here with a glass of Keltek King, 2 slices of pizza and a big helping of honey-roast cashews I can't help thinking that the big bag of Cadbury Giant Buttons I'd planned for afters might be a bit much...maybe just half the bag instead.

I would like to talk briefly about Devon Bird News.

The germ of an idea back in August 2010 very quickly took root and grew into a pukka website, in the form of a multi-author blog. I have been quite amazed at its popularity, but I guess this just goes to show how much it was needed, really. The combination of snippets of news with photos (some of which are stunning I have to say!) has been a winner. Something else which adds to the appeal - for me anyway - is the fact that all the contributors have their own style. This gives the blog a very collaborative flavour which would be lacking if there was only one author. I mentioned that it is popular, but how popular? Here is a screenshot of part of the Statcounter page for the last week, captured around 22:30 this evening...

I would imagine that over 1,000 proper visits per day (not just page-loads) is pretty good for a county bird news site. If I were to subscribe DBN to the Fat Birder Top 1000 webring I wonder where it would be in the rankings? Pretty high I reckon.

At this point I shall do something again that I've done before - give a big Thank-You to all the contributors and visitors! To be honest, 'running' the site involves very little effort on my part, but even so, the number of contributions (both from regulars and 'occasionals') and the number of visitors entirely validate the blog's existence and continuation.

One last thing. Every day I get one or more emails (often a handful) addressed to DBN. Most are news items (often including photos) and most are well worth publishing. Some have been enquiries of various kinds, and a few have been soliciting a little advertising space. One even offered me a 'no-strings' opportunity to field test (and keep) a pair of binoculars. I didn't foresee any of this when DBN began, naïvely believing that a multi-author blog would simply run itself. I have now wised up! Anyway, as well as having limited time I am also NOT the world's best correspondent, and have completely overlooked an email on more than one occasion, and been a bit tardy on others. I have definitely managed to annoy a couple of people this way. If you are reading this, and are one of them - my apologies. I certainly don't set out to intentionally upset anyone. That said, I guess I should look at the big picture - DBN is thriving despite my flaws...

A First for Seaton

2011-11-21T22:07:00.000Z

It's not what you think!

First, I ought to get up to date with birding stuff...

Yesterday
Again I wasn't out until mid-afternoon, so didn't have time for much. For some reason I was also feeling really grumpy, so steered well clear of any hides and tried to avoid human contact. Eventually I wandered out past the Yacht Club. There were several people - including birders - on the top ridge, so I followed the edge of the river. Doing this I stumbled across the 2 Snow Buntings, presumably also a bit fed up with people. I tried not to antagonise them, and took this shot of the male as he preened...

Eventually I reached the rivermouth and sat down on the shingle to grill that scoter flock Phil and I spotted on Saturday. Nothing but Common Scoters, and they all looked like female/juv types too. Walking back to the Yacht Club I chanced upon the Wheatear again, so 20 November becomes my latest ever date for the species.

Today
It rained until well past lunchtime, so I popped out late again. I didn't see anything of note on the very full river. There were hardly any gulls, so I spent some time at the Farm Gate checking through Wigeon and Teal out on Colyford Marsh. Just Wigeon and Teal. There were still Greylags out there (at least 5) but I didn't see any Brents. Then a visit to Lower Bruckland Ponds. The habitat here is steadily being developed, and I'm sure there will be something really special here one day. As I arrived at the top lake I had a big surprise in the shape of a female Goosander! Likewise, it had a big surprise in the shape of me, and legged it before I could get the camera out! That was nice, and so was the Cetti's Warbler down the bottom end. Finally it was off to Seaton Hole for last knockings. I didn't encounter any hoped-for Black Redstarts, just a phenomenally distant adult Med Gull out in the bay...

...then home to check the computer and see if anyone violently disputes my Red-breasted Goose analysis. Of course, I should point out that it's not just my opinion - the same conclusion has independantly been drawn elsewhere. I must confess though, I do wonder what drove me to put so much effort into it. It's not a tick, I don't care a jot about Devon listing, and I'm not consciously aware of any axe that I wanted to grind. Maybe slight annoyance at all the speculation without investigation? I don't know. I think it was just an itch that wouldn't go away. And now it has. Good.

Foolishness
I briefly got embroiled in a BirdForum thread about self-finding. Someone totally misunderstood one of my posts. Aaagh! Why do I do it? I enjoy a lively debate, but on BF they so often just turn into bitter exchanges. And one or two contributors seem inevitably to resort to provocation and attack when what they should really be doing is maybe conceding a point or two, and showing a little humility. Or perhaps it's me? Perhaps I simply ought to keep away from the lively stuff on BF until my medication settles down...?

A Seaton Tick
In this morning's pouring rain Sandra dragged me down to the town...

Seaton's very own Tesco store opened today

The doors were opened to the public at 08:00, and by the time we got there around 10:30 it was heaving. While Sandra shouldered her way into the throbbing mass, I amused myself by taking photos and interviewing passers-by. The Store Manager obliged with a soundbite...

"Hi, my name is Ian and I'm here to help you. Yes indeed, some do say that Tesco is just the gaping maw of consumer capitalism at its slavering worst and that our corporate aim is to take over the world, enslave its producers, make everyone buy our stuff, and ludicrously enrich the very few at the expense of the very many, while tricking our customers into thinking we serve them...but, of course, none of that is true."
"No? What is true then, Ian?"
"Every little helps."
"Oh yes," I said, nodding. "That's true."
"And the fact that we give you Clubcard Points!"
I duly knelt on the ground and kissed his feet.

Here are some fellow worshipers assembled at the altar...

Believe it or not, the Seaton Town Crier was engaged for this gig. Here he is, crying to the town...

Sandra is going away for the week, and had bought some stuff for her trip. I snatched the receipt from her dithering grip and rushed to get it framed as a memento of this auspicious occasion.

That Red-breasted Goose

2011-11-20T21:54:00.001Z

Like many south coast birders I regularly visit the CHOG Sightings page to see what's been happening further east. On 18 October I tuned in to read this:

After a dismal morning at Hengistbury and elsewhere, it was all set for a fairly dour website post. However, things changed drastically at 5:00 tonight when CHOG's first ever Red-breasted Goose was found on South Marsh, Stanpit, among an increased number of Brent Goose. The bird, hatched this year in Siberia, has tagged along with 'brents' rather than keeping with its own and heading for the western coast of the Black Sea, which is the species' normal wintering ground.

I love the delightfully bold statement in the final sentence, even though it would be filed under 'Hopeful Speculation' rather than 'Fact'! So, is it a genuinely wild bird? Who knows?! But for such a notoriously common species in captivity, a juvenile arriving with Brents in mid-October has credentials about as good as you're going to get, short of a ringed individual.

It was at Stanpit until 28 October. On 30 October a juv Red-breasted Goose was in with Brents at Ferrybridge. On 31st one flew over Abbotsbury Swannery. No sightings for 4 days, then a Red-breasted Goose was found at Exminster Marshes on 5 November. Despite some strong lobbying in favour of at least one bird in 2009 there hasn't been a Devon occurence of Red-breasted Goose accepted by BBRC as a wild bird since 1963. [NB. The foregoing is the result of rather skimpy research, so if I need correcting please feel free]

The point is this - lots of Devon birders with listy type leanings were very keen for this bird to be the same individual that arrived at Stanpit with Brents - ie. a good candidate for a genuine vagrant rather than escape from captivity - ie. 'tickable'. Mischievously I hoped it wasn't. I'm not proud of the fact that I wanted this to be the outcome, but I can't help my sense of humour. Sorry. But it was the same age, and the timing was almost perfect so, like most people, I assumed it was the Dorset bird. But when I saw photos of both, and compared them, I began to think they were different individuals, based principally on seeming anomalies in the flank barring...

So, what is the truth? With grateful thanks to photographers Alan Hayden, Martin Cade, Dave Land, Chris Townend and Brian Heasman for supplying the pics, and Karen Woolley and Mark Andrews for facilitating the supply of some, here is a considered analysis of the Devon Red-breasted Goose. Hope it's useful...

**********************************************************************************

Perhaps it is unusual to put the conclusion first, but I'll say at the outset that I am convinced it is the same bird, and then explain why by means of the following montages.

Flank - RHS
The way that feathers lie is obviously dependant on posture and other factors, but the biggest lesson for me was how variable the flank barring could appear. Those are presumably big, loose and therefore 'mobile' feathers! The markings outlined in red show (I think) just 2 feathers, but look how different they can appear depending on how they come to rest!
Very persuasive was the small 'm'-shaped marking in the yellow circle.
Another one is the pattern formed by the median covert feathers outline in green - though not consistent it is obvious in both Alan and Dave's photos.
The blue and pink rings likewise highlight similar-looking feather patterns/arrangements, though maybe not quite as obviously convincing.
If you spend a bit of time on the photos you can pick out other subtle similarities too.

NB - all the following montages will enlarge if clicked

Flank - LHS
I haven't bothered trying to show any similarities in the flank barring on this side but have focused just on the coverts, which are pretty convincing on their own. If you compare the Stanpit and Ferrybridge photos with the RH Exminster shot the similarities are obvious. But I've included Dave Land's other photo to illustrate how the lie of the feathers affects their appearance - if only the LH Exminster shot was available to compare with the Dorset bird it would be much harder to make the case.

Head Pattern
I'm not going to make any comment at all on these montages, but leave the reader to view, compare, and see how many similarities you can spot. A fair few I reckon. Bear in mind I have jiggled around with the originals to get all the heads at roughly the same angle, even though the bird's posture in each shot may have been very different! Also the quality and resolution of each image might vary a great deal.

Sorry it's been a few days coming, but it wasn't a five minute job putting that lot together! Once again, profuse thanks to all who made this possible. It's been quite an education for me, and I hope others too.

Off the Beaten Track

2011-11-19T20:30:00.000Z

I was free after lunch, so headed down the river and checked gulls. A single adult Med was all. It would have been rude not to say hello to the 2 Snow Buntings which are still present by the Yacht Club, so I did. Also to Phil who was likewise present. Then both of us said hello to the Wheatear which popped up in front of us. Steve had mentioned this bird to me earlier, so it didn't give me the palpitations it must have given him this morning! I can imagine his thoughts when he realised it was just a Northern Wheatear! Still, the latest I've seen by quite a big margin.

Phil and I then sallied forth along the shingle. By the time we got to Culverhole we were 8 Rock Pipits richer, and had watched a Woodpigeon avoid the determined efforts of 2 Peregrines by skimming the waves to safety. Then we clambered up to the undercliff footpath, and back via the golf course to Axmouth. There was another adult Med on the river, 12 Brents, at least 6 Greylags and 50+ Canada Geese on the marshes, and a Black Swan opposite Stedcombe Vale. Then it was home for coffee and a lie-down.

Ooh, almost forgot to mention the Common Scoter flock. We were some way along the beach when we spotted a distant flock of ducks out to sea. There were plenty of Wigeon bobbing around, having a break from the marshes, but this lot were much further out. We only had bins, but they were pretty tight-packed and clearly Common Scoter. It was impossible to resolve individual birds, and there could have been a drake Long-tailed Duck in there and we wouldn't have known, so I tried something that's worked before in similar circumstances - I took some photos and enlarged them on the camera's viewing screen. Surprisingly effective...

Uncropped, pretty much as they appeared through bins

I guess a Surf Scoter could be hiding in there, but nothing white at least! Looks like 45-50 birds

Let Us Talk

2011-11-18T23:06:00.001Z

One of my favourite angling writers - a bloke called Jim Gibbinson - used to do a column called 'Let Us Talk' - a mix of thought, opinion and anecdote on a variety of topics which may (or may not) have been tenuously linked. Though I may not match his writing prowess I can see a few of my posts fitting that loose description. This is one of them.

A nice dry day made for a busy work day. I didn't get up early enough to go out birding beforehand, so grabbed a half-hour slot at the end for gull-checking. The gull demographic is never constant. Med Gulls seem to be at a premium (I had just one adult today) whereas Common Gulls are becoming steadily more numerous - I forgot to mention I counted c.40 on Wednesday evening - and with them comes the hope of a Ring-billed. Actually, Ring-billed Gull is getting quite rare isn't it? Devon had a blank year in 2009, which was a bit of a shock at the time, but I cannot recall seeing any submissions in 2010 or so far this year either (is that right Steve?) so the species has suddenly become a bit special again, after many years of easy tickage by county year-listers. It'll become a BB rarity again if it doesn't get its finger out. To remind ourselves what to look for here's one we made earlier - a smart (and rather small) 2nd-winter bird which Steve found on 19 Feb 2007. That's a little spot of oil on the tertials...

©Steve Waite

While at work today I received several texts. I was informed of the Desert Wheatear at Mansands, the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper at Blagdon Lake and the Spotted Sandpiper at Lyme Regis. Although I am more than happy to receive such gen, it is slightly worrying. Why so? Well, none of it is patch stuff. Not even Lyme Regis, which is the wrong county as well. Don't get me wrong, it's very nice to know what's about as soon as news breaks, and I'm happy about that, but there is a downside too - the temptation to twitch. Are my birdy friends punting this stuff my way to see if something happens? Surely not. They know I gave all that up years ago.

But if Sandra got to hear about these birds........well.....

The Lyme Regis Spotted Sandpiper is interesting though. Lyme is only about 6 miles down the coast, but it's in Dorset of course, which means there is absolutely no point in any decent birds turning up there. Lyme also has easy Dippers, and Purple Sandpipers every winter. To know that such quality birds are brazenly cavorting so close to the patch, yet not even in Devon, is extremely galling. The last [definite] good bird in Lyme was this obliging Sabine's Gull that Bun found in September 2008...

There's a photo of this bird in a recent county avifauna. The Birds of Dorset? No, The Birds of Devon. Hmmmm.......

This is pretty much the only way that good birds get found at Lyme Regis - by a visiting birder. If it really is true that the recent Dawlish/Exmouth Short-toed Eagle actually graced the skies above the Cobb, I can only assume an up-country birder was visiting his gran or something.

And thus we come to the Spotted Sandpiper...

As I understand it, the Spotted Sandpiper was found by Howard Vaughan - a London birder - who knows my buddy Paul. He remembered that Paul has this mate who lives not far from Lyme, so passed on the news of his Spotted Sandpiper find to Paul, who then texted me. Living proof that even in this age of technology and commercialised bird information, the grapevine still lives!

Early morning edit - This post looked a bit different (and a lot riskier) last night, but the cold light of day and a strong coffee have undermined such frivolity. Perhaps I should only write posts early in the morning...

Not About Geese

2011-11-17T16:56:00.001Z

I'm still awaiting some pics of the Stanpit Red-breasted Goose, and won't have much time this evening anyway, so here's a post about rare waders instead...

As has happened so often lately I am conscientiously hard at work when the phone rings. This time it's Ian M. He's just found an interesting small wader on the Colyford scrape; am I free? His initial impression was that it might be the White-rumped Sandpiper back again. I am suitably intrigued and reckon I can be there in ten minutes or so.

I nip home for my optics and pull up by the Coly Common gate. A quick call to Ian...
"Is it still there?"
"Umm...no...everything just this minute got up off the scrape, and it hasn't returned."
I'm just contemplating going straight back to work when Ian throws me a little baited hook...
"I've got some photos."
"Oh?"
"They're not very good, but worth a look. I'm thinking it might be a Temminck's Stint"
I realise I haven't actually asked a single question about the bird.
"Did you...er...manage to get the leg colour at all?"
"Yes. They're pale."
"Ah. I see. Ok. I'll be there in a minute."
Now Ian is a very capable birder, but I defy anyone to NOT think what I was thinking right then.

It's the middle of November - I've never seen a Temminck's Stint later than the end of September I think.
Pale legs - Least Sandpiper and Long-toed Stint have pale legs
It's an absolutely classic ball-dropping opportunity, and...
I would love to be IN on the finding and identification of a really rare wader like either of those two

Ian's photos did suggest Temminck's, but the scrape is not close, so the images were tiny and blurry. I clung to a twig of hope that it might be a lot rarer, but some careful scanning confirmed there was no bird to see anyway. Ah well, back to work then. As we came out of the hide Ian mentioned he'd seen a Water Pipit by the viewing platform so I had a quick detour to look for it. No joy, but as I had to return past the hide I thought I may as well give the scrape one last check. Nope, still no sign. At that point a helicopter flew up the valley and every single bird took to the air. Ah yes, I thought, definitely 12 Brents, and the 7 Greylags still here too. As everything settled back down I had one last look at the scrape...and there it was!

Now the pressure was all mine! NOT mucking it up was a fairly crucial requirement! I took my time, and was happy that it was indeed a Temminck's Stint, and then it flew. I had nice clinching views of the diagnostic white outer tail feathers and that was that. A phonecall or two, and several texts. Guess what a couple of the replies were...

Thanks...sure it's defo a Temminck's and not Least or Long-toed?...followed by apologies for doubting, etc etc!
There was no need for the apologies - I sympathised 100%!

And here it is, beautifully presented in a splendid little thumbnail gallery...

Click to...

...make big and...

...thrilling!

There have only been something like 25 Temminck's Stints in Devon and, as far as I can discover, none later than September. This is actually a very rare bird in the county. So why the slight sense of disappointment?

My Head Hurts

2011-11-16T22:30:00.000Z

Bit of a dreary day. Mostly I've been waiting in for a delivery of bathroom stuff. It finally arrived, so pretty soon I'll have to reacquaint myself with the contents of that big dusty toolbox. Then this afternoon it started raining. Sigh...

So, no work, but I popped out in the rain to have a look up the estuary. I couldn't even be bothered to get out of the van, and peered through wet windows at a small number of bog-standard gulls. However, I couldn't help noticing that there were quite a few in front of the Tower Hide, so drove round to the BHM car park. Empty! Yes! With a spring in my step I toddled eagerly through the rain, only to find two vehicles parked right by the hide. One was Fraser's truck, the other a car. It was Fraser and four office types and I was plainly gate-crashing a discussion about future Axe Wetlands developments. At least one bloke thought he was addressing about 200 people, and the gulls were noticeably upstream and downstream of the hide, but not in front of it! Thankfully the conference was soon over, and I had the place to myself until dusk. It was brilliant. Gull numbers built steadily, with very few heading further downriver or out to sea. There were still loads when I left at 16:30. It really was enjoyable sifting through them all, even though I didn't find anything better than 2 intermedius type LBBs...not even a Med Gull. Pretty surprising considering how many birds there were, but in a way it's one of the things I like about gull-watching - it is very difficult to predict!

On the way round to BHM I stopped next to Bridge marsh to snap this lot...

7 Greylags - maybe not the grey geese we would choose, but it's a start.

Talking of geese...

While I was waiting for the delivery this morning I wondered what useful household chores I could undertake to help make Sandra's life a bit easier. Then I remembered she'd left a Duty Sheet, and went to find it. Top of the list: Sort out that Red-breasted Goose! Can I tick it or not?

I honestly thought this would be an easy task, what with there being pretty good photos available to me, and sat down to review the evidence. I was quite looking forward to writing a self-satisfied little post where I revealed all with a triumphant "Da-daahh!!" Unfortunately, as I checked the photos for vital clues, an irritating little voice in my head was going "Ha! Not so fast, Mister Smug-Boots! Not as simple as you thought, is it? Eh? Eh?"
I was forced to agree.
Meanwhile, Steve had already weighed-in with his take on it before I'd even gathered enough material to present a case. On the question of whether the Exe Red-breasted Goose is the same bird that was in Dorset, Steve is presently undecided, though not exactly on the fence...if I've read his conclusion correctly, it is this: although Steve 'thinks' it's the same bird, he reckons no-one can say 100% either way. Ok, fair enough...

...but I do like a challenge! Personally I don't believe we should just leave it to the BBRC to decide. As if they care?! None of them has a personal stake in this, but I do! I have the moral integrity of my wife's Devon List to protect! If it's the Dorset bird come for a proper cream tea, she wants to know, so she can tick it! Not 'think' so! Hands up who keeps a list of birds they 'think' are okay to tick? Exactly...

Anyway, I'm still waiting for a few more photos that I can use [with permission] on the blog. As and when I get them I will then be doing a lot of cropping and cutting and putting together into helpful collages. If you're already bored stupid by my fixation with this trivial affair, don't worry - the post to NOT bother reading will be pretty obvious when it comes.

Words

2011-11-15T23:09:00.001Z

Yesterday's post title reminded me of something totally unrelated to birding. In 1997 I spent 3 weeks in the USA courtesy of my employer at the time, Kodak Ltd. Our little group mingled freely with the natives, and I learned that we actually speak a different language. Americans tend not to 'queue', they 'get in line', and I was genuinely surprised that none I spoke to even knew the word. Another one was 'rota'. At one stage in my distinguished Kodak career I was unwisely given a supervisory role - I quickly found out that a Team Leader's most crucial function at the beginning of every shift was to organise the hallowed Tea-break Rota. We also talked of 'shift rotas', but our American counterparts had never encountered the word at all. Amazing. And true...

Why am I mentioning this? No reason particularly, but I do like words, and this is definitely word stuff. We know all about sidewalks and trash-cans, can tell a car's trunk from its hood, and know that a woman's purse is actually her handbag - because we have always been swamped with Hollywood films and American TV. These little gaps in the average American's lexicon must therefore be due to the fact that Hugh Grant films never have the hero rushing to get in the canteen queue when his turn comes up on the tea-break rota.

Today I did no birding at all. Yesterday I had a late look at gulls and saw a 2nd-winter Med.

That's the birding dealt with. So, some more word stuff...loosely. I am genuinely curious to discover whether or not the Red-breasted Goose currently at large on the Exe is the same bird that turned up with Brents in Christchurch Harbour back in October. And my motives are not purely mischievous, honestly. I have solicited some proper photos of the Devon bird from Dave Land, who has kindly allowed their publication on this blog. The idea is this: on your computer screen you bring up a photo of each bird side-by-side, in as similar a pose as possible. Then you compare the flank barring, wing covert fringes and face pattern of each with the other. You can find great pics on the CHOG website, on the October page (I did the link a couple of posts back) and you can find one naughty little teaser type pic of the Devon bird right at the bottom of this post. More to follow. Personally I think I've drawn a conclusion...and if others draw the same it could lead to some interesting ...er...words!

Queueing for Birds

2011-11-14T22:30:00.000Z

There's an urgency about twitching that can be attributed to a simple fact - birds fly. And they sometimes fly completely away. The point is, they can go from being visible to invisible with a quick wave of their arms. Thinking about it, they can become equally invisible just by walking or swimming - or crawling feebly - into dense cover, or by disappearing down a predator's throat. Actually, thinking about it further (like I should have done right at the start of this paragraph) the issue is not even the bird's visibility, it's the bird's TICKability. You see, I just realised that birds can also die. If the bird pegged it before you arrived it might be visible, but definitely not tickable. What I'm trying to get at is this: a twitcher en route is a frantic thing. He (or she) needs to get that tick under the belt as quickly as possible while it is still there to be had. We've all seen this...

Panting twitcher sees rapt crowd glued to their scopes and puts on the desperate spurt.
Seasoned vet takes pity and goes "Here mate, it's in me scope...there you go..."
A quick look - just a few seconds - and there's visible relaxing, a tangible release of pressure, and our twitching friend sets up his own tripod smoothly and easily, his day 100% better already...

Anyone who has ever twitched will know that feeling of urgent need, especially when the bird is very rare indeed. So I find it hard to sympathise with the opprobrium being dished out to Northumberland Greater Yellowlegs twitchers who apparently climbed adjacent screening banks to see the bird 'rather than being patient enough to wait for use of the hide'. I'll ask a quick rhetorical question: Was there a queueing system in operation? I'll also assume the answer is "No, pal. That would take effort and self-sacrifice. This is 2011 you know!" Now I'll make a bald assumption: the hide was stuffed with photographers and others who had no intention of moving until they had had their fill of the bird, and besides, can't everyone else just climb the screening bank and look over...of course they can...so why should I give up my hard-won place in here?

A brief aside - Alan, if you should read this and I am way off the mark, feel free to put me straight and please accept my apologies for jumping to conclusions, but I'm going to have my say anyway...;o)

Twitching is just about the most selfish pursuit I can think of short of mugging. That said, twitchers are also - almost to a man and woman - a very decent bunch of people. Strange people, but nice. Despite the bad press they attract, I reckon if they sense that their interests are being cared for they can be extremely compliant. They will queue! They will stand in a line and wait their turn. Despite the frantic urges raging within they will behave, if...IF...they sense fair play. I'll bet a few readers were on Scilly in 1991 when a queue was organised to view the Porthellick Sora Rail after it had finally been identified correctly! My notebook tells me I got close and superb binocular views...but for just 30 seconds. I was happy with that, and came back for more on subsequent days. I don't remember anyone arguing the toss - if the bird was on view it was 30 seconds in the hide, then out. Brilliant. I'll bet everyone who wanted to see it that day, did. And that was back when 15,000+ birders were on the islands every day in October. I don't remember if Lee Evans was the only steward on queue duty at the time, but I certainly recall his proactive contribution.

And that is the main point of this post - unless folks are prepared to steward a twitch, to empty the hide every 30 seconds while the bird is on view so that everyone can get to see it as quickly as possible, or do whatever is necessary to ensure fair play, then the selfish will always spoil it for everyone else. Guaranteed. Always. Photographers will hog the front seats if they are allowed to. Duh! It's not rocket science! Twitching IS selfish! Tales of the in-hide fun and games at the recent Cornish American Bittern were typical.

I suppose one way to look at it is this...

A rare bird turns up on your patch. This is clearly an opportunity. It's an opportunity to raise money for a reserve or other charity. It's an opportunity for birders to visit your patch and come away with a smile and only good things to say about the site and the way things were organised for them. The twitchers are your customers. Treat them well, inform them where they can go and where they cannot, guide them and look after them. Endeavour to show them the bird and they will love you. And they will behave.

Big Waters Nature Reserve - 26 February 1990
Holme NNT - 2 September 1992

Both the above were occasions when I twitched and queued. The former (around 3 hours, my notebook says) for a Pine Bunting and the latter (4 hours to get into the sallows, and another 2+ for tickable views) for a Rüppell's Warbler. Along with loads of others I was happy to wait for my share of the limited viewing available, because I could see that I would get a share - someone was ensuring fair play. Had I been at the Northumberland Greater Yellowlegs yesterday afternoon, I'm pretty sure I'd have been climbing the screening banks with all the others. However, if someone had been organising a queue and kicking everyone out of the hide every 30 seconds, well...that would have been different.

The Listing Cavalier

2011-11-13T17:35:00.002Z

First of all I must apologise for moaning yesterday. And I must thank all of you who sent me invitations along the lines of 'Come birding to MY patch then, you pathetic ingrate! Then you'll REALLY have something to whine about!' Very kind, but I don't actually want anything more to whine about, I've more than enough right here in this dump. Anyway, I've devised a special weekend ploy to avoid the afternoon crowds.

Nip out nice and early, and clean up
Do indoor stuff for several hours
Run away to somewhere else for the afternoon

I implemented the strategy immediately, and this is how it went...

Straight down the seafront, a walk along the beach, and at 07:30 I was photographing these...

I must have overlooked them yesterday, because they were obvious enough this morning. I decided to have a look at the river, then come back later when the light was better, and try for some frame-fillers. The tide was up, and among the waders sploshing about on the islands were the Spotted Redshank, the Knot and 4 Bar-tailed Godwits. Up at Colyford Common the 11 Brents had lured in another. The 12th bird appeared a little coy, and was slightly apart from the others. I checked it carefully for signs of Red-breastedness, but there appeared to be none. So, back to the beach. Here I met Phil, and we walked out to the Snow Buntings together. I wish more birds were as agreeable. Completely unconcerned by our presence they gave point-blank views and made for some nice portraiture...

Judging by the little deposit on a pebble there, I may have accidentally made the male jump slightly

Perhaps this one is better - a bit less embarrassing for him

While I was engrossed in getting the most out of the Lumix, Phil was amusing himself in other ways...

The female Snow Bunt is almost on the edge of the pic, about 8ft from my lens, just to the right of the green clump

Then it was back home for brekkie, and to implement step 2.

At lunchtime Sandra said: "Right then, time for step 3. Where are we off to this afternoon?"
"Well," I said, "I really hadn't given it much thought."
"I want to go and see the Red-breasted Goose!"
"Oh! Okay then."
Who was I to deny such a firm intention?

I duly garnered the necessary gen (thanks Mark) and we set off towards Darts Farm, near Topsham. Some wonderfully close Brents, but no Red-breasted Goose. It would have been very handy had we connected here - views would have been amazing. Ah well, Exminster Marshes then. We soon found some Canadas way out on the marsh, and headed for the canal bank to get a better look at them. A friendly chap told us the bird was in among them, but rather tricky to see. We persevered, and eventually the RBG showed very nicely, if very distantly. Sandra was delighted.

"Look," she said. "I know you take perverse delight in rubbishing any Red-breasted Goose that turns up in Devon, and try to make the listers squirm a bit, but I reckon this is the same juv that was at Christchurch. That one came in with Brents, and had as good a set of credentials as you're going to get on RBG. And don't give me any of that 'but it's with Canadas' tosh - you read on BirdForum how Steve explained that one away. Even you said it was plausible."
"True, but equally you read how Kev wasn't convinced it was necessarily the same bird, didn't you?"
"Yes I did," Sandra admitted. "So how about this then - you digiscope it, we go home and compare the pics with the Stanpit bird, and if it's the same bird I'll add it to my Devon list?"
"We-e-ell...."
"Look," she said. "You can do whatever you want with it. Just humour me."

So I did. The geese were about 3 miles away, and with digiscoping these days I cannot see the screen on the camera clearly enough to know even if the bird is still on it, let alone posing nicely. So this is one of the better shots...

Little stunner! Honest.

Also, just for Sandra, I enlarged this one to clearly show the covert fringes, flank patterning and cheek patch, in fine detail...

"Wow!" exclaimed Sandra. "That's fantastic! Quick! Get on to the CHOG website October page and scroll down to 19th and 21st, where those Red-breasted Goose photos are!"
I immediately did so.
"There! There! Look at that!" she cried excitedly, comparing the photos with my clinical shot. "It's the same bird! There can be no doubt whatsoever. I'm having it!"
And with that, another Devon list found itself richer by one Red-breasted Goose.
Sandra looked at me. "Well? What about you?"

I pursed my lips and went to put the kettle on....but I had to admit there was no denying the evidence. Yep. Same bird. The photos prove it clearly...

Take a Deep Breath, Son

2011-11-12T20:13:00.001Z

I made it out from around 2pm today. I had a mostly enjoyable time, but it is slowly dawning on me that a major change has occurred on our patch. For example, at one point I went to the beach near the Yacht Club to look for the Snow Buntings. I didn't find them, so sat down and scoped up some ducks out on the sea - mostly Wigeon off the estuary, but also one Shoveler and a group of about 15 Common Scoter. I heard the scrunch of shingle as someone approached, and turned my head.
"Hi. Do you know if the Black Redstart is still about?"
"Sorry, no idea. Haven't seen it myself."
"Ok, what about the Snow Buntings?"
"Nope, them neither. They might still be here, but I haven't found them."
I was sorry to disappoint, but slightly disgruntled too. Someone I had never seen before had innocently asked me for gen - something I have many times done myself - and yet I found myself vaguely resenting it. I wasn't happy about feeling this way, so tried to analyse why. I think it boils down to this: the patch is being invaded by strangers, and I don't like it. It's our patch, MY patch, and I want them all to go away! Until quite recently we rarely saw another birder here unless there was something to twitch. Now though, since the development of Black Hole Marsh and the new hides, the visitor numbers have sky-rocketed, and many of them don't stop with BHM but venture into other parts of the patch too, especially if they hear there's something to look at. Some of them even drive up the Axmouth side of the estuary, interfering with our gulls and clogging up the Farm Gate pull-in, curse them. Over at the Tower Hide there are clearly several new regulars now - faces I'd never seen until recently, but now see a lot. It's also a favourite with photographers, and a sunny afternoon like we had today sees them lining the front slots. And then there are the hordes of optic-less ramblers, filling the hide with their vast families...

I need to lighten up. Trouble is, I like a bit of solitude when birding, or the company of a select few, and am most certainly not Mr Sociable with all and sundry. I'm not proud of that, but birding is for me a means of escape, of finding a bit of space. If I am not to become a tiresome grump I'm going to have to learn to share...

Unfortunately the Tower Hide is ideally placed for looking at birds, otherwise I would (and sometimes do) avoid it like the plague. Today, for example, a drive up the river produced a Knot, a few other inconsequentials, and the obvious fact that lots of gulls were sitting right in front of the Tower Hide. I would simply have to go round there. In the event it wasn't too bad. Yes, there were quite a few people in it, and I couldn't find a single decent gull - not even a Med - but I clocked the Spotted Redshank upstream, and even got a ropey digiscoped shot...

A bit later I bumped into Phil and we drove up the estuary and watched gulls until dusk. Nothing of interest, and I had a little moan about the hide. "Don't worry," he said. "Just wait until the cold weather comes. That'll empty it!" We'll see, but I'm really not so sure.

We heard a few gunshots as the light faded, and what ducks had still been on the marshes came high down the river. Phil suggested that our little Brent flock might well have been persuaded to find other quarters! I hope not, but just in case we don't see them again, here's an intimate portrait from yesterday...

All 11 Brents out on Colyford Marsh

It's interesting how the gull situation has changed in the last few weeks. We had a very productive spell (Caspian Gull, several YLGs and lots of Meds) but that now seems to have completely dried up, and at the moment all we're getting is just the odd Med Gull here and there. I wonder if this pattern is evident elsewhere along the coast? Will keep looking though - there'll be something else before the year's out I'm sure...

Writer's Block

2011-11-11T21:04:00.001Z

It rained a fair bit this afternoon, so I trundled up the river and on round to the Tower Hide. There weren't very many gulls and I saw nothing of note in that department. I did see the 11 Brent Geese over on Colyford Marsh though. I hope they stay. I don't know if our Spotted Redshank is around still, but if it is that would make a potential 3 wintering species that don't normally winter here - Spotshank, Brent and Bar-tailed Godwit (we still have about 4 on the river). It was also very nice to hear a Cetti's Warbler call a couple of times at Black Hole Marsh. So, that's the day's birding dealt with...now what...?

I'm experiencing a bit of writer's block at the moment. There are a few topics I have in mind, but it appears that's where they're currently staying. This is annoying. I have just poured a fat finger of lubricant to see if anything happens...Jura Superstition - 'Subtly Sweet Yet Smoky' - which is actually a single malt tick. Mmmmm, it's...er...kind of subtly sweet...yet...ooh yes...smoky too! Nice!

One of the things I want to write is an encouraging, inspirational post or two about gulls. You see, six years ago I'm pretty sure none of us on the patch here had the slightest clue how to identify any Yellow-legged Gull that wasn't an adult, or a Caspian Gull of any age! When I was last a keen birder (in the late '80s, early '90s) Caspian Gull didn't even exist as far as I can recall, not even as a subspecies. Or if it did, it was very quiet about it. And now look at us! We can pick out a young YLG from a glimpse of tertial at half a mile, and Caspian Gulls can no longer cavort naked on the estuary without fear of detection. My 'umble aim is to help birders who couldn't tell a juv YLG or 1st-winter Casp from a cowpat to become Really Good at Big Brown Gulls.

Does a gathering of large gulls intimidate you? If you're not sure, take a look at a flock next time you're out. If you start to shudder, instinctively shield your loved ones, and something like "Yuk! Look at those disgusting horrors!" comes out of your gob, then yes, they have intimidated you, and your natural defences have come into play to try and disguise your desperate ignorance. Fear not, in the very near future this blog will have everything you need to be able to stand foursquare to such a flock, facing them down with confidence. 1st-winter YLGs will cower beneath your steely gaze, and Caspian Gulls will no longer smirk at your ineptitude, no, no - in each case a full suite of diagnostic and supporting characters will be scrolling before your newly trained and analytical eye, and they will be nailed!

However, before writing any such posts I needed to seek permission to use a few photos that weren't mine. One of those photos appears at the end of this paragraph. I have to say that its publication was highly inspirational. Portland Bird Observatory is just down the road, so to speak, so when this photo appeared on the 'Latest News' page in July 2006 it was just what we needed at the time. All will be explained in some future words, when the blockage clears...

Know what this is? NB. Guessing correctly isn't knowing ;o)

One final thing...

I am very interested in getting hold of photos of young Yellow-legged Gulls and Caspian Gulls for future use on this blog. Needless to say, credit will of course be given. I am after 'instructional' photos, ie. any that show useful ID characters. I have a few of my own, but they are mostly 2nd or 3rd-rate, quality-wise, and I would be most grateful for some decent ones. So, if you possess such photos and are moved with pity at my plight, please contact me either through the Devon Bird News contact email, or direct to me at gavinmhaig 'at' gmail.com. Many thanks. I love you all............

Well, I don't thik that Jura helped in the slightest...

The Lazy Man's Post

2011-11-10T23:15:00.001Z

Today's weather put the kibosh on any birding intentions I might have had. At 07:45 it was dry as I headed out to work, expecting to get rained off any moment. Gone 4pm it was still dry and I was knackered. So that's what a full day's work feels like? Not even a nice rare-text from Steve to break things up a bit.

So, I have no birding to write about. I have also been out all evening and just got home. It's not that far away from midnight. Since this blog got going again I have managed at least one post before midnight every day. You can see where this is going? That's right - there isn't time for a well-thought-out post of pontification, so have this instead...

Yesterday saw my first employment of this pitiful cop-out. To my shame, it's not even original, and I am slavishly copying the b-a-a-a-a-d example of loads of other lazy bloggers. Yes, it's the old 'On This Date in xxxx' ruse...

On This Date in 2008!

Steve is displaying all the signs of a heart-threatening 'sugar high'. I would say...ooh...probably at least two rapidly-consumed Co-op Big-Boy Jam Doughnut six-packs. Either that, or he's just found a Surf Scoter. Let's see...

...Ah yes, a scrunched-up doughnut bag carelessly tossed into the sea

Edit - Is it my imagination, or was everybody a lot slimmer 3 years ago?

Edit 2 - Is it my imagination, or is a small, insistent part of my brain suggesting that actually publishing the previous sentence was unwise?

A Severely Edited Post...

2011-11-09T18:34:00.002Z

Hmmm. This post started out much, much longer. If you got to it before the scissors did, well, that's just one of the many soap-boxes that occasionally force themselves under my feet...

What a dismally wet day it's been. No work, but plenty of errands and stuff to keep me busy. After lunch I got out for a quick look at the river. It was absolutely tanking down so I thought I'd have it all to myself, but there was Stevie in his car opposite the tram sheds. He pointed out a couple of nice Meds (adult and 2nd-winter) and I told him I was off to sit in the Tower Hide and pull rare gulls out of my hat. We parted and I drove up to the lay-by which overlooks the hide. A fair few gulls, so I decided to give them a quick going-over from where I was. Nothing of note...so I let my scope stray towards the Tower Hide itself. Aaaagghh!! It was bursting! Every slot not facing the weather was wide open and peppered with faces, and even through the closed ones I could make out lots and lots of hopeful pale blobs behind the wet glass. When the hide was built back in the spring I thought: 'Brilliant! It'll be busy in the nice weather, but come winter and we'll have it to ourselves.' Wrong.

I put all thoughts of hidery out of my mind and went to look at the sea. A diver sp. flew W...then a very big gap...then a Gannet flew W too...then another very big gap...then nothing. Shame, because the sea was raging nicely. But also emptily.

Another look along the river. Another brief goggle at the stuffed hide. A sigh and a shudder. Then home.

The camera stayed warm and dry, so have this gem from the One Year Ago Today category...

Long-billed Dowitcher - opposite Axmouth FC - turned up 9 November 2010

Two Bright Spots in the Gloom

2011-11-08T17:59:00.000Z

My day began with a little twitch - a quick dash out into the gloom to see the 2 Snow Buntings which Steve found near the Axe Yacht Club. Apart from a Beer Head bird in November 2009, and one by the tram sheds in November 2008, the patch has only had one previous Snow Bunting - in March 2006 - and it was in exactly the same spot! Bun, Karen and Ian M all made it too.

Snow Buntings are always pretty confiding, especially if you just sit still, and of course the camera was all warmed up and raring to go. Unfortunately, this morning was perfect for showing up the limitations of a superzoom, ie. really, really dull. [Skip the rest of this paragraph if snapper-talk bores the pants off you...] I hate to use high ISO because it just gets too grainy, so I stuck with 200. In aperture priority mode (A) I used as small an f-number as possible, and -1/3 exposure compensation. This gave me the desperately abysmal shutter speed of around 1/20 - 1/25 sec. Guaranteed blur! However, the amazing Image Stabilisation function + very carefully resting the camera on my scope gives a pretty stable image. The only problem then is that Snow Buntings are never still! Their little heads are constantly bobbing and darting as they forage for seeds. 1/25 sec is too slow to freeze even a sloth, and out of 150+ photos I would say less than 10 are satisfactorily sharp. A few comprise just a long beige smear. I wonder if it's possible to produce a superzoom with a really good, DSLR-quality light sensor? Even if it is possible I'm sure camera manufacturers would balk at the idea - they obviously want the punters who yearn for such desirable technology to buy DSLRs and lots of lenses, not just a cheapskate superzoom. Ah well...

Anyway, here are the inevitable results. Apologies if you've just been enjoying similar subject matter on other blogs...though it's hard to overdose on Snow Bunts...

Amazingly cryptic plumage - they're both in this photo

Togetherness

The male

The female

You notice I quite like this side-by-side photo layout? New skills are only worth having if they can be flaunted regularly.

There were also 4 Brent Geese on the sea for a short while before they flew off W, but that is the sum total of my birdy thrills today. I went to work and got drizzled on a lot. I learned that the White-rumped Sandpiper was seen only first thing (by James McC) and then not again until after 3pm. James' reputation was naturally in the balance until the resighting...

It's a bit of a nuisance all these birds turning up. I keep having to write posts about them instead of the juicy Daily Mail-type topics that really matter...Scilly vs Shetland, suppression, gonydeal angles. I'm sure it'll all quiet down soon...

Edit - Changing Franklin's Gull and Red-throated Pipit for Shorelark and Dusky Warbler on my Buttons list. I've stuck it on the Buttons page as a 'comment' because comments have a date & time attached which can't be diddled with as far as I know - I wouldn't want to be accused of cheating when I win the Big Bag of Beautiful Belly Busters! Birders are a disbelieving lot.

A First for the Patch...

2011-11-07T19:02:00.000Z

...and yet the Buttons are not under threat! Excellent!

It's rather nice having someone like Steve on the patch. His circumstances allow an awful lot of daytime birding in the week, plus he is dead keen, very sharp and covers a lot of ground. This means I get to see lots of good midweek birds. Of course, the downside is that I don't get to find many of them!

And so it was today. There I am, beavering away up at Rousdon, when my little phone rings.
"Are you local?"
I just knew it was a bird! "Rousdon. What've you got?"
"Small wader at Coronation Corner, with a Dunlin. I'm pretty sure it's a Baird's or White-rumped, but it's very distant."
I was right in the middle of a job, but explained I could be there in about half an hour. After a brief exchange I rang off and suddenly found another gear...

It had sounded like the Tower Hide was going to be the best bet, and I timed my arrival there with Steve and Ian McLean's. It was just across the river from the hide, and was clearly a White-rumped Sandpiper. It was quite a while before we got a flash of actual white rump, but plenty of other features gave the game away, so the news was put out anyway. It was always too far away for decent photos, and the light (though nice and flat) was very, very dim. Nevertheless, here are a few efforts...

It's on the left - note flank streaks

Striking face pattern - strong loral line and supercilium

Dinky little bill, long primary projection and...

...a gleaming white bum! (Less blurry in real life!)

I suppose White-rumped Sandpiper would be a fairly predictable addition to the patch list, but guess what - not predictable enough! So the Buttons are safe. For now, anyway...

Ageing this bird seemed straightforward at first - we noted the several nicely dark-centred scaps and the obvious flank streaks and thought it must be an adult. However, I've changed my mind since, and am pretty sure there are too many pointers suggesting a juvenile, moulting into winter plumage. The greater coverts especially look rather nicely pale-fringed, plus the neat, streaky breast band, distinct cap. Plus, responding in the affirmative when an oafish young Dunlin goes "Well...'ello darlin'! Fancy comin' to the Axe wiv me then?" indicates a naïvety that can only belong to a bird of the year.

Is It Just Me?

2011-11-06T19:15:00.000Z

In my blog list you'll find a link to Devon Bird News. If you were to click on it and scroll down the reports for today, 6 November 2011, you would come across a post about Thurlestone Bay by Mike Passman. It recounts a superb day's patch birding and includes the finding of a Great Bustard! But........the bird was wing-tagged #06 - presumably from the Salisbury Plain Great Bustard release scheme. I learned of this bird shortly after its discovery, thanks to a timely text from Mark Bailey...
'Great Bustard South Huish'
I replied: 'Ta Mark. Tagged plastic? Don't tell me it's a real one!:o)'
Mark confirmed it was tagged. Re-reading my reply I cannot help feeling it comes across a bit cynical. Perhaps. But it is also honest, and reflects my opinion of the Great Bustard release scheme. That opinion is not a high one. It is not a particularly learned one either I suppose, but I'm not too bothered by that. The moment Mark confirmed the Bustard was a wing-tagged bird I lost all interest. A genuinely wild bird might even have squeezed a twitch out of me, but I wouldn't go further than our patch for one of these. Am I the only birder to feel this way about them? If I found one on Colyford Marsh I would be momentarily thrilled, but the euphoria would last only as long as it took me to spot the wing-tag, and then I would feel horribly swindled. Sure, the bird would still be a truly majestic beast...but utterly valueless. That probably says all sorts of bad things about my attitude to this hobby, but I'll bet I'm not alone.

On a lighter note...I am not usually one to miss an opportunity. Neither have I any shame when it comes to repeatedly using the same images for purely grippage-type purposes. Well, a wing-tagged Great Bustard has given me the opportunity, and my lack of shame has allowed this image to be trotted out once more...

Proper Great Bustards...

...and I don't believe the subsequent 24+ years have provided any more twitchable ones, have they? Shame.

Ian M and I did the Beer Head to Branscombe undercliff walk this afternoon. Karen joined us for some of it. Gloriously warm and sheltered, but nothing out of the ordinary bird-wise. A couple of Blackcaps, a Goldcrest and a Stonechat were probably the highlights, and a Wheatear which Karen found on the clifftop. Unfortunately just a Northern Wheatear, but still my latest on patch by a day. The bird list belies how busy it actually was down there - the constant flitting of Robins, Song Thrushes, Chaffinches, Bullfinches, Blue Tits, Great Tits and Long-tailed Tits is actually quite exciting and full of promise. You can keep your plastic Bustards.

Through the grass and into the sun. Appalling photo, but legitimately getting a Wheatear pic on the blog in November makes it worthwhile, just about. And finally, a lot of cliff and a tiny little bit of sea - looking west from the undercliff path...

Out of Sorts...

2011-11-05T19:14:00.000Z

It seems I am going down with some kind of lurgy. I have felt pretty rough all day and stayed indoors for most of it. However, by mid-afternoon I was going stir-crazy and itching to get out there among the rarities that must surely be swamping the patch.
"NO!" was Sandra's gentle advice. "Don't be an idiot - you'll get yourself really ill and have to lie about on the sofa being a nuisance."
I promised to stay in the car with the heater on.
"I'll just park up by the estuary and look at the gulls."

I gradually worked my way upriver, with little reward. As I peered across at the Tower Hide I could see lots of gulls right in front of it. The sun was in my eyes, the birds were distant, and I thought "Surely it couldn't do me any harm to just head over there and sit in the hide?"

As I trudged along the track I had to admit I felt a bit grim. Never mind, I thought, I'll be in that cosy hide in a moment. Suddenly, the air was full of flying things - every single bird on the river was up. A couple descended the steps and saw me.
"Canoeists," they said. "They've flushed everything - just paddled right into the middle of them all..."
I climbed the stairs. Two people in a canoe and a bloke paddling one of those sit-on kayaks were enjoying a pleasant float on the river. I'm sure they were relaxed and content in their little world. The nearest birds were half a mile downstream.
I shuffled back to the car, aching slightly and wondering if we had any Lemsip in stock...

One last look along the river then. I pulled up by the tram sheds and was pleased to see quite a few gulls along the mud. Excellent. The light was a bit dim now, but I unloaded the scope and started to go through them. I'd hardly begun when they gradually began to lift off and head out to sea. I was just lamenting their rubbish timing when I spotted mister sit-on kayak gliding serenely down the river, about 2 inches from the far bank, the gulls peeling away in front of him like a Mexican wave. A few seconds later and he'd done the lot. He was totally oblivious to the seething ill person wishing evil upon him from that little red car.

I drove to the Farm Gate, passing a lot of completely empty river. My misery was made complete when I counted 62 Canada Geese out on Colyford Marsh in the dusky gloom. This is easily the most I have ever seen here. They appeared to be having a rally of some kind - there was a lot of cheering, saluting and passing round of automatic weapons...

Very, very sinister.....when it finally happens, remember you read the warnings here

Just a Quickie...

2011-11-04T22:35:00.000Z

Needless to say, the Iceland Gull post that precedes this one is destined for the Gull Page. This post exists purely because there were a couple of inconsequential things rattling about in my head that I wanted to get on the blog, but without cluttering up the Iceland Gull post. Why not? Because it is an amazing piece of work that doesn't deserve to be sullied with trivial tat like this...

I'll tell you what, getting photos to sit quietly side by side and behave themselves on a blog post is a blinking NIGHTMARE! It took me ages to get the hang of it, and I had to learn arcane HTML tricks to pull it off. Mind you, it looks great doesn't it?! Though if anyone knows an easy way I am all ears.

No birding for me today (hence the Iceland Gull post) and not masses of work either, what with all the shower-dodging that's been needed. Instead I've been rolling up my trouser leg and baring my left breast, practising for initiation into the HTML Brethren...and...yes, I must tell...I've also been fending off the honeyed seductions of the Pan Listing Collective. There is, I must admit, a compelling attraction in being able to put a name to every living thing. When you combine that with the 'list' obsession that afflicts many of us you have the makings of a life-consuming passion. Unfortunately, most of my life has already been consumed, and what remains is largely spoken for! For me it is simply too late...

Rarely am I so defeatist. Back in the summer I had a go at cycling up the Salcombe Regis Hill - a pig of a climb that heads vertically upwards from Sidmouth. Twice it beat me but, after I left it alone for a couple of weeks, I came back and gave it a sound walloping. I may have been almost throwing up from oxygen debt, and quite close to tears, but I spanked it. Pan-species listing strikes me as a million Salcombe Regis Hills one after the other. I might like a challenge, but only when I think I stand a chance! So that's the way things are currently...

Late edit... though I could always have a teeny weeny look at beetles perhaps. I recently learned from Pan Listing high priest Mark Telfer that Seaton is responsible for what was (until recently) Britain's one and only record of a beetle called Tychus striola. If you see me grubbing about in the tussocky grass alongside the estuary I am either trying to catch Jack Snipe by hand, or something terrible has happened...

Iceland Gallery

2011-11-04T21:37:00.000Z

On 1 April 2005 I got an excited call from Steve: "Iceland Gull at Coronation Corner!" I hurried over, to be greeted by a wheeling mass of birds in the sky, and Steve, apologetically telling me it was up in that lot somewhere and not to read anything at all into the date. So I didn't add Iceland Gull to my patch list on 1 April 2005...

That bird was the first local Iceland Gull since the Crimean War, as far as we knew, and it remained a rarity for a while yet - 2006 was a blank year. However, on 6 January 2007 Steve did it again, and we were all able to enjoy a cracking juv on the estuary. This is the best photo I can locate right now..

On 18 January another turned up - the very white juv A shown in the top left photo below. Then on Sunday 21 January 2007 the badly stricken container ship MSC Napoli was run aground off Branscombe. In the coming weeks many gulls seemed attracted to the slick of debris that drifted east from the ship and its submerged containers, and the subsequent appearance on the estuary of at least another 4 Iceland Gulls was put down to this unique circumstance. Another three of our 6 (minimum) birds in 2007 are shown below.

With the Napoli cleared up later that year we were not surprised to get just one Iceland Gull the following winter - a smart adult in the pre-roost gathering on the Axe - 3 February 2008 (shown below).

A 28 March 2007 - juv

B 28 March 2007 - juv

C 31 March 2007 - juv

3 February 2008 - adult

On 1 February 2009 Nick Page found a gorgeous juv on the river by the tram sheds (A below) but little did we expect the many sightings that were to come during the rest of that winter and spring, and even a 1st-summer/2nd-winter bird on two dates in August! At the very least there were five individuals - all shown below (A-E) including three together on one occasion. Photos of the birds were absolutely invaluable for identifying different individuals. While a few were quite distinctive (eg. C below - very dusky when it first arrived) others could well have been taken for one another (eg. D and E below - the latter was only present briefly, while D was around for weeks). Bird B also stayed well into April, and was virtually white by then.

A 1 February 2009 - juv

B 11 February 2009 - juv

C 14 February 2009 - juv

C 4 March 2009 - juv (same bird as 14 February)

D 15 February 2009 - juv

E 24 February 2009 - juv

We cannot really put a finger on why the Axe was so exceptional for Iceland Gulls in 2009 - certainly the best location in Devon - but whatever the reason, it no longer applied in 2010, because we got none! We had a false alarm in February, when an imposter had us going for a moment, but it was quickly nailed as a leucistic 2nd-winter Herring Gull! (photo below)

2011 has so far been predictable too - just the one juv in early spring (photo below)

27 February 2010 - Imposter! Leucistic 2nd-winter Herring Gull

So there it is. To date there has been a minimum of 14 Iceland Gulls found on the patch since I've lived here, unevenly spread as follows...

2005 - 1
2006 - none
2007 - 6 (minimum)
2008 - 1
2009 - 5 (minimum)
2010 - none
2011 - 1

Bar a single adult all have been juvs - or perhaps I should more accurately say 2cy birds - and none has turned up in early winter, it's always January or later. Iceland Gull remains a real prize on the Axe, and the anticipation of finding a smart pair of white wings in a post-New Year gathering of estuary gulls is yet another excellent reason for keeping on looking!

PS. Local birders - if I have made any errors please let me know! Ta

Just Before Midnight

2011-11-03T23:50:00.002Z

Now that I seem to have committed to at least one post per 24 hours, here is today's contractual requirement. A very short seawatch this morning was in conditions not unlike those which produced 16 Med Gulls the other day. Whatever I might have been expecting, I got none of it - no Med Gulls, just a few Gannets and a couple of Kitts. An afternoon look at the estuary was equally dismal - again no Meds, no nothing.

That's patch birding folks. Fickle. Patch birders are the same - three days like this and we'll be moaning about how rubbish it all is, ungratefully forgetting what a brilliant bunch of birds we've had so far this autumn.

The Gull Page
I've updated it a bit today - written a few words of introduction to go with the first couple of links. The intention is that this page will grow with time. I have no idea quite how it will evolve, exactly, and I'm certainly open to ideas/suggestions. I would like it to develop into a little reference facility, a 'gull magazine' if you will. I think this intention is going to scupper any blog-deleting impulses that might be lurking round some future corner, especially now I've stated it.

Anyway, I thought I'd close by lazily sharing a random scan from my collection of random scans previously published on occasions when I'd been scraping the barrel for ideas and decided to publish a random scan. Except this time it has relevance. Yes, as I perused this notebook page from yesteryear I noticed something rather thrilling. Even when Yellow-legged Gulls were just a valueless subspecies of Herring Gull I was noticing them, noting them even. I'm rather pleased with that - I was obviously a more conscientious observer than I actually remember being. Further proof is on the opposite page. Not only did I twitch the most boring First for Britain EVER, but I even made a sketch! Such dedication. These days my notebook is scandalously note-free, and I never sketch anything...

'Broadwater' is Broadwater GP, located in the NW corner of the London recording area. Herts? Bucks? Middx? I can't remember, but it's probably big enough to swallow all three.

Vanity

2011-11-02T22:11:00.000Z

This morning's mirror-gazing ritual didn't go well. True, the hairline is holding firm and the grey count is steady, but from certain angles I look remarkably like a hamster. Not good. The old right cheek is humungous. And a bit itchy. I spent the whole day with my head turned to the left, squinting at people from the corner of my right eye...I think I got away with it. Poxy wasp sp.

Under the cover of this afternoon's rain I ventured to the river for the necessary. Who should I see sheltering in his car but Steve, busily scoping up the Larids. I think he has Caspian fever as bad as me, and we discussed the possibility of the recent lovely and majestic Weymouth 1st-winter gracing the Axe with its illustrious presence. Yes, just a gull. Yes, we are pretty sad.

Having spent our entire conversation with my head carefully angled to present the correct profile, I was exhausted from the concentration required and quite relieved to scoot away to the Tower Hide. It was empty! I spent a minute or two striding back and forth, swinging my arms wildly and luxuriarting in the s-p-a-c-e, then opened a couple of slots and gave the gulls what for. Despite a lot of BHGs I couldn't find a single Med but - marvel of marvels - I did spot yet another Yellow-legged Gull. A 1st-winter this time, and rather distant unfortunately. Still, this blog wouldn't look right without some seriously naff gull imagery, so here you go...

It's the big brown thing on the big brown thing

Actually, even in this shot you can see enough to get the antennae twitching. Dark tertials with thin, white thumb-nail tips; pale head and dusky eye-mask, hefty dark bill. It flapped a few times as it changed position and got blown about by the wind - nice dark tail band and contrasting white rump/upper tail, and no pale window on the inner primaries. This next shot is quite appalling, but does illustrate how leggy many YLGs are...

Either we're getting slightly more YLGs than usual or I'm getting a bit better at picking them out. If the latter, I hope this skill is transferrable to other species, like...oh, I don't know...Franklin's Gulls, say.

Pan-Species Listing...

2011-11-01T22:22:00.001Z

...is something I would really struggle with. I can identify a lot of birds, most fish, some butterflies and some moths, but beyond that I would be struggling. Oh, mammals I guess would mostly be ok, but where the real numbers are - plants, fungi, creepy-crawlies and green slimy things - I am at the very, very bottom of an insurmountable learning curve. It's not like me to be so negative, but in this case it's not pessimism, it's realism. However, I've thought of a way to dip at least a toe in the Pan-Species Listing water, so to speak...

Yesterday morning, as I drove across the Axe valley at about 45mph with the window down I heard something hard hit the window surround and simultaneously felt a thwack on the cheek. Ouch! That was a sizeable bit of grit, I thought, and gave my sore cheek a rub. Five minutes later it was still sore and I gingerly felt the wounded spot. Nothing, no skin breaks, just a bit painful. I arrived at my destination, and as I climbed out of the van I noticed a small wet mark on my trouser leg, with a little piece of something in the middle of it. Close inspection revealed a small lump of wasp in a blob of visceral matter. Nice. No wonder my cheek was sore - I'd been stung by a disembodied wasp's bum!

So here's my idea for a modest (I hope) Pan-Species List - I will henceforth keep a running total of all the living things (full species only) which bite, sting or otherwise puncture me. I will be forced to learn a few plants...and is there a mosquito key available...?

Ooh, look! Is that a cat flea Ctenocephalides felis on my sock? I'd better let it do the business and add it to my list...

And so to today.

Excellent progress on the boiler replacement front...

All connections made, new pump, magnetic filter, 3-port valve, programmer and thermostats installed etc, boiler fired up and running, system treated with cleanser. In a few days time it'll get flushed out and refilled a couple of times, then that bottle of corrosion inhibitor will go in with the final fill. Time was I'd have done all this myself, but the urge is somewhat elusive these days. DIY is fast becoming SEDI (do I need to elaborate?) However, I think the repainting will fall to me.

And of course, a gull for drooling over...

I know it looks a bit dark, but believe me, it's just an effect of the light and the angle of the bird - this is yet another 2nd-winter Yellow-legged Gull. At least, I'm pretty sure it's a new one. It was at Coronation Corner this afternoon, and is mid-wash. This ropey shot was taken at some range and I then proceeded to make a schoolboy error. I tried to get a lot closer. All would probably have been well, except I flushed a Redshank. As anyone who has done this will know, Redshanks cannot flush silently, but simply have to shriek at maximum volume. They always startle me, especially when I am in full sneak mode. And of course they make every other living thing within earshot jump out of its skin too. Away went the gulls.

Anyway, never mind that. I'm sitting here gently prodding my cheek and it's really quite swollen, with a sizeable hard lump where the wasp sting went in. I'm in quite a bad way...

The House of Death

2011-10-31T22:00:00.003Z

Our house is about 22 or 23 years old, and so are most things in it. I am finding that an awful lot of stuff seems to die around that age. For example, this year we've read the last rites to our garage door and the gas fire. Mind you, I hated the gas fire. Sure, it had redeeming features like keeping us toasty warm last winter - with chattering teeth I would arrive home from a few hours outdoors and the gas fire would spark up and bathe me in instant heat. And then, basking in its glow, I'd start to feel guilty that I had just spent time enjoying - yes, enjoying - the spectacle of freezing Woodlarks scrabbling in the snow, Skylarks fleeing W from the freeze in their thousands and Lapwings heading straight out to sea in search of warmth and food on the continent...and there was I thawing nicely in front of a homely flame...it's hard not to hate something that makes you feel guilty. I also hated it for its tacky looks. Not its fault, I know, but...yes...the ugly pig deserved to die. And now I'm feeling guilty about how it's dead and I can't honestly say I ever loved it...not in my heart. I can't even look at its photos...

Anyway, we got a new gas fire - also ugly - and a new garage door. The new garage door is great, and a vast improvement on the dead one, which was really stiff and used to make me duck all the time. Sometimes I forgot, or didn't duck low enough, and then it made me say bad things. Yes, if I'm honest I'm glad the old garage door turned up its toes.

It seems gas fires and garage doors don't have the three-score-years-and-ten spec that most of us do, but in my experience they don't deserve to anyway.

So, there I am then, disgracefully celebrating the death of bits of our home, when suddenly the boiler develops a really sore throat. Aaagh! No! Did I mention that death is also really expensive? Despite our best attempts at first-aid and tender nursing the boiler goes terminal and pegs it. I am very upset. But my wallet is absolutely distraught. No-o-o-o-o-o....not the boile-e-e-e-e-e-e-er!!

This morning the House of Death and Gloom welcomed Smiling Mister Heating Engineer into its loving bosom. Look...

Sandra surveyed the scene of devastation and said "Have we got any of that yellow paint left?" Before I could answer she added "Mind you, I've gone off it now anyway..."

Should I read anything into that?

Oh! Birds! This afternoon I got out for a late look at the estuary to take my mind of various depressing debit columns. I bumped into Steve and we saw a 2nd-winter Med Gull, or maybe two, and enjoyed some mutual Caspian Gull lust. Phwooarrr. Tomorrow I must earn an awful lot of money.