March of the Gulls: the Finale

 I dipped Steve Waite's Caspian Gull on Thursday. Oh well, the important thing is that we added another species to the Axe year-list and to this month's haul of goodies. I thought it unlikely that we'd get anything more but Cor Blimey Mate we finally got a Ring-billed Gull too! I arrived just in time to see it but no photos - if you want pics they're on Steve's Axe Birding blog - but was just happy to see one here. Now I need to find my own one! Talking of which, I did at least find my second Patch Slavonian Grebe on Friday off Seaton Hole. At first, I saw nothing there but decided to count the Great Crested Grebes. One, Two, Three, Four...Flipping Heck! A Summery Slav! Not in full sumplum yet but still very pleasing nonetheless. The last one I found was a late Autumn/Winter bird so different again. I'm short of new photos so I'll inflict my phonescoping efforts at recording the Slav upon you...                                                                                  

Slav Grebe Yes Really! ( Copyright TD Wright )

Slav Grebe Don't Laugh! ( Copyright TD Wright )

Slav Grebe Record Shot ( Copyright TD Wright )

Slav(ish) Grebe ( Copyright TD Wright )

For those of you who are really masochistic, I've got 2 brief pieces of video too!But I'll leave that for now. Worth mentioning are a couple of migrants- a lone redwing at Seaton Hole horse paddock on Saturday, Willow Warbler singing at Borrow Pit and best of all 3 Swallows passed through Seaton Marshes late on Sunday. I was actually looking at the Gulls which had gone up by the skatepark when they flew into view, my first of the year. I expected Sand Martins, but then saw massively long tail-streamers and Navy Blue upperparts as they headed towards the Estuary. March is a good month. The Grebe was still present yesterday apparently, so if Tim White or Sue Smith with her impressive new kit want to give it a try, we could do with some better 'portraits' of it please! End of post!