Black Red Revisited

Black Redstart, Seaton 08/12/17 (Copyright T D Wright)

Black Redstart, Seaton, 08/12/17 (Copyright T D Wright)

Camera settings make a big difference to a male BR. That black face stands out much better in this second shot from the grey belly,crown and nape etc. doesn't it?

Black Redstart, Seaton 08/12/17 (Copyright T D Wright)

My favourite view of a male BR is this lateral view. It shows off all its best features; red outer-tail feathers with darker central tail-feathers in view, red undertail-coverts, white wing-panel, black face and breast, grey belly, grey crown and nape sharply separated from black cheek by distinct line, black forehead...absolutely exquisite.

Rock Pipit Extra

Rock Pipit, Seaton 08/12/17 (Copyright T D Wright)

Had to post two more of Petr, as he's now known...

Rock Pipit, Seaton 08/12/17 (Copyright T D Wright)

OK that's my favourite one.Found it at last!

Rock Pipit

Rock Pipit, Seaton, 08/12/17 (Copyright T D Wright)

On my way to the BR, I noticed this Ripit making use of the pedestrian zone...

Rock Pipit, Seaton, 08/12/17 (Copyright T D Wright)

I said "You've got something by your mouth there..."

Rock Pipit, Seaton 08/12/17 (Copyright T D Wright)

Ah, that would explain it...

Rock Pipit, Seaton 08/12/17 (Copyright T D Wright)

Rock Pipit, Seaton 08/12/17 (Copyright T D Wright)

Rock Pipit, Seaton 08/12/17 (Copyright T D Wright)

Rock Pipit, Seaton 08/12/17 (Copyright T D Wright)

Even in December, our insectivores do quite well along the chine...

Rock Pipit, Seaton 08/12/17 (Copyright T D Wright)

Rock Pipit, Seaton 08/12/17 (Copyright T D Wright)

Rock Pipit, Seaton 08/12/17 (Copyright T D Wright)

Black Redstart

Black Redstart, Seaton Hole, 08/12/17 (Copyright T D Wright)

Black Redstart, Seaton Hole, 08/12/17 (Copyright T D Wright)

Just thought I'd quickly update the BlackRed situation! Yesterday he'd moved down to the rocks East of Seaton Hole steps. Unless we've got more than one stonking male that is.I've got more pics but no computing time just now. More will follow as and when...

Quick update

Just to say that the Hawfinches were showing well at Shute today during a flying visit; as were the Bramblings at Stafford Cross thanks to a kind offer of a lift from another local birder.

Colyton Hawfinch!

Just for non-twitter, non-texting people, I had a Hawfinch calling & flying low over Market Place, Colyton on Wednesday 29th November at 8:12 a.m. . My first Colyton one! Yeah 👴 !

Firecrest, Marsh Tit & Bramblings

Leaving Darts at 4pm on Friday I decided there wasn't time to walk through Goosemoor so legged it back to Topsham Train Station. Amazingly, on the walkthrough that avoids the level crossing I had brief views of a Firecrest which hopped over the wall into a private garden. It's always worth having your bins round your neck and not in your bag!
      On Saturday, a walk around Colyton saw a good variety of birds including a 'hotspot' where a feeder had four species of tit visiting ; Blue, Great, Coal & Marsh Tit ! Alright, we know that Marsh Tits are about in Jobblehayes, Holyford Woods and Axmouth (I've seen them before along the road up to Axe Cliff Golf Club) but I can't recall seeing them in a Colyton garden prior to this.

Brambling, Library Picture, Copyright T D Wright

 

On Sunday, I finally slogged uphill to Stafford Cross area with the bike (at least it's downhill coming back !) and saw at least 6 Brambling , including 2 males, among the Chaffinches and House Sparrows there. I couldn't get any bloggable pics so here's some old shots just to add a little colour to my dour old blog...

Brambling, Library Picture, Copyright T D Wright

Hmmm, that's enough. Otherwise, there are still plenty of Redwing, Fieldfare & Mistle Thrush around Colyton and Hawfinches at Shute Barton, Shute Churchyard and along the lane to the car park (is it Haddon's Lane?). I checked the Little Egrets at Colcombe farm but so far no Cattles. Lots of Sparrowhawks though...

Sparrowhawk, Library Picture, Copyright T D Wright

 OK, my photos are all coming up lopsided! Please view whilst reclining like the Romans used to. End of post!

Thrushes Galore!

There are now loads of Redwing especially and other thrushes around Colyton. This morning's brief walk yielded more than a hundred plus plenty of finch activity. No Hawfinch in Colyton churchyard though...yet.

Hawfinches

Hawfinch, Shute, 16/11/17 (Copyright T D Wright)

Fieldfare, Shute 16/11/17 ( Copyright T D Wright)

Well I gave in and popped up the road to Shute for the Hawfinches there today. I mean, that's how birding works, isn't it? You go to see some elsewhere and only after you've done that do you find some in Colyton. So watch this space for further wild-eyed stonecruncher news. Also about were Siskin, Bullfinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch and Chaffinch. Plus 5 species of thrush, 4 of tits, Nuthatches, Goldcrests etc. Very nice place!

Hawfinches, Shute 16/11/17 (Copyright T D Wright)

Hawfinch, Shute 16/11/17 (Copyright T D Wright)

Brambling & Fieldfares

In between my 2 library visits today I took a walk around Colyton and managed a single Brambling near the allotments among 100 Chaffinch, 50 Fieldfare, 25 Linnet and many Green & Goldfinch. The bench from which we viewed last winter's Cattle Egrets produced some flyover Redwing. I also saw Nuthatch, Treecreeper and numerous Goldcrests. No Hawfinch though - even if they have been spotted just 5 minutes up the road!

Black Redstart

Red Admiral, Couchill/Bunts Lane 08/11/17 (Copyright T D Wright)

Black Redstart, Seaton, 08/11/17 (Copyright T D Wright)

I treated myself to a stroll along West Walk in the Sun today and kept going along the beach to Seaton Hole and up to Couchill. It seemed as if all this effort was for scant reward as only 4 Bullfinches, 2 Stonechats and 8 Goldcrests plus usual tits & finches and so on had been seen by the time I retraced my steps and headed for the town centre. A Red Admiral plus Buzzard & Kestrel at Bunts lane seemed a little disappointing. No Firecrests, Hawfinches or Black Redstarts this Autumn for me! Oh well... Suddenly, however - just when I least expected it - a male Black Redstart hove into view between  two houses in Seaton! Unfortunately, it was in a very shady area and my camera was set for the perpetual bright sunshine (all day long!) so my pics are in silhouette as it was flushed by another chat species and didn't reappear. Good thing it was a male with a massive white wing-panel then...

Black Redstart, Seaton, 08/11/17 (Copyright T D Wright)

Black Redstart, Seaton, 08/11/17 (Copyright T D Wright)

Red Admiral, Couchill/Bunts 08/11/17 (Copyright T D Wright)

Finally had to throw in a couple of Red Admiral shots just to record the fact that they've been exceptionally abundant this Autumn. Just need to find myself a crazy-eyed cherrycracker now...

November Swallow

Yesterday (6th) I wasn't birding as such but had a quick look along West Walk. A pair of Common Scoter were all I could see on the sea but the beach held Rock Pipit, Grey Wagtail and Robin but no Black Reds. None around the clocktower either but I was pleased to see a late Swallow there. Last hirundine of the year or not?

Cattle Egret at Dusk

I had a Cattle Egret from the gate by the tramline level crossing near the White Hart

pub at dusk on Sunday. My tweeted picture has already wrinkled a few noses, therefore I'm leaving this blog post as text-only for non-twitter folks!

Portu-geezers

Marine Hydrozoan Siphonophore, Seaton Beach, 21/10/2017 (Copyright T D Wright)

Portuguese Man-O'-War, Seaton Beach, 21/10/2017 (Copyright T D Wright)

Thanks to a Brianstorming Session on Saturday, I finally connected with a beached flotilla of Blue bottles. It's also worth noting that lots of storm-driven detritus covered the high-tide strandline. Cuttlefish, Dogfish and various seaweeds torn up by the roots were testament to Brian's power....

Cuttlefish, Seaton Beach, 21/10/17 (Copyright T D Wright)

Seaton Beach, 21/10/2017 (Copyright T D Wright)

Cuttlefish, Seaton Beach, 21/10/2017 (Copyright T D Wright)

Portuguese Man-O'-War, Seaton, 21/10/17 (Copyright T D Wright)

Look at the tentacles leading away from this one (above)...be careful out there folks!

From Seaton beach, 21/10/17 (Copyright T D Wright)

Quick Update

I've not had much time - or much luck - for birding this week. Today, I managed a quick walk along Seaton beach but all the Portuguese Men O' War (hope useaproperplural finds that acceptable!) were gone so too late for me to add to the vast array of photographs of 'em. Still, I did see a Wheatear on the beach and the Bar-tailed Godwit was flying around the bay with its Oystercatcher mates before returning to the estuary.
                                      I've not connected with the Firecrest & Hawfinch influx yet but I'm trying to find them around Colyton ... which could take a while. Last night, I walked back from the bus stop in the dark and could hear Redwing-like calls overhead. Shame I couldn't see if they were Starlings or other thrush species mimicking them. A sonograph would help but I don't carry that sort of equipment around with me! Happy birding everyone 😈😊 !

For Non-Twitterers

Just so those of you who don't get my tweets can catch up with anything of note really. Yes, I have had complaints! An adult Yellow-legged Gull found by IMc on Saturday 7th Oct. was my only reward from Tower hide, although people had earlier seen Cattle Egret (at Seaton marshes today) and a Bittern drop into the reeds 'opposite' Tower. We still had a couple of waders about but many have moved on. 5 Dunlin looked suspiciously like alpina birds. One each of Little Stint, Greenshank and Ruff was all I could muster besides the Blackwits, Curlews and Oyks plus the increasing numbers of Lapwing and Redshank. A Marsh Harrier eluded me but was well seen by other locals and photographed by Sue Smith I believe. I checked Colyton Wastewater Treatment Works Sunday but only had Browncap, Chiffchaffs & Goldcrests there. A couple of Stonechat along Cownhayne was an improvement on nothing...oh and Siskins are about so  'listen up' too! Redwings very soon I reckon...

Black Hole Extra

Grey Wagtail, BHM, Sept.'17 (Copyright T D Wright)

Grey Wagtail, BHM, Sept.'17 (Copyright T D Wright)

Amongst all the Yellow, Pied and White wagtails we've also had quite a few Greys about. Some of them may be from further afield than our own Axe & Coly birds. This 1st Winter was by the Island hide on BHM. We've also had more than one Curlew Sandpiper but not always together. One of them seemed to have 'palled up' with a Dunlin yet we had 2 together one evening. Possibly 3 in total?

Curlew Sandpiper, BHM, Sept.'17 (Copyright T D Wright)

Curlew Sandpiper, BHM, Sept.'17 (Copyright T D Wright)

The Ruff, or Reeve in this case, must be a female as she seems unimpressed with the Redshank's antics...

Ruff & Redshank, BHM, Sept.'17 (Copyright T D Wright)

Ruff & Redshank, BHM, Sept.'17(Copyright T D Wright)

Ruff & Redshank, BHM, Sept. '17 (Copyright T D Wright)

Ruff & Redshank, BHM, Sept.'17 (Copyright T D Wright)

And finally, a nod to the humble Dunlin. We've had lots of variety with schinzii & alpina plus some odd-looking ones. They're easy to overlook, dotted about the marsh like this. But 'The Hole' wouldn't be the same without them...

Dunlin, BHM, Sept.'17 (Copyright T D Wright)

Ruff Stuff & Phals

Heron Gang, BHM, 23/09/2017 (Copyright T D Wright)

That Grey Phalarope, BHM, 23/09/2017 (Copyright T D Wright)

The Grey Herons seem to be roaming around in groups of six or more just now. Must be adolescents. As for our Phalarope friend, it seems quite settled...

Grey Phalarope by Walkway, BHM, 23/09/2017 (Copyright T D Wright)

Grey Phalarope, BHM, 23/09/2017 (Copyright T D Wright)

If you thought it was a black-and-white bird, its legs provide a bit of colour now and again. Anyway, I ventured up to Colyford Common where it's not just those Blackwits that have been feeding near the boardwalk...

Ruff, Coly Common, 23/09/2017 (Copyright T D Wright)

Ruff, Coly Common, Sept. '17 (Copyright T D Wright)

Ruff, Coly Common, Sept. '17 (Copyright T D Wright)

They came even closer when I sat down on the boardwalk to photograph them. Seemed quite curious...

Ruff, Coly Common, 23/09/2017 (Copyright T D Wright)

Ruff, Coly Common, Sept.'17 (Copyright T D Wright)

But carried on feeding...

Ruff, C.C., Sep. 17 (Copyright T D Wright)

Ruff, Coly Common, Sept.'17 (Copyright T D Wright)

And preening. There were 2 males and a female but they seemed to be getting along as a trio...

Ruff, Coly Common, Sept. '17 (Copyright T D Wright)

Ruffs & Reeve, Coly Common, Sept.'17 (Copyright T D Wright)

Ruffs & Reeve, Coly Common, Sept.'17 (Copyright T D Wright)

A little stretching was required.

Ruff, Coly Common, Sept. '17 (Copyright T D Wright)

Ruffs x3, Coly Common, Sept.'17 (Copyright T D Wright)

Then they waved goodbye! But what a show it was...

Ruff, Coly Common, Sept.'17 (Copyright T D Wright)

Ruff & Reeve, Coly Common, Sept.'17 (Copyright T D Wright)

Last night I realised they were still at Coly Common but there were 2 new ones on BHM. Eventually, all 5 got together on the estuary before flying North. Maybe back to Coly Common? Otherwise, there was still a Curlew Sandpiper, 2 Little Stints and several Yellow Wagtails at Black Hole.