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?