Axe Casp Wrecks Lunch Break

After a steady morning's work I was looking forward to a quiet lunch by the estuary. The tide was low and there were a few gulls to look at. Most were upriver beyond Coronation Corner, so before unpacking my sarnies I thought I should take the scope over to the viewing platform and check them out properly. Should only take a couple of minutes...

Newly-arrived birds usually land in the river and have a good wash first, moving onto the mud afterwards to preen. My eye was drawn to just such an individual, splashing and rolling in the water. Momentarily I thought it might be a 2nd-winter Yellow-legged Gull, but fairly quickly decided it looked even better...

Giving off very Caspy vibes here.

The grey mantle and scapular feathers look a tad darker than those of surrounding argenteus Herring Gulls, and a slightly different tone also.

They're tiny, but they're there: those little white flecks in the outermost primary tips are characteristic of 2nd-winter Caspian Gull.

As expected, it soon flew from the water. Thankfully It plonked on the mud with other gulls...

And now it's looking as Caspy as you like. Again, note the subtle difference in grey tone compared with surrounding HGs.

It didn't stay in this spot for long, flying even further away but thankfully not departing. At this point I was joined on the platform by another birder, who had seen my message on the local WhatsApp group. To my shame I didn't immediately recognise Devon birding stalwart Martin Wolinski (it's been a few years!) but it was good to see him again and share a nice bird.

Although distant shots like this don't show a lot of feather detail they are very good at conveying a bird's jizz. That clean, white-headed look, with minimal shading around the eye, is essentially the same thing that makes 1st-winters stand out too.

Once again it didn't settle for long in this spot, and soon moved further away still...

At this point I realised it must be right in front of the Tower Hide, which is just across the river to the left in the photo above, and that my lunch break was doomed. So I said my goodbyes to Martin and headed round to Black Hole Marsh.

Caspian Gulls are notorious for their short stays on the Axe, and I was not optimistic that this one would stick until I arrived at the hide. Amazingly it did.

I have never taken so many photos of one bird. The next bunch are mostly quite samey, but are rather good at conveying that 'look' which Casps seem to have. I'm sure the seemingly small, beady eye contributes to it. I wondered about annotating one or two shots to highlight plumage characteristics shown by Caspian Gulls of this age, but decided they are probably better left as they are. Anyway, collectively they contribute to a useful search image to store away somewhere handy.

One thing I will say about this bird: it doesn't have the longest legs. Ideally you want to see a lanky pair of stilts on your Casp, but I have encountered birds previously that were similarly challenged in that department. So it's not a concern ID-wise, just aesthetically less than ideal perhaps.

I waited a long time for the opportunity to capture a full wing stretch, and like an idiot I neglected to adjust the composition when the bird finally obliged. So what should have been the very best shots in the sequence are missing some primary tips!

This is only the fourth 2nd-winter Caspian Gull I've seen. Two were also on the Axe (found by Steve Waite) and the other was on the West Bex Mere. I was delighted to share this smart gull with another couple of birders in the Tower Hide, including Mike Blaver, one of the local regulars. In my experience Casps are frequently seen only by the finder, so that made a nice change. Eventually it departed seawards down the river.

So that was lunch.

Early November Fare

Next to the Cogden NT car park are a couple of picnic tables. First thing this morning I sat there quietly, coffee in hand, contemplating the dense, grey gloom and minimal bird sounds. Close by was a large motorhome, just one of the huge number that use this car park for illicit overnight camping every year. Its rear door opened and a woman half fell out, swearing vigorously in startled embarrassment. The mood was set.

Heading for the beach, I sensed that this morning's walk was going to be more about exercise than birds. And mostly that's how it was. Just two exceptions.

Hearing a Lapwing call, I looked up to see a sizeable flock heading high west, something I've not seen locally outside spells of hard weather. Here are most of them...

Almost 100 Lapwings here. Which reminds me of another reason to carry a camera: for counting purposes.

So, that was a bit random. Soon afterwards I was in what has turned out to be the most reliable area for Firecrests. It has habitat suitable for Yellow-browed Warbler as well, and Hawfinch too I guess. So I spent some time there. I have yet to hear a Firecrest with my own ears this year, but my Merlin app has heard plenty. With its assistance I dug out three this morning, a single and two together...

The single Firecrest. Considering how gloomy it was at 09:15 I am pleased with how well the Nikon P950 coped with the conditions: 800mm zoom, 1100 ISO, 1/125 sec at f5.6.

One of the two together, which were never cooperative.

This afternoon I photographed the moth highlights from last night's catch. For various reasons 2024 was always going to be a tricky year when it came to indulging all my time-consuming hobbies, and something had to give. Noc-mig was the first to suffer, and I have done none at all since last autumn. Mothing has been another victim. The trap has been out a fair bit, but my effort level has been far less intense. Even so, there have been some great moths and every now and then I've added another species to the garden list. The following pics cover the last two nights. Incidentally, this weathered concrete slab has become my latest favourite studio backdrop. I love the way some moths virtually disappear on it.

First Red-green Carpet of the year.

First Barred Sallow of the year, unless you count the shrivelled object I extracted from a spider's web last week.

Spruce Carpet. Only the second for the garden, and to be honest I don't trust the first one from 2022, for which there appears to be no photo. This species is very similar to Grey Pine Carpet, and I've sought second opinions on this individual for that very reason. Two votes in favour so far. Virtually a garden tick really.

A bit worn, but this Green-brindled Crescent is still a spectacular moth. First of the year. None in 2023.

Following our first a couple of nights back, this is the garden's second Mottled Umber, and a very different form too (see below).

Feathered Thorn. Large, furry, and very autumnal.

Yet another Blair's Mocha.

Red-line Quaker, another autumn classic.

One of the annoying Epirrita (November Moth) aggregate. One of them is called Pale November Moth. Presumably because it is pale. This might well be one. Or not.

This is either Monopis obviella or M. crocicapitella, otherwise known respectively as Yellow-backed Detritus Moth and Pale-backed Detritus Moth.

Monopis obviella would be new for the garden, but you need a photo of the hindwing (dark in obviella, pale grey in crocicapitella) to secure official verification. Frankly I could not be bothered to go through the rigmarole of chilling and manhandling a <6mm scrap of tissue and scales in order to photograph its hindwing, just for listing purposes. I get the impression there is no other reliable way to separate the two species, which leads me to the inevitable conclusion that all my M. crocicapitella records are in fact quite untrustworthy. Sadly, this irritating scenario is par for the course with moths. So, what to do? Easy. A quick flick of the wrist, and my annoying little dilemma was airborne and out of my life.

Moths are so entertaining. On the one hand you can have different species that might superficially look so similar that you need to dismantle them (Epirrita agg) or immobilise and unfold them (obviella/crocicapitella) to tell one from the other. And on the other hand there are moths with multiple visually dissimilar forms which are still just the one species. Like Mottled Umber...

L: Mottled Umber; R: Mottled Umber

Even without the excitement of migrant species, mothing has so much going for it.

Too much.

It's a rabbit hole...

Expectation Postponed

I think I know too much. Following a seven-month social media hiatus I signed up with Bluesky more than six months ago, moving almost overnight from oblivious to well-informed. Consequently I am all too aware that Yellow-browed Warblers have arrived in force, and now Hawfinches too. And moth-wise there has been quite an influx of various migrants. My Bluesky feed keeps me abreast of the joyous news, as fellow birdwatchers and moth folk reap their enviable harvest. Meanwhile, I...er...patiently wait my turn...

To be fair, I think I blew a good Hawfinch opportunity this morning. And I definitely blew one yesterday, arriving a bit late at the West Bay vis-mig watchpoint to news that a Hawfinch had gone through earlier. This morning's was worse. A little group of Chaffinches went over, and it was only as they were going away that I noticed the bigger bird. I could get nothing on it, and even Tom with his image-stabilised 14x50 super-bins couldn't clinch it.

Yellow-browed Warbler though, not a sniff.

Actually it has been great to join Tom for some West Bay vis-migging again, and be reminded just how rubbish my hearing is nowadays. At least I can see okay though, and was quickly onto yesterday morning's vis-mig first for the site. Considering the long list of rare and scarce species that might have fitted that category, the Black-tailed Godwit left me feeling a bit short-changed. Still, it did look very incongruous flying over the clifftop fields.

Distant vis-mig Jay catching the sun this morning.

Apart from cocking up a probable Hawfinch this morning, we were treated to a very nice highlight in the shape of a female Cirl Bunting. Likely it had arrived overnight and roosted in the clifftop bushes, then around 07:45 popped out and perched up, calling repeatedly. The call is rather high-pitched, so needless to say I could not hear it. The recorder picked it up though. And my eye did alright...

The light was a bit poor, but here is the Cirl Bunting, mid-call.

This was my second West Bay Cirl, and I guess the species is increasingly becoming a realistic possibility anywhere along the West Dorset coast. Our bird stuck around for a few minutes before dropping out of sight. Quite possibly it moved on.

Female Cirl Bunting through a twiggy veil at West Bay.

Finally, I should get recent moth news up to date...

Last night Portland Bird Observatory trapped countless migrant moths of umpteen species, including 244 Rusty-dot Pearls - their highest total this year. Here is my migrant catch from last night...

One Rusty-dot Pearl.

The garden trap has yet to produce a single Gem, Delicate or Radford's Flame Shoulder, let alone Clancy's Rustic or White-speck. Still, while I am waiting for these migrant species to do the decent thing there are other moths to look at, even if few and far between just now...

This worn Red Underwing turned up on Monday night. The garden's second...

...it was very popular with the granddaughters on Tuesday.

Also on Monday night, and at the other end of the size spectrum, this Ilex Leaf-miner Phyllonorycter messaniella was new for the garden.

Dark form of Box-tree Moth, always a smart one.

Feathered Ranunculus from Wednesday night, amazingly camouflaged on this weathered concrete slab...

...and showing its feathered antennae here.

A nicely marked Blair's Mocha from last night. Even though it is a bit worn there are still all sorts of pink and apricot shades going on. Lovely.

It is relatively mild still, so the trap is out again tonight. My expectations are low, but you never know. For example, this morning there was another new-for-garden moth in the catch...

Mottled Umber. Quite common I think. However, it is basically a winter moth. And the trap isn't out much in the colder months, so it's no great surprise that we haven't seen one of these before.

Mottled Umber - a beautifully marked moth.

I shall close with a random photo taken at West Bay this morning...

Sitting on a post just off the end of the West Pier was this Cormorant. Its gular pouch geometry drew me like a moth to MV. I could not help myself.

Filling in the Gaps

I suspect there won't be many more Cogden walks before the year is out. This morning's short visit was a bit rubbish, with a fairly brisk SW churning up the sea and salting my specs. I found myself checking out the beach and the many weed mats bobbing around offshore more than the bushes or the sky. No Snow Buntings, Grey Phalaropes or Desert Wheatears though; rather a Red-throated Diver E, 13 Lesser Black-backed Gulls W and a single Chiff on the land.

I've been a bit slack with the blog, so this post is an attempt to fill in the many October gaps...

October 5th

9 Chiffs, 2 Firecrests, 2 Spotted Flycatchers and a Jay.

Spotted Flycatcher in a sunny, sheltered corner.

Stonechat

Random Chiffchaff shot that I like, taken late September.

October 6th

28 Chiffs, 1 Blackcap, 3 Firecrests, 2 Goldcrests.

October 7th

13 Chiffs, 1 Firecrest, 1 Jay, 1 Wheatear, 1 Painted Lady.

Fox, context shot.

Easily the biggest fish I've seen a Cogden angler catch - 7lb 14oz Bass.

Interestingly, a few days later I got chatting with another local angler in the Cogden car park, and showed him this photo. Turned out he was a Bass fanatic who has caught a number of double-figure fish. He showed me a photo of an absolutely monstrous Bass he caught at West Bay a couple of years ago. It weighed 16lb 14oz! If I was an awful lot younger I might be tempted to give it a go.

October 10th

10 Chiffs, 5 Blackcaps, an amazing 5 Firecrests, 2 Jays, 1 Coal Tit, 2 Sparrowhawks, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 1 Redwing, 1 Garden Warbler, 4 Clouded Yellows.

Female Sparrowhawk.

Chiffchaff

Coal Tit

Blackcap

October 11th

32 Chiffs, 2 Blackcaps, 2 Coal Tits, 2 Firecrests, 4 Golden Plovers, 1 Wheatear, 1 Whinchat.

Nice to see my first Golden Plovers of the autumn moving through; a single bird almost over the beach produced a really nice recording.

The Wheatear was an odd one. It looked recently fledged, which seems highly unlikely in mid-October. It stuck around for a few days, so there will be a photo under a later date - today's weren't that great.

Anyway, here's the Golden Plover, plus a nice bit of surf-on-shingle, Skylarks, Meadow Pipits and so on...

Whinchat, with beach behind.

October 12th

Short afternoon visit: 7 Chiffs, 1 Jay, 1 Whinchat.

October 13th

4 Chiffs, 1 Wheatear (same very young-looking bird), 1 Dartford Warbler.

There is an isolated patch of gorse in the middle of a weedy field that I have always fancied for Dartford Warbler. Today I checked it out with exactly that in mind. I almost wasn't surprised when a Dartford Warbler popped up!

The weirdly young-looking Wheatear.

The only time I have seen a Wheatear locally that looked as young as this one was in July, or perhaps very early August I think.

Dartford Warbler

October 14th

An extravagant two-visit day.

Morning: 16 Chiffs, 1 Blackcap, 1 Dartford Warbler (presumably same bird; certainly same spot), 2 Firecrests, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Wheatear (same bird).

Afternoon: 2 Chiffs, 1 Coal Tit, 2 Firecrests, 1 Whinchat.

That Wheatear still...

Common migrant moth, Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella. Though I haven't seen many this year. In 2022 there were loads in the coastal grassland.

Juvenile Whinchat. The pale blurry specks are little flies. Plenty to eat.

 

October 17th

2 Chiffs, 1 Wheatear (same bird), 1 Kingfisher.

A short morning visit, which was pretty dire really...and then a Kingfisher zipped past me, heading inland along a hedge line! And no, I have never seen a Kingfisher at Cogden before.

October 18th

2 Chiffs, 1 Firecrest.

In the absence of any other photos from this very quiet morning visit, have another Firecrest pic...

Firecrest

The October Firecrest tally is currently 19 bird-days, which is tons better than I've ever managed in a whole year I reckon.

October 20th - West Bay

A departure from the Cogden routine as storm Ashley gave us a bit of seawatching weather. We didn't get the brunt of it, and it was probably a bit too short-lived to displace birds in a big way. Still, there were a few bits to look at...

205 Gannets, 126 Med Gulls, 8 Kittiwakes, 3 Common Scoter, 1 Brent Goose, 1 Great Northern Diver, 1 Common/Arctic Tern, 1 unidentified skua.

I hope I never get bored of Med Gulls flying by. They are such a smart gull. The skua was probably a juv Arctic, but looked rather pale and slender, giving me Long-tailed vibes. But it wasn't in the slightest bit hesitant or dithery, so I was no doubt getting excited over nothing. Which actually is what you're supposed to do when seawatching.

Adult Med Gull flies past the West Bay shelter in the early-morning murk.

The River Brit overflowing into the field behind Rise Restaurant, West Bay. Several gulls dotted about, sadly nothing special.

Med Gulls and BHGs in the flooded field inland of Rise Restaurant, West Bay.

October 27th

1 Chiff, 1 Black Redstart, 3 Common Scoters, 2 Dartford Warblers, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Merlin, 1 Redwing.

A lively morning with lots happening. The 2 Dartfords were in the same gorse patch occupied by a single bird two weeks ago. Who knows whether or not they are both new birds? The Black Redstart had clearly just arrived, landing briefly on top of a hedge before heading away inland. The Merlin went straight through W. The sky was busy with Woodpigeons and Jackdaws, as well as Skylarks, Meadow Pipits, Chaffinches and so on.

Vis-mig Jackdaws. In the distance are the chalk cliffs of Beer Head, East Devon.

Another sizeable flock of Jackdaws through, with a few Woodpigeons.

Merlin

Three drake Common Scoters.

Meadow Pipit on the Dartford Warbler gorse.

One of the Dartford Warblers shows briefly in the sunshine.

Dartford Warbler. Photographically speaking, not cooperative.

So that's it. All the October gaps filled and the blog up to date. Tomorrow we have our granddaughters for the day. Cogden is out, but Seaton Wetlands is child friendly...