No Gulls

Yesterday we had some proper wet and windy stuff. It was horrible. I mentally weighed the options. Seawatching? Nah. In late autumn it never seems to deliver in these conditions. A hearty slog around Cogden or the Bexingtons? Nah. I didn't fancy wiping salt off my specs all afternoon. A trip to the Axe for gulls? Now we're talking. A late autumn hoolie can do wonders for the Axe Estuary gull demographic, pulling in all sorts of quality. Yellow-legged Gull is virtually guaranteed, and Caspian Gull a real possibility. Twice, I think, Steve has nailed two Casps in a day in such conditions.

So yes, I went to Seaton and had a great time. And I thought I would be forced to test the patient NQS readership with yet another gull post today. But no, not yet...

On Thursday morning I popped over to West Bexington to help look for a pale chat which had been spotted late the previous afternoon in wet and gloomy conditions. It turned out to be a Whinchat, but walking back through the village I chanced upon this beauty...

Male Black Redstart. A very classy looker.

Just lovely...

And here's the Whinchat. Getting late for them now...

Probably the last Whinchat I'll see this year.

Friday afternoon I managed a quick walk to East Bexington. Back in July I heard a Cetti's Warbler calling there. Since then I've heard it a few times, and once or twice a burst of song too. On Friday I finally saw it...

Cetti's Warbler, accidentally out in the open for a second.

At West Bex and Cogden, where Cetti's are quite common, they are ever so skulky and I've never managed a photo of one. So I was quite pleased to get this, and headed back along the Burton Road with a jaunty step. A flock of gulls over the surf made me pause to check them, and they were all Med Gulls - 30 birds! Could the afternoon get any better? Yes it could. I realised they were loitering a bit, which made me scan the sea below them...

You'll have to take my word for it, but that's a Grey Seal (notsrils on the right!)

Grey Seal is a rare sight in this part of Lyme Bay. I haven't kept a record, but I would be surprised if I've seen them locally on more than about ten occasions in the umpteen years I've lived here. This one was on a mission, heading W with purpose, and surfacing only occasionally. I decided to hurry along to get ahead of it, and then try for some more photos. I'll cut a long story short. I never did get ahead of it, and eventually gave up. Clearly they can shift a bit.

And so to yesterday, and the Axe Estuary gulls. Oh, that's right, I said another time...

Today then. Yesterday a local birder discovered two Grey Phalaropes at a nearby fish farm. One was still present this morning, and a couple of birding friends sent enticing photos. I was free after lunch and decided to give it a try. To be honest I didn't much fancy a crowd, but I needn't have worried. There was one photographer present when I arrived, and no one else turned up during my visit. We introduced ourselves and simply enjoyed the bird...

Er, confiding. At times it vanished beneath the overhanging grass on the near bank!

The light was absolutely perfect, and the Nikon did itself proud...

And a habitat context shot...

What a little stunner! I've seen quite a few Grey Phalaropes over the years, and some really close like this, but for some reason today's bird felt special. A really confiding bird betrays a certain innocence, a level of trust that it really shouldn't have. So many birds are notoriously wary, belting away over the horizon at the mere hint of a human at 400 yards. Sensible, especially when you ponder for a moment the way mankind has raped and pillaged the natural world, and shot, trapped, bludgeoned and butchered its feathered inhabitants. But not this phalarope. I found the experience of being so close to this unconcerned bird oddly touching today. I don't know why. I'm probably going soft...

And finally, a short vid...