As a fully retired old-age pensioner there is now no logistical reason why I
cannot go birdwatching almost every day. I guess there must be many OAPs who
do just that, but I know I never shall. Frankly it is not in me. In fact it
would likely do my head in. For me the birding juices ebb and flow, and like
it or not I am apparently subject to that tide. Right now I am happily bobbing
along on the flood, so reports early in the week of
Grey Phalaropes here and there around Lyme Bay - and from Portland in
particular - got me off my backside last Thursday, and out along Cogden Beach
in speculative hope.
The afternoon was sunny but very windy, with an onshore blast giving me all
sorts of optimistic vibes. Within minutes of hitting the shingle, a tiny
distant blip drew my eye like a magnet. Definitely a phalarope, but too
far out to identify to species. Perhaps a photo would nail it? Despite several
minutes of trying, I simply could not get it in the viewfinder. Its being
visible for about two seconds in every twenty didn't help, and eventually I had to let it go. Thankfully, half way along the beach I got another chance.
This one was much closer in, but still a pig to photograph...
|
|
Grey Phalarope off Cogden Beach. They do like a weed raft!
|
|
|
Such a distinctive silhouette.
|
Success is such a drug. Setting out with a target species in mind, and
actually finding it...well...
Friday morning was obviously going to be Wryneck time.
Except it wasn't. There were birds on Friday, but no Wrynecks. Having
missed most of August, 12 Yellow Wagtails on the beach were my first of
the autumn. No pics of them, but there was other stuff...
|
|
Cirl Bunting in song just after first light. Camera settings all
to cock.
|
|
|
Peregrine over - not an everyday sight at Cogden.
|
|
|
Uncooperative Whinchat, one of three or four.
|
|
| That's better. |
I inadvertantly flushed a trio of Cirl Buntings, which conveniently
landed in a nearby Hawthorn. The male was a bit hidden, but the other two
allowed for photos. I am pretty sure this is a family party...
|
|
Possibly the scruffiest Cirl I have ever seen. Clearly an adult
female, with active moult in the tail and, well, everywhere!
|
|
|
This one I think is a juvenile male, with dark feathering breaking through
below the bill.
|
|
|
All three are visible in this shot.
|
|
|
Three Cirl Buntings - the easy version.
|
Saturday morning was earmarked for the Seaton Birdwatching Tram, but first, a
seawatch...
An autumn south-easterly is a rare thing here, especially one as strong as
greeted me at Seaton seafront first thing. I sat down, sorted out the scope
and put my eye to it. Wow! Instantly my scope was chock-full of
Balearics! Judging by the numbers on view, they must have been moving
from dawn. The flood soon slowed to a trickle, but by the time I packed up at
07:50 or so I had counted 335 Balearic Shearwaters E, comfortably a
record count for me. Ian M had joined me shortly after 07:00, and we enjoyed a
big pulse of 'commic' terns through as well, with 210 at least - mostly
Common Terns but also a few Arctics, including two or three
distinctive juveniles.
Highlight of the Birdwatching Tram was a little flock of perhaps 10 or more
Cattle Egrets...
|
|
The dark bill ages this Cattle Egret as a juvenile.
|
|
|
The first time I have ever witnessed this! |
|
|
The ever burgeoning population of these things may not bode well for our
ecosystem, but Cattle Egrets sure are entertaining.
|
In the afternoon I managed a visit to Cogden. I had thought the SE wind might
bring us a few common migrants, but the local grapevine suggested otherwise. And it was correct. Still, I was not going to go home without a Redstart. And blow me, I
didn't...
|
|
Distant Redstart in the sun.
|
 |
| Also, a gorgeous Painted Lady |
Which brings me to this morning...
Actually, Cogden was dire this morning. Apart from 4 Wheatears and a Whinchat on the beach, absolutely no passerine migrants whatsoever. Highlight of the visit was a Cogden first for me...
 |
| Redshank is a Cogden tick! And how many visits has it taken...? |
 |
| Seems ages since I last posted a cheery Wheatear pic. So... |
Still plenty of time for a Wryneck.
