So, How's it Going?

On Monday we'll have been ten weeks in Axminster. Reacquainting myself with old East Devon birding haunts has been fun, and so has a toe-in-the-water sample of garden moth-trapping. If things continue in the same vein I shall be delighted. So, how are things going?

The long answer is contained in NQS posts for October and November, but the short answer is: 'Very nicely, thanks.' The last couple of days provide a typical snapshot...

Colyton WTW

Throughout the winter, Colyton WTW is a little oasis for insectivorous birds. There is a footpath along the north-eastern perimeter, flanked by a hedge that frequently is leaping with Chiffchaffs in the colder months. I spent a couple of hours there yesterday afternoon, though wondered if it might be a bit early yet. It wasn't, and there were plenty of birds, including at least one Siberian Chiffchaff. I went again this afternoon: Sibe Chiff (the same bird I think), a Firecrest, 5+ Goldcrests and who knows how many Chiffchaffs.

Colyton WTW is not easy viewing, but perseverance paid off and in the end I managed a few, mostly naff photos. Today's were the best...

Firecrest

Four frames from the only burst I managed of the Siberian Chiffchaff. The top right blur shows its snazzy yellow armpit.

So, a successful venture. And it won't be my last visit to Colyton WTW. The winter hasn't even started yet.

The Caspian Gull situation is just crazy right now. Last Saturday was wet and windy, and seemed ideal for a bit of Axe Estuary gulling. Steve had the same idea. Between us we turned up three Casps. Conditions were far from ideal for photography, with two of the birds at long range. Even so, here they all are...

A fairly classic-looking 1w Caspian Gull. Looked great through the scope.

Awful pic of what was actually another nice 1w Casp.

Not the loveliest 2w Casp ever, but p10 mirrors and moult all good.

Along with the third-winter bird featured in the previous post, these three bring my personal tally of Axe Casps in the last ten weeks to nine! And I am fairly certain there have been no repeats. But that's just the half of it...

I may have missed one or two, but based on Steve's recent tot-up I reckon we are now on around 38 for 2025. This compares with 38 previous Axe Casps, ever. Which is mad.

I have seen nine in 10 weeks; my first nine took eight YEARS!

There cannot be any doubt that something profound has happened in order for the status of Caspian Gull in East Devon (and presumably elsewhere in the South West?) to have changed so suddenly and dramatically. Caspian Gull is no longer a rare bird in Devon, or particularly scarce any more I guess. Well, for the moment at least. Future events might prove me wrong but I really cannot see any going back from here.

Finally, a moth catch-up. The garden tally stands at 28 species now, with the mid-month addition of these three...

Double-striped Pug. This was by far the commonest pug in our Bridport garden.

Yellow-line Quaker - a regular autumn moth but, as far as I can tell, a new one for me.
[I had this down as a Red-line Quaker, so many thanks to Steve Keen for correcting my ID. However, it does make me wonder if I have misidentified this species in the past!] 

Bittersweet Moth Scrobipalpa costella. Appears to be common enough, but it was a new moth for me.

A few more migrants came our way before the weather chilled off, but nothing unexpected...

The garden's third Olive-tree Pearl.

A pristine Rusty-dot Pearl.

That's probably it for moth-trapping in 2025. Unless we're suddenly due a plume of warm, African air and Sahara dust of course...