And So It Begins...

A new year is upon us, and with it, new lists. Birdy folk do love a list. Especially a list that can be wiped clean and started afresh every twelve months. Bluesky has been full of it. It doesn't really surprise me that for many this still involves belting around East Anglia in an effort to 'clean up', likely including several individual birds that they've already seen in 2025. Boy, am I glad that ship has long since sailed for me. Whatever floats your boat, but give me almost anything but, thanks.

My first outing of 2026 was a long walk around the Axmouth Lanes yesterday. I knew that Brambling was on the cards, and so it proved...

My first winter Brambling for a few years.

That lovely orange breast...

Some get their birdy jollies in a completely different way...

I did find this very hard to believe, but a friend recently told me that a day's Pheasant shooting costs around £1,500. If that is even half-way true, I do not foresee an imminent reduction in releases!

Come late afternoon, I headed for the Seaton Wetlands to mix it with the masses. Thankfully the masses were by this time quite few. Some decent bits and bobs culminated in a nice find...

The 13 Barnacle Geese currently lingering on the Axe had a bit of a fly around due to shooters on the marshes.

These Avocets on Black Hole Marsh were two of six, which is probably the most I've seen together on the Axe patch.

Around 16:10 this first-winter Caspian Gull dropped onto the river outside the Tower Hide. It proved to be the same bird I had seen on December 24th, and which Steve photographed by the Tram Sheds on 29th.

The light was pretty dim at this stage of the day, but there is no mistaking the white head; the light-grey, sparsely-marked mantle/scaps; white-tipped blackish tertials; plain coverts. 

In company with young Herring Gulls here.

To my eye, the head/bill is less than ideal, and for me this bird does not quite have a classic 'look'. But you can't fault its plumage.

I've started using the BirdTrack app again this year, and it immediately reminded me that Caspian Gull is still a description species in Devon. Sigh... I doubt that's going to happen...

 

And so to today.

Late this morning I stepped out the front door and spent the rest of the day investigating footpaths and habitat close to home, mostly on the west side of Axminster. It wasn't all plain sailing...

Footpath closed. Thankfully I had a Plan B.

I ended up with 42 species. Among them were a few that I did not foresee, like Green Sandpiper, Kingfisher, Stock Dove and Treecreeper. It was great to see seven Stonechats, two Blackcaps and a Chiffchaff too. I was pleasantly surprised at the obvious potential, and really enjoyed myself.

Early days.

Green Sandpiper on the River Axe, just out of reach of the nearest footpath.

Treecreeper playing hard to get.

At one point I was amazed to bump into a couple wearing binoculars, quite close to an estate of new houses. They were looking for Bullfinch, which they had encountered previously at this very spot. No Bullfinches today, but such excellent gen was immediately filed under 'Vital Axminster Bird Stuff'.

Obviously.