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Sunday 15 February 2009

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside!!


Even though I have an impressive head cold which should have seen me stay in bed, this morning as planned, dosed up with Lemsip, I hoofed it down to Bowling Green Marsh for a spot of birding. And I'm so glad I did, even if as I write this at 6pm, I'm feeling a bit groggy.

On my walk down to the Marsh I noticed a drive up to a house was carpeted with snowdrops, which boded well for the day.

This was the distant view of the Marsh as I came around the corner. In the far distance was a white line at the far waters edge. Thinking these would be some form of gulls, up with the binoculars which gave me a bit of a start....

........ Hundreds of Avocet. When I got to the hide, Ed one of the party for the day said there were about 500 here today. It's not that many years ago that people ventured for days just to glimpse an Avocet in the UK, yet in 2009, they are common wintering waders down here almost becoming commonplace. But not quite. A great start even if they were a bit too far away for a decent picture. The Avocet weren't the main species there, over 1000 Black Tailed Godwit took top billing, along with 200+ Bar Tailed Godwit, (some showing Cinnamon colouration) about the same number of Wigeon, and good numbers of Curlew, Teal, Pintail, Shovler, Redshank, Lapwing, Snipe plus low numbers of the usual passerines down there, including Grey Heron, Redwing, Green and Great Spotted Woodpecker.

This male Pintail was about the only bird which came close enough for shot, even when we walked up to the viewing platform. The tide was well in by now, and the Exe Estuary was like a millpond, not a ripple to be had, and sadly no birds either !! But it did allow for a couple of arty shots.

Lunch was rapidly approaching and Mr Mike also of the party had his heart set on fish and chips in Starcross over the other side of the estuary. At the well named Battered by Barry or something like that. When we got there Barry seemed to be getting a good battering and was on the floor, half in half out the door. Until we realised they were closed and this was some form of refurbishment. Disaster.

Onwards to Dawlish Warren then, bound to be F&C there. But there wasn't, so in desperation after paying 90p to park when we need not have done, we all partaked in a culinary feast of Burger and Chips, fizzy pop and all for a masterly £4.95. Birding doesn't get much tougher than this.

Well it did say, no glasses beyond here so I left my bins at the gate.

I was quite satisfied with my Chicken burger and chips, however Jenny (L) and Mike (the thinking woman's Bill Oddie, middle) needed a pudding, so an incriminating photo with Ed had to be taken. Kids!!

Entertainment over, back to the birding.........................

Retracing our steps, on a golf course near Starcross, a couple of hundred Dark Bellied Brent Geese were grazing the 18th fairway next to the golf balls, along with Oystercatcher, Curlew and Lapwing.

Ed said it was unfair that the blogging community never get to see a star in the making, and maintaining this blog's inability to create a star, this odd looking bloke seems to have got on here. Apparently it was taken because the Geese were in the background, but I think it was taken for a Police photo-fit. I had a cold, that's my excuse for the three chins, which seem to have appeared under the recently removed beard.

Back at Starcross, we hopped over the railway bridge and scanned the estuary. 3 Little Grebe, a Shag, a good number of Red Breast Mergansers, a Little Egret, some Redshank, 3 Greenshank all made up a canny additional score and ticked off the must see list.

But I'll leave the last bit of birding to the Turnstones. At first we saw a few, then some more and more and more and in the end we estimated about 100, all bathing in the shallows or feeding along the strand line. I've never ever seen this many in one place, a very special end to a grand old day out.

What a day. Time to go home guys.... sorry Jenny, Ed's off to New Zealand for a month on Saturday, the wildlife won't be anything like as good there as in Devon - I bet !!

14 comments:

  1. hundreds of avocets, how lovely, that's a bird I'd love to see!

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  2. Thanks for popping by and the comment Juliet, they are wonderful birds, shame they were so far away yesterday, didn't offer a close view.

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  3. Well Andrew that was definitely worth the wait - what a great day you have had and all those wonderful birds - drool, drool!!

    So sorry to hear you've got a cold but it doesn't seem to have affected your enjoyment of a good birding day. (Amused by your description of Mike - Lol)

    * goes off to google winter 2009/10 accommodation in the Exeter area *

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  4. Crikey! What a day, yes you are glad you went out after all.
    Hope you feel better soon mate!

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  5. Is that really Mike Dilger in the photo?! Oh to have a celeb on patch!

    Adam

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  6. Hi Warren, I have to agree it was a cracking day.

    Hi Urban Birder (Adam?), good to have you pop by to view my blog, didn't know you viewed it. Yes that is most definitely Mr Dilger, we kept him under control most of the day, even if we dipped on the fish supper

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  7. Oooops sorry Tricia thought I'd dropped you a comment but it failed. I hope you make it down here, summer isn't great, best in the winter for the waders.

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  8. Andrew - yep it will probably be a winter visit - but may have to wait until the next one rather than this.

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  9. Not the 'urban birder' unfortunately (although he's been doing some name dropping of late!) - patchwatch a section of Kent not far from Warren (link off his blog - DittonEastMallingBarming) - forever frustrating him with Waxwings and Hawfinches!

    Adam

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  10. Hi Adam, Ahhahh I see what error I made now going from your link, and linking into Urban Birder, apologies for that. Good blog you have there. Andrew

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  11. Wonderful pictures. Imagine seeing all those avocets at once. I would have done a double take. Ahem, that Mike is quite the sexy looking guy. (blush, blush)

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  12. Not much time has been available for blogging recently - the gardening season has started and so have all the aches and pains.... so nice to sit down and enjoy what's been going on in other people's blogs in an evening! You look like you've all had a great day out - despite the lack of F&C - surely pudding made up for this!! Love the picture 2nd from the end with the buoy in the foreground! Hope you've recovered from yet another dose of man-flu! Miranda

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  13. I'll let Mike know Oldcrow, I'm sure his girlfriend won't mind :-)

    Hope your aches and pains are easing Miranda, did a bit of gardening yesterday always a shock to the system after a winter of doing nothing.

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  14. I'll let Mike know Oldcrow, I'm sure his girlfriend won't mind :-)

    Hope your aches and pains are easing Miranda, did a bit of gardening yesterday always a shock to the system after a winter of doing nothing.

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