I had taken a days annual leave on Friday 16th October and had requested the Saturday and Sunday off after in order to go on our annual weekend trip to France by ferry from Plymouth to Roscoff but with the COVID-19 restrictions on travel continuing we have had to give it a miss this year. I was unable to cancel my annual leave and so with 3 days off and with no rain forecasted for a change I decided I would have some birdy time to myself instead, beginning with a trip to Rame Head.
It was bright and breezy as I arrived at Rame on Friday morning at around 10:30am and a quick scan offshore from the clifftops revealed swirling groups of Gannets and Kittiwakes and a few splashes of cetacean activity but all too far away to view well.
I carried on to Rame Church where Yellow-browed Warblers had been reported and needless to say I didn't see any (although up to 7 were reported that day) but I had a good time anyway.
Highlights around the church were a Spotted Flycatcher, a female type Black Redstart, a Firecrest and a flyover Swallow along with 2 Goldcrest and 8+Chiffchaff and quite a few Red Admirals and a few Speckled Wood. I did hear a Yellow-browed Warbler calling twice but it turned out to be a birder playing it on his phone!
I walked out to The Chapel at Rame Head for a closer scan offshore and had better views of Gannets and Kittiwakes along with an adult winter plumaged Mediterranean Gull but the Common Dolphins remained secretive and elusive with just the odd splashes at the surface. A Wall flitting about around The Chapel in the sunshine was a nice sight.
A nice day out, a bit too twitchy for me with quite a few birders out and about looking for the Yellow-browed Warblers but nice to catch up with a few familiar faces despite the dip.
Saturday 17th October was grey and claggy but I headed out to South Efford Marsh at Aveton Gifford anyway to look for a reported Lesser Yellowlegs. I arrived at around 11am and met a birder just leaving the nature reserve who hadn't seen the bird but I carried onwards to the hide with high hopes.
I scanned around from the hide for around an hour as the tide ebbed and the marsh began to slowly drain and noted a Kingfisher, 4 Greenshank, a Chiffchaff, a Shelduck, a Grey Heron, a female Teal, 2 Little Egret and a flyover Greylag Geese along with the usual Mallard, Redshank, Curlew, Mute Swan and Gulls including an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull.
I concentrated on scanning the right side of the marsh as viewed from the hide where the Lesser Yellowlegs has mostly been seen but there was no sign of it. However when I eventually scanned to the left of the hide there it was, feeding right out in the open on the marsh with a Greenshank and a Redshank.
I left the hide to view the bird from the footpath and had some great views as it fed, preened, pooped and regurgitated small pellets. Certainly the best views of Lesser Yellowlegs I have ever had and much better than last years distant and heat hazy views at this site. And I had it all to myself with 3 more birders not arriving until I was just about to leave.
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