Grey Phalarope Part II

Tuesday 3rd November was a calmer and colder day with occasional showers and I decided to see if the Grey Phalarope was still present off Plymouth Hoe. It had shown well the previous day but with the better weather conditions I wasn't sure if it would still be around.

I arrived at Tinside Pool but couldn't find the bird on a quick scan around. However I eventually found it feeding on the sea at the nearby Wet Wok restaurant and so I walked over to there for a better and closer view. It showed very well as it busily fed amongst the floating leaves and flotsam and was very much appreciated by a growing number of birders who arrived to see it. 

Grey Phalarope

Grey Phalarope 

Grey Phalarope 

Grey Phalarope 

Grey Phalarope 

Grey Phalarope 

Eventually it moved along the harbourside before flying off a short distance and resettling on the sea. Unfortunately I took my eye off it briefly and then couldn't refind it and despite scanning around it never reappeared before I had to leave but I was very pleased to have seen it again and in much better conditions than on Sunday.

Also seen were a very smart looking flyby adult Mediterranean Gull in winter plumage, a distant Great Northern Diver off Drakes Island, 7 Turnstone on the rocks and 2 Portuguese Man O'War floating around amongst the flotsam in the harbour.

Portuguese Man O'War

I decided to walk up to the Plymouth University Campus on the way home to have a look for Firecrest which have still been showing in the trees where I saw them back in October and shortly after arriving I found one busily feeding in the Yews. Viewing was difficult amongst the branches and eventually it moved off deeper into the foliage but it was nice to see at least one bird was still present.

Grey Phalarope, Plymouth Hoe

Wednesday 28th October was very windy with sunny spells and heavy showers and a day of "life admin" (as the youngsters call it) was broken up by a walk to Plymouth Hoe to look for any storm driven birds and especially Grey Phalarope. It was sunny when I left home but by the time I arrived at The Hoe the heavens opened with torrential rain and hail while lightning and the loudest thunder I have ever heard raged overhead. The upshot was I got absolutely drenched through and the only bird of note I saw was a Turnstone!

Fast forward to Sunday November 1st and after more days of wet and windy weather and sightings of Grey Phalaropes in Cornwall I took another walk up to The Hoe for a look around. It was windy and misty and mizzley and I got soaked through but this time I found a Grey Phalarope for my troubles!

It was feeding around floating masses of seaweed and flotsam, one of which contained a Portuguese Man-o-War, but it was mobile and flighty, disappearing from view at times and then suddenly reappearing elsewhere.

I first found it just as I was about to leave and walk home and at first I thought it was a plastic water bottle bobbing around in the swell until I got my binoculars on it. I then realised I had left my camera and phone at home and so after a few minutes of watching it I dashed home to get them and to put out the news. Fortunately it was still in the same place when I returned and local birders Russ and Dan had arrived on site too. I then had some lovely views of the bird and managed to get a few decentish shots (for me) in less than ideal conditions.

Grey Phalarope

Grey Phalarope

Grey Phalarope

Grey Phalarope

Grey Phalarope

A lovely bird and my third ever and all have been in Plymouth Sound but this is the first one I have found myself.

Grey Phalarope

After a crappy early shift at work on Saturday 18th I settled down on the sofa with a cup of tea and some chocolate biscuits to enjoy some mindless TV. I decided to have a quick look at the Devon Birds sightings page on the internet where there were two nice photos of a grey phalarope - even nicer was that they were taken here in Plymouth that lunchtime and so I grabbed my stuff and dashed off to go and have a look for it.

It had been seen from Mountbatten Pier but I was feeling mingey and didn't want to spend the £3 ferry fee and so had a look for the phalarope from Fishermans Nose on Plymouth Hoe which looks over towards Mountbatten Pier. As expected there was no sign of the bird but as the tide was high and it was windy and choppy I had a walk along Plymouth Hoe to see if it had moved closer in, checking all the floating clumps of seaweed, but with no luck. I headed back to Fishermans Nose and could see 4 birders out on Mountbatten Pier intently looking at something with their telescopes and so I coughed up the ferry fee and headed off to have a look. Arriving at the Pier and the grey phalarope was busily feeding in the swell close to the seaward side of the Pier giving some excellent views - well worth £3!. It fed constantly, occasionally being spooked by black headed gulls flying too close overhead when it would fly off for a short distance. At times it plunged down in to the water to snatch at prey but mostly picked at the surface - a very beautiful bird and only my second sighting of one since my first on Plymouth Hoe in 2009. And in my rush I had left my camera at home, well Davids camera as mine is currently being repaired as I have damaged the retractable lens shutters, very annoying as it was so close!

Grey Phalarope - photo courtesy of the Devon Birds Website