Holiday at Harvey in Hayle

Monday 29th November and a week off work again but with a holiday to actually look forward too!

This time last year we had booked to travel to Munich and Prague but with COVID lockdowns looming Prague was out of bounds and the trip was rearranged for Munich only. Further locking down meant Munich was cancelled too and so we booked Harvey at Hayle, a renovated 1950's railway carriage located at Hayle Station. Ultimately this fell foul of COVID as well and had to be cancelled also but such is life.

We had considered rebooking Munich and Prague for this year but with all the continuing uncertainty over foreign travel we rebooked Harvey instead and kept our fingers crossed. As it turns out it was a wise decision with the Munich Christmas Markets now being cancelled and the need to self isolate for 2 days on returning to the UK until a negative PCR test is confirmed now required.

I decided I would make the most of my time at Hayle by starting off with a bit of birding on Monday 29th November and so caught the train to St.Erth in the morning while David, Julie and Matt travelled down by car later that afternoon for a check in rendezvous at Harvey at 4pm.

The train to St.Erth was late in due to a points failure at Liskeard but I arrived at The Old Quay Inn at around 1pm as the tide slowly began to drop and out on the saltmarsh and emerging mudflats were lots of birds. 

A flock of around 150 Golden Plover were roosting together and looking and sounding fabulous but they were twitchy and flighty due to the unwanted attentions of Carrion Crows and surprisingly also Lapwings. With an American Golden Plover having been found amongst them I had a good scan through them but with no luck. 

I began the walk to Hayle and noticed another flock of around 150 Golden Plover out on the Estuary but another search through them didn't reveal their American cousin. 

I had noticed the reported Great White Egret roosting on Ryan's Field from the train as it passed by on the way to St.Erth but there was no sign of it when I walked past the Field towards Hayle. 

Other birds noted were 4 Greenshank, a Knot, 2 Ringed Plover, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Grey Plover, Dunlin, Redshank and Curlew, a male Goosander, Wigeon, Teal and Shelduck, Black-headed, Common. Mediterranean, Lesser Black-backed, Great Black-backed and Herring Gulls (including an adult Argentatus bird), 2 Raven, a Buzzard, Grey Heron, Little Egret, Canada Goose and Rock Pipit. 

Grey Plover, Hayle

Goosander with Gulls

Argentatus Herring Gull with argenteus - streaky head and pink legs eventually seen! 

I met up with the others at Harvey as the light began to fade and we settled in for the night. Harvey was great to stay in, very homely, cosy, quirky and comfortable indeed and we had an enjoyable time. 

Harvey at Hayle

Our Christmas Tree at Harvey

Tuesday 30th November saw us heading off to St.Ives for the day on the train. Unfortunately the trains were still being disrupted by the points failure at Liskeard but we eventually arrived at St.Ives where it was very windy with waves of mizzley rain sweeping through between brief sunny spells. 

A few Grey Seals were seen close in to the beach but it really was a case of blink and they were gone. Sadly the floating corpse of what seemed to be a Grey Seal was seen floating offshore being scavenged by a few Gulls. A nicer sighting was a distant pod of around 10 Common Dolphins moving around offshore before heading out to sea. 

Gannets and Shags were flying around and sat on the sea with a Fulmar and a Kittiwake picked up flying west along with 5 Guillemot. The highlight though was a Black-throated Diver on the sea just offshore from the Coast Guard Lookout. It was showing a very distinct white flank patch and its dark brown back contrasted nicely with a paler brown neck before it dived and was never seen again. 

Wednesday 1st December was a wildlife free Christmas shopping day in Truro by train which actually was quite enjoyable but Thursday 2nd December saw us catching the train to Penzance for the day and walking to Marazion and back. It was cold but with sunny spells and the sea was flat calm and we had a very invigorating and much needed walk along the coast path after all the excessive eating and drinking of the previous few days.

A Grey Seal was seen very briefly poking is head out of the water before disappearing, never to be seen again, while offshore Gannets, Kittiwakes, Shag and Cormorants were noted and along the beach a small flock of Sanderling were being moved back and forth along the shoreline by dogs and walkers.

At Marazion a very showy Snipe was found by Matt right by the footpath but there were only 2 Little Grebe and a Moorhen on Long Rock Pool and no sign of the reported Black- necked Grebe.

Snipe, Marazion Marsh

It was strange to see a Swallow flying back and forth along the coastpath between Penzance and Marazion, up to 11 have been reported in the area recently as often happens here in December, only a single bird was seen at any one time but presumably more than 1 bird was present.

I had a quick look at the rocks by the Lido before we headed back on the train to Hayle but there was no sign of any Purple Sandpipers on the incoming tide although around 30 Turnstone were seen.

Friday 3rd December and it was time to pack up and return to Plymouth and while the others drove off in the car I stayed behind in Hayle to do some more birding despite the mizzle and poor visibility.

I headed down first to the Carnsew Pool  on the low tide where the Great White Egret was busily fishing along the shoreline and at last giving some great views.

Great White Egret, Hayle

Great White Egret

Great White Egret

Onwards to the Causeway Bridge and the flock of around 300 Golden Plover were roosting in one group out on the salt marsh but despite scanning through them with my scope I could not find the American Golden Plover amongst them, not helped in the poor light by the birds being mostly tucked up asleep or flying around when spooked.

A male and 2 female Goosander were seen flying downriver and a few Bar-tailed Godwit were noted out on the mudflats along with a Snipe, 6 Turnstone, a small flock of around 20 Ringed Plover and 2 Oystercatcher amongst the usual Gulls, Ducks and Waders.

Greenshank

Bar-tailed Godwit, Lapwing, Wigeon and Black-headed Gull

Wigeon

With the American Golden Plover proving elusive I decided to carry on to St.Erth to look for Cattle Egrets being reported in the fields amongst the cows. I thought I had seen them the previous day as our train neared St.Erth railway station on our return journey from Penzance and so I negotiated the country lanes and muddy footpaths to the area where I had seen them.

Up to 5 have been reported on the area and I managed to find 4 of them in a field as viewed from the footpath but they were distant and flighty and eventually moved out of sight down the hillside.

Cattle Egret, St.Erth

I walked back to St.Erth Station to catch the train back to Plymouth, noting Redwings being chased out of a Holly tree covered in berries by an indignant Mistle Thrush along the way, and the train journey home was uneventful despite a rucksack, coat and jeans covered in dog poo which I had inadvertently picked up when I put my rucksack on the ground to get my scope out. 

And so a nice break away was had by all - Christmassy, lots of food and drink, a bit of wildlife watching and great company - perfect! 

Wet and Windy Dipping Week Off Work

With a week of annual leave I had plans for some birding trips but the weather pretty much put paid to this with rain and very strong winds courtesy of Storm Ciara and Storm Dennis.

Monday 10th February saw us heading down to Padstow in Cornwall for an overnight stay with the plan being to firstly have a walk along the coast at nearby Trevose Head. However it was incredibly windy with squally hail and rain showers following Storm Ciaras arrival the day before and while David stayed in the car I braved the elements. I managed 30 minutes before giving up and returning to the car, struggling to stay upright on the muddy paths and in the strong winds and getting soaked in the process. I did see a lone gannet offshore struggling in the gales and a few rooks and skylarks in the fields but frustratingly I did see a bunting species fly up from a stubble field with a few skylarks before it disappeared from sight like a bullet from a gun as it shot across the headland in the wind. It gave a difficult to hear twittering call as it flew up from the stubble but with snow and Lapland buntings being seen here recently and being unfamiliar with either of their calls I wasn't sure what it was - probably a Lapland bunting but I didn't get any plumage details on it either, very frustrating indeed.

A Bonapartes Gull had been found at Padstow on Sunday 9th February and so I kept a look out for it during our stay there but without any luck. I did see a noticeably smaller gull than nearby black-headed gulls feeding out on the Doom Bar as the tide receded on Tuesday 11th February but it was too far away to get much on it other than its smaller size and I think it was probably just a runty black-headed gull rather than the Bonapartes gull.

It was onwards to Bude for the day on Tuesday 11th February before returning to Plymouth but the weather was still wet and windy and so I gave Maer Lake and Lower Tamar Lake a miss but I did hear 2 male blackcaps quietly singing in cover in a sheltered area at a garden centre in Wadebridge along the way.

Wednesday 12th February was dry and calm with rain forecast for later in the afternoon and so I headed off to Wacker Quay on the River Lynher near Torpoint for a look around and the hope of seeing spoonbill and spotted redshank being reported here this winter. On arriving the tide was just starting to ebb out but as expected there was no sign of either spoonbill or spotted redshank. I did see 2 great northern divers downriver near the naval school along with quite a few great crested grebes plus the usual teal, wigeon, shelduck and mallard.  Also 2 greenshank were roosting together with redshank, curlew and lapwing and a flock of 12 knot and 6 grey plover flew in to feed on the exposed mudflats.

I returned to Torpoint to have a look off Marine Drive and immediately picked up a flick of 7 pale bellied brent geese feeding out on the mudflats with around 200 dunlin, 3 turnstone, oystercatcher, redshank and curlew.

Pale-bellied Brent Geese, Marine Drive, Torpoint

Pale-bellied Brent Geese

Pale-bellied Brent Geese with Common Gull and Mediterranean Gull

Great crested grebes were diving for fish along with a little grebe and a pair of red breasted mergansers and 2 immature male and a female eider were a surprise sighting too. 2 adult Mediterranean gulls were roosting out on the mud amongst the common gulls but with the rain beginning to arrive it was time to head back home.

Thursday 13th February was very windy but dry and we headed off to Exeter for the day before an overnight stay at Exeter Airport. The airport hotel was originally booked before our early morning flight to Edinburgh last November but was not needed when Flybe cancelled the flight and rebooked us on the afternoon flight instead. The hotel was non-refundable but we were able to change the date hence our journey there for the night.

Friday 14th February was calm and dry and after our stay at the airport we travelled onwards to Topsham for me to have some birdwatching time and for David to look around the antiques shops. The tide was ebbing out when I arrived at the hide at Bowling Green Marsh and with the long-billed dowitcher having been reported there that morning I was hopeful of catching up with it at last. However there was no sign of it yet again but I did see 2 greenshank, 2 greylag geese, a male and female tufted duck, a little grebe and 3 male and 2 female pochard amongst the usual waders and wildfowl.

Shoveler and Wigeon, Bowling Green Marsh

Wigeon, Shoveler and Moorhen, Bowling Green Marsh

Stock dove, buzzard, redwing, great spotted woodpecker and a pair of stonechat were also noted before we had a walk over to nearby Darts Farm for lunch where I saw a few more redwings with some fieldfares from the bird hide. Time was marching on and it was soon time to head back home to Plymouth on the train as the gales and rain arrived yet again on what has been mostly a wet, windy and dippy week of birding.

A Great Day Out at Slimbridge

With a week of annual leave and no real plans we decided to pay my sister and brother-in-law a visit in Bristol via a trip to Slimbridge on February 12th.

We left Plymouth later than planned and got caught up in a few traffic snarls along the way but we arrived at Slimbridge just before midday on a mild and mostly sunny day before David carried on to nearby Gloucester for a look around antique shops while I enjoyed some Slimbridge birding.

I started off in the Martin Smith hide where a Jack snipe has occasionally been showing well for a while now and sure enough it was there but all I could see of it was a brown and cream blob hunkered down in the green grass. Fortunately other birds were showing very well - Bewick's swans, white-fronted geese, 2 buzarrds, golden plover, lapwing, black-tailed godwit, ruff, dunlin, redshank, curlew, wigeon, teal, shoveler, shelduck, pintail, greylag geese, mallard and tufted duck with 2 common cranes seen flying over.

Jack Snipe

Wigeon

I carried on along the path towards the Holden Tower, visiting the Robbie Garnett hide and Stephen Kirk hide along the way where I managed to get much better views of the Bewick's swans, white-fronted geese and ruff out on the flooded Tack Piece field.

Bewick's Swans with Pintail and Wigeon

Bewick's Swan with Teal

Ruff with Lapwing

Pintail

There were 6 juvenile Bewick's swans amongst the adults and there was much calling and displaying going in the mild and sunny conditions as the birds begin to prepare for their migration back to Siberia.

From the Holden Tower in a surprisingly strong and biting wind there were 7 common cranes feeding out on the saltmarsh including 1 juvenile bird along with Canada and barnacle geese. A few skylark were also noted along with 2 oystercatcher and a pair of peregrines buzzing around and perching on fence posts or mounds of vegetation on the ground.

Barnacle Geese

I moved to the side of the hide overlooking the Tack Piece where I was sheltered from the worst of the wind and watched 1 of the peregrines cause complete chaos amongst the waders as it unsuccessfully chased a golden plover before moving on. A lone fieldfare feeding close to the hide was a surprise and I picked up a small flock of linnet feeding in the grass but they were too distant and flighty and mobile to pick out a twite amongst them which has been seen here recently.

Fieldfare

The lapwing, dunlin and golden plover on the Tack Piece continued to be nervous and flighty and I picked up a small falcon flying high overhead before landing in the top of a tree - a female merlin, my first sighting of one at Slimbridge. It sat in the tree top scanning around before launching into flight and dropping down low to the ground in a fast flapping flight interspersed with wings tucked in, putting up the waders, linnets, starlings and skylarks feeding out amongst the grass as it rocketed across the field. Unfortunately I lost track of it amongst the melee and I never refound it and despite the distant views it was a nice surprise to see.

Back to the Martin Smith hide where the Jack snipe was still mostly hidden amongst the grass although 5 common snipe were much more showy. The Jack snipe would occassionally wake up and show its head and bill very well before doing a few bounces and settling back down to sleep with its bill tucked under its wings. Eventually it was spooked by a moorhen passing by and it moved off amongst the grass bobbing away before it was totally lost from view - not quite the views I had hoped for but nice to see none the less.

The peregrines continued to buzz over the Tack Piece putting up the feeding birds although they didn't appear to catch anything but it was time to move on to the Rushy Pen for the feeding session with the WWT warden. I had planned to visit the In-Focus shop overlooking the Rushy Pen to have a look at the telescopes but it had closed by the time I got there so I enjoyed watching the birds on the Rushy Pen instead, watching the Bewick's swans flying in to feed on the grain including a second winter bird still  unusually showing patches of pink on its yellow and black bill.

Pintail

Bewick's Swans

Bewick's Swans 

Bewick's Swans 

Bewick's Swans 

Bewick's Swan with Mallard

David duly arrived to pick me up and we drove back to Bristol to spend the night at my sister Vik's and brother-in-law Nik's and the next morning at breakfast it was fun to watch the antics of 2 very chunky looking grey squirrels stuffing their faces on my sisters bird feeders along with nuthatch, robin, great spotted woodpecker, coal, blue, great and long-tailed tits, blackbird and magpie.

After spending the morning in Clifton admiring the suspension bridge across the Avon Gorge while visiting the nearby observatory with its camera obscura it was time to drive back to Plymouth but it had been a very enjoyable trip away - Slimbridge is always a great days birding and it was lovely to catch up with Vik and Nik.

Moor & Plymouth Birding

February 15th and a trip up to Warren House Inn on Dartmoor for lunch and a walk wasn't too busy considering it was the half term school holidays. It was a surprise to see the Moor dusted with snow on the higher Tors and it was cold and sunny but breezey and after a nice lunch a walk down to Golden Dagger was wet and muddy and almost bird free! A few robins and carrion crows were the best of it but a brief view of a roe deer disappearing into the forest was soon followed by 3 red deer, my first in Devon - a good view of a male with small, velvet covered antlers and a brief view of 2 others before they all melted away into the trees.

I found some frog spawn in a small puddle by a stream in front of the Inn, I don't know whether it will survive in the cold conditions, and while getting into the car for the drive home a buzzard flew over along with 2 fieldfares and a pair of raven carrying nesting material.

Frog Spawn, Warren House Inn

February 20th and I decided to stay local and with 7+ring necked parakeets being reported regularly in Central Park and Ford Park Cemetery I decided I would go and have a look for them. It was grey and windy with occasional drizzle but during a wander around the Cemetery and nearby Park there was no sight nor sound of any parakeets. I did see the usual birds - goldcrest, greenfinch, chaffinch, goldfinch and blue, great, coal and long tailed tits - along with a song thrush, a nuthatch and a buzzard.

I decided to cut my losses and have a quick look at the River Plym from Laira Bridge where a great crested grebe showed very well and a male red breasted merganser flew over the Bridge downriver towards The Cattewater.

Great Crested Grebe from Laira Bridge

Shelduck, River Plym

The following day and I decided to tackle the River Plym again, heading off to Marsh Mills on the bus to walk upriver again towards Plymbridge. It was still very muddy but the tide was low and the water less murky looking and fast flowing than last week. In the trees were a jay and around 20 siskins while on the water a female and 2 male goosanders showed very well before flying off upriver and a grey wagtail was busily feeding along the waters edge. I also found my target bird very quickly, a dipper feeding in the quieter stretches of water and showing very well, I could see its white eyelids when it blinked.

Female Goosander, River Plym

Male Goosander, River Plym

Dipper, River Plym

Dipper

Heading downriver from Marsh Mills towards Laira Bridge and there were 5 little grebes on the river near Blaxton Meadow. On the mudflats there were a few common gulls and lesser black backed gulls amongst the usual gull species and a female wigeon was amongst a group of mallards.

Cormorant, River Plym

Female Wigeon, River Plym

A look for the firecrest in the area where I saw it last week drew a blank but 2 skylarks singing over Chelson Meadow was nice to hear. A pair of red breasted merganser flew upriver as the tide came in and from Laira Bridge a common sandpiper showed very well amongst the seaweed with its surprisingly yellow looking legs.

Common Sandpiper, Laira Bridge

Common Sandpiper

I decided to have another look for the parakeets in Central Park, hoping that they might show coming in to roost, but by 5pm I still hadn't seen or heard them and so I headed off home, but I did see 2 ravens, 4 buzzards, a mistle thrush and a sparrowhawk along with the usual species - no parakeets but not a bad list of birds during a spot of doorstep birding.

Magpie, Ford Park Cemetery

New Year in Devon - Glossy Ibis and Cattle Egret

A few days of annual leave after the Christmas and New Years Frenzy was just right for winding down after all the festivities and a chance to get out birding properly with kids back to school and adults back at work.

Monday 4th and on a walk to the allotment to pick some veggies for dinner a male blackcap was feeding in the ivy by the small pond behind the aquarium, a brief view before it disappeared into cover but a nice find.

Tuesday 5th and we headed off to Burrator for a walk on a sunny but breezey day. With all the recent rain the reservoir was full and overflowing the dam and the ground saturated and boggy but at least the walk around the reservoir on the road was easy going and dry and mud free. A male goosander, a cormorant, 2 little grebe, 2 Muscovy duck and 3 white feral geese were on the water with the mallards and a treecreeper circling up a moss covered pine tree was a nice find. A photographer at the top car park was tempting birds close to his lens with some seeds and nuts and amongst the coal, blue and great tits were a few marsh tits and nuthatches. 2 roe deer feeding out in the open close to the road were a surprise and totally unfazed by the cars and people passing by.

Roe Deer, Burrator Reservoir

Wednesday 6th and it was off to see the new Star Wars film (very good) but before heading off to Vue a quick walk around Plymouth Hoe in the sunshine and flat calm conditions revealed the little grebe still on Sutton Harbour, a distant great northern diver in Jennycliff Bay and a brief view of the black redstart at Rusty Anchor.

Oystercatcher, Rusty Anchor

Thursday 7th and a walk from Thurlestone village to South Huish Marsh and back was very invigorating in the sunshine and strong winds with rough seas and waves crashing onto the shore. Thurlestone Marsh continues to be trashed as it is converted into arable land but South Huish Marsh was totally flooded, the first time I have seen it like this. Searching through the birds and I had a brief view of an orange head before it disappeared in the sedges and presumably belonging to the long staying ruddy shelduck. My other target bird was much more accomodating, a juvenile glossy ibis feeding amongst the flooded grass and looking stunning in the strong sunlight with beautiful green and purple irridescent feathers but a face only an ibis could love.

 Glossy Ibis and Teal, South Huish Marsh

 Glossy Ibis, Black Headed Gull and Teal, South Huish Marsh

Friday 8th and it was off to Topsham on the train, £9.90 for a single after 09:00 but a staggering £17.30 before 09:00! I arrived at the hide at Bowling Green Marsh just after 11:00 to find the Marsh too was well flooded and covered in wildfowl - mostly wigeon, teal, mallard and Canada geese but amongst them I found gadwall, shoveler, pintail, 2 male pochard, a pair of tufted duck, a coot and greylag geese. The tide was low so the only waders on show were lapwing and curlew with a flyover greenshank and redshank. Unfortunately I couldn't find the wintering American wigeon amongst the wigeon flock but it was reported as being present that day - never mind.

 Pair of Wigeon, Bowling Green Marsh

Male Wigeon, Bowling Green Marsh

Walking to the viewing platform and a large flock of brent geese were feeding in the grassy field by the path giving some great views, the first time I have seen them here. From the platform a spotted redshank showed very well with redshank, grey plover and dunlin also seen. A large flock of avocets were seen downriver but they were distant and a few distant red breasted mergansers were diving in the river. A large flock of black tailed godwit were resting out on the mudflats, again distant views, and 2 adult common gulls were feeding amongst the black headed gulls.

Spotted Redshank, River Clyst Viewing Platform

Daffodils, Topsham Goatwalk

After meeting David and having lunch in The Lighter Inn we walked over to Darts Farm. The light was fading and it was difficult to scan through the large finch flock feeding in the stubble as they were very mobile and flighty, not helped by the attentions of a male sparrowhawk. I eventually found a juvenile reed bunting and a female brambling amongst the chaffinch, greenfinch and goldfinch before they were lost amongst the moving flock. A few redwing and fieldfare were very skulky in the trees before flying off and a great spotted woodpecker was equally evasive, maybe due to the ongoing prescence of the sparrowhawk.

The highlight though was a cattle egret feeding in the field in front of the hide with little egrets, presumably one of the birds I saw at Teigngrace in November last year, and a nice end to a good day out.

Cattle Egret between Little Egrets, Darts Farm