I'm starting to get fed up with the weather with this Spring. I can take it being it a bit damp, in fact I hope it would be. What is getting on my wick is this constant strong wind. This, much more than rain, makes birding hard. There have been very few arrivals onto our shores, even the hirundines seem to have given up for a bit. Mustn't stop you getting out when there are birds to see. Despite my best ever year list there are still a few to go for and with bad weather forecast for Thursday I decided to do a longish trip down to Devon. I could combine it with an overnight satay in Weymouth with Rita, my mother-in-law.
First stop was at Broadsands near Paignton, so some way into Devon. I've been here before and it is one of the most reliable spots for a very rare breeding bird on our shores, the cirl bunting. Their range is now pretty much restricted to this bit of the southwest but they are doing quite well here. So well that are small flock have been habituated to come to seed in the car park there!
The feeding area is behind these rather derelict beach huts which some enterprising locals have turned into impromptu hides!
As soon as I got out the car I could see cirl buntings on the ground feeding so I treated myself to a large coffee and Danish pastry before setting up the camera.
They are pretty unmistakable, especially the males with their black and yellow striped heads. I would guess there were 5 or 6 males plus the same number of duller females.
The seed on the ground is what keeps them here and although they kept spooking as dog walkers came past they never went far.
Gradually they would drop back down and carry on feeding together with assorted yellowhammers, sparrows, robins and dunnocks.
I eventually left them to it as I had a number of other targets for the day. First was a short walk to the far side of the car park! Two red-necked grebes had been overwintering in the bay here. The wind was really whipping the waves up and a series of squalls kept moving through. It took me 30 minutes but eventually I located the pair feeding out in the bay.
A very heavily cropped shot but you can just about make out the bold red-neck sitting beneath the white cheeks and black cap. A few gannets were moving through a well as a diver, probably great northern, even further out. As another squall hit I went back to the car and headed towards Weymouth. On the way though I stopped at Lyme Regis. We used to visit here regularly on weekends with the in-laws. I discovered that the steam running down to the town was a very reliable spot for dippers. Quite amazing as it is right by a footpath. I parked up in the housing estate and started off heading downstream towards the town. Almost immediately I heard one calling and found it sitting on rocks in the stream.
This is no more than 10 yards from the footpath. It got spooked though by a greyhound which came charging along and flew off upstream. I refound it sitting on the edge of the stream having a groom.
I followed it for 20 minutes as it fished underwater, chased another bird off and finally sat giving a burst of song on the bank! Lovely bird and so nice to see them in such an urban environment. People kept walking past but no one asked what I was looking at!!!
My final stop was back towards Weymouth. Lodmoor has been home to a male penduline tit for some weeks. I have dipped on it once already but it came up as being seen whilst I was in Lyme. I headed straight to the reserve and fortunately bumped into the finder. He put me onto the area of reeds he had seen it, at the end of Southdown Avenue. The wind was even stronger, normally a total no-no for watching birds like this which feed high up on reeds. For 20 minutes there was nothing as we were joined by 3 other birders. I then got really lucky as I saw it perched on a reedmace head about 50 yards away. It only stayed for 30 seconds or so but long enough to see the piratical stripe on its head as it pulled the seeds out. I gave it another 45 minutes and tried later but no other sign of it in the strong wind.
I did go round the rest of the reserve which is showing some nice stuff including 20 Med gulls on the scrape, a few of whom were giving their characteristic mewing call.
The long-staying spoonbill was feeding vigorously nearby as were a number of black-tailed godwits, some coming into breeding plumage.
Finally the two long-staying waders, ruff and lesser yellowlegs were around. The yellowlegs was always quite distant and seemed interested in a crisp packet.
The ruff came quite close and it a very striking bird with its white head.
I finally retreated out of the wind to Ritas house for a nice nights kip. On the way back on Thursday I nipped over to Portland where the gale was even stronger. The sea was really rough and the only birds of note I found were two of the three wheatears in the East Cliff paddocks.
A quick sausage butty and cup of tea in the cafe there revived me for the drive back. Another excellent trip taking me to 189 for the year. The weather might be relenting a bit next week so it may get a but more Spring like. Let's hope so!
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