Sandwich Terns

There were lots of Sandwich Terns around on patch today. I saw a large group of individuals on the river near the Tram Sheds, birds were coming and going all the time but the most I saw together at any one time was twenty-two. Not a massive number but definitely the most I've ever seen together on patch. They were always quite distant on the far bank and the weather conditions were dire to say the least. I did manage to get a few photos of them, which I'm going to allow onto the patch photo year-list; not because they're good, because they're not really. They do count as easily recognisable though and to be fair they are the best photos of Sandwich Terms I've taken thus far. I will very likely get a chance for better photos later in the year as they can often be seen feeding very close inshore on calm summer days, but then again I may not, it's easy enough to not be there on the right day!

No. 67  Sandwich Tern

Spotted Redshank and Another Spoonbill

I spent a pleasant few hours out birding this afternoon which ended with a couple more patch photo year-ticks in the bag. I ventured out on hearing news of a Spotted Redshank on the estuary in front of Seaton Marshes hide. I bumped into Gav in the car park and we got down to the hide just in time to see it before it ventured around a corner and out of sight. I was too slow, faffing about trying to set my scope up and missed any photo opportunity. There was also a Spoonbill in the far south-west corner of the marshes, I was just on my way to go and get a closer look at it when it flew....fortunately right over my head allowing a few nice flight shots. I then drove around to the other side of the estuary to look for the Spotted Redshank but the light was terrible and all the waders were just silhouettes. Plan B it was then. Back to the Seaton Marshes hide to wait for it to return to the channel where it had been earlier. Tim W ( not Colyton Wildlife Tim W, the other one) was already there and while we waited we were treated to some great views of the Spoonbill as it flew in from the estuary, first to feed in the channel in front of the hide and then in the pools on the salt-marsh. On having such good views of the bird I couldn't help thinking that it was the same individual that we had here 10 days ago, the grey sullied looking areas on the wings were certainly very similar. Eventually the Spotted Redshank did the decent thing and put in an appearance, this time long enough for me to get a few photos. It was still rather distant but the photos I got will be going on the list because it's a species we can't guarantee seeing again on patch this year. On the way to the hide I managed to get a photo of  one of the Stonechats that have been loitering on the approach path impersonating Wheatears for a few days now.

 No. 65 Spotted Redshank

.. together with a plain ol' Redshank

....and alone...

...and with the Spoonbill.

Feeding in one of the salt-marsh pools on what appears to be prawns.

If you compare this photo to THIS it appears to be the same bird.

The dark areas seem to be identical.

I'm very pleased with these two flight shots of what is a truly stunning bird!

No.66 Stonechat

Warming up one of the Seaton Marshes posts ready for the first Wheatears of the year.

Every time I visit Seaton Marshes this drake Shoveler is keeping his lonely vigil on the lagoon.

Always nice to see a Small Tortoiseshell

 As I returned to the the car park, the afternoon was rounded off beautifully with this lovely double rainbow, complete with supernumeraries and showing Alexander's Band really nicely too.

Birding From The Car

....Well it's cold! It was nice and sunny for a change today but I didn't fancy freezing half to death out in the bitterly cold northerly wind, so I decided to park up at Coronation Corner for and hour or so as the tide was falling and see what turned up. I was hoping for a few additions to my photo year-list and I was pretty successful too. I had three additions this morning and another this afternoon. I had to leave the car temporarily when I got a text from Ian M who had found some Pintails on Seaton Marshes. I rushed round there and down to the hide just in time to see them fly off! I pointed my camera at them in the hope of getting a lucky shot but I didn't have time to select the correct settings so they didn't come out too well, still recognisable for list purposes though. Another text from Ian later in the day had me abandoning my dinner and driving back to Coronation Corner to see an adult Mediterranean Gull. I know they're kind of regular on the estuary but mostly they remain distant so I thought I'd better get one on the list in case I don't get another photo opportunity this year. All the following photos (except two from Seaton Marshes and one from my garden) were taken from inside the car.

 No. 59 Redshank

Eating a tiny Shore Crab

Both Black-tailed Godwit and Bar-tailed Godwit are already on the list but they were showing so well I had to take a few shots of them...

There are two Barwits in this lot can you spot them?

Some Blackwits were coming into summer plumage

Bar-tailed Godwit

This rather menacing looking Herring Gull was checking me out, looking for tit-bits.

No. 60 Common Gull

No.61 Cormorant

No.62 Pintail

No.63 Mediterranean Gull

No. 64 Collared Dove

Looking a bit fed up on the garden yesterday. 

And finally, have you ever wondered what the inside of a Robin's mouth looks like...

This one on Seaton Marshes was keen to show us... 

Quite scarey it is too! ..

Well if you were a worm....and could see...