Seabird Bonanza- Lyme Bay Pelagic

The undoubted highlight from my recent holiday to Torbay was my first ever pelagic.  Hope's Nose, on the Torquay side of Torbay, was the site of my first ever seawatch, so it was perhpas fitting that the bay should play host to my first foray into deeper waters.  On the very sunny and warm Sunday 14th August 2016, we made our way around the bay to Brixham, reaching it around 8.30am.  We found the passenger pontoon (to my surprise we were the first there) and waited for our vessel- the Optimist- to appear, which it duly did.  The pontoon itself played host to a couple of tame Turnstones which fed just the other side of the railings.

Turnstone

As 8.45 arrived, our very welcoming host Nigel Smallbones collected our payment and allowed us onto the boat.  Nigel had apparently been given a lot of counterfeit notes recently, so our notes had to be checked too!  We then met the skipper, Nigel Lihou (our second of three Nigels' that day) and sat down, waiting to set off.  Just after ten to we set off around the Breakwater and out past Berry Head.  Here we saw Shags and Cormorants, along with other common gull species.  Just past the head itself, we saw small numbers of both Harbour Porpoise and Common Dolphin; their fins occasionally seen above the crests of the waves.  Also, a single Kittiwake sat on the water along with Herring Gulls.  Afterwards, we went out into Lyme Bay; I was told at the end that at our furthest point, we had been 7 miles off the coast!  Just this distance from the coast improved the amount of birds seen.  Gannets regulary soared overhead; small parties of Guillemots were seen on the water along with the ever present Fulmar.

Gannet

When we were this far out and the engine was stopped, I was shocked at how strong the waves were.  Even though there was practically nothing but a slight breeze on the shore, out to sea, the boat was rocked side to side; once the boat seemed to go parallel to the waves.  This of course made any photography difficult so I apologise in advance for the quality of my images!  We also saw small numbers of Manx Shearwater sitting on the water, but try as we might, we couldnt make any of them into a Balearic.

2 Manx Shearwater

Manx Shearwater 'yawning'!

However, we were all soon alerted when the shout of 'Bonxie' went up and soon enough a large burly Great Skua could be seen mobbing the larger gulls off the front of the boat, but still quite a distance away.  I was hoping to see this species as any skua species would have been a lifer.  Now well out to sea, Nigel donned his plastic gloves and began to throw out the chum with the aid of a plastic jug.  Unfortunately, we were situated downwind from the chum, so we smelt the full unpleasant odour of it!  At first, only one gull sat out next to the boat.  But as if by magic, what seemed to be all the gulls in the area were suddenly alerted to the fact that food was on offer and soo there was a mass exodus of gulls circling overhead.  Although, apart from attracting gulls, this was not successful in brining in any shearwaters.  We then went further our and tried again but alas to no avail.  It just so happened that on our way back we saw a small flock of shearwaters on the surface of the water, so stopped to scan them.  And to our delight, one of the birds was a lot more brown in colour than the rest- a Balearic Shearwater!

Manx Shearwater (L) with Balearic (R)

After around a minute the whole group flew off but we were all pleased with the sighting.  It does not seem a good year for this ever declinging species as not many have been seen on prior trips either.  I think perhaps the most majical part of the trip happened when we got close to Berry Head once more.  A pod of Common Dolphin were seen off the boat so Nigel turned the boat straight into their present course.  Almost immediately, the dolphins satrted following the boat, leaping out of the water just metres behind us!

A pod of Common Dolphin

It was a truly wonderful sight and lasted for around 10 minutes before they left us and moved further out to sea.  We arrived back at around 12.15 and I had enjoyed the days trip immensely.  Though he is booked for the rest of the season now, I would throughly recommend this trip to anybody, as it provides both birds and cetaceans.  To contact Nigel Smallbones you can visit his website at http://www.optimistcharters.co.uk.

Gone Cruising- Exe Estuary

We recently travelled down to Topsham, Devon on the northern side of the Exe Estuary to board the Avocet Cruise boat.  We have been on it once before but from Starcross on 26th January 2013, when I saw 9 lifers.  We were due to go on it last March, but we missed the boat, thinking it was again from Starcross when it was in fact from Topsham!  Nevertheless, We still managed to see two lifers that day- Spotted Redshank and Penduline Tit.  Wanting no mishap this time round, we were the first to arrive there, even before the RSPB guides themselves!  I was wrapped up to the nines, with a thermal top as well as waterproof trousers.  Before this, a quick look at Matford Marsh produced Little Egret, Coot and Moorhen.  I was vaguely hopeful of a lifer, perhaps the long-staying Bonaparte's Gull now in its fourth year on the estuary?  As soon as the boat set off, pairs of Red-Breasted Mergansers took to the air.

Red-Breasted Mergansers in flight

Then soon after, the bird the trip was named after came into view- the Avocet.  Large flocks fed in the water before scurrying up the sand and taking to flight when our boat came past.  Nearly everywhere we went on the estuary, these beautiful birds were to be found.

Avocet flypast

Flushed by our boat

Feeding Avocets

Many species were seen on our trip up past the Turf Inn nearly to Starcross then back again, with the complete list as follows:  Canada Goose, Red-Breasted Merganser, Cormorant, Jackdaw, Black-Headed Gull, Herring Gull, Carrion Crow,  Redshank, Goldfinch, Mallard, Pied Wagtail, Avocet, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Dunlin, Teal, Curlew, Black-Tailed Godwit, Great Black-Backed Gull, Bar-Tailed Godwit, Grey Plover, Common Gull, Grey Heron, Little Egret, Oystercatcher, Brent Goose, Sanderling and Shelduck.  Some photos from the trip are beneath.

3 Sanderling on the shoreline

Part of a Brent Goose flock

A large Black-Tailed Godwit flock- some had rings on (yellow, red, yellow)

The Godwit flock taking flight

A summer plumage bird 

Summer plumaged bird (right) and Bar-Tailed Godwit (back centre)

Dunlin (right) feeding with Grey Plover (left)

3 Brent Goose over- the first of the trip

Throughout the journey, I was fuelled with Madeira Cake and Hot Chocolate out of flask!  When we disembarked however, we felt in need of a good meal.  First though, I had to remove most of the four layers I had on!  Walking back to the car, small flocks of vocal House Sparrows were seen in the hedgerow around the roads next to houses.  We then set off for The Globe, just around the corner from the harbour.  A fantastic meal was eaten, consisting of Roast Beef followed by Lemon Tart and Clotted Cream- superb!  I had begun to feel drowsy after all the good food I'd consumed when I noticed that the Bonaparte's Gull was on show at Dawlish Warren on the other side of the estuary.  Even though we were going in the opposite direction to home and I was rather doubtful we'd see it, we set off round the river once more.  

It was a good thing that we did, because on the way we saw a Greenshank in a shallow harbour just before Starcross along with Redshank, Wigeon feeding beside a shallow pool and Brent Geese feeding on the Starcross golf course.  Soon we were sitting in the Dawlish Warren car park hurriedly pulling on socks and boots for the walk ahead.  I knew that the walk would be a long one, but the feeling of being full I'd had since lunch made it even worse, when ambling across the dunes.  Little Grebe were heard calling from the marsh to our left.  Eventually we made it into the hide and I sat down, sweating.  First of all I noticed three gulls just out on the estuary.  I naturally assumed they were Black-Headed Gulls but when we asked one of the men in the hide if the rarer gull was on show, he replied that the left hand bird was the Bonaparte's Gull.  I was quietly ecstatic, having seen my first lifer for the year and one in a long line of lifers I've seen on the Exe Estuary.

Adult winter Bonaparte's Gull

In amongst 2 slightly large Black-Headed Gulls

We then settled down to see the waders coming in at high tide.  Turnstone, Dunlin, Oystercatcher, Curlew and Redshank were all present as well as Shelduck.  Thanking those in the hide, we then left and as we we walking along the sandy shoreline, large flocks of calling Brent Goose flew in from the fields and settled on the mudflats next to us, the setting suns last light reflecting off them.  

Landing Brent Geese

Dawlish Warren hide

To conclude, we managed 59 species for the weekend, 6 species of Gull, 13 species of Wader, 1 Lifer and two new birds for my Devon List (Nuthatch and Bonaparte's Gull).  As we drove back up to the Midlands, I sat content and knew that apart from my home, Devonshire is a place I love to be in.