January 2nd 2017 - Topsham
OK, it's been a while. Several reasons come to mind but mostly it's just idleness and bloody-mindedness. Early in the autumn I decided the theme for the season was going to be 'patch loyalty'. I'd turn my nose up at all the fancy vagrating exotica turning up elsewhere and spend my time in and around Topsham; yeah, I know I twitched the LG Shrike in September but that was only 40 miles away and it was a shrike, plus my plan hadn't fully developed by then. So I daily scanned The Rec for rare gulls, stood by suitable bushes at BGM and Highfield Farm listening for the calls of lost Siberian passerines, and checked the pools for transatlantic waders. The result - zero. Nothing to trouble the BBRC (or even the DBRC for that matter). I could have become discouraged; maybe it was the patch, maybe it was me. But The Rec has had some great birds in the past and I've even found some of them myself. This is where bloody-mindedness comes in to its own, persistence in the absence of encouragement or, no birds yet - keep plugging away. At this point I should be able to report a major rarity find but as you'll know that hasn't happened just yet. Still, a new year and all that; January and February to come and still the chance of a decent gull, we've turned the corner on winter and spring's now in sight. I decided to refresh my birding batteries, join the crowd for a day and spend a few hours just pottering around Topsham on my bike for some New Year's Day birding - I know it was the 2nd but the 1st was a shocker so I postponed. Maybe it was the weather, sunny though not warm, maybe it was bumping in to old birding mates, but more than anything it was the birds - nothing rare, just variety, a bit of spectacle and some real quality. I had a really great day; I also took a few photos.
First the Yellow-browed Warbler found by The Rec's other regular 'patcher' Martin Elcoate. Always a pleasure to spend time with one of these, I just wish they'd sit still a bit more often.
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| Yellow-browed Warbler - Topsham Rec 2/1/2017 |
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Tracking the bird and focusing through the branches was a little difficult at times.
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| Yellow-browed Warbler - Topsham Rec 2/1/2017 |
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| Yellow-browed Warbler - Topsham Rec 2/1/2017 |
Showing the faint pale crown stripe.
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| Yellow-browed Warbler - Topsham Rec 2/1/2017 |
The tail feathers appear to be worn and pointed indicating, not surprisingly, a 1st winter bird.
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| Yellow-browed Warbler - Topsham Rec 2/1/2017 |
Constantly searching for, and finding, food - overwintering caterpillars presumably.
Bowling Green Marsh and the VP were, as expected, heaving with people, Avocets and ducks so after an hour scanning the estuary for a few year ticks I went on to Goosemoor. The long-staying Spotted Redshank gave its usual close views as it swam and probed for worms (ragworm?) as soon as the falling tide allowed.
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| Spotted Redshank - Topsham Goosemoor 2/1/2017 |
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| Spotted Redshank - Topsham Goosemoor 2/1/2017 |
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| Spotted Redshank - Topsham Goosemoor 2/1/2017 |
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| Spotted Redshank - Topsham Goosemoor 2/1/2017 | | | | | | |
And possibly even more elegant, a fine Greenshank.
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| Greenshank - Topsham Goosemoor 2/1/2017 |
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| Greenshank - Topsham Goosemoor 2/1/2017 |
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| Greenshank - Topsham Goosemoor 2/1/2017 |
I dropped back in on The Rec later for the low tide gulls and another seesion with the Yellow-browed Warbler. The gulls failed to deliver but the YBW continued to perform and our wintering Goldeneye and Long-tailed Duck looked good enough to photograph, so I did.
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| Goldeneye - Topsham Rec 2/1/2017 |
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| Long-tailed Duck - Topsham Rec 2/1/2017 |
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| Long-tailed Duck - Topsham Rec 2/1/2017 |
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| Long-tailed Duck - Topsham Rec 2/1/2017 |
A few final thoughts: is Topsham really the best place in the world? Why does birding these days feel like an episode of 'Last of the Summer Wine', and why is every other birder I know called Dave?
