2020 Review And New Year Listing

2020 Review

Last year was a tough one for all. I did far less birding than other years. Mainly due to home working. My normal routine means I bird before and after work on both commutes. Since I'm not commuting, that wasn't possible add to that to 3 months of home schooling and..... 

However, I did manage 202 species with a number of lifers in the mix. The Sociable Lapwing had to be the stand out bird. I did however feel slightly sad when I saw it. Why? Because its endangered in its natural habitat and who knows if one will ever grace our shores again. A sobering reminder of how fragile life is. I have seen European Bee-eater abroad on several occasions but to see not one but 13 for the first time in the UK was a special moment. The Tundra Bean Goose in Somerset was also a lifer (seen Tiaga) and I was amazed by how tame it seemed. I guess that its not used to humans and therefore doesn't fear us?

Other notable species were the Blue-winged Teal at Mandands, Long-billed Dowitcher at Bowling Green Marsh and Surf Scoter at Labrador Bay (before Covid-19 kicked off). A lesser Yellowlegs at Averton Gifford and 10 Ring Ouzel at Avon Dam were also very memorable. Superb views of Western Yellow Wagtail and Eurasian Penduline Tit at Steart Marsh were very enjoyable. On the Warbler front the Marsh Warbler at Tipton St John and Melodious Warbler at Dawlish Warren were great to see. Others great bits and bobs include American Wigeon (Exmouth) and Green-winged Teal (Matford). I didn't do much sea watching but did manage Great Shearwater, Pomerine Jaeger and Parasitic Jaeger from Berry Head and a Sooty Shearwater, European Storm Petrel and a Leach's Storm Petrel off Otterton.

Species I missed that I would normally expect to see were Eurasian Bittern, Common Cuckoo, Water Rail, Common Crane, Bewick's Swan, Barnacle Goose, Egyptian Goose, Arctic Tern, Roseate Tern, Red Kite and Sanderling! What a strange year it has been. 

I also added a few Butterfly lifers with Long-tailed Blue, Grizzled Skipper and Wood White at Seaton and Lulworth Skipper at Portland.

2021 New Year List 

I didn't have time to put in a full day so no magical 100 for me. 

My first bird was a European Goldfinch on the feeders in my garden and by the end of my Coffee I had logged the 5 commoner Thrush species. 

We had a family walk from Budleigh Salterton beach to the White Bridge this morning. Highlights were a Common Loon, a flock of Common Scoter that included a Velvet Scoter and Water Pipit.

Late afternoon I took a walk around my estate and the farmland behind my house and added a number of species. I finished the day on 70 species. Not too shabby for little effort. 

Here's hoping that 2021 will be a better year for all. 

Greater Scaup And Ruff

Bowling Green Marsh, Topsham, Devon 
I popped in at high tide after work in the hope of seeing the Greater Scaup and Ruff. There was a lot of activity and the waders were unsettled. There must have been a raptor nearby but no one in the hide got sight of one. Plenty of the normal species on offer with good numbers of Pier Avocet. The Ruff was picked up by Dave Boult soon after I arrived. He gave me directions on were the Greater Scaup was last seen but it had gone AWOL. I was about to call it a day when I picked it up in the centre of the marsh. The Iong-billed Dowitcher was on sight but couldn't be located.

I also learned that I can now again add Hudsonian Whimbrel to my list as the IOC have split it. I'm glad as I have seen 2 individuals. 1 in Sussex in 2015 and the other in Cornwall in 2016.

Greater Scaup (Male)

Greater Scaup (Male)

Ruff

New Year

Bowling Green Marsh, Topsham, Devon
I managed to get 2 hours out whilst the rest of the family went to watch Frozen 2 in the cinema at Exmouth. It was nice to be on familiar turf. I popped here first as it's a good place to start your new year list. The highlight was the Long-billed Dowitcher that was rather showy at times. Also of note were Pied Avocet, Bar-tailed Godwit, Northern Pintail and Common Pochard.

Darts Farm, Topsham, Devon
On the fields were decent numbers of Brant Goose and a good sized finch flock that included many Conmon Linnet and a Common Reed Bunting

Mudbank Lane, Exmouth, Devon
Not too much on offer apart from the expected species.

Orcombe Point, Exmouth, Devon
I bumped into Matt Knott here but I literally only had 10 minutes before I had to pick the family up from the cinema. Matt informed me that the Cirl Bunting was in the dung heap but it failed to show for me.

Not the haul I hoped for but ended the few hours with 60 species.

Another Long-billed Dowitcher

Bowling Green Marsh, Topsham, Devon.
After not having time to look for the Long-billed Dowitcher yesterday, I had a look off the viewing platform before work as it had been reported. On arrival I bumped into Dave Boult who advised me it had flown further down the estuary and he was trying to relocate it. After a little look, I decided to give up and look over the afternoon high tide. The hide was packed out with a few familiar faces. Keith Birchall said it wasn’t on site but it should be in very soon as the Waders were starting to come in from the estuary. He kindly pointed out a Curlew Sandpiper showing rather nicely in front of the hide.

The long-billed Dowitcher then came in as expected and gave some nice views on the far island and after a little while came even closer. Also on sight was a juvenile Garganey and Ruff. Only armed with bins I couldn’t take any pictures. My 3rd ever Long-billed Dowitcher (2nd this year) and my 1st in Devon.

Long-billed Dowitcher

Lodmoor, Weymouth, Dorset
Me and my mate Pete set off to look at would be only my second Long-billed Dowitcher. My first sighting was also at Lodmoor, as was my only sighting of Short-billed Dowitcher. Finding this bird was so easy. It was asleep just a couple of hundred yards away from the Reserve entrance. It woke up after a few minutes and gave great views. Unfortunately, my phone camera sensor is kaput. So I could only manage this crappy record shot. The only other bird of note was a Ruff.

Long-billed Dowitcher 

Portland Bill, Dorset
We moved on to the quarry in search of the Eurasian Wryneck bit despite a bit of a stakeout, it was nowhere to be seen. It was a similar story for the Lapland Bunting. Around the area though, were double figures of Northern Wheatear and singles of Whinchat and White Wagtail.