Part-time Birding: Red Phalarope

Showing posts with label Red Phalarope. Show all posts

Red Phalarope

Charmouth, Dorset

I've not seen a Red Phalarope for a few years, so a Juvenile just 30 minutes or so away was too tempting. I arrived at the Bridge near the mouth of the River Char to a crowd of non birders. A lot of questions later (I think I had managed to tell half the people in the area) admirers were aware of what it was, where it was from and where it was going. I didn't mind one bit as it was lovely to get people who were genuinely interested and appreciated the little grey bird. The bird was rather showy and a times was just a few feet away.

Red Phalarope (Juvenile)

A Mised Phalarope

Leisure Centre, Exmouth, Devon
I was on my way home from work, pondering about where I could go birding for half hour or so when a text popped up from Matt Knott. I pulled over to have a quick read and was glad I did as it read “Grey Phal Leisure Centre”. Well that answered my “where to go?” dilemma! I got to site about 10 minutes later to find Matt scoping the area. A quick chat revealed that it had vanished as quick as it had been seen. Matt moved on to Mudbank to search and I agreed to stay in case it came back. I have to be honest I felt optimistic as the tide and feeding opportunities looked more than favourable. Matt walked back from Mudbank and we were both disappointed by the fact it wasn’t still around. I had to go but Matt went off on a mission to relocate the bird, apparently with no luck.

Thanks to Matt for the text. I always appreciate it and even if I don’t see a bird that anyone alerts me too, I would rather the text and have the chance than to find out later and be disappointed not to have had the opportunity!

Not Quite 2,500 But Still A Great

Berry Head, Brixham, Devon
Me and my mate were planning on going to Porthgwarra today but my daughter was ill this morning. She went to school but I didn’t want to venture 2 and half hours away in case the school called to say “come and get her”. So we opted for a closer venue and Berry Head seemed the best option. As it happens the call never came so I was most aggrieved to see a report of 1,500 Great Shearwater at Porthgwarra. That’s a spectacle you don’t get to witness that often. I’ve since seen that the total was over 2,500 plus a possible Band-runped Storm Petrel. Now that’s a total slap across the chops!

I'm trying to be positive though as I did managed a single Great Shearwater at Berry Head, so all was not lost. The time spent on site was rather productive. Around 10 Great Skua and 8 Parasitic Jaeger on offer, with some very close in sightings. 2 Red Phalarope popped up a few times but the views were very brief. Balearic Shearwater numbers were in the region of 50 birds whilst we were on site and there was a single Manx Shearwater. Theres was 1 possible Sooty Shearwater. A distant bird that was rather long winged to be a Balearic Shearwater but I just couldn’t clinch it 100% and the view was ever so short. I still haven’t seen a European Storm Petrel this year and typically one was seen after I left.

One of the Parasitic Jaeger’s to me looked like a potential Pomarine Jaeger. See the second photo. What made me thnk with this bird was the fact that the breast band went all around, where as it should stop on a Parasitic. Not a complete clincher though as this can be misleading on both species but I also felt tha the birds flight was more relaxed, steady and strong.I guess that the jury will stay out on this one.

Also an unidentifiable small Skua. Size pointed to Long-tailed Jaeger but again, far too distant to clinch a positive ID.

Orcombe Point, Exmouth, Devon
Later in the afternoon I had a very quick look from the raised beach huts. Not a great deal on offer except circa 25 Common Scoter.