Kitchen Sink Birding

Wheatear, Colyton, 26/04/2020 (Copyright TD Wright)

Today was one of the best days of lockdown! I saw some blogworthy birds without leaving the flat; from my kitchen window, no less! I heard a major kerfuffle from the gulls but could only see Common Buzzards, albeit 12 of them, in a large kettle rising to the west of Colyton. Lots of gulls and corvids with them so maybe there had been some good feeding opportunity over there. Flying through my binocular view were several House Martins which was great as over Bridge Marsh yesterday the swarm of Sand Martins and Swallows didn't contain any House Martins.
    Incredibly, the best bird of all was closer than all of these. I've seen Black Redstart on the Colyton rooftops before but this was my first ever 'urban' Colyton Wheatear! It performed alongside the House Sparrows and Goldfinches for half an hour. Very nice.
      Belated News From Last Sunday (19th) - I saw a distant raptor last week which I couldn't make up my mind about. I only have poor pics but here's a couple of them to peruse if you have the inclination. I just thought the jizz of this bird was not like the usual Buzzards. Therefore it could have been something unusual but I couldn't even string it as anything definite. If anybody wants to comment on it, feel free...

Raptor species, near Colyton 19/04/2020

Raptor species, near Colyton 19/04/2020 (Copyright TD Wright)

Poverty Lockdown!

    I have to say it's nice to see everyone else experiencing the same restrictions as me for a while. For three years or more I've been restricted in my movements by lack of money and no car. I've also tried to socially distance myself from people with coughs for years as I know that, as a zero-hours worker, I will not get sick pay if I can't work due to illness. To be honest, I'm doing many of the same things I normally do - walking around Colyton, cycling maybe as far as Seaton - so it's mainly the closure of the library and, horror of horrors, my "lockdown hairstyle" which have marked these times as distinct from others. I have a suspicion that the air quality has improved a little (which is good for my asthma) but the roads seem to be busy enough still.
    Anyway, what birds have I seen? Well, I haven't done too badly really. I've tried some areas of high ground near Colyton and have seen or heard some migrants; in places I tend to have all to myself in birding terms. The sight of a lone Wheatear in a field of Pied and White Wagtails, the sounds of a calling Cuckoo and a singing Lesser Whitethroat have all complemented the views from Colyton hill very nicely.
    As for Colyton itself, I have now seen all 3 hirundines around the town/parish and a single Swift. Best of all, however, was a very low Osprey which flew N over the town on a very grey afternoon. Two species of Owl have been calling at dusk.

Field near Colyton with Axe Cliff in distance (Copyright TD Wright)

    Another area I can legitimately explore is Cownhayne lane by bike. Often quiet, it suddenly burst into life after last weekend's fall and produced 2 Whinchat, 10 Wheatears and 4 White Wagtails among 20+ Pieds. From the end of Cownhayne, Bridge Marsh is viewable and supplied a distant cracker. A male Yellow Wagtail among the Pieds was also accompanied by a Whinchat on the dried-up pool.

Whitethroat, Axe Cliff, April 2020 (Copyright TD Wright)

    My fortnightly trip to Tesco in Seaton enabled me to add Knot, Barwit and many Whimbrel to my birding smorgasbord in a quick gander at the estuary. A quick walk up to Axe Cliff was combined and produced singing Whitethroat and Yellowhammer. Also Willow Warbler.
     That's the best of the edited highlights for now. I still haven't seen a Red Kite but did manage a Marsh Harrier near the A3052 one day. The less said about high-flying 'barn doors' the better.