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Outdoor Meeting - Sunday 15th January 2006 Seaton Pits At this time of year there are often thrushes on the pasture and in the adjacent parkland and we found good numbers of fieldfare and Redwing showing well. Amongst them scattered blackbirds, song and occasional mistle thrushes provided a good opportunity to compare these common but attractive birds. Sadly there were rather few finches attendant on this gathering, only a few chaffinches feeding in the leaf litter. We kept an eye open for a Firecrest, but found instead the first of 3 wintering chiffchaffs in the willows along the riverside and a brief glimpse of a Green woodpecker as it crossed the path... No sign of the ever elusive grey wagtail, on the weir, so we turned our attention to the lake. Bright sunshine is a bonus at Seaton in the morning as we view the main lake from the southern shore. This means that wildfowl are superbly well lit and we soon found some female Goldeneye diving amongst the Tufted ducks and inevitable coots. We moved on to the first real viewpoint of the lake, gaining the briefest of views of a kingfisher before settling down to enjoy the spectacle. Wildfowl numbers were well up in response to shooting on an adjacent farm. Over 600 wigeon and at least 350 Greylag geese flew in just after first light. It was quite noticeable how these started to drift back in small groups when the guns had gone home!
Good numbers of Shoveler (120), Gadwall (70+) and Tufted Duck (ca180) added to the general throng of ducks and we were able to pick out. also 5 Goldeneye (2 drakes displaying) and a winter peak of Smew. At least 8 redheads and two fine drakes showed wonderfully in the morning sunlight. Less spectacular but a real bonus was the wintering Black-necked grebe which showed very well from the footpath at moderate range. This bird, present since November, is very elusive and spends much of its time on the other lakes away from public access. I lost count of little grebes, probably more than nine, and five Great Crested Grebes added waterfowl diversity. There were a good number of Pochard showing well, and at least two lonely looking Ruddy Ducks, a sad remnant of the former wintering population... Our walk took us on down the valley away from wildfowl viewpoints and on along the little Stour. We found some vocal Great Spotted woodpeckers on the edge of the wood and further Chiffchaffs and two invisible Cetti’s warblers. A real bonus was a Firecrest, flitting dynamically around and giving quick but not really satisfactory views before disappearing in the treetops. Two Little Egrets and several Grey Herons were loitering along the river and I had the briefest of glimpses of a raptor which was probably one of our peregrines, gone in a flash chasing something up the valley.
Below Deadmans bridge we split up, two members opting not to climb a precarious gate to look for harriers. In the event we all saw a fine Marsh Harrier rise from the reeds and circle away, but whereas we intrepid band enjoyed some nice views of stonechats, the two more cautious and prudent observers saw a circling buzzard over the ridge towards Stodmarsh! We wandered back along the Little Stour ever hopeful of a grey wagtail, but then met a veritable army of ramblers clad in all the colours that grey wagtails find anathema. To add insult to injury they mistook us for a camera club outing, although one did think we resembled an army on manoeuvres.
My early morning walk also produced 1 Woodcock, 2 Jays and a mixed finch flock in the Alders comprising 15 Goldfinch, 12 Siskin, 8 Redpoll and at least 2 Mealy redpolls, so that we managed a total of 60 species.
My thanks to all those who accompanied me for making a morning’s delightful birding yet more enjoyable.
Norman McCanch |