For the birdwatcher the weeks and months through autumn and winter are as full of interest as any other, as several species of wildfowl move down from their high Arctic breeding grounds. Hotspots, of course, are coast, estuary and lake, places more than likely to throw up an unusual if not rare, sighting.
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• Great Northern diver.
Photo: Jay Nicholson |
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• Little egret chases its
aquatic prey |
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| • Curlew in November |
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| • Turnstones at skern |
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• Brents over the
skern embayment. |
On October 23 I received a message from Torringtonian Jay Nicholson. Earlier that day he had been on a "Coastwise" course at Ilfracombe aquarium and afterwards, with camera to hand, took a stroll over to the harbour. To his surprise and delight, there in the outer harbour was a great northern diver - in full spangled breeding plumage! And, further good fortune, it continued to swim into the inner harbour and, so close did it come into the side, he was able to shot a couple of good frames using just a standard lens. Well done Jay, I'm envious, few people this far south get to see the bird in eye-catching summer plumage.
In my early teens I had read Great Northern? by Arthur Ransome and ever since I have dreampt of seeing (and hearing) Gavia immer in its breeding plumage and habitat. Of course I have seen the occasional individual here along the north Devon coast eg. Morte Point, Yelland, Hartland - but only in the sombre winter livery of grey upper and white under parts. But strikingly white underparts one must say, revealed as I have seen on occasion when, after a meal the bird goes through a vigorous belly preening, rolling onto its side with leg held aloft.
All the five northern hemisphere species of diver - ie. great northern, red-throated, black-throated, Pacific and white-billed - can be seen from time to time in British waters. The best records in this part of the world must come from Cornwall's shores where both the rarely seen white-billed and pacific have appeared.
On the notably clear and bright morning of November 1 I was in Appledore with spotting scope and camera hoping to get a photograph or two of the King Eider, a remarkably rare visitor from the circumpolar regions. It goes without saying twitchers are coming from all over the country to get their "tick". It was in the bay off the Skern when I spotted it but as for a photograph, not a chance. It led me a merry dance, always staying just out of range for a decent shot. All the same it was good to see it - and should it return next winter even better, for then it will be a splendid sight indeed sporting a full orange frontal lobe extending from red bill to forehead. There are four species of eider: Steller's, common, king and spectacled. Three of the species, including the King of course would not normally be seen this far south, but it isn't unusual to find groups of common eider down here during the winter especially by the Instow/Yelland jetties...
The camera did get some use though. On the upper tidal mudflats of the Skern embayment a flock of twenty turnstones were, well flipping over stones and found to be fairly approachable before running faster than my walking pace could maintain equi-distance. Nonetheless I managed to get some closer shots when they decided to fly down to the tideline. The brents were there too and the usual curlew, redshank, little egret and oystercatchers.
Travelling back from Appledore I checked out Fremington Creek. Pretty quiet but a greenshank with the commoner species.