A day out in Devon, June 2014

It's been a quiet year on the day trip front, with most of my time focused on consultancy work for Wild Future and what little spare time remains on adding to the website content. But last week's outing to Ashdown Forest to see the country's third ever Short-toed Eagle had got my juices flowing. When the long-staying Spectacled Warbler disappeared from the north Norfolk coast on Thursday, I switched my planned Friday excursion to my former stomping ground around Exeter in Devon.

Labrador Bay RSPB reserve (June 2014)

Leaving Woking at 5.30am, it was a beautiful drive down the A303 on a bright and sunny morning - an atmospheric mist around Stonehenge was the only time all day that the sun was not beating down. By 8.15am, I was standing in the car park atop Labrador Bay, 3km south of Teignmouth, watching and listening to two singing male Cirl Buntings perched on the thick hedgerows. [Listen to them yourselves!]

This was my first visit here - Labrador Bay was acquired by the RSPB in 2009, four years after I moved on from being their Regional Reserves Manager for south-west England. We'd spent a great deal of time looking for the perfect reserve area to provide a safe home for Cirl Buntings and it was a pleasure to finally be there.

Cirl Bunting by Andy Morffew via Creative Commons

Looking north across the reserve

It's a tremendous view from the car park. The grassland and arable fields tumble beautifully down the hill to the cliff tops. It was somewhat hazy today; Hope's Nose was clear along the coast to the south but Portland was a smudge on the north-east horizon.

Looking south to Maidencombe, Torquay and Hope's Nose

I strolled just half a kilometre into the undulating reserve to the south, along the edge of one of the arable fields and sat looking across a scrubby downslope to more grassland and, beyond, to Maidencombe and Hope's Nose. This was a spot I occupied for the next half an hour and could have stayed much longer at. Whitethroats, Goldfinches, Skylarks, a Goldfinch and a Greenfinch were singing. Three more Cirl Buntings, two females and a male, alighted briefly on a branch in front of me, giving great views.

A male Linnet perched in a shrub close by for several minutes and another male's song came from across the hillside. A Raven drifted along the cliff tops, calling, and a Common Buzzard hunted across the opposite slope of the field. Offshore, a Gannet was cruising and diving. Foxgloves added colour in every direction and a Giant Puffball was on the ground nearby. I probably wasn't paying enough attention but Marbled White and Small Copper butterflies can be seen here.

Giant Puffball (Calvatia gigantea)

With the rush hour through Teignmouth over, I made may way back to the car and took the A379 north along the coast. I took a short walk along the beach and nature reserve at Dawlish Warren, more for nostagalgia than anything else, enjoying the Evening Primroses flowering in the sandy areas near the car park (despite being invasive non-natives). Only a Black-headed Gull appeared to be offshore - no Great Northern Divers or scarcer gulls, although some were seen later that day.

Dawlish Warren south beach (above) and nature reserve (below)

I headed north again to Topsham and another RSPB reserve - Bowling Green Marsh, the high-tide roost for the north of the Exe Estuary. This time I had a particular aim in mind - the first summer Ross's Gull that had been roosting here for the last three weeks and what would be a first sighting for me. The roost gatherings here are always an exciting viewing. It's not that large an area and there's always lots of birds on show.

And so it proved. The hide was relatively full and I took to leaning against the rear wall with my scope, listening to the words of wisdom from others whilst I scanned the pool. The first bird I laid eyes on was an adult Spoonbill in the channel close to the hide - superb! There were around 800 Black-headed Gulls in three groups around the pool but with several gems inter-mixed. There were some Mediterranean Gulls wading, and I had great views of second summer and adult birds. A Bonaparte's Gull was loafing on the water - only the second I had seen - and a Little Gull rested in the bay. And on the back mud shore - the Ross's Gull was just visible amongst the Black-heads. The world's two smallest gull species in the same place - fantastic. I'm not that fond of gulls but with Common and Herring Gulls also present, it was quite a collection.

The high-tide roost at Bowling Green Marsh RSPB

There was also a big group of waders present in front of the reedbed at the back. I was pleased to see about five Bar-tailed Godwits amongst the Black-taileds and, on the edge of a group of 80 or so Redshank, two Spotted Redshanks in their glorious black and speckled summer plumage - both species I don't see too regularly. Four Whimbrel were also present to make a great trio.

(above) Mediterranean Gull in flight, by Maarten van Kleinwee, via Creative Commons,
 and a beautiful Spotted Redshank by Michele Lamberti, via Creative Commons (below)

After an hour or so I was preparing to leave when a discussion broke out about an odd looking Herring Gull on the far bank - or was it a Caspian Gull, a rarity in Devon? We knocked some ideas around for a while and came to the conclusion it probably was just a Herring Gull - but it was an informative debate which is encapsulated in this blog post from Tim Worfolk.

No visit would be complete without a stroll on the Pebblebed Heaths and I stopped off at Woodbury Common and Aylesbeare Common RSPB reserve for some more fresh air and exercise.

Woodbury Common (above) and Bicton College (below)

The final call of the day was at my alma mater, Bicton College, near East Budleigh, which specialises in land-based and environmental education. There's some improved accommodation and new facilities, but it retains the same 'small school' feel I remember from the mid-90s. Maybe I'll see if I can do a refresher or two there!

And so the day ended with the drive back to Surrey, not disturbed too much by the pre-solstice traffic management - perhaps June 20th isn't the best day for this drive but it didn't hold me up for long. A fantastic day out.

Champagne, May 2013 (3): Foret d'Orient & Lac Amance

After overnighting in Troyes and enjoying the old town, I awoke to spend my birthday - 21 again - out in the sunshine around Foret d'Orient Regional Nature Park. Unfortunately the sun hadn't read the script and it was a tad overcast and showery.

Foret du Temple (above & below)

After a quick stop at the Maison du Parc (where the D43 and D79 meet in the north-east corner of Lac d'Orient) to look at the books and leaflets, I drove to my favourite area of the park: Foret du Temple, accessed by the Route Forestiere du Temple just under 3km east of the Maison du Parc. This area of forest is known to be good for woodpeckers in the winter and spring, although I had no expectation of what I might find in May - I was just hoping for a better return than my trip to Cornee du Der the day before.

I initially headed out away from my favourite area and instead followed the Salamander discovery trail which runs through the forest and along the south-east margins of Lac du Temple. It was an interesting stroll but only commoner woodland birds were around for the most part. However, a Great-Spotted Woodpecker drummed nearby and a Green Woodpecker laughed at me from out of sight somewhere. Halfway along the trail, the heavens opened for a few minutes and I sheltered under a tree to keep my kit dry. Afterwards, the clouds disappeared and it was blue skies for the rest of the day.

Heading back along the trail I had a little more luck, with a Marsh Tit alighting very close to me and a Golden Oriole singing away. Under my feet, too, there was something to look at - a group of four Dor Beetles seemed to be feasting on one of their own dead, not something I was aware that these dung beetles did - although if you'll eat dung, I suppose there's not much that'll put you off!



Back at the car park, I headed east into the more mature woodland where I'd had the greatest success in the past. But, again, birds were few and far between and the thick canopy meant relying on my ears more than my eyes for identification. A singing Wood Warbler made the effort all worthwhile though with stunning views.

Wood Warbler, by Frank Vassen under CCSA

With birdlife at a premium I instead strolled back via the sunny forest rides, enjoying the wild flowers and butterflies. Looking more at my feet than where I was going, I looked up to see three Wild Boar crashing out of the undergrowth no more than a dozen yards in front of me - I'm not sure who was more startled! They ran as if for their lives down the ride away from me, before making a sharp right back into the thick understorey. My best views ever of this elusive species!






With little else to report, I headed to my home for the next couple of nights: Camping Les Rives du Lac, on the north shore of Lac d'Orient just east of Geraudot village and flanked by both beautiful meadows and the woodland of Le Petit Orient. Heather and I had stayed here on our original foray in May 2008 and it is a pretty little site with good facilities. It was fairly quiet so I managed to secure the prime (for me) north-west corner pitch, number 078, overlooking the large oak in the meadow, the edge of the forest and an area of scrub. In the by now roasting sunshine, I nodded off in the car before managing to energise myself to pitch the tent. After some quick 'Happy Birthdays' on Skype, dinner was superb pizza and Bordeaux at the nearby pizzeria.

Camping Les Rives du Lac, Geraudot

With Sunday morning starting heavy and overcast, I was in no hurry to get out and about (nothing to do with the red wine) and instead had a leisurely breakfast at the campsite, watching a Black Redstart darting around and listening to the Blackcaps and a Melodious Warbler in the nearby scrub. Eventually I managed to roust myself and headed towards the north-eats of the park area. I stopped at the outfall channel of Lac d'Auzon-Temple and climbed the steps to look out over the lake. House Martins were attending to the nests under the outfall structure, a Corn Bunting sang from around the car park and Linnets hopped from bush to bush.

 Outfall channel, Lac d'Auzon-Temple

A few miles further on I reached Lac Amance, the smallest of the three lakes in the park but possibly the most interesting. On its western edge, just south of the canal that runs from Lac d'Auzon-Temple, a gravel car track leads to a large observatory hide. I've had some good birds here previously, the highlight perhaps being a Little Bittern in May 2008, but it's also a pleasant view and a great place to contemplate the world. Today, a couple of Black Terns were amongst the Common Terns out over the lake, whilst a pair of Reed Buntings, a Sedge Warbler and a Great Reed Warbler entertained amongst the reeds and scrub.

 Lac Amance from the hide (above & below)

Stretching for more than half a kilometre south-east of the hide is a good area of semi-natural wet grassland (left), and I strolled further along the track to view. A Red-backed Shrike moved along the fenceline with me and a Corn Bunting was singing nearby. A Nightingale sang from the depths of some willow scrub.

The track continues along the lake's south-west shore and can be used to cut through to the D443 between Dienville and Amance. I hadn't followed it before and, with the sun shining, now seemed like a good time. I pootled along in the Alfa, taking time to check out some good viewpoints of the reedbed and lake. I found a beautiful spot with a picnic bench overlooking the lake for lunch.

More views from along the track by Lac Amance (above & below)

With the car windows down, I overheard a storm of birdsong coming from an area of scrub on the right-hand side - named on the map as Le Colombier (the Dovecote - although I couldn't see one). Standing in a gateway, I could hear Blackcap, Chiffchaff and the reeling of a Grasshopper Warbler. Around a corner I found a causeway across the lake's end (left) and, on the far side, some mature oak woodland meant to be quite good for woodpeckers; a half hour walk didn't turn up more than a Green but it's another spot to try in spring.

Eventually, after a thoroughly enjoyable time along Lac Amance, I joined the D443 and turned south. Just a kilometre past Amance village, a male harrier was quartering the road verge and as I passed I got a glimpse of barring under the wings. Montagu's? Another kilometre down the road, I looped round in a lay-by and sped back. A pair of Montagu's Harriers were now gliding together over the adjacent farmland and, with no traffic coming, I was able to stop and get amazing views and spot all the differences between them and Hen Harrier. Eventually the traffic did start moving and I relocated to a nearby side-road to watch further.

Male Montagu's Harrier, by Andy Li under CCSA

I explored some lakeside spots on Lac d'Orient without much to report and instead decided for an early departure the following day to check out the famous Platier d'Oye reserve near Calais. It's really best in winter and on migration but I managed to pick out a Mediterranean Gull amongst the nesting Black-headeds from the Maison dans la dunes hide and enjoyed the Avocets before a rather rough crossing home to Blighty.

Champagne, May 2013 (2): Lac du Der's side lakes

 Etang des Landres

A few hundred metres from Lac du Der's south-western shore, there are three small reed-fringed lakes - the Lakes of Outines-Arrigny or Etangs d'Outines-Arrigny - hidden amongst the woodland and farmland that I had never explored and this trip seemed the perfect chance. Two of the lakes are connected by a 2.5km circular walk from the car park on the west side of the D13 near Site de Chantecoq in Lac du Der's south-west corner.

These side lakes can hold some species in winter less likely to be found on the main lake, such as Great White Egret and Bearded Tit, whilst in spring and summer their reedy margins can be good for Bittern and the scrub and hedges for Red-backed Shrike. For me though, the walk will always be remembered for my first Long-eared Owl!

Long-eared Owl, by Tony Hisgett under CCSA

A surfaced and signposted path runs from the roadside across an area of cattle-grazed pasture (seemingly called 'the Bushy Fox' on the map) but I ignored this and instead headed down a parallel and damp green lane, intrigued by what might be skulking in the thick hedges. Within a few paces I was rewarded by the owl emerging from cover and flying away low down the lane, affording me superb views.


Just as suddenly, it disappeared into the hedge again before popping out a second time to fly even further down the lane. Not wanting to disturb it any further, I retraced my steps slow enough to enjoy a couple of singing Nightingales and a Yellowhammer and followed the proper route. Within ten minutes I reached a hide overlooking the south end of Etang des Landres.

Reedbed at Etang des Landres

I didn't linger long as I was enjoying the sunshine more than the coolness of the excellent two storey hide, so no expectation of Bittern, but a Little Grebe dived close by and a Pochard loafed with pairs of Tufted Duck and Gadwall, two male Teal and numerous Mallard. I counted 43 Mute Swan dotted about. Common Terns circled on the far side whilst, a bit nearer, what appeared to be a Golden-ringed Dragonfly hawked the reedbed. The dark clouds combined with the warm light made for some good photos, I thought.

Back to the path and it entered some mature decidous woodland. Parts were almost impassable after the recent rain but I managed to jump some puddles and balance on some logs whilst juggling camera and telescope. Before long, the path opened out onto a meadow, with wild flowers such as Bugle and Germander Speedwell edging the path and the grassland of Meadow Foxtail, Meadow Buttercup and Dandelion waving in the breeze. More reed and water were visible in the distance.




The path continued on between mature woodland and the shore's marginal scrub with a permanent accompaniment of Blackcap and Chiffchaff whilst a male Black Oil Beetle also appeared to be following me. The path emerged to give more views of the same lake and I added a couple more species here with a Sparrowhawk out over the water and a Great White Egret peeping out of the reeds.

Pond at the edge of Etang du Grand Coulon

I was at the furthest point of this circular walk now and the path cut south through some wet woodland and out onto a boardwalk through the reedbed fringing the Etang du Grand Coulons. A wooden covered walkway ended in a small shelter-like hide and views of similar species to the first lake, although in greater numbers. A small pond on the lake margin gave super views of a Great Reed Warbler belting out his creaking song.

At this point, the return walk crosses the meadow seen earlier and rejoins the outward route - helpfully just before the very wet woodland section. I successfully navigated it again, made more enjoyable this time due to the song of a Golden Oriole.

Champagne, May 2013 (1): Lac du Der

 

Presqu'ile de Larzicourt, Lac du Der-Chantecoq

At last...after two years, I managed to squeeze in a few early May days in the south Champagne region. After originally discovering the lakes and forests of this beautiful and often quiet area when passing through in May 2008, I've made a couple of March trips for cranes, late waterfowl and woodpeckers but wanted to experience the early summer period with a bit more time at hand and to get some photos where the trees had leaves!

I made the 11.30am ferry with a couple of minutes to spare and could count the things forgotten on just one hand - not a bad start. The crossing was foggy but smooth and the drive south along the A26 wet but pleasant as always, with Michel Thomas' CDs gently reminding me of forgotten French. The flaw in my plan of not stopping until reaching Champagne was the fact that all the stores were closed by the time I turned off the motorway in Chalons-en-Champagne - not such a good start.

But by 6pm I was lakeside, on the south dyke on the west side of Lac du Der, listening to a Great Reed Warbler perched in the reedbed and watching Common Terns swoop elegantly over some nesting rafts moored beyond. The drizzle was making me re-think my camping strategy, but the sky was still quite bright so I manned up and headed to Camping de la Foret, near the Larzicourt peninsula in the north-west corner of the lake.

The campsite is very pleasant, overlooking the lake to the west and the Bois l'Abbesse woodland to the north and east. The site had a few occupants, mostly motorhomes and in the nice-looking chalets, but there were plenty of pitches to choose from and I opted to overlook an open coupe in the woodland. I just had time before sunset to take a stroll to the nearby shoreline to enjoy the sunset and a singing Nightingale.

After a dinner of cup-a-soup (which luckily Heather had packed me) and chocolate I headed to bed with a resolution to find a shop or bakery at the earliest opportunity. By 6.30am the sun was streaming through the tent and not long after I was exploring the campsite and checking out the woodland birds. A Cuckoo and Blackcap sang constantly close-by and a Golden Oriole's flute-like notes dropped down from the canopy, before I caught a glimpse of yellow as it flitted across the open ground in front of the tent. A female Linnet carrying food to a nest above the chalets and watching a Spotted Flycatcher performing its feeding acrobatics at very close quarters were other highlights.

Breakfast time (but without the breakfast) saw me back on the dyke, this time the northern section, and I noticed just how overflowing the lake was after all the recent rain: the water was lapping well past the marginal scrub and into the grazing meadow. The Longhorn cattle and Polish koniks - small, hardy, semi-feral Polish horses - didn't seem too perturbed when a pair of Little Egrets dropped in at their feet. A Black Kite and Common Buzzard flew over and a Common Whitethroat sang from a nearby hedge. Out on the lake, two Linnets hopped amongst the bushes protruding from the flood but water birds were scarce except for some lonely Great-crested Grebes, Mallards and Mute Swan. As I drove slowly along the dyke, a Lapwing displayed overhead: perhaps the flood had created some good habitat for them.

Polish koniks and Highland cattle

Some greying clouds and a hint of drizzle sent me further south along the western side of the lake to the Nature du Der centre near Site de Chantecoq. In four trips here, I had never seen the centre open to the public and no luck again this time. But several Yellow Wagtails were flitting from field to fence post along the rear of the buildings with one of their White relatives and a Corn Bunting was jangling in amongst them.

The short walk around nearby Site de Chantecoq is worthwhile at this time of year, taking in the big observation hide, a small spit out into the lake and a wet meadow with orchids. It was a Thursday lunchtime and the car park area was very busy, although no-one seemed to stay very long. Most people were looking up at a Black Kite drifting over, but I was more entertained by House Sparrows and a Linnet that were bathing on the flooded boat slip.


Hunger moved me in the direction of the Station Nautique near Giffaumont Champaubert, where I could grab some lunch, but it was very busy indeed so instead I pressed on to Eclaron on the north-east side of the lake where there is a good grocery store. In keeping with my luck so far, it was shut for lunch. However, the posh bakery was open so I bought what was possibly the best pain au chocolate ever and headed back down the lake's eastern shore to Braucourt and turned up the lane to one of my favourite spots at Presqu'ile de Champaubert.

It was also very busy here, but as ever the north-west path to the church was drawing most of the crowds and I slipped away north-east into the lovely damp meadows of Meadow Foxtail with Common-spotted Orchids, Bugle, Cuckooflower and Meadow Buttercup. An Orange Tip butterfly fluttered between the Cuckooflower. Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Garden Warbler showed and sang from the pockets of dense trees. Heading back towards the church in a roundabout way, I came to the adjacent willow scrub and a little patience paid off when a Tree Sparrow turned up with amongst some of his House Sparrow cousins.

Common-spotted Orchids and an Orange Tip butterfly on Cuckooflower

With 5pm showing, my thoughts were turning to food again and - at last - I found the store in Eclaron open. Feeling even better about life, I headed back along the north side of the lake towards the tent, taking in a diversion from the village of Sainte-Liviere down to La Breche, which is the breach made in the old dyke of the smaller Champaubert reservoir when it was expanded to create Der-Chantecoq). It's the drive rather than the destination that I like here, the narrow road winding between river, poplar plantations and then through mature woodland and along the lake shore. A Red Kite flew overhead at the river and three Tree Sparrow were chirping in the scrub on the path out to the breach itself.

 After a more satisfying meal and sleep - disturbed only by a Tawy Owl hooting right above the tent in the early hours - I was up early once more to strike camp. A Black Redstart was the only addition to the campsite bird list but a stroll around the woodland at  "la plage" - the nearby lake shore beach area - brought another Golden Oriole and a Green Woodpecker laughing away. But the main purpose of the morning was a return to my favourite hant in these parts.

Cornee du Der is a wooded peninsula from the lake's northern shore not far from La Breche and it reaches halfway across the lake towards the southern shore. It was here that I'd seen my first Mddle Spotted Woodpecker and Hawfinch plus my closest views of Black Woodpecker: the place always seemed to bring me great birds and the mature oak woodland is peaceful.

 Bumblebee on Dandelion

The usual woodland birds and a pair of Garden Warblers entertained me in the main parking area and then I ventured south down the track in the car and parked up at the next turning circle. From here, I strolled deeper into the woodland, without absolute clarity where I was but knowing that gradually bearing right would bring me out at the second turning circle on the track. Birds were relatively few and far between but I enjoyed the solitude and quiet of the woodland rides. Small frogs jumped into path puddles as I approached. A pair of Sparrowhawks looped together overhead in their display flight and I tracked down the purring of a Turtle Dove to the very top of an old stag-headed oak. An hour's stroll brought me to the second turning area and I sauntered back down the track to the car, enjoying the bees, butterflies and wild flowers.

Purple Heron, by Ferran Pastraña under CCSA

A final circuit of the lake before heading off for an evening in Troyes saw me back on the southern dyke where my visit started to say "au revoir" to Lac du Der and a flypast from a Purple Heron was the perfect way to part.

Isle of Mull, October 2011

Otter at The Shielings, Craignure Bay

Just back from a two week trip to Canada, I was straight off again with our photographer chief (cousin Dave) for a week's stint on the Isle of Mull, with camping, birding and playing with a very expensive 400mm lens all in store.

It started well enough, with a fine sunset over our campsite at Killiechronan, at the head of Loch na Keal, where we had a stunning view over the beach and the obliging Whooper Swans, Curlew and other waders.

We woke to the dark skies and on-and-off rain that would accompany us for the rest of the week but, more importantly, two White-tailed Eagles were sat quietly on the beach - as they would be on the next two mornings as well. We also had fantastic views of them in flight around the head of the loch and perched in the tops of nearby conifers; there are several roadside pull-offs where you can stop to scan for the birds.

The weather rapidly deteriorated, with gale force winds and driving rain leading to dripping wet camera gear, soaked clothes and a tent pole snapping like a dry twig at 5am...so the following day we relocated to the fixed (and heated!) tents at The Shielings in Craignure. This was a great spot, overlooking the coast, and a with two minute walk we could sit and scan the sea and shoreline for passing seabirds, migrants and otters, with some success. We had good views of Red-throated Diver, passing Guillemots and superb views of flying and diving Shags and Cormorants. The resident Otter was also rather curious of us and showed on two days on shoreline rocks within ten metres, as well as giving longer-range views swimming and feeding.

Eas Fors waterfall: the lower falls plummet 100 feet onto the beach

After a couple of wet days exploring some of the local sights, we had some decent weather in the north of the island and out on the Isle of Iona. From the Iona ferry we spotted a small group of Barnacle Geese flying south and later located a single at Fidden.

We explored Grasspoint on a couple of occasions to watch and photograph the rutting Red Deer; the stag was extremely vocal (in fact, the whole island echoed to the sound of bellowing stags!) and he had a large group of perhaps 30 hinds. This area is Buzzard central and we also enjoyed watching a hunting female Hen Harrier.

Loch Don was perhaps the biggest surprise of the week; it hadn't turned up much in the pre-trip research but this very tidal sea loch is superb for waders, gulls and duck with the added bonus of a large raptor roost. We visited only shortly before dusk on our last night but had Turnstone, Ringed Plover, Curlew, Goldeneye and Goosander; this will be first stop next time. The roost had up to 13 Hen Harriers in the week we were there.

All in all a superb trip, despite the weather, and the island definitely lived up to its reputation as one of the UK's top wildlife destinations; we'll be back in the spring, for sure.