Sunday 11 December 2016

Geese Quarries - Charleton Marsh

It was a stunning morning here today. Very still with early morning fog dispersing apart from over the Kingsbridge Estuary. Very different to yesterdays rain. I headed out for one of my favourite winter walks, up the fields behind West Charleton, past the beacon and down to the estuary foreshore below Geese Quarries in Frogmore Creek. The little fog that was left was soon clearing and I was not alone. A big fishing competition meant a few anglers were scattered around. I was mad on fishing when I was younger. It used to be a big treat when I was in my early teens to take a day trip, once a month maybe, with my father to the Barbican in Plymouth where we would go fishing for big Conger and Ling on the charter boats going out and fishing the East Rutts near the Eddystone. Looking back I think this was where a small interest in birds got bigger with the other anglers telling me where the Manx Shearwaters used to go in winter, I could not believe it was south America ! There are a lot of parallels between fishing and birding, some days that should be good are rubbish and vice-versa and often the more you try the less you see  or catch. In view of the fact I know one angler who started fishing at midnight they have to shade the slighty greater anorak award. Also, lets be honest nothing coming out of that estuary is going to taste like fillet steak. To their great credit, with flounders at least, every effort is made to put the fish back in a healthy state, even the ones taken for weighing so fair play to our angling friends.


As for the birds, there were plenty of them as well on the low tide. Loads of whistling Wigeons  and in North Pool Bay about 50 Pintail. Walking towards Wareham Point a few Great Crested and Little Grebes along with 11 Red-breasted Mergansers were keeping up with me on the water heading out towards the main estuary channel. Flocks of Wigeon went overhead as the tide started to cover North Pool Bay. Looking towards Charleton Point from Wareham Point the pristine viewing conditions allowed one of last weeks Slavonian Grebes to be seen and then the highlight of the morning, a Long-tailed Duck behind it, presumably the birdseen a couple weeks ago. Looked quite white so maybe a male but it was a long way off. Could not find the main flock of Brent Geese but the 14 I saw included a family party with 4 young. Spent an hour in the bird hide and it was great to see a skulking Water Rail in the channel below, another called further up the marsh. 20 Teal were on the scrape with an unexpected Green Sandpiper. Although a handful winter on the Avon most years, I cannot recall seeing any here in mid winter before.
Looking towards Halwell Point and back of Wareham Point from below Creekside House


Looking west across Charleton Bay from the bird hide, tide comes in fast !
Geese Quarries to Charleton Marsh, parking by the sewage works.
Can be made longer by going farther around to Curlew Drive ( see blog post for 4th December )

Looking towards North Pool Bay, Mergansers in front, mostly Wigeons behind and farthest specks mostly Pintails.



 

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