Week 14

2 - 8 April 2025

During my big year, I will update my blog most weeks. This is the fourteenth week's recap. This week, I have betrayed one of my rules for this year: to not leave Scotland. We will be spending the next few days in Southern England, in Oxford and in Exeter. The number next to the day indicates my year list at the end of that day. Birds written in italics indicate year ticks.

April 02 - Day 92: 138 (UK) 136 (Scotland)

Today, after working around the garden, my dad and I went for an evening outing to RSPB Otmoor. On the way there, I noted a melanistic Pheasant on the side of the road. We arrived rather late, at half past seven. As we walked along the hedges and marshes, we heard many Cetti’s Warblers, a rare bird in Scotland. After a while, I saw a moorhen-sized bird fly in front of us and into the reeds. I thought it was a moorhen until it started calling and revealed its identity. A Water Rail! Suddenly, we heard a deep booming sound. Bittern! Once very rare in the UK, with as little as 11 booming males in the country, only on the Somerset levels, in the late 1990s. They have now made an incredible comeback from the brink of extinction and now over 283 booming males are found all over the country, excluding the north of Scotland. Eventually, we had to turn back since it was getting very dark. We even saw some bats flying around on the way back to the car.

April 03 - Day 93: 143 (UK) 136 (Scotland)

Today, we woke up early to arrive to Exeter on time for my mother's job interview at the hospital. After some delicious pastries from the Waitrose - it's a shame there's not one in Aberdeen. We dropped off my mum and drove a few minutes to the Riverside Valley Park. Here, we met a local man, who was running a stand for the Devon Wildlife Trust. We had a lovely chat while hearing the now ever-present singing Chiffchaffs. As we walked along the banks of the river Exe, towards Exeter Quay, we found a Little Egret, a pair of Teal and a Greenfinch, among the more common species. Eventually, we spotted some hirundines flying quite high. Using my scope, I found that they were Sand Martins, my first for the year. A little later, while we were watching the Mallards and a Coot, a Swallow flew low over us, giving us dark but still delightful views. As we approached the more urban and built-up areas of the city, we saw a couple of Lesser Black-Backed Gulls mixed in between the Herring Gulls. As we walked over the bridge, we noted a Canada Goose, a Mute Swan and some more Mallards. We walked back down the river towards the car, spotting a Wren, some Dunnocks, Robins, Goldfinches and a Long-tailed Tit. My mum had finished with her interview, so we picked her up from the hospital and walked down-river. Before long, we found another sign the spring had arrived, the song of the male Blackcap. Although some birds overwinter in the UK, this species is predominantly a summer migrant. Just before turning back to the car, I found a Stock Dove nesting in a tree cavity, as well as a couple of Goldcrests showing well in a tree.

After getting back to the car, we drove about 20 minutes south to the Dawlish Warren NNR, in search of Cirl Bunting and, potentially, Dartford Warbler. After enduring the tremendous heat of 20 °C (we're still in Britain!), we arrived at the small village of Dawlish Warren, where we got a Cornish hot dog and ice cream, we set off after the Cirl Buntings. After a quick visit of the visitor centre, where we found out that they had been seen that day, we kept walking. Soon, we had arrived at a small pond, from which I heard my first Willow Warbler of the year. As we walked past the pond and onto the heathland, I kept both my eyes and my ears peeled for the chance of finding any of our two targets. We heard many Linnets, which often confused us, and a Stonechat. While my dad and my sisters left to play on the beach, my mum and I spotted an immature bunting perched on the branches of some brambles. Sadly, we didn't have the camera and, by the time the others had arrived, it was gone. We scoured the area, not finding the bird and getting quite disappointed. Just before we were about to leave, I walked up to the fence, near where we had seen the immature bunting, earlier on. When I looked down behind the grass bank, the Cirl Bunting was there! I slowly retreated to not scare the bird and got the camera in my possession. I walked back slowly, getting a few shots of the bird before it flew. Suddenly, near one of the many Stonechats, my parents spotted something walking in the grass. It was an adult male Cirl Bunting. Luckily, it didn't see me approach it, so I got great pictures before it flew.

April 04 - Day 94: 145 (UK) 136 (Scotland)

Today, since it was our last morning in Exeter, to visit RSPB Bowling Green Marsh, in Topsham, which was about 15 minutes from our hotel. Over the past few days, a Long-billed Dowitcher, some Spotted Redshanks and up to 4 Spoonbills were being seen here, so we thought it would mean a nice visit. When we arrived in Topsham, we didn't go directly to the reserve and, instead, stopped at the bank of the River Exe. From here I saw some Little Egrets, Redshanks, and a Curlew and heard a Cetti's warbler from the Exe Reed Beds. We then parked the car and started walking towards the reserve, hearing many birds, including Chaffinches, Robins, Great Tits, Blue Tits, Blackcaps, Long-tailed Tits, Chiffchaffs, Dunnocks and a Great Spotted Woodpecker. Just before arriving at the visitor centre, we saw a House Martin, and a male Marsh Harrier gliding gracefully over the reeds. Unfortunately, the others already in the hide had not seen the Spotted Redshanks nor the Dowitcher. Luckily, despite them being hidden behind tall grass, it didn't take me very long to spot the Spoonbills. Among the other birds at the visitor centre, we saw Teal, Shelduck, a Little Egret, a Grey Heron and Pintail. On the way out of the visitor centre I heard, and then saw, a Willow Warbler. Along the Goat Walk, I also saw some Black-headed Gulls, a Turnstone, more Little Egrets, some Oystercatchers and a Curlew. As we were walking back towards the car we saw many of the same species as well as a couple of flyover Swallows.

April 05 - Day 95: 145 (UK) 137 (Scotland)

Today, while we stopped for lunch near Dumfries, on the way back up to Aberdeen, I saw a flock of Sand Martins, which were new for my Scotland year list. I also dipped on a Glaucous Gull (again) at Bridge of Dee.

Days 92 - 95: https://ebird.org/tripreport/348103