Birdwatching Trip Report – 24th August 2025

A full tram headed out at 6pm, with the last few hours of sunshine lighting up the Axe Valley for all to enjoy.  A cold easterly wind, however, ensured most passengers were wearing jumpers and coats, though!

Raptors were well represented during the trip.  Having enjoyed several good views of multiple Kestrels, a prolonged view of a Sparrowhawk, a Marsh Harrier then thrilled all on board by flying around above the reedbed at the upper end of the Axe Estuary.  At times it was circling high in the sky, but when we left, it was quartering low over the reedbed, which is how this species primarily hunts.  Although not technically a raptor, two Barn Owls could be seen peering out of their roosting box on the opposite side of the valley.

Wading birds were well represented, with the highlights being two Ruff and two Greenshank on Black Hole Marsh amongst larger numbers of Black-tailed Godwits, Redshank, Ringed Plover and Dunlin.  On Colyford Common scrape were a few Lapwing and Curlew, with a Bar-tailed Godwit seen in flight here being a nice surprise as they are not a regular species on the Axe.  On the Estuary, several Common Sandpipers and Oystercatchers were noted.

Kingfishers are usually seen during these late summer Birdwatching Tram Specials, but rarely are they seen as well as one of the ones that was seen during this trip.  Just as the tram was approaching Tower Hide we ground to a halt as one was perched on railings less than 30 yards in front of the tram!  It remained here for a couple of minutes before flying back past the tram.  There were two further sightings of Kingfishers during the trip, another of these being a perched view.

Small birds weren’t as well represented as usual, with several species heard only.  Several Stonechats were feeding from wires south of Black Hole Marsh, whilst overhead small numbers of House and Sand Martins were feeding up, presumably getting ready for the autumn migration that lays ahead of them.

In total 52 species of birds were recorded during the two-hour trip.