Little Egret

 Todays birding started at Bowling Green Marsh with the usual suspects seen with the long staying Greater Scaup , 3 Common Pochard , 10 Mallard , 8 Northern Pintail , 3 European Spoonbill , a Large flock of Black-Tailed Godwit and a single Bar-Tailed Godwit .

My next stop was at Tremletts Marsh in Topsham with a male and female Common Stonechat seen . My 1st on the Exe Estuary this year . My last stop was at Darts Farm again in Topsham with a Little Egret ( a bird that is common now but I can remember when it was an absolute rarity )  Also seen were 2 Stock Dove and a Common Chiffchaff .

Little Egret ( Egretta garzetta ) . Darts Farm . Topsham . Devon

 

Hanging On

 The long staying Long-Billed Dowitcher showed very well in the bright sunlight on Bowling Green Marsh this morning . ( It has now been with us for 7 months )

Also seen was the male Greater Scaup , a few Tufted Duck , 3 European Spoonbill , 10 Common Greenshank , a Spotted Redshank was in with numerous Common Redshank , 2 Stock Dove , a Common Chiffchaff and 4 Common Sand Martin .

Not bad for an hours birding !

Long-Billed Dowitcher ( Limnodromus scoloppaceus ) . Bowling Green Marsh . Topsham . Devon

 

Barnacle Goose

 News came out this morning of a couple of Barnacle Geese on Powderham Marsh so over I went to look for them and I managed to see one of them , there was no sign of the other one while I was there .

Not a lot else was seen with only my 1st Common Sand Martin of the year , Canada Goose , Little Egret , Northern Lapwing .

Barnacle Goose ( Branta leucopsis ) . Powderham Marsh . Devon

 

Lucky Git

 Well my luck was in this morning as I sat on my bench having breakfast a Great White Egret flew over  heading towards the Clyst Marshes . Also seen in the garden was a European Greenfinch the 1st in the garden for quite a few years .

I then had a look at Bowling Green Marsh and managed to see the Greater Scaup , 2 Common Pochard , around a dozen Tufted Duck , 3 Eurasian Spoonbill and 4 Stock Dove .