This morning I went out to look for owls at around 5 in the morning & got to the Powderham Park area when my lights blew on my car so I had to get the RAC out to fix it at a cost of £20 for new bulbs but while waiting for him there was a Tawny Owl calling & later I had another fly across the road at Powderham Park .
The light was just starting to come up so I went to the Exminster Marshes again to look for Hen Harrier but got no luck again but I did see a nice male Merlin , the male American Wigeon & yesterdays 5 Barnacle Geese were in the field just by the Lyons Rest .
Wednesday, 29 February 2012
Tuesday, 28 February 2012
5 Barnacle Geese
This morning I went out early to have a look for the female Hen Harrier on the Exminster Marshes & parked the car in the middle car park & walked up the track to the metal gate that looks out over the northern part of the marsh towards the moterway bridge , getting my first singing Chiffchaff of the year & a few Cetti`s Warbler`s , I had spent around half an hour looking for the Harrier with no luck ! when I picked up 5 small geese in the distance & as they came closer I could see that they were Barnacle Geese that were heading south !!
I then had a look at the main pool by the road & picked out the male American Wigeon that was in with around a 100+ Eurasian Wigeon , I then met up with Brian Heasman & we went for a look at Powderham Marsh & Bri refound the 5 Barnacle Geese that were in immaculate condition & we got nice views of them until a male Peregrine Falcon flew in & cought a duck & sat there eating it & the geese flew off towards the Swans Nest area .
I then had a look at the main pool by the road & picked out the male American Wigeon that was in with around a 100+ Eurasian Wigeon , I then met up with Brian Heasman & we went for a look at Powderham Marsh & Bri refound the 5 Barnacle Geese that were in immaculate condition & we got nice views of them until a male Peregrine Falcon flew in & cought a duck & sat there eating it & the geese flew off towards the Swans Nest area .
Tuesday, 14 February 2012
Monday 13th February . 2012
I went over to the Powderham Marshes early this morning & found 4 Ruff on the scrapes along with quite a few Greylag Geese , 2 White-Fronted Geese & the Barnacle Goose & on the Exminster Marshes there was 200+ Golden Plover , 200+ Dunlin & 4 Grey Plover .
I then met up with Andy Bond & Dave Hopkins & we headed south for a days birding with the first stop a look for Mandarin on the River Dart at Buckfastleigh as sometimes you may see one there , but to our amazement there were over 30+ male & females !!! & also a Dipper , on then to the River Plym to look for the Spotted Sandpiper & after a bit of a search we thought that we had it as the bird had light yellow legs & the tail looked short for the wings but it had no spots on it & I have since found out that the bird had some.... oh well !!!
On then to Aveton Gifford to look for the juvenile/1st winter Bewick`s Swan & we soon found it from the car as we drove along the road beside the river , so off we went again this time to the Beesands Ley & we saw what we were after 4 redhead Smew along with a few Pochard & Gadwall , & on the sea off of the ley were 2 Black-Throated Diver we were told that there was one there but Hoppo found another one as well , we then finished the day off at Slapton Ley with 3 Black-Necked Grebe , a very good days birding !
I then met up with Andy Bond & Dave Hopkins & we headed south for a days birding with the first stop a look for Mandarin on the River Dart at Buckfastleigh as sometimes you may see one there , but to our amazement there were over 30+ male & females !!! & also a Dipper , on then to the River Plym to look for the Spotted Sandpiper & after a bit of a search we thought that we had it as the bird had light yellow legs & the tail looked short for the wings but it had no spots on it & I have since found out that the bird had some.... oh well !!!
On then to Aveton Gifford to look for the juvenile/1st winter Bewick`s Swan & we soon found it from the car as we drove along the road beside the river , so off we went again this time to the Beesands Ley & we saw what we were after 4 redhead Smew along with a few Pochard & Gadwall , & on the sea off of the ley were 2 Black-Throated Diver we were told that there was one there but Hoppo found another one as well , we then finished the day off at Slapton Ley with 3 Black-Necked Grebe , a very good days birding !
Monday, 13 February 2012
Saturday 11th February . 2012
I got up this morning to find that it was freezing outside so I went to the Matford Marshes near Exeter to check the ditches & it payed off as they were frozen & I put up around 20 Common Snipe & with them was a little gem ... a very nice Jack Snipe that showed very well in flight with its bigger cousins LOL , also seen were 6 Redwing & 2 Chiffchaff .
Later in the day I got a call telling me that there was two White-Fronted Geese on the Exminster Marshes so over I went to look for them & after quite a walk I found them off of the viewing platform , good to see these birds on the marshes again !
Later in the day I got a call telling me that there was two White-Fronted Geese on the Exminster Marshes so over I went to look for them & after quite a walk I found them off of the viewing platform , good to see these birds on the marshes again !
Wednesday, 8 February 2012
Tuesday 7th February . 2012
This morning I had a look at Bowling Green Marsh but all I could see of any note were 8 Pochard & a male Pintail in with all the common wildfowl , & a look at the Clyst Estuary got me 20+ Grey Plover & a few Avocet .
A look in the small copse at the top of Bowling Green Lane got me a male Bullfinch , numerous Blue , Great & Long-Tailed Tits & a fly over Raven , in the afternoon Brian Heasman & myself went to the Otter Estuary to look for the Caspian Gull that has been seen on the last 2 days but as usual with me & these birds I dipped again !!! ( 5 times now ) but I did see an adult Med Gull my first in the county this year .
A look in the small copse at the top of Bowling Green Lane got me a male Bullfinch , numerous Blue , Great & Long-Tailed Tits & a fly over Raven , in the afternoon Brian Heasman & myself went to the Otter Estuary to look for the Caspian Gull that has been seen on the last 2 days but as usual with me & these birds I dipped again !!! ( 5 times now ) but I did see an adult Med Gull my first in the county this year .
Monday, 6 February 2012
Spotted Redshank
The bird of the day was a Spotted Redshank on the Exe Estuary near Starcross my first for the year ! but not a lot else seen today with 10 Snipe , 20 + Redwing & a single Fieldfare on the Matford Marshes in Exeter , & in Topsham there was 500 + Brent Geese on the Clyst Marshes but no sign of the Red-Breasted Goose today & this Little Egret was on Tremlett`s Marsh .
Friday, 3 February 2012
A New Bird For Bowling Green Marsh
I went for an early morning look at the Countess Wear Pools this moring but they were frozen solid & all that I could see were a few Reed Bunting & 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker`s , I them went to Powderham Marsh to see if any Brambling had joined the finch flock due to the cold but there was none in with the 1000 + Linnet , also seen was a Mistle Thrush .
Later in the day I got news of a drake American Wigeon on Bowling Green Marsh & I went down & got this crap shot of the bird but after all it is a first for the marsh !!!
Later in the day I got news of a drake American Wigeon on Bowling Green Marsh & I went down & got this crap shot of the bird but after all it is a first for the marsh !!!
Thursday, 2 February 2012
Parrot Crossbill
A trip up to West Sussex today with 2 mates to look for the reported Parrot Crossbill & we left Exeter around 5.30 in the morning & arrived on site around 9 o/c and after a short walk we got to the other birders & was happy to be told that the bird was showing well along with plenty of Common Crossbill & good views was had of the bird .... but ohhhhh it was so bloody freezing !!!! the only other birds of note seen were a few Bullfinch , & on the way back home we had a Red Kite over the M3 near Basingstoke .
Wednesday, 1 February 2012
Egyptian Goose
I had a call today telling me that Kevin Rylands had seen 2 Egyptian Geese flying up the Exe Estuary this morning , so I went down to Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham just in case they had landed there & my luck was in & I found them out on the marsh just to the right of the hide , also seen were the normal wildfowl but a male Pintail & a male Gadwall were nice to see , I then had a look in the copse at the top of Bowling Green Lane & saw 3 male & 4 female Bullfinch , this seems to be a very good spot for them !
Tuesday 31st January . 2012
This morning I went down to the Recreation Ground in Topsham to have a look for any Brambling as in past years this has been a good spot for them !! but not today , but I did see around 10 Reed Bunting & a male Bullfinch , later in the day I got a call telling me that there was some Goosander on the River Exe at Ducks Marsh in Exeter so I went to have a look & saw 2 males & a female .
