Thursday, 20 December 2012
Black Redstart
Early this morning I had a Merlin chasing a Starling across Darts Farm in Topsham , I then went down to Exmouth & saw this superb male Black Redstart around the small yacht club on the mouth of the Exe Estuary .
Thursday, 13 December 2012
Rose-Coloured Starling
There was late news yesterday of a 1st winter Rose-Coloured Starling seen near the churchyard in Exminster ! so this morning I went over to look for it & met up with Brian Heasman but for quite a while there was no sign of it at all but we did see a nice Firecrest , also seen was a female Bullfinch & half a dozen Fieldfare , but then there was the bird we had come for & it was sat on top of one of the trees in full view & just long enough for me to get this shot of it !!!!
Friday, 30 November 2012
Dawlish Warren
A trip down to Dawlish Warren to look for some more Waxwing but we just missed them but we did see a male Bearded Tit a Warren tick for me on the main pool ! along with a Black-Necked Grebe that showed well & Little Grebe & a male & female Bullfinch flew over .
Thursday, 29 November 2012
Waxwings
Today there were 29 Waxwing feeding on a tree in Wonford Street in Exeter , a male & female Blackcap were also feeding on the tree !
Tuesday, 27 November 2012
Waxwings
This afternoon I found out that there was some Waxwing in some trees at Gypsy Lane in Exmouth & as they are still an Exe Estuary tick for me I shot of down to there right away & was very pleased to find 14 of them in the tree outside of the school & was told that they have been around the area for most of the afternoon .
Barn Owl
At 10.15 this morming I was driving along the old road from Tedburn St Mary to Cheriton Bishop when I found a Barn Owl hunting over the grass verge & the fields , it flew down the road in front of me & landed on top of one of the lamposts on the Woodleigh Junction of the A30 , you dont come across many of these birds hunting in the daytime & they are quite rare anytime ! but perhaps its normal hunting ground was flooded , funny enough it was on the same road that I found a female Hen Harrier a few weeks ago it must be a birding hotspot LOL .
Sunday, 25 November 2012
Right Place Right Time !!!
Well I was certainly in the right place at the right time today as I had gone for a look at Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham to see if the Long-Tailed Duck would still be there ! & it was out in its usual place out on the main water with the long staying Scaup but after about half an hour it came into the channel & swam right down past the hide & fed for a little bit before swimming out to the main water again , I have never seen it in the channel before so luck was with me today .
Also seen were all the normal ducks but a male & female Pintail were new in to the marsh today , a Little Grebe , 2 Kingfishers , 2 Raven , a Cetti`s Warbler & a male Bullfinch were also seen , so not a bad mornings birding !!
Also seen were all the normal ducks but a male & female Pintail were new in to the marsh today , a Little Grebe , 2 Kingfishers , 2 Raven , a Cetti`s Warbler & a male Bullfinch were also seen , so not a bad mornings birding !!
Friday, 23 November 2012
Not Much Today
There was not a lot to report today but a walk around the Topsham Cemetery this morning got me numerous Redwing , about a dozen of both Fieldfare & Mistle Thrush & a couple of Goldcrest .
Then a quick look at Bowling Green Marsh didn`t turn up anything new but the female Long-Tailed Duck & the 1st winter Scaup were still showing well .
Then a quick look at Bowling Green Marsh didn`t turn up anything new but the female Long-Tailed Duck & the 1st winter Scaup were still showing well .
Thursday, 22 November 2012
Bowling Green Marsh
A look at Bowling Green Marsh this morning got me the female Long-Tailed Duck that has been around the Exe Estuary for a few days now , also seen was the 1st winter male Scaup , 3 male & 2 female Tufted Duck , numerous Wigeon , Teal & Shoveler , a single Little Grebe , a hundred + of both Avocet & Bar-Tailed Godwit & a walk down the lane got me 3 Redwing .
The road between Topsham & Darts Farm is impassable as the River Clyst has burst its banks a sight that I have never seen before !!!!
The road between Topsham & Darts Farm is impassable as the River Clyst has burst its banks a sight that I have never seen before !!!!
Friday, 16 November 2012
Monday, 12 November 2012
Thrushes are Back
There was a small fall of thrushes in the grounds of the Topsham Cemetery this morning with numerous Redwing , around half a dozen Mistle Thrush & a few Fieldfare & Blackbirds !
Thursday, 8 November 2012
Long-Tailed Duck
There were 3 male & 4 female Brambling in with the large finch flock at Darts Farm in Topsham this morning , I then heard that there was a Long-Tailed Duck in the Exe Estuary so I went to the viewing platform on Bowling Green Marsh & I saw the bird but it was drifting of down river .
Monday, 5 November 2012
Nothing to get hot about on this Bonfire Night !!!
Early this morning 3 Stock Dove & a Raven flew over my house in Topsham , I then had a look at Bowling Green Marsh & the 1st winter Scaup was still there & today it was hanging around with 4 male Pochard , & the Wigeon flock is still getting bigger , also seen were over 200 Avocet , 50+ Bar-Tailed Godwit , male & female Bullfinch & singles of Little Grebe , Robin , Sparrowhawk , Mistle Thrush , Redwing & Fieldfare !
Sunday, 4 November 2012
Scaup
A look at the Exe Estuary from Mudbank Lane in Exmouth for the Scaup that has been seen there but I got no luck but I did see numerous Wigeon , Teal & Pintail & further up river 8 Great Crested Grebe & 2 Goldeneye were on show .
There was then a call that there was a Scaup on Bowling Green Marsh perhaps the bird that I was looking for at Mudbank Lane !!!! the bird showed quite well & there was also 100+ Avocet & a 100+ Brent Geese flew over .
There was then a call that there was a Scaup on Bowling Green Marsh perhaps the bird that I was looking for at Mudbank Lane !!!! the bird showed quite well & there was also 100+ Avocet & a 100+ Brent Geese flew over .
Friday, 2 November 2012
Hen Harrier
The highlight of the day was finding a Female Hen Harrier hunting over a ploughed field just outside of Tedburn St Mary this morning !
Monday, 29 October 2012
Exminster Marsh
The male & female Red-Crested Pochard that were on Bowling Green Marsh on Saturday have relocated to the Exminster Marshes providing me with a marsh tick ! they were on the main reservoir along with some Gadwall , Shoveler , Tufted Duck & a Little Grebe , also seen were Stonechat , Chiffchaff , Goldcrest & a Red Fox , out on the Exe Estuary there was a flock of over 100+ Golden Plover quite a large flock fot the Exe Estuary !
Sunday, 28 October 2012
Devon Tick
Off today to Mid Soar Farm for a long awaited Devon tick a Siberian Stonechat the bird was found yesterday but I couldn`t get to there ! but this morning four of us went down for it & got great views of it but the light wasn`t to good for getting shots of it .
On the way back home I went for a look at the Exminster Marshes again but didn`t get the luck like the other day lol & all I could see were 20+ Snipe , a Kestrel & a Jay .
On the way back home I went for a look at the Exminster Marshes again but didn`t get the luck like the other day lol & all I could see were 20+ Snipe , a Kestrel & a Jay .
Saturday, 27 October 2012
Not a Bad Day
Early this morning I had 4 Raven over St Thomas in Exeter , later in the morning a look at the River Dart from the road bridge at Buckfastleigh got me 1 male & 5 female Goosanders but no sign of any Mandarins !
In the afternoon I had a call telling me that there was a male & female Red-Crested Pochard on Bowling Green Marsh so I headed for there & the birds were showing very well for most of the afternoon , also seen were 10 Common Pochard , 2 Gadwall , 8 Knot , 5 Barwits & a Grey Plover & the waders were being put up by Peregrine & Sparrowhawk quite often !
In the afternoon I had a call telling me that there was a male & female Red-Crested Pochard on Bowling Green Marsh so I headed for there & the birds were showing very well for most of the afternoon , also seen were 10 Common Pochard , 2 Gadwall , 8 Knot , 5 Barwits & a Grey Plover & the waders were being put up by Peregrine & Sparrowhawk quite often !
Thursday, 25 October 2012
Bonaparte`s Gull
This morning I went down to Dawlish Warren to look for the Bonaparte`s Gull again as I had dipped it yesterday but today after around a two hour wait I picked the bird up flying in from Langstone Rock & it flew right over mine & the other birders heads but headed off up estuary , there was not a lot else to see with only 4 late Swallows heading out to sea & a Grey Wagtail .
On the way back home I dropped into the Exminster Marshes for a quick look & was told that there was a Great White Egret on the marshes , from the middle car park you could just about see the bird but it was way off by the railway lines ! so I went over to look for it but there was no sign of it at all , so I started to walk back to the car when I heard a call from a couple of Canadian birders & as I turned around they were pointing at the bird flying right over me , I fired off a few shots but this was the best I could get !!! still a good bird to see on the marshes .
On the way back home I dropped into the Exminster Marshes for a quick look & was told that there was a Great White Egret on the marshes , from the middle car park you could just about see the bird but it was way off by the railway lines ! so I went over to look for it but there was no sign of it at all , so I started to walk back to the car when I heard a call from a couple of Canadian birders & as I turned around they were pointing at the bird flying right over me , I fired off a few shots but this was the best I could get !!! still a good bird to see on the marshes .
Thursday, 11 October 2012
Richard`s Pipit
Today Brian Heasman & myself braved the weather & went to the top fields of the Otter Ledge to look for a reported Richard`s Pipit & it payed off as we got some nice flight views of the bird but once it had dropped back into the long grass it was very hard to see it ! this sighting is only my second sighting of this species in Devon !!! with the first back in 1995 on the Exminster Marshes , also seen were 2 Wheatear & 2 Chiffchaff .
A look at Bowling Green Marsh on the way home only got me 50+ Avocet & this exotic Black Swan .
A look at Bowling Green Marsh on the way home only got me 50+ Avocet & this exotic Black Swan .
Saturday, 6 October 2012
Whooper Swan
News of a Whooper Swan on Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham saw getting to there as fast as I could as it is a first for the marsh & I managed to get these shots of it before having to dash of again !!
Thanks for the calls
Thanks for the calls
Friday, 5 October 2012
Bowling Green Marsh
A quick look at my local patch Bowling Green Marsh this morning didn`t turn up much at all with only 3 Snipe , a Spotted Redshank , a Knot , a Curlew Sandpiper & this Bar-Headed Goose that has been seen around the Exe Estuary for a while now !
Thursday, 4 October 2012
Davidstow Airport . Cornwall
A look at Davidstow Airport in Cornwall with my mate Brian Heasman got us this very nice Buff-Breasted Sandpiper that showed very well along with 11 Dunlin & 2 Ringed Plover , also seen were 6 Lesser Black-Backed Gull`s , a White Wagtail & a single Raven , but alas no sign of the reported Curlew Sandpiper .
Friday, 28 September 2012
Bowling Green Marsh
A quick look at Bowling Green Marsh this morning got me the following , Numerous Dunlin , 4 Knot , 3 Curlew Sandpiper , 2 Spotted Redshank , 1 Ruff & 1 Little Grebe
Good to be out again after a time away !
Good to be out again after a time away !
Monday, 3 September 2012
Sunday 2nd September . 2012
I got a good surprise today with a nice Little Gull on the Exe Estuary at the Exton Station , the only other birds of any note today were about a dozen Swift over the Matford Marshes .
Friday, 24 August 2012
Wood Sandpiper`s
An early morning look at the Powderham Marshes got me 3 Wood Sandpiper`s a juvenile Yellow Wagtail & a few Swallow & House Martin .
Sunday, 19 August 2012
Tree Pipit
I got news of some Tree Pipits in Gore Lane in Exmouth so I went down to look for them & managed to see one of them , there was also a couple of Stock Dove & a few Swift & House Martin .
A look at the Exe Estuary at Mudbank Lane in Exmouth then got me a adult winter Mediterranean Gull & a couple of Turnstone ! & back home in my garden this Jersey Tiger Moth spent the afternoon .
A look at the Exe Estuary at Mudbank Lane in Exmouth then got me a adult winter Mediterranean Gull & a couple of Turnstone ! & back home in my garden this Jersey Tiger Moth spent the afternoon .
Sunday, 10 June 2012
Stormies
I went down to Dawlish Warren this morning in horrible rain to look for a Storm Petrel and I managed to see four of them ! a couple were quite far out but two were in much closer & on one of them you could see the white rump & the white underwing bar quite well ! , also seen was a 1st summer Mediterranean Gull , a dark phase Arctic Skua , 6 Sanderling , 2 Whitethroat , a Cuckoo & a Yellow Wagtail that was on the beach in the bite & a plus was not getting the gear to wet !!!!
Tuesday, 29 May 2012
Exminster Marsh Strikes Again
Another look at the Exminster Marshes again today turned up to be a good move again ! as while I was looking at a Glossy Ibis a Pectoral Sandpiper dropped into view , it stayed all afternoon but for the first hour it was very hard to see in the long grass but it then came out & showed quite well to all the other birders that had turned up to see it !
Also seen were the 2 male & a female Garganey that was seen yesterday along with the Avocet , a fly over Hobby & numerous Reed & Cetti`s Warbler`s
Also seen were the 2 male & a female Garganey that was seen yesterday along with the Avocet , a fly over Hobby & numerous Reed & Cetti`s Warbler`s
Monday, 28 May 2012
The Exminster Marshes
An afternoon look at the Exminster Marshes got me the male Garganey that has been around a few days but I also found another male bird with a female , Im not sure if its the same birds that were here a few weeks ago or new ones just in , also seen was a single Avocet , 3 male Pochard , a single Hobby & quite a few Reed Warbler , and along the path beside the railway line a few Green Veined White Butterflies were showing well , I then had a look at the Powderham Marsh & saw the Black-Winged Stilt but it was very distant .
Saturday, 26 May 2012
Red Kites
This morning I found 2 Red Kites the first one was over the A30 near Okehampton at around 9 o/c & the second one was at the bottom of Haldon Hill at 10.20 both birds were just hovering over the roads , fantastic birds to see !!! In the afternoon I went over to the Exminster Marshes & saw 4 Hobby , a Peregrine Falcon & a male Garganey , there was also a lot of Azure Damselfly & a few Large Red Damselfly .
Friday, 11 May 2012
Black Redstart
I arrived at the Exminster Marshes at 6.30 this morning & decided to do the full loop of the lower marsh & I saw the 2 male & a female Garganey , 6 Hobby were sat around the marsh on gates & posts , the sky was full of Sand Martin & House Martin with a few Swift & Swallow in with them , the walk down to the Turf Hotel got me a few Cetti`s , Reed & Sedge Warblers , 5 Blackcap & 4 Chiffchaff , but the bird of the day was a female Black Redstart that I found in a field just past the Turf Hotel where there is a big pile of earth & stones & the bird was sat on both of these , this is a first for me on the marshes & a very welcome tick !!
Thursday, 10 May 2012
A Good Hours Birding
I had a look at the Exminster Marshes again this morning between 7.30-8.30 & saw the 2 male & a female Garganey again only this time they were all together , it was light drizzle & there were numerous Swift buzzing around & also a lot of hirundines , 2 Hobby were sat on fences beside the road & Reed & Sedge warblers were showing well .
Wednesday, 9 May 2012
Pectoral Sandpiper
A look around the Exminster Marshes in crap weather this morning turned out very good ! it started with the 3 Garganey from yesterday still showing well this morning & as I was looking at one of them a Yellow Wagtail went over , the sky was full of Swifts & Swallows & I thought that was going to be it !!! when a Pectoral Sandpiper was found quite near the fishermans car park , good scope views were had of the bird but it was a long way off to get a decent shot of it but I took this one anyway ! its the smaller bird on the edge of the water , a few other birders turned up to see it but after a while all the waders took to flight put up by a Cuckoo .
Tuesday, 8 May 2012
Garganey
Today I caught up with Garganey on the Exminster Marshes with 2 male & a female showing quite well by the middle car park , there wasn`t a lot else to see ! but a 1st summer Iceland Gull , 4 Hobby , 2 Swift , a Swallow & 2 Reed Warbler all seen in half an hour wasn`t bad .
Monday 7th May . 2012
WHAT A DAY !!!
I went down to Dawlish Warren this morning to look for a reported Cuckoo ! I arrived to be told that there was 12 Pomarine Skua sat on the sea , 10 light phase , 1 dark phase & 1 intermediate , a great sight to see these birds all together ! I then went off to Warren point to look for the Cuckoo but had only just got there when I got a call telling me that a Nightjar had been found in Dead Dolphin Wood so I shot back there & got good views of it , it was a female bird & an Exe Estuary tick for me ! but that wasn`t all because as we were looking at the bird a male Golden Oriole called from the trees behind us !! 2 birders were able to run out & saw the bird flying through the wood but it was never seen again after that ! then a look at the sea got me 4 Arctic Tern , 10 Sandwich Tern & a 2nd summer Iceland Gull , other birds seen today were numerous Whitethroat , 4 Stonechat & a Great Spotted Woodpecker , also seen were 4 Wall Brown Butterflies , but no Cuckoo LOL .
I went down to Dawlish Warren this morning to look for a reported Cuckoo ! I arrived to be told that there was 12 Pomarine Skua sat on the sea , 10 light phase , 1 dark phase & 1 intermediate , a great sight to see these birds all together ! I then went off to Warren point to look for the Cuckoo but had only just got there when I got a call telling me that a Nightjar had been found in Dead Dolphin Wood so I shot back there & got good views of it , it was a female bird & an Exe Estuary tick for me ! but that wasn`t all because as we were looking at the bird a male Golden Oriole called from the trees behind us !! 2 birders were able to run out & saw the bird flying through the wood but it was never seen again after that ! then a look at the sea got me 4 Arctic Tern , 10 Sandwich Tern & a 2nd summer Iceland Gull , other birds seen today were numerous Whitethroat , 4 Stonechat & a Great Spotted Woodpecker , also seen were 4 Wall Brown Butterflies , but no Cuckoo LOL .
Sunday, 6 May 2012
Curlew Sandpiper
A look at the Exminster Marshes this morning got me my first Curlew Sandpiper of the year , there was also numerous Dunlin & Whimbrel , 14 Grey Plover including 3 in summer plumage , 2 summer plumage Knot , 2 Ringed Plover , a male Pintail , 2 Hobby , 14 Wheatear , 10 Swift , numerous House Martin , Sand Martin & Swallow .
Friday, 4 May 2012
A new Lesser Whitethroat
An early morning visit to the Exminster Marshes got me 200+ House Martin , 100+ Swallow , 50+ Sand Martin , only a single female Wheatear was seen today , Sedge Warbler`s were everywhere but only 2 Reed Warbler were seen , a count of 15 Blackcap is not bad for the marshes as was a Grasshopper Warbler heard but not seen , I then found a new Lesser Whitethroat that was singing its head off along the small path by the middle car park & to top it all was this Osprey that was flying north over the canal .
Thursday 3rd May . 2012
This morning I saw a Dipper at the Mill On The Exe in Exeter & its the first time that I have seen one there ! in the late afternoon I went to the Exminster Marshes where I saw 2 Hobby , an Osprey that was carrying a fish , 3 Wheatear , 2 Yellow Wagtail & numerous hirundines .
Wednesday, 2 May 2012
Iceland Gull on Exminster Marsh
I was up at first light this morning & the first thing that I saw was a fox crossing Topsham Road at 5 . 35 , the next stop was the the very flooded Exminster Marshes where I saw this Lesser Whitethroat ok but getting a shot of it was something else !! also seen was a Garden Warbler not easy to get on the marshes , 6 Wheatear , 3 Whitethroat , a single Hobby that was sat on one of the pylons , as was a male Peregrine Falcon , also seen was a Slow Worm & my first Grass Snake of the year , I then went back home only to hear that there was an Iceland Gull showing by the moterway bridge & as it was a site tick for me !! over I went again & got this nice shot of it .
