Friday 25 July 2014

Ross`s Gull

The intrepid explorer from the Arctic the 1st summer Ross`s Gull was again at the Topsham Recreation Ground showing on the low tide shingle in the River Exe and will have been with us for two months on Monday and lets hope that it stays with us to the winter !
Also seen were 6 Little Egret , 10 Common Sandpiper & 3 Lesser Black-Back Gull & other things of note were the following Butterflies , 4 Green-Veined White , I Comma & a Red Admiral...... and my 1st Banded Demoiselle of the year .

Ross`s Gull ( Rhodostethia rosea ) . The Topsham Recreation Ground . Devon


Comma ( Polygonia c-album ) . The Topsham Recreation Ground . Devon


Tuesday 22 July 2014

Ross`s Gull at Topsham Rec !!

I had a look this morning at the Topsham Recreation Ground and the first bird on the list was a European Reed Warbler a site tick for me ! I carried on walking towards the moterway bridge seeing numerous Black-Headed Gull with quite a lot of juvenile birds on show , 30+ Herring Gull , 3 smart looking Lesser Black-Backed Gull , a single Great Black-Backed Gull and then the bird that I was looking for the 1st summer Ross`s Gull a superb bird to get on the Recreation Ground list and a great shame that it stayed to far away to get a good shot of it , also seen were 6 Common Sandpiper .

Black-Headed Gull ( Juvenile ) ( Chroicocephalus ridibundus ) . The River Exe . Topsham . Devon


Monday 21 July 2014

A quick visit

A quick visit to Bowling Green Marsh today found a few birders that had come down all the way from Colchester to look for the 1st summer Ross`s Gull and they had been there quite a while without any luck , so I had a look at one of its favourite spots and was glad that I was able to find it for them !
There was also a nice adult Mediterranean Gull on show , and on the far side of the marsh numerous Common Redshank , a Spotted Redshank , 5 Common Greenshank and a few Dunlin also showed .

Mediterranean Gull ( Larus melanocephalus ) . Bowling Green Marsh . Topsham . Devon


Sunday 20 July 2014

Goosemoor

A look today at the Goosemoor Reserve that's the one the other side of the railway line from Bowling Green Marsh got me the 1st summer Ross`s Gull that showed well for quite a while but just out of reach of getting a great shot , also on show was a 1st summer Little Gull ( The smallest gull in the world ) , an adult , two 2nd summer & a juvenile Mediterranean Gull were also in with a mass of Black-Headed Gull`s , there was not a lot of waders but 3 Common Greenshank , a Common Sandpiper were nice and a few Common Sand Martin were feeding over the water ,
On Bowling Green Marsh today there was 35 Dunlin with some in smart summer plumage & in the field by the viewing platform there was two Garden Warbler singing but I couldn`t get a view of them .

Ross`s Gull ( Rhodostethia rosea ) . Goosemoor . Topsham . Devon


Little Gull ( ( Hydrocoloeus minutus ) . Goosemoor . Topsham . Devon


Thursday 17 July 2014

Sandwich Tern

Another look at Bowling Green Marsh this morning turned up much of the same but 4 adult and a juvenile Sandwich Tern were a welcome addition , a 1st summer Mediterranean Gull showed well along with a Lesser Black-Backed Gull but I couldn`t find the Ross`s Gull but was told that it had been seen today !
Also seen were numerous Eurasian Curlew , 6 Whimbrel , 4 Common Greenshank , 1 Spotted Redshank , 50+ Black-Tailed Godwit , a few Bar-Tailed Godwit and a nice looking Red Fox .

Sandwich Tern ( Sterna sandvicensis ) . Bowling Green Marsh . Topsham . Devon




Wednesday 16 July 2014

Close encounters of the bird kind !

A look at Bowling Green Marsh today didn`t turn up anything different but there was still some good birds on show with the long staying Ross`s Gull still showing well along with 4 Mediterranean Gull`s , an adult bird , a 1st summer & 2 , 2nd summer , also seen were 10 Whimbrel , 4 Bar-Tailed Godwit , 4 Dunlin , 2 moulting Spotted Redshank and this smart Green Sandpiper that was showing right outside of the hide.

Green Sandpiper ( Tringa ochropus ) . Bowling Green Marsh . Topsham . Devon



Saturday 12 July 2014

Purple Hairstreak

A look around Chudleigh Knighton Heath this morning got me 2 Eurasian Treecreeper , 2 Eurasian Bullfinch and the following Butterflies , 3 Purple Hairstreak , 6 Speckled Wood , numerous Meadow Brown , 4 Gatekeeper , 2 Green-Veined White , 1 Silver-Washed Fritillary and a freshly hatched Peacock .

Purple Hairstreak ( Quercusia querus ) . Chudleigh Knighton Heath . Devon


Wednesday 9 July 2014

Tuesday 8 July 2014

Sunday 6 July 2014

A Red Letter Day !

Today was a red letter day for me as I have been trying to get a shot of Adder ( our only venomous snake ) for years , yesterday my mate Brian Heasman found one up on the commons so this morning we went to see if it was still around and we were in luck and see not one but two of them , the photo`s are not the best as they quickly made off out of view but they are a real prize for me ! also seen were 4 Slow Worm , there was also a few Dartford Warbler`s showing with the majority being juveniles ,  along with a few Common Stonechat , 2 Meadow Pipit & a Tree Pipit , my first Grayling Butterfly of the year was added to the list along with a smart Small Grass Emerald Moth .

Dartford Warbler ( Juvenile ) ( Sylvia undata ) . Aylesbeare Common . Devon



Adder ( Vipera berus ) . Aylesbeare Common . Devon



Grayling ( Hipparchia semele ) . Aylesbeare Common . Devon


Saturday 5 July 2014

Little Ringed Plover

Today I went out to Cranbrook on the edge of Exeter as a Little Ringed Plover was seen there yesterday on a large pool that is to become a reserve or so I`m told ! well sure enough I found the bird ok but as I was taking photos of it another LRP was flying in calling behind me and soon landed quite close to the other one , I don't think there was two there yesterday so this large pool seems to be pulling in birds as a Green Sandpiper flew off just as I had arrived so it may be worth keeping an eye on it , there was also quite a lot of Common House Martin flying in and collecting mud for there nests .
Butterflies seen there today were numerous Meadow Brown , 2 Small Skipper and my first Gatekeeper of the year .

Little Ringed Plover ( Charadrius dubius ) . Cranbrook Reserve . Nr Exeter . Devon



Small Skipper ( T . flavus ) . Cranbrook Reserve . Nr Exeter . Devon




Thursday 3 July 2014

Green Sandpiper

A look at Bowling Green Marsh today got me the long staying 1st summer Ross`s Gull , a 1st summer Little Gull , an adult and a 1st summer Mediterranean Gull , a Common Gull and 4 Sandwich tern , the waders today included numerous Black-Tailed Godwit and a few Bar-Tailed Godwit , numerous Eurasian Curlew , 1 Whimbrel , 2 summer plumage Spotted Redshank and a Green Sandpiper ......... The only other thing of note seen today was a Mink in Bowling Green Lane & its the first that I have seen near the marsh !

Green Sandpiper ( Tringa ochropus ) . Bowling Green Marsh . Topsham




Wednesday 2 July 2014

Lower Haldon Forest

This afternoon I went for a walk around the obelisk area of the Lower Haldon Forest with my daughter and grandson and I saw 3 European Turtle Dove , a Common Whitethroat and a Emperor Dragonfly and a smart looking Golden-Ringed Dragonfly.

European Turtle Dove ( Streptopelia turtur ) . Lower Haldon . Devon


Tuesday 1 July 2014

Bystock Pools

I spent today around the Bystock Pools on the East Devon Commons and the highlight of the day was a reeling Common Grasshopper Warbler that reeled twice out deep in the common but I couldn`t find where it was , todays Butterflies were numerous Large Skipper and a Green Hairstreak , on to the Dragonflies ! well today was quite good with 10 Keeled Skimmer , 6 Hairy Dragonfly , 4 Four-Spotted Chaser , 3 Beautiful Demoiselle , 2 Emperor Dragonfly and a few Large Red Damselfly , the only other thing of note was a Red-Eared Slider Turtle that is not a native to Britain but is one that has been let loose on to the main pool !

Keeled Skimmer ( Orthetrum coerulescens ) . Bystock Pools . Devon


Four-Spotted Chaser ( Libellula quadrimaculata ) . Bystock Pool . Devon


Beautiful Demoiselle ( Male ) ( Calopteryx virgo ) . Bystock Pool . Devon


Beautiful Demoiselle ( Female ) ( Calopteryx virgo ) . Bystock Pools . Devon


Large Skipper ( Ochlodes venatus ) . Bystock Pools . Devon


Red-Eared Slider Turtle ( Trachemys scripta elegans ) . Bystock Pools . Devon