Monday, 31 August 2015
Eurasian Wryneck
An add on to todays birding was this Eurasian Wryneck found early evening along the coastal path at Orcombe Point by Matt Knott , sorry the photo is not much good but by the time that I got to the bird the light was dropping very fast .
Spotted Crake
This Spotted Crake was showing very well at times at Blackhole Marsh on the outskirts of Seaton in East Devon and it was great to be able to get some shots of one of these shy birds , there was also a great selection of other birds to look at also with 50+ Dunlin , 30+ Common Ringed Plover , 8 Ruff , 6 Wood Sandpiper , a juvenile Little Stint , 3 fly over Yellow Wagtail and also a Scarlet Tiger Moth ,
I then went to Colyford Common to look for an elusive Eurasian Wryneck but I had now luck in seeing it ! but I did see 2 juvenile Northern Wheatear .
I then went to Colyford Common to look for an elusive Eurasian Wryneck but I had now luck in seeing it ! but I did see 2 juvenile Northern Wheatear .
Sunday, 30 August 2015
Wood Sandpiper
A morning look at Bowling Green Marsh was not to bad as the birds seen today included 12 new in Eurasian Wigeon & 2 Northern Pintail , the waders today were as follows 20+ Whimbrel , a male and 5 female Ruff , 2 adult and a juvenile Spotted Redshank , 4 Common Greenshank , 3 Red Knot and a couple of Bar-Tailed Godwit as well as the numerous Black-Tailed Godwit and Common Redshank !
There was also 500+ Common House Martin , 50+ Common Sand Martin and 30+ Barn Swallow feeding over the marsh , add to that a Peregrine Falcon , around 15 Yellow Wagtail and 3 Rook a bird that you don't see on the marsh very often made it a good mornings birding .
Add to that 2 Wood Sandpiper that came in on the evenings high tide the first that I have seen in Devon this year and the first ones on the marsh for a couple of years .
There was also 500+ Common House Martin , 50+ Common Sand Martin and 30+ Barn Swallow feeding over the marsh , add to that a Peregrine Falcon , around 15 Yellow Wagtail and 3 Rook a bird that you don't see on the marsh very often made it a good mornings birding .
Add to that 2 Wood Sandpiper that came in on the evenings high tide the first that I have seen in Devon this year and the first ones on the marsh for a couple of years .
Friday, 28 August 2015
Dipping Again
A trip down to Plymouth this morning to look for the Eurasian Wryneck that has been seen for the last few days at Mount Batten Point but after looking for it for quite a while we didn`t get any luck at all !
But we did see 3 Common Sandpiper , a Whimbrel , 3 Sandwich Tern , 2 Common Tern , 3 Common Whitethroat and a 1st winter Northern Wheatear .
Our next stop was at the Sth Efford Marsh where we saw 2 Ruff , a Green Sandpiper , a Common Kingfisher , 10 Yellow Wagtail and 2 White Wagtail
But we did see 3 Common Sandpiper , a Whimbrel , 3 Sandwich Tern , 2 Common Tern , 3 Common Whitethroat and a 1st winter Northern Wheatear .
Our next stop was at the Sth Efford Marsh where we saw 2 Ruff , a Green Sandpiper , a Common Kingfisher , 10 Yellow Wagtail and 2 White Wagtail
Wednesday, 26 August 2015
Migrant Hawker
A look around Bowling Green Marsh today didn`t get me a lot but it was low tide ! but there was a build up of Common Teal and Northern Shoveler along with 2 Eurasian Wigeon and a Gadwall , 2 Spotted Redshank were on show but most of the other waders were out on the Exe Estuary .
A walk down to the viewing platform got me a few Common Chiffchaff , a Blackcap , 20+ European Goldfinch , a single Eurasian Bullfinch and this Migrant Hawker .
A walk down to the viewing platform got me a few Common Chiffchaff , a Blackcap , 20+ European Goldfinch , a single Eurasian Bullfinch and this Migrant Hawker .
Thursday, 20 August 2015
Bowling Green Marsh
This morning I went for another look at what must be the worst RSPB Reserve in Britain ! Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham as there is absolutely nothing done to manage this reserve in any way ! the water level is never managed hence there is hardly any mud for the waders to feed on and on top of that the thistles and weeds are never cut so even if there are any birds you would have a job to see them through the foliage !!! , and all that I saw today worth talking about was a Common Sandpiper and a Wall Butterfly .
So I went to have a look at Goosemoor on the other side of the railway line to BGM and here I saw a few more birds with 3 juvenile Ruff , 50+ Common Greenshank , 2 winter adult and a juvenile Spotted Redshank and singles of Eurasian Sparrowhawk , European Green Woodpecker , Common Kingfisher and Common Raven .
So I went to have a look at Goosemoor on the other side of the railway line to BGM and here I saw a few more birds with 3 juvenile Ruff , 50+ Common Greenshank , 2 winter adult and a juvenile Spotted Redshank and singles of Eurasian Sparrowhawk , European Green Woodpecker , Common Kingfisher and Common Raven .
Tuesday, 18 August 2015
Bowling Green Marsh
A look at my local patch Bowling Green Marsh this morning didn`t turn up much with the best bird seen being a Ruff , besides that there was a few duck on site with 2 Eurasian Wigeon , 2 Tufted Duck and a Gadwall , waders seen today were numerous Black-Tailed Godwit , 3 Bar-Tailed Godwit , 6 Common Greenshank , numerous Common Redshank , 2 Spotted Redshank , numerous Eurasian Curlew , 20+ Whimbrel and a Ruddy Turnstone .
Other birds seen were 16 Little Egret , 2 Grey Heron , a Common Raven and a Eurasian Jay !
Other birds seen were 16 Little Egret , 2 Grey Heron , a Common Raven and a Eurasian Jay !
Saturday, 15 August 2015
Baird`s Sandpiper
This morning I went across to the Exminster Marshes again for another look at the juvenile White-Winged Black Tern and to try and get another shot of it and the bird was still performing well flying up and down the Exeter Canal !
There was also news today of a Baird`s Sandpiper seen on Blackhole Marsh in Seaton so Andy Bond and myself went over to see if it was still there and we arrived to find a hide full of people looking at it ! this bird is one of the American peeps and is just a bit smaller than our Dunlin so the trip was well worth while , also seen on the marsh were 2 Green Sandpiper , 2 Common Sandpiper and a Ruff so in the end a great days birding !!!
There was also news today of a Baird`s Sandpiper seen on Blackhole Marsh in Seaton so Andy Bond and myself went over to see if it was still there and we arrived to find a hide full of people looking at it ! this bird is one of the American peeps and is just a bit smaller than our Dunlin so the trip was well worth while , also seen on the marsh were 2 Green Sandpiper , 2 Common Sandpiper and a Ruff so in the end a great days birding !!!
Friday, 14 August 2015
White-Winged Black Tern
Add on to todays birding !
This Juvenile White-Winged Black Tern was found late afternoon on the Exminster Marshes and while I was there it spent most of the time on the Exeter Canal making it the first for the Exe Estuary I think .
This Juvenile White-Winged Black Tern was found late afternoon on the Exminster Marshes and while I was there it spent most of the time on the Exeter Canal making it the first for the Exe Estuary I think .
Terns
I had a call from my mate Matt Knott this morning telling me that he had a Black Tern in the Exe Estuary off of Mudbank Lane ! I looked out of the window and it was pissing down with rain but I thought that I would brave it and see if I could catch up with it , I was in luck and find Matt still there and after a short while we got some nice scope views of the bird even if it was a bit distant ! also seen on the sand bar were a few Sandwich Tern , 4 Common Tern , 16 Bar-Tailed Godwit and a Grey Plover .
I then had a look at Exmouth beach but all I could see were numerous Herring Gull`s and some Ruddy Turnstone so I then went to a spot near the raised beach huts and had a look at Lyme Bay and saw 20+ Northern Gannet , 6 Sandwich Tern , 2 Common Tern and a nice Little Tern .
Thanks Matt !
I then had a look at Exmouth beach but all I could see were numerous Herring Gull`s and some Ruddy Turnstone so I then went to a spot near the raised beach huts and had a look at Lyme Bay and saw 20+ Northern Gannet , 6 Sandwich Tern , 2 Common Tern and a nice Little Tern .
Thanks Matt !
Friday, 7 August 2015
Bowling Green Marsh
A midday look at Bowling Green Marsh didn`t turn up anything much different than usual ! but there was a few waders on show with numerous Eurasian Curlew & Black-Tailed Godwit, 20+ Whimbrel ,
2 Bar-Tailed Gowit , 40+ Common Redshank , a winter plumaged Spotted Redshank , 20+ Common Greenshank , 20+ Dunlin & 3 Common Ringed Plover .
A juvenile Peregrine Falcon flew across the marsh and caught a small wader and then flew to one of the trees to enjoy its dinner and a few Black-Billed Magpie were chasing each other around the marsh , how nice to have a look at the superb colours on these much taken for granted birds .
2 Bar-Tailed Gowit , 40+ Common Redshank , a winter plumaged Spotted Redshank , 20+ Common Greenshank , 20+ Dunlin & 3 Common Ringed Plover .
A juvenile Peregrine Falcon flew across the marsh and caught a small wader and then flew to one of the trees to enjoy its dinner and a few Black-Billed Magpie were chasing each other around the marsh , how nice to have a look at the superb colours on these much taken for granted birds .
Tuesday, 4 August 2015
Sea Watching
My mate Ken and myself went down to Cornwall this morning to do some sea watching and we tossed a coin to see where to go and we ended up at Pendeen ! as it turned out it was the wrong move as Porthgwarra had a lot more ...but that's life folks lol
Anyway it didn`t turn out to bad as these birds were seen , a single Great Shearwater , 1500+ Manx Shearwater , 3 Balearic Shearwater . 1000+ Northern Gannet , 50+ Northern Fulmar , 6 Black-Legged Kittiwake and to finish off the watch a single Great Skua .
We then had a look then at the Hale Estuary for the first summer Ring-Billed Gull that has been the for a while now but we had no luck , but we did see this juvenile Mediterranean Gull .
Anyway it didn`t turn out to bad as these birds were seen , a single Great Shearwater , 1500+ Manx Shearwater , 3 Balearic Shearwater . 1000+ Northern Gannet , 50+ Northern Fulmar , 6 Black-Legged Kittiwake and to finish off the watch a single Great Skua .
We then had a look then at the Hale Estuary for the first summer Ring-Billed Gull that has been the for a while now but we had no luck , but we did see this juvenile Mediterranean Gull .
Sunday, 2 August 2015
Slow Birding
At the moment the birder is rather slow but I still took a look at Bowling Green Marsh this morning but my first stop was Goosemoor where I saw 3 Whimbrel and a Common Raven .
On then to the Marsh but I didn`t see a lot as expected !! but I did see 2 male Gadwall , Numerous Eurasian Curlew , 15 Common Greenshank , 6 Eurasian Oystercatcher , 20+ Whimbrel , 20+ Dunlin , a Common Sandpiper , 2 Common Buzzard and a Peregrine Falcon .
Other things seen on the marsh today were 4 Holly Blue Butterflies & 2 Southern Hawker Dragonflies .
On then to the Marsh but I didn`t see a lot as expected !! but I did see 2 male Gadwall , Numerous Eurasian Curlew , 15 Common Greenshank , 6 Eurasian Oystercatcher , 20+ Whimbrel , 20+ Dunlin , a Common Sandpiper , 2 Common Buzzard and a Peregrine Falcon .
Other things seen on the marsh today were 4 Holly Blue Butterflies & 2 Southern Hawker Dragonflies .
31st July 2015
Late evening near Crediton in Devon , I heard a Tawny Owl and saw a Common Pipistrelle Bat and a Badger the first one live one that I have seen for many a year !!!