Shanks

This morning I went down to Powderham Park as a Cattle Egret had been reported there , I picked up a few Little Egrets in the stubble field and at one point I thought that I had the bird from a way off but on closer inspection it was just another Little Egret but it had been feeding in the field making the bill look yellowish !! while there I saw 2 Red-Legged Partridge and European Green Woodpecker was heard calling , I then went back to Topsham and had a look at Goosemoor where I saw 6 Common Greenshank , 11 Common Redshank , a Spotted Redshank and 2 Common Chiffchaff .

Common Greenshank ( Tringa nebularia ) . Goosemoor . Topsham . Devon

Spotted Redshank ( Tringa erythropus ) . Goosemoor . Topsham . Devon

Common Redshank ( Tringa totanus ) & Spotted Redsank ( Tringa erythropus ) . Goosemoor . Topsham .Devon

Migrants

I had a look at the Exminster Marshes today but the conditions were a bit hazardous with the main road through the marsh underwater and most of the paths were flooded also ! but I still managed to get in some good birding and I saw 2 Grey Heron , 60+ Eurasian Curlew , 4 Common Skylark , 10 Common Sand Martin , my first 3 Barn Swallow of the year , then another first was added for the year with a male Northern Wheatear , I then had a walk down the back path and saw 2 Common Chiffchaff , a Slow Worm and a Short Tailed Vole

Common Sand Martin ( Riparia riparia ) . The Exminster Marshes . Devon

Grey Heron ( Ardea cinerea ) . The Exminster Marshes . Devon

European Adder

We only have three snakes in this country ! the elusive Smooth Snake ( One that I have never seen ) , the Grass Snake and the European Adder the only venomous snake of the three , well today I made a trip up to Aylesbeare Common to see if I could see one and my luck was in as I found this one hiding from the cold , it is a dangerous snake but if you leave them alone there is no problem at all , I also saw 3 pair of Common Stonechat , a single Dartford Warbler and a fly over Common Raven .

European Adder ( Vipera berus ) . Aylesbeare Common . Devon

Red Kite

Powderham Marsh was my destination today and the day turned out to be rather good as I saw  2 Barnacle Geese , a Common Kestrel ( a bird that was very common a few years back but now you don't see them that often at all ) , 2 Green Sandpiper , 2 Little Ringed Plover , a nice pale looking Ruff , a White Wagtail , 2 Common Sand Martin , 10 Meadow Pipit  , 2 Redwing and 4 male Common Reed Bunting , at a private site I then had 6 male and 2 female Cirl Bunting , then before I headed for home I decided to have  a look at the Exminster Marshes and was rewarded with my first Red Kite of the year that flew right through the marsh heading north !!

Cirl Bunting ( Emberiza cirlus )

Little Ringed Plover

An early look at Bowling Green Marsh today got me a European Green Woodpecker , a Stock Dove and my first 2 singing Common Chiffchaff of the year !
I then went down to the Otter Marshes at Budleigh Salterton as two Little Ringed Plover`s had been reported there yesterday but after much looking I could only manage to see just the one but still a nice first for the year , this one was showing near the back path but it was very hard to get any decent shots of it because it was nearly always behind reeds and never came right out into the open , I also got my first Blackcap for the year .

Little Ringed Plover ( Charadrius dubius ) . The Otter Marshes . Budleigh Salterton . Devon

Geese

I just popped into the Exminster Marshes for an hour this morning in hope of seeing an early Common Sand Martin but it was quite cold and there was none to be seen ! and the main things I saw were geese with 200+ Dark-Bellied Brent Geese , 2 Pale-Bellied Brent Geese and the American race Black Brant , On the way back home I had a look at the Matford Marshes on the edge of Exeter where the Ridgeways Cackling Goose was still showing well .

Pale Bellied Brent Goose ( Branta bernicla hrota ) . The Exminster Marshes . Devon

Ridgeways Cackling Goose ( Branta hutchinsii minima ) . The Matford Marshes . Exeter . Devon

The Exminster Marshes

This morning I went over to the Exminster Marshes in hope of maybe seeing a migrant or two but to be honest the birding was very slow and all that I managed to see 2 Grey Heron , a Water Rail , 3 Common Skylark , a male and female Common Stonechat , a Common Raven and a Cetti`s Warbler was heard on call .
Other things of note seen on the marsh today was my first Slow Worm of the year , a Short Toed Vole and a Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly .

Grey Heron ( Ardea cinerea ) . The Exminster Marshes . Devon

Slow Worm ( Anguis fragilis ) . The Exminster Marshes . Devon

Pallas`s Leaf Warbler

Today Ken Montandon and myself went up to Portesham in Dorset to look for a Pallas`s Leaf Warbler that has been seen on the old disused railway track and on the way there we had a Brown Hare in one of the fields close to the road , as soon as we got there and started walking up the railway track we came across the bird and it was showing well ! but it was constantly feeding making it hard work to get a decent shot of it , we stayed looking at this little gem for quite a while ! before we then went and had a look at the Fleet near to Abbotsbury and we saw two Long-Tailed Duck`s , a male and 2 female Greater Scaup , 2 Great Crested Grebe and a male Common Goldeneye

Pallas`s Leaf Warbler ( Phylloscopus proregulus ) . Portesham . Dorset

White Wagtail ?

A look around Bowling Green Marsh this morning got me what looked like a female White Wagtail that dropped into the field at the viewing platform end of the marsh but was only there for a short time before flying off again ( If anyone has any thoughts on it I would like to hear ) , also seen on the marsh today were 50+ Bar-Tailed Godwit , a Spotted Redshank and a Eurasian Sparrowhawk .
A look at the Clyst Estuary then got me 2 male and 2 female Red-Breasted Merganser , 50+ Pied Avocet , 46 Grey Plover , 2 Spotted Redshank and a Red Knot .

White Wagtail ( Motacilla alba ) ? . Bowling Green Marsh . Topsham . Devon

Eurasian Sparrowhawk ( Accipiter nisus ). Bowling Green Marsh . Topsham . Devon

European Green Woodpecker

I didn't do any birding today but this female European Green Woodpecker was calling in the cemetery grounds outside of my house so I grabbed the opportunity to see if I could catch up with it and was lucky enough to get these 2 shots , it is not to often that you get a nice shot of these little beauties so I was quite pleased with the results .

European Green Woodpecker ( Picus viridis ) . The Topsham Cemetery Grounds . Devon

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker`s

This morning on a lovely sunny morning I went to a private site where I managed to see 4 Common Buzzard , 6 Common Raven , 6 Common Skylark , 3 Woodlark , and a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
was heard calling
I then went to Steps Bridge to have a look for Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and again I had one calling but I just couldn't get to see it grrrrr lol but I did see a European Green Woodpecker , 4 Grey Wagtail , 4 Eurasian Nuthatch and 3 Marsh Tit .

Grey Wagtail ( Motacilla cinerea ) . Steps Bridge . Devon

Marsh Tit ( Poecile palustris ) . Steps Bridge . Devon

Brown Rat !!!

An afternoon look at Bowling Green Marsh got me smart male Brambling the first one that I have seen on the marsh for many a year , also seen around the feeders were 20+ Common Chaffinch , 20+ Dunnock , a Eurasian Nuthatch  and out on the water there were 100+ Pied Avocet , a few Northern Pintail and a female Tufted Duck .
I then walked down to the other end of the marsh and saw a Water Rail and I had a look from the viewing platform at the Clyst Estuary and saw 40+ Grey Plover and a Spotted Redshank .

Also seen today was this Brown Rat and its the first one that I have seen on here in the 30+ years that I have been birding the marsh !!
                                                                                                                                                            

Brambling ( Fringilla montifringilla ) . Bowling Green Marsh . Topsham . Devon

Brown Rat ( Rattus norvegicus ) . Bowling Green Marsh . Topsham . Devon

Eurasian Penduline Tit

I started today off at the Exminster Marshes and had managed to see a male and female Northern Pintail , 300+ Dark Bellied Brent Geese and in with them was the American race the Black Brant , also seen was a female Common Stonechat and a male Reed Bunting .
I then had a call from my mate Andy Bond asking me if I fancied going for the Eurasian Penduline Tit`s that have been showing in Gloucester , a nice bird to see ! so we met up and a hour and a half later we were at Horsemere Pool just off of the M6 in Gloucestershire , it took us a while to connect with the birds but when we did we were rewarded with some nice views ! making it the 3rd year running that we have seen these rare birds in this country .

Eurasian Penduline Tit ( Remiz Pendulinus ) . Horsemere Pool . Gloucester