A look at Bowling Green Marsh this morning got me 5 Common Pochard , 2 Tufted Duck & numerus Northern Shoveler , Northern Pintail & Eurasian Wigeon .
Also seen was the 1st winter Long-Billed Dowitcher , 300+ Black-Tailed Godwit and 9 Dunlin , other birds of note seen today were a female Western Marsh Harrier , a female Eurasian Sparrowhawk , a Great Spotted Woodpecker & a Mistle Thrush .
Saturday, 29 February 2020
Friday, 28 February 2020
Thursday 27th February
A trip out with the boys again today with our destination Cornwall . Our first stop was at Travose Head on the north coast of Cornwall to look for Lapland Bunting as some had been reported there we arriver to find it blowing a gale , but after a bit of a search we managed to see 5 of them so we had a good start to the day ! We went on then to the Stithians Reservoir in hope of seeing the female Lesser Scaup that has been there for quite a while and today our luck was in as we had already missed it once this year .
News then broke of a White-Billed Diver at Cape Cornwall so we headed that way as fast as we could , we arrived to find a few birders already there , and they soon put us on to it . It is always a great feeling to be lucky enough to get a bird in circumstances like this ! . Also seen were 5 superb Red-Billed Chough were displaying and calling around the headland so another good bird for us was added to the list .
Our next stop was at Carn Brae where we got great views of 3 Short-Eared Owl and as one of them was flying it put up a Merlin another good bird to see . The day was finished of on the outskirts of Newquay where an adult Glaucous Gull was seen , making it a great end to a superb days birding .
News then broke of a White-Billed Diver at Cape Cornwall so we headed that way as fast as we could , we arrived to find a few birders already there , and they soon put us on to it . It is always a great feeling to be lucky enough to get a bird in circumstances like this ! . Also seen were 5 superb Red-Billed Chough were displaying and calling around the headland so another good bird for us was added to the list .
Our next stop was at Carn Brae where we got great views of 3 Short-Eared Owl and as one of them was flying it put up a Merlin another good bird to see . The day was finished of on the outskirts of Newquay where an adult Glaucous Gull was seen , making it a great end to a superb days birding .
Tuesday, 25 February 2020
Brambling
I started the morning off at Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham . Where I saw 3 male and 2 female Common Pochard , a male and female Tufted Duck and numerous Northern Pintail and the long staying Long-Billed Dowitcher .
I then went up to the Haldon Forest as I had been told that there were some Brambling on show and as they have been thin on the ground this winter I was well pleased to see 3 male and 2 female birds . Also seen were 100+ Common Chaffinch , 2 Eurasian Nuthatch , a Eurasian Treecreeper and 2 male and a female Yellowhammer .
I then went up to the Haldon Forest as I had been told that there were some Brambling on show and as they have been thin on the ground this winter I was well pleased to see 3 male and 2 female birds . Also seen were 100+ Common Chaffinch , 2 Eurasian Nuthatch , a Eurasian Treecreeper and 2 male and a female Yellowhammer .
Sunday, 23 February 2020
Lesser Redpoll
I made the trip out to Ideford Common early this morning to look for some Brambling that has been seen there but after searching for then for 3 hours with no luck I had to call it a day . But the highlight today was finding a Lesser Redpoll as I never knew there was any around there .
Also seen were 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker , 5 Common Crossbill , 3 Eurasian Nuthatch , 3 Eurasian Treecreeper and a Mistle Thrush
Also seen were 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker , 5 Common Crossbill , 3 Eurasian Nuthatch , 3 Eurasian Treecreeper and a Mistle Thrush
Friday, 21 February 2020
Bowling Green Marsh
A look at Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham today got me . 4 male and 3 female Common Pochard , 7 Tufted Duck , numerous Northern Pintail , the long staying Long-Billed Dowitcher & 2 Common Snipe . I then walked down the road to a spot where I have seen Water Rail before but none were on show today but as I was looking a Great Bittern flew into my view and dropped out of view into a ditch , I take it that its the same bird that was seen back in January and a few times since as it is a very rare bird on the marsh , I ended the day down by the viewing platform where a very vocal Water Rail showed for a short spell .
Wednesday, 19 February 2020
Local Birding
Out and about around my local area today with my first stop at the Ludwell Valley Country Park where I saw a single Green Sandpiper , a White-Throated Dipper and 3 Grey Wagtail .
My next stop was at Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham but the only birds of note where 3 Common Pochard and a male and female Northern Pintail . My next stop was a look at the Exe Estuary from the Goatswalk where I saw 20+ Pied Avocet and 30+ Bar-Tailed Godwit , I then finished the day off with a look at the Clyst Estuary and saw 30+ Red Knot and 7 Grey Plover .
My next stop was at Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham but the only birds of note where 3 Common Pochard and a male and female Northern Pintail . My next stop was a look at the Exe Estuary from the Goatswalk where I saw 20+ Pied Avocet and 30+ Bar-Tailed Godwit , I then finished the day off with a look at the Clyst Estuary and saw 30+ Red Knot and 7 Grey Plover .
Tuesday, 18 February 2020
Barrow Gurney
Another trip up to Barrow Gurney in Somerset today with my mate Andy as he could not make the trip the other day and I was hoping to get a shot of the Black-Throated Diver . The pits are right out in the open and it was blowing a gale and freezing but we soon managed to get onto the B T Diver that was with a Great Northern Diver .
We then went to pit 1 and by now the rain had started to fall but the day soon got brighter as the male Long-Tailed Duck was seen in all its glory and it was a superb end to the days birding so we then headed for home .
We then went to pit 1 and by now the rain had started to fall but the day soon got brighter as the male Long-Tailed Duck was seen in all its glory and it was a superb end to the days birding so we then headed for home .
Monday, 17 February 2020
Pomarine Skua
A look at the Exe Estuary this afternoon got me 6 Great Crested Grebe and 5 Red-Breasted Merganser but there was no sign of the Red-Necked Grebe or the Slavonian Grebe .
I then went to Dawlish Warren to do a sea watch and soon picked out a few Eurasian Shag , I then walked down past Langstone Cliff to view the bay between there and Dawlish and I soon picked up 2 Great Northern Diver and a bit further out was a Black-Throated Diver and it was good to see one of these in an area where I have seen them before .
But the icing on the cake today was a dark phase Pomarine Skua that slowly flew across the bay heading for Berry Head and its the first one for me for a couple of years .
I then went to Dawlish Warren to do a sea watch and soon picked out a few Eurasian Shag , I then walked down past Langstone Cliff to view the bay between there and Dawlish and I soon picked up 2 Great Northern Diver and a bit further out was a Black-Throated Diver and it was good to see one of these in an area where I have seen them before .
But the icing on the cake today was a dark phase Pomarine Skua that slowly flew across the bay heading for Berry Head and its the first one for me for a couple of years .
Thursday, 13 February 2020
Long-Tailed Duck
A trip up to the Barrow Gurney Reservoirs today with my mate Ken in hope that the weather would stay fine as we were looking for a male Long-Tailed Duck and a Black-Throated Diver . We got there and walked around so that we could look into pit 3 and we soon found the Black-Throated Diver but there was no sign of the duck as yet , so we carried on walking around the reservoir when some Common Teal flew past us and in with them was the Long-Tailed Duck , it flew around for a short while before it came to rest on pit 1 and we got great views of this superb looking male bird and as this is a quite rare sight to see a male bird in the South West of England we just enjoyed seeing it in all its splendid appearance .
Saturday, 8 February 2020
Woodpeckers
A morning trip out to Yarner Wood on the edge of Dartmoor got me a European Green Woodpecker , a Great Spotted Woodpecker and two superb Lesser Spotted Woodpecker that were showing , calling and drumming … Spring is on the way !
Also seen were a few Long-Tailed Tit and Marsh Tit and a Eurasian Nuthatch and nearby two Northern Goshawk showed quite well .
Also seen were a few Long-Tailed Tit and Marsh Tit and a Eurasian Nuthatch and nearby two Northern Goshawk showed quite well .
Friday 7th February
This morning I went to a private site where I got 3 Woodlark , 6 Common Skylark , 2 Common Buzzard , 2 Mistle Thrush , 20+ Redwing , 2 Common Raven , 50+ Common Linnet .
5 Common Crossbill , 4 Coal Tit and 4 Eurasian Siskin .
5 Common Crossbill , 4 Coal Tit and 4 Eurasian Siskin .
Wednesday, 5 February 2020
European Spoonbill
News came out this morning of a European Spoonbill on the Exminster Marshes so I went over to see if it was still showing , my luck was in and it was still there but was well out in the middle of the marsh but it could be seen from the fishermans carpark .
Also seen were 2 Egyptian Geese , a male Eurasian Sparrowhawk and a Cetti`s Warbler .
I then went to a private site where I saw a Northern Goshawk .
Also seen were 2 Egyptian Geese , a male Eurasian Sparrowhawk and a Cetti`s Warbler .
I then went to a private site where I saw a Northern Goshawk .
Tuesday, 4 February 2020
A Nice Afternoon
The day started off with a Stock Dove feeding in my garden and as it was a garden tick for me I was well chuffed !
Later in the day Andy Ken and myself headed for North Devon with our first stop at Wrafton Pond near Braunton to look for some reported Red-Crested Pochard but all we saw were 2 Little Grebe , a male Common Pochard and a female Common Goldeneye . So we then took a look at the Braunton Burrows and as we were going along the toll road we came across this Barn Owl...one of my favourite birds !
We then went to Fremington Pill on the other side of the Taw Estuary to look for a Glossy Ibis that has been there for a few years now , but there was no sign of it anywhere so we had to make do with a nice Spotted Redshank , we were starting to think the Glossy Ibis would not show but all of a sudden it flew in and gave us great views just as the light was just starting to fade , the day was then finished off with some Cattle Egrets coming into roost in the trees beside the river .
Later in the day Andy Ken and myself headed for North Devon with our first stop at Wrafton Pond near Braunton to look for some reported Red-Crested Pochard but all we saw were 2 Little Grebe , a male Common Pochard and a female Common Goldeneye . So we then took a look at the Braunton Burrows and as we were going along the toll road we came across this Barn Owl...one of my favourite birds !
We then went to Fremington Pill on the other side of the Taw Estuary to look for a Glossy Ibis that has been there for a few years now , but there was no sign of it anywhere so we had to make do with a nice Spotted Redshank , we were starting to think the Glossy Ibis would not show but all of a sudden it flew in and gave us great views just as the light was just starting to fade , the day was then finished off with some Cattle Egrets coming into roost in the trees beside the river .
Monday, 3 February 2020
RLP
Red-Legged Partridge was the bird that I was looking for today around the country lanes near Kenton in Devon today and after a bit of a search I got two of them , also seen was a large flock of Thrushes with over 300 Fieldfare and a few Redwing and they kept being put up by a very persistent male Merlin that made a few passes through them but I never saw him catch anything .
I then went to the Exminster Marshes where I saw 10-15 Common Curlew , a Spotted Redshank , a very pale looking Ruff and 2 Common Chiffchaff .
I then went to the Exminster Marshes where I saw 10-15 Common Curlew , a Spotted Redshank , a very pale looking Ruff and 2 Common Chiffchaff .
