Saturday 28th November

 We only have one Kingfisher in this country the Common Kingfisher and even though I have seen many Kingfishers around the world I still get a bit of a buzz when I see ours !

And that is just what happened today as I had gone to Exton Marsh to look for some reported Water Pipits but my luck was out and I only saw Rock and Meadow Pipits . But as I was scanning the marsh there was a female Common Kingfisher that was showing very well , and at one point a male bird came into her territory but she soon chased him off and carried on with her fishing .

Common Kingfisher ( Alcedo atthis ) . Exton Marsh . Devon

 

 

 

Haldon Forest

A trip up to the Haldon Forest on the edge of Exeter this morning and the first birds that I saw was a flock of 30+ Common Crossbill that flew over my head but they never stopped .

I then had a look around the feeders where I saw a male and female Brambling one of our smart looking winter finches , numerous Coal Tit a male and female Great Spotted Woodpecker , around a dozen Common Chaffinch , a couple of Eurasian Nuthatch and quite a few Eurasian Siskin .

Brambling ( Fringilla montifringilla ) . Haldon Forest . Devon

 

 

 

 

Eurasian Siskin ( Carduelis spinus ) . Haldon Forest . Devon

 

 

The Exe Estuary

Today saw me again on the Exminster Marshes but the birding was very slow today and all I saw was the long staying Snow Goose , 20+ Northern Pintail and 5 Common Stonechat .

So I then went to Powderham Corner and walked up to the estuary wall and took a look at the Exe Estuary where I saw 20+ Common Ringed Plover and a few Dunlin . And in the field by the new bridge was a Common Snipe and a nice to see Song Thrush a bird that is not as common now as it used to be .

Snow Goose ( Anser caerulescens ) . The Exminster Marshes . Devon

 

Common Snipe ( Gallinago gallinago ) . Powderham Corner Area . Devon

 

 

 

Song Thrush ( Turdus philomelos ) . Powderham Corner Area , Devon

 

Friday 13th November

 I had news of a Short-Eared Owl that was seen a couple of days ago near the back path on the Exminster Marshes . So I went over this morning to look for it but alas there was no sign of it , I can remember the days when you could see 5 or 6 of these birds on the marsh at this time of the year ...but not anymore .

But I did see the following , a Water Rail , a male Peregrine Falcon , 2 Common Raven , 10 Long-Tailed Tit and a Common Chiffchaff . I then took a look around the Turf Locks / Exe Estuary area and I saw 500+ European Golden Plover , a Common Kingfisher , a Rock Pipit , 2 Cetti`s Warbler and around 20+ Redwing .

Redwing ( Turdus iliacus ) . Turf Locks . Devon

 

 

Rock Pipit ( Anthus petrosus ) . Turf Locks . Devon

 

Common Guillemot

On the Exminster Marshes this morning the drake American Wigeon was in with a  flock of 300+ Eurasian Wigeon that flew across the marsh and landed out by the main lagoon , obviously it must be the bird that was found a while back on the Exe Estuary at Exmouth by fellow birder Matt Knott but where it has been since then is a bit of a mystery . Also seen was the female Western Marsh Harrier , a Grey Wagtail , 4 Cetti`s Warbler , a Common Chiffchaff , a Song Thrush and 2 Redwing .

I walked down as far as the Turf Locks and a look at the Exe Estuary got me a few Pied Avocet , 4 Grey Plover and 400+ European Golden Plover . And close to the locks a Common Kingfisher showed well and as I was trying to get a shot of it I noticed a bird that was diving quite a lot , so I went to see what it was and to my amazement it was a Common Guillemot a very rare bird to be found this far upriver away from the coast .

Common Guillemot ( Uria aalge ) . Turf Locks . Devon

 

 

Common Kingfisher ( Alcedo atthis ) . Turf Locks . Devon

 

From Russia With Love

 A trip up to the Apex Leisure Park in Somerset this morning to look for a Tundra Bean Goose and a couple of Russian White-Fronted Geese that have been on the lake for a few days , and both showed very well along with a few Greylag Geese . Also heard was a calling Yellow-Browed Warbler . 

Tundra Bean Goose ( Anser rossicus ) . Apex Leisure Park . Somerset

 

 

 

White-Fronted Goose ( Anser albifrons ) . Apex Leisure Park . Somerset

 

 

Ring Ouzel

 Today was started at Goosemoor in Topsham where there was a Green Sandpiper that was my first on the Exe Estuary this year , also seen were a few Black-Tailed Godwit and some Common Greenshank . Next a look at Bowling Green Marsh produced 3 Dunlin , a Red Knot and 3 Stock Dove but the viewing is very restricted .

I then went across to the Exminster Marshes and I saw the following birds . 20+ Dark Bellied Brent Goose , 400+ European Golden Plover , a Common Kestrel , a Eurasian Sparrowhawk , a female Merlin that has been around the marshes for a while now but it has taken me 5 trips to catch up with it ! I then saw my bird of the day ...my first ever Ring Ouzel on the marshes , an adult female bird that was in with a few Common Blackbird and Redwings .  

Black-Tailed Godwit ( Limosa limosa ) . Goosemoor . Topsham . Devon

 

 

Long Distance

 An early morning walk on the Exminster Marshes got me around a dozen Dark Bellied Brent Goose , a flock of European Golden Plover and a Cetti`s Warbler .

News then came out of a Long-Tailed Duck on the Exe Estuary off of the Goatswalk in Topsham so I headed back to see if I could catchup with it , I got on it ok but it had drifted down river on the outgoing tide so I could only manage to get this long distance record shot of it , but lets hope it winters on the estuary and I then may be able to get better shots of it !

Long-Tailed Duck ( Clangula hyemalis ) . The Exe Estuary . Topsham . Devon

 

Wednesday 4th November

 A trip down to Dawlish Warren today on a bright and sunny morning , and my first stop was a look around the entrance bushes where I saw a Yellow-Browed Warbler that showed once and was heard on call a couple of times . Also seen was a Common Chiffchaff , a Great Spotted Woodpecker , numerous European Greenfinch and 3 male Eurasian Bullfinch .

I then went to the Greenland lake area and the main spectacle there was the amount of Common Wood Pigeon that were going over and it was in the thousands all heading inland , also seen were 2 Common Snipe , 4 European Robin and a Cirl Bunting .  

European Robin ( Erithacus rubecula ) . Dawlish Warren . Devon

 

Great Spotted Woodpecker ( Dendrocopos major ) . Dawlish Warren . Devon

 

Rabbit ( Oryctolagus cuniculus ) . Dawlish Warren . Devon

 

More of the Yankee Wigeon

The male American Wigeon that was found the other day was showing a lot better today off of the Imperial Car Park in Exmouth . Allowing myself and other birders the the chance to get better views and photographs of it.

There was not a lot else to see there besides the numerous Eurasian Wigeon and Dark Bellied Brent Goose and in with them was one of the Light Bellied race hrota .

American Wigeon ( Anas Americana ) . The Exe Estuary . Exmouth . Devon