Black Redstart

 This morning I went across to Brandy Head near Otterton to look for Common Scoter . But as soon as I started scanning the sea I knew that I was on a loser , as there was hardly any birds on show with the best being around a dozen Northern Fulmar & 5 Red-Throated Diver .

As I was walking back to the car I could hear some guns being fired as 3 Brown Hare ran across the field towards me .... And I am always pleased to catch a sighting of these animals .

I then went to the Shelley Beach area of Exmouth to look for the male Black Redstart and today I got it on my 5th attempt of trying for it this year .

Happy Days

Black Redstart ( Phoenicurus ochruros ) . Shelley Beach . Exmouth . Devon

 

Jammy Git

 Early this morning I went for a look around the Ludwell Valley in Exeter in hope of seeing a White-Throated Dipper but I could not find one today . But I did see a single Green Sandpiper , 3 Grey Wagtail , 3 Common Chiffchaff and 2 Eurasian Jay .

I then went over to Rousdan near Axmouth as a European Serin was found there yesterday , I found the spot that the bird was found and met up with a local birder called Tim Clark and he gave me the bad news that the bird had not been seen for over 2 hours . But about a minute later he shouting to me there it is ! as the the bird had landed on a far off tree , and I could just fire off this distant record shot of it and then it was gone again .

Jammy Git or what lol

European Serin ( Serinus serinus ) . Rousdan . Devon

 

Hawfinch

 Today started at Stover Park to look for Goosander but there was none on show this morning . But I did get my first Eurasian Jay of the year . Also seen were quite a few Mandarin Duck and Gadwall .

On then to Yarner Wood but it was very quiet with the best birds being Marsh Tit and Eurasian Nuthatch . My last stop of the day was at the Haldon Forest and I managed to see a couple of Great Spotted Woodpecker , a Common Raven , 2 Common Crossbill and 3 Hawfinch that finally showed after a couple of hours wait .

Hawfinch ( Coccothraustes coccothraustes ) . Haldon Forest . Devon

 

Firecrest

 I took a look around the Bystock Reserve for any Firecrest . And I managed to find one in the Holly Bushes at the top of the reserve , but getting a shot of it was a different matter as it never stayed still for long and I could only get this one shot of it .

There was also a European Green Woodpecker , a Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Eurasian Nuthatch . I then got news that the Black Redstart was showing at Exmouth and seeing that I wasn`t far away I went for it . But again there was no sign of it when I got there so I dipped again for the 4th time this year lol .

Firecrest ( Regulus ignicapilla ) . The Bystock Reserve . Devon

 

Haldon Forest

On a cold dull day I went up to the Haldon Forest on the outskirts of Exeter in hope of seeing Halfinch but there was no sign of any while I was there . But I did see a nice flock of Common Crossbill and was able to get this shot of a female bird .

There was not a lot else to be seen . So on the way home I drove around an area that is quite good for Red-Legged Partridge and managed to see 3 of them near the Powderham Sawmill . 

Common Crossbill ( Loxia curvirostra ) . Haldon Forest . Devon

 

Penduline Tit

 Another trip out today to the Weston Airfield near Weston-Super Mare in Somerset to look for some Penduline Tit that have been showing for quite a while now . And our luck was in as we got on to them right away . The views were distant but we were glad just to see them . I then walked away from the main group and came across a male Bearded Reedling that we were all glad to see .

Also seen were Water Rail , Common Stonechat , Common Chiffchaff & Reed Bunting .

Penduline Tit ( Remiz pendulinus ) . Weston Airfield . Weston-Super-Mare . Somerset

 

 

Bearded Reedling ( Panurus biarmicus ) . Weston Airfield . Weston-Super-Mare . Somerset

 

 

 

Geese

 A look at the Exminster Marshes this morning got me the long staying Pink-Footed Goose & a Greater White-Fronted Goose that were in with a small flock of Canada Goose . Also seen was a Glossy Ibis and 3 Common Raven .

I then went to Clyst St Mary to look for Water Rail and my luck was in as I managed to see one . Along with a Little Egret and a Grey Wagtail .

Pink-Footed Goose ( Anser brachyrhynchus ) . The Exminster Marshes . Devon

 

Greater White-Fronted Goose ( Anser albifrons ) . The Exminster Marshes . Devon

 

Greater White Fronted Goose ( Anser albifrons ) & Pink-Footed Goose ( Anser brachyrhynchus ) . The Exminster Marshes . Devon

 

Glossy Ibis ( Plegadis falcinellus ) . The Exminster Marshes . Devon

 

Water Rail ( Rallus aquaticus ) . Clyst St Mary . Devon

 

Red-Throated Diver

 A trip to the Otterton Ledge this morning to do my 1st sea watch of the year . And the first birds that I saw were Northern Fulmar and in the end I saw 9 of them . I then had a look at the sea and came across a distant Red-Throated Diver . You always used to get these birds off of here but they are getting much harder now . There was also around a dozen Common Guillemot and 4 Razorbill .

Walking back to the car I came across a male Dartford Warbler that was around the bushes by the sewage works . And I think this is a first for me at this site .

Northern Fulmar ( Fulmarus glacialis ) . Otterton Ledge . Devon

 

Dartford Warbler ( Sylvia undata ) . Otterton Sewage Works . Devon

 

 

Local Birding

 Todays birding took me around the Exe Estuary area . With my first stop at the Darts Farm Reserve where I saw a few Reed Bunting and a Song Thrush that was singing its head off .

I then had a look at the Exe Estuary near Powderham Corner and there was a stack of Black-Tailed Godwit and in with them were 4 Bar-Tailed Godwit also seen were numerous Dunlin and 9 Grey Plover . I then went down the road a bit to Powderham Park and I saw 3 Egyptian Goose and 4 Stock Dove.

The day was finished off at the small Starcross golf course with numerous Dark Bellied Brent Goose and in with a few Canada Goose was this Greater White-Fronted Goose .

Greater White-Fronted Goose ( Anser albifrons ) . Starcross Golf Course . Devon

 

 

Bar-Tailed Godwit ( Limosa lapponica ) . The Exe Estuary . Devon

 

Broadsands

 A morning look around the bay at Broadsands got me 2 Black-Throated Diver , 3 Great Northern Diver , a Razorbill , 2 Great Crested Grebe , a Black-Necked Grebe , 3 Northern Fulmar , a Black-Legged Kittiwake and a Velvet Scoter . I then had a look around the bushes and saw 10 Cirl Bunting and 3 Common Chiffchaff .

Two Great Northern Divers stayed together all of the time diving quite close to the shore but at one point I could only see one . I presume this was a male bird , who then started looking for its mate . He could not see her anywhere and started to get agitated . Then to my amazement he started to call repeatedly . I have never heard a diver call in the wild before and this made my day , The female then heard the call and returned immediately and paired up with the male bird .

That is why I love birding !

Great Northern Diver ( Gavia immer ) . Broadsands . Devon

 

 

Pacific Diver

 Another trip out with the boys today . This time to look for a Pacific Diver that was on the Eglwys Nunydd Reservoir in Glamorgan in South Wales . It took us a while to get onto the bird but it showed quite well in the end . Also seen were quite a few Common Goldeneye and Common Pochard and a nice Slavonian Grebe .

Our next stop was at the Barrow Gurney Reservior  near Bristol where we saw a stunning adult male Long-Tailed Duck . On then to Wedmore in Somerset as Cattle Egret had been reported there and we saw 150+ a truly amazing sight .

We then had a look at Greylake RSPB for the Baikal Teal but we had no luck with it today . So our last stop was around the Swell Wood area where we had 10 Common Crane and 5 Great White Egret .

A goo days birding !

Pacific Diver ( Gavia pacifica ) . Eglwys nunydd Reservoir . Glamorgan . Wales

 

 

Long-Tailed Duck ( Clangula hyemalis ) . Barrow Gurney Reservoir . Somerset

 

 

Saturday 8th January

 Baikal Teal

A trip up to the Greylake RSPB Reserve in Somerset to look for a Baikal Teal a bird that I have never seen before . The weather was awful with falling rain most of the time . We got into the hide and was told  the bird was showing but it was very distant , but we managed to get onto it with a bit of help from other birders but it was asleep for most of the time and only put its head out a few times .

The main thing that stood out was the vertical white stripe which can be seen in my photo and an all dark under tail coverts .

I know the picture is not the best but what with the distance and the bad weather beggars cant be choosers but I thought I would post it anyway lol .

Baikal Teal ( Anas formosa ) . Greylake R S P B . Somerset

 

Buff-Bellied Pipit

 The lure of a 1st for Devon an American Buff- Bellied Pipit saw Andy Bond , Dave Land and myself making the trip down to Maelcombe Beach at East Prawle in hope that it would still be on show .

To get to the beach you had to go down a very steep hill to reach the beach , on getting there there were pipits everywhere with the majority being Rock Pipit but there was also quite a few Meadow Pipit and a Water Pipit . But for a long while there was no good views of the main bird with only fleeting views of it and then it was gone behind the rocks again . But then someone found it out in the open and we all got good views of it . I have seen these birds before in The Scilly Isles and Cornwall but it is great to get one in my own County of Devon .

Also seen today was a male Ring-Necked Duck at Beesands Ley . And at Slapton Ley we saw a Greater White-Fronted Goose , 2 female Lesser Scaup , 2 Black-Necked Grebe and a Snow Bunting .

Wow what a great days Birding

Buff-Bellied Pipit ( Anthus rubescens ) . East Prawle . Devon

 

 

Snow Bunting ( Plectrophenax nivalis ) . Slapton Ley . Devon

 

 

New Years Day

 Happy New Year to all my readers .

The day started off at Clyst St Mary just after first light to look for the the Whooper Swan that has been there for a few days . And that turned out to be a good move as I heard that it had flown off later in the morning .

Later I went across to the Exminster Marshes where I saw 2 female Western Marsh Harrier , a Ruff , a Cetti`s Warbler and a nice Glossy Ibis . I then went down to have a look at the fields on the other side of the railway lines near the Turf Hotel and I managed to get views of the Pink-Footed Goose and the long staying Snow Goose .

Whooper Swan ( Cygnus cygnus ) . Clyst St Mary . Devon

 

Glossy Ibis ( Plegadis falcinellus ) . The Exminster Marshes . Devon