There is not a lot around at the moment but a look at Bowling Green Marsh got me a Stock Dove and a pair of Black Swan with 5 cygnets and I think that this is the 1st time that they have bred on the marsh .
At the top of Bowling Green Hill there was a Eurasian Jay and my last stop of the day was at the Tesco`s store at Exe Vale where there was this lone Bee Orchid .
A day out looking around the Venford Reservoir area on Dartmoor with my mate Andy was quite productive with the following birds .
Great Spotted Woodpecker , European Green Woodpecker , Common Raven , Garden Warbler , Willow Warbler , Common Chiffchaff , Blackcap , Spotted Flycatcher , Common Redstart , Common Cuckoo , Pied Flycatcher , Common Crossbill and Lesser Redpoll .
We also got caught out in a Thunderstorm of Rain and Hailstones and got soaked to the skin 😨
Here are a couple of ropey shots of the illusive Lesser Whitethroat that is in scrub near to the old Welcombe Inn . The bird sang quite a bit but only showed itself a few times . Also seen were Common Swift , Barn Swallow and Common House Martin .
I went looking for Spotted Flycatcher on the East Devon Commons this morning but I had no luck at all . And there was not a lot else on show either with only 4 male and a female Tufted Duck , a European Green Woodpecker , Great Spotted Woodpecker , Common Chiffchaff , Coal Tit , Eurasian Jay and a single Beautiful Demoiselle .
Devon Birds Lundy Island trip
The M . V .Oldenburg left Bideford for Lundy Island around 9.30 am and on the way we saw Common Guillemot , Razorbill , Manx Shearwater , Black-Legged Kittiwake , Northern Fulmar and a Eurasian Collared Dove that landed on the ships mast .
Once we arrived at Lundy the ship went around the Island so everyone got nice views of the seabirds with some nice Atlantic Puffin seen .
On the Island we saw numerous Common Skylark and Meadow Pipit , a Common Whitethroat , 3 Northern Wheatear , a male and female Common Stonechat , a female Whinchat and around 20+ Common Linnet . The 6 of us then stopped off for a pint in the pub with ( A Bond , P Bray , D Boult , D Land , I Pearson & myself ) and just as we were leaving we were told that a female Golden Oriole had been found in Milcombe Valley so we got there as fast as we could and after a bit of searching we all managed to all get views of it ( The 1st one for me since one at Portland back in 2017 and to back it up there was also a Spotted Flycatcher .
On the trip back to Bideford not a lot was seen but 2 Harbour Porpoise were a nice end to the day .
MONTAGU`S HARRIER
A trip up tp the RSPB Reserve at Greylake this morning in hope of seeing a Montagu`s Harrier that has been showing there for a few days . And we did not have to wait to long before we got distant views of the 1st summer male bird that was being mobbed by a Western Marsh Harrier at 9.15 am . It then dropped down onto the ground and was not seen again till late afternoon .
Also seen was a Great Bittern and another 2 were heard booming , 2 Common Cuckoo , 3 Red Kite , 3 Common Crane , 3 Eurasian Hobby , 4 Yellow Wagtail and my 1st Water Vole for about 30 years !
A quick look at the Exminster Marshes only got me 2 male Garganey . I then decided to do some birding on Dartmoor where I saw .3 Whinchat , Northern Wheatear , Meadow Pipit , Common Skylark , Common Cuckoo , Common Redstart , Pied Flycatcher and a Eurasian Treecreeper .
News of a Lesser Whitethroat on the Exminster Marshes got me going over to look for it but this time I dipped it as there was no sign of it at all . But I did see Cetti`s Warbler , European Reed Warbler , Sedge Warbler , Common Chiffchaff , Blackcap and 3 male Garganey all together . A rare sight on the marshes .
A trip over to the Exminster Marshes again today as I had a message telling me that there was a male Garganey showing well on the pond by the middle car park . And as you can see it was well worth the trip . Also seen were the normal warbler`s for this time of year with Cetti`s Warbler , European Reed Warbler , Sedge Warbler , Common Chiffchaff and Blackcap .
This morning I had a look at the Exminster Marshes and saw 4 Eurasian Hobby , 2 Common Kestrel , Eurasian Sparrowhawk , Common Buzzard , a female Western Marsh Harrier , 10 Common Swift , 2 European Reed Warbler , Sedge Warbler and after a bit of a walk a distant adult Temmininck`s Stint ( after being re-identified today ) .
Later in the afternoon I went to the new LORP at Budleigh Salterton and saw a Little Ringed Plover and after quite a bit of a search a nice male Green-Winged Teal . Also seen was my first Weasel of the year .
A trip out to Yarner Wood on the edge of Dartmoor turned out to be a good day as I managed to see the two birds that I went for with Pied Flycatcher and Tree Pipit .
I also saw a nice Garden Warbler sitting out in the open and singing its head off , 2 Willow Warbler , a Common Chiffchaff , 3 Mistle Thrush , a Song Thrush and a male Common Stonechat .
Late evening I got a message that there was a Garganey on the Exminster Marshes . So I went over too see if I could see it . And I got views of it but as you can see it was very distant !
A day out today with a couple of mates and our first stop was at Lydlinch Common in Dorset were we only saw 2 Garden Warbler , 2 Blackcap and a Common Chiffchaff .
So we then went for a look at the Ulners Gorse nature reserve and we were lucky enough to see the bird that we were looking for a Common Nightingale !
We then went to have a look around Salisbury Plain and we saw the following , 4 Red Kite , 3 Common Whitethroat , 5 Great Bustard , around a dozen Corn Bunting , 4 Common Skylark , 3 Roe Deer and a few Brown Hare .
We finished the day of at Marlborough Down and saw 3 more Corn Bunting , a Northern Wheatear and a smart looking Yellowhammer .
