A great days birding out at Yarner Wood on the edge of Dartmoor . And the first place I look was out on the heath were I saw a performing Tree Pipit , a Willow Warbler and a Common Cuckoo .
I then had a look around the wood and got 2 Lesser Spotted Woodpecker ( Excuse the picture but they were very illusive ) , Pied Flycatcher , Common Redstart and Garden Warbler .
All new for the year so I was well pleased 😀
I went over to the Exminster Marshes this morning and ended up with 5 year ticks . The birds that I saw are . European Reed Warbler , Sedge Warbler , Common Whitethroat , Whimbrel and Northern Wheatear .
Also seen were Common Buzzard , Blackcap , Common Chiffchaff and Long-Tailed Tit .
A trip up to Somerset today to Durleigh Reservoir to look for a Whiskered Tern and I am happy to say that we got great views of the bird as it put on a great aerial display .
We also saw Common House Martin , Common Sand Martin , Barn Swallow , Great Crested Grebe and a Great White Egret .
A quick morning look at Bowling Green Marsh got me the male Red-Breasted Merganser that has been on the marsh for a few days now .
Also seen was Common Redshank , Common Greenshank , Black-Tailed Godwit , Barn Swallow , Cetti`s Warbler , Blackcap and Common Chiffchaff .
An afternoon trip down to Slapton Ley in hope of seeing a Purple Heron and a Black-Crowed Night Heron . And after quite a wait we got a view of the Purple Heron in flight but there was no sign of the BCNH .
Not a lot else seen because we were stood in one spot but we did see Cetti`s Warbler and Common Chiffchaff
Birds seen in Topsham today are as follows , 4 European Spoonbill , 2 Lesser Black-Backed Gull , Common Buzzard , up to at least 4 Blackcap , 3 Common Chiffchaff , Great Spotted Woodpecker , European Green Woodpecker , Long-Tailed Tit and Goldcrest .
An hour spent at Bowling Green Marsh this afternoon got me a Male Red-Breasted Merganser a bird that you ever hardly see on the marsh but a common bird out on the estuary .
Also seen was a few Northern Pintail , 30+ Common Shelduck , 4 European Spoonbill , 5 Little Egret and a Stock Dove .
Friday 4th April
This afternoon , my garden was visited by an Eurasian Jay and this was a new bird for my garden list 😊
Saturday 5th April
I was in my garden when I picked up a Red Kite that was heading north towards the M5 . News then came out of a Common Grasshopper Warbler reeling at Bowling Green Marsh but by the time that I got there the bird had moved on . But I did see 4 European Spoonbill , a Cetti`s Warbler and a Common Chiffchaf
A look at the marsh this morning got me 4 European Spoonbill , 4 Grey Heron , 2 Little Egret , the long staying Long-Billed Dowitcher , a single Red Knot , 100+ Common Redshank , 2 Spotted Redshank and around a dozen Dunlin .
And back at home I had a Common Buzzard and a Great Spotted Woodpecker .
Another trip out to Bellever Tor on Dartmoor got me the following birds . Common Skylark , a brief view of the Great Grey Shrike , Common Skylark , male and female Common Crossbill , Common Buzzard , Common Stonechat and Meadow Pipit .
Then on the way home we had a quick stop at the Exminster Marshes where we saw male and female Egyptian Goose .
