Tim Andy and myself made a trip up to Swineham Gravel Pits in Dorset to look for a Bluethroat a very rare bird that visits us from Europe some times . And after a long walk we got great views of the bird of the red spotted race of northern Europe .
These birds used to be rarer in Britain but they seem to be turning up a bit more allowing us to enjoy these beautiful birds .
The highlight of the day for me was seeing my 1st Weasel of the year that was seen on the canel path at the Exminster Marshes .
Also seen were the following birds
Common Buzzard . Eurasian Curlew . Whimbrel . Common Skylark . Sedge Warbler . Blackcap . Common Chiffchaff and Cetti`s Warbler
News of a Black-Crowned Night Heron saw me making the trip over to Seaton in East Devon in hope of seeing it . And the bird was showing very well on Borrow Pit . There was not a lot else to see with only 4 Cetti`s Warbler and a Common Chiffchaff .
I started the day off at Emsworthy Mire on Dartmoor where I saw a Common Buzzard , a Common Raven . And new for the year Common Redstart with 3 male birds seen . also seen was a Clouded Yellow Butterfly .
I then went to Yarner Wood to look for Lesser Spotted Woodpecker but again I was out of luck .
But I did see 2 male Blackcap , 2 Willow Warbler , Eurasian Treecreeper , Great Spotted Woodpecker , 2 Mistle Thrush , Pied Flycatcher and my first Tree Pipit of the year
A quick look at the Exminster Marshes this morning before the rain set in . Got me 3 Common Buzzard , a few Barn Swallow , 3 Cetti`s Warbler , 2 European Reed Warbler , 2 Sedge Warbler , Common Chiffchaff , 2 male Blackcap and 2 Cattle Egret .
The Pied Flycatcher have returned to Yarner Wood and a pair showed quite well this morning .
Also seen were a pair of Blackcap , Willow Warbler , Common Chiffchaff , Goldcrest and Song Thrush .
Another highlight today was seeing a Water Shrew near the reservoir my first in over ten years 😀
On The Exminster Marshes this morning new birds for the year were Common Swift , 2 Sedge Warbler , a European Reed Warbler and a Ruff . Also seen were Black-Tailed Godwit , Cetti`s Warbler , European Spoonbill , 4 Barn Swallow , numerous Common Sand Martin , The long staying Greater White-Fronted Goose , a male Western Marsh Harrier and 20+ Cattle Egret .
Four of us made an early morning trip up the Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire in hope of seeing some good birds and we started off with Corn Bunting and in the end we had seen 100+ of these birds .
Also seen were 30+ Great Bustard , 10 Red Kite , a Common Whitethroat , 5 Stone Curlew , 2 Northern Wheatear , 20+ Skylark , 3 Grey Partridge , 2 Red-Legged Partridge & 2 Meadow Pipit .
We finished the day off at Marlborough Downs and we saw 2 Tree Sparrow and 6 Yellowhammer .
Also seen was Brown Hare , Roe Deer , Red Deer & Muntjac Deer .
A great days birding in superb weather !
A look at the marsh today got me 2 Little Ringed Plover , 100+ Eurasian Curlew and in with them was my first Whimbrel of the year . Also seen was a Bar-Tailed Godwit , a Lesser Black-Backed Gull , Common Raven and a Common Chiffchaff .
I started off today at Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham where I saw this Spotted Redshank that is just starting to turn into summer plumage . Also seen was a female Western Marsh Harrier and a Cetti`s Warbler .
I then went across to the Exminster Marshes in hope of seeing the Greater White-Fronted Goose that has been hanging on from the winter and today my luck was in . There was also another 6 Cetti`s Warbler , 4 Common Chiffchaff and my 1st Willow Warbler of the year 👀 .
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30th March
THE EXMINSTER MARSHES
Gadwall , 2 Eurasian Curlew , Peregrine Falcon , 2 Common Buzzard , 2 Western Marsh Harrier and a female Merlin that flew through like a rocket .
31st March
HALDON FOREST
Numerous Eurasian Siskin , 5 Yellowhammer , a female Brambling , Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Eurasian Nuthatch
Not much birding done today but I did see this Reed Bunting on Goosemoor . And at the bottom of Bowling Green Lane there were 2 Common Chiffchaff and a male Blackcap . My first one seen in Devon this year .
The day started of at Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham with a female Western Marsh Harrier and 3 Stock Dove .
I then took a look at the Exminster Marshes where I saw a Great White Egret , European Spoonbill , Common Buzzard , Common Raven and this superb female Merlin .
This morning I got a long distance shot of this Green-Winged Teal an American bird that I have always liked to see . The sad thing is that it has now been lumped with our Common Teal a thing that that seems stupid to me 😒
Also seen was a European Spoonbill and a Western Marsh Harrier
A morning look around Goosemoor in Topsham got me a Little Egret , 6 Common Redshank , a female Common Stonechat , 4 Stock Dove , 2 Common Raven , Cetti`s Warbler and a Song Thrush .
A look at Bowling Green Marsh then got me 2 Reed Bunting .
A look at the Exminster Marsh got me a couple of early migrants going through on a bright sunny morning with Little Ringed Plover and Northern Wheatear . Also seen were 8 Common Skylark , 3 Common Raven and a Cetti`s Warbler that was showing very well .
This morning I went over to the Exminster Marshes where at this moment there is limited access to the marsh due to the road being closed off . But I still managed to see 7 Greater White-Fronted Geese and in with them was a Barnacle Goose , also seen was a Common Raven .
I then had a look at Bowling Green Marsh and saw 4 male and 2 female Tufted Duck and 2 Eurasian Spoonbill .
A look at Bowling Green Marsh got me the usual numerous wildfowl with the main being Tufted Duck . Common Pochard , Northern Pintail and Northern Shoveler .
Also seen were my 1st Common Sand Martin & Reed Bunting of the year , a couple of Stock Dove and a few Long-Tailed Tit .
This morning I went to a new location for me the Ridgetop Park that is at the top of Exminster and I got what I was looking for Cirl Bunting .
Then a look at the Exminster Marshes got me 4 Greater White-Fronted Geese , Eurasian Sparrowhawk , a Male and female Common Stonechat , 5 Common Skylark and a Common Raven .
An hour spent in the hide at Bowling Green Marsh got me 5 European Spoonbill , a Little Egret , a male and female Common Pochard , around a dozen Tufted Duck , a Common Kestrel and a Stock Dove .
Just glad to be able to get out a bit again after a bit of bad health 😀
CORNWALL
A trip down to Cornwall today in hope of catching up with the 1st winter Ross`s Gull that has been seen around Newlyn Harbour and we got nice views of the bird but I could only manage to get this quick shot of it as it shot past . This was my sixth different Ross`s Gull seen in Britain and I can never get enough of these smart little birds .
We then went to Marazion and picked up Greater Scaup and Sanderling for the year . On then to Helston where we saw a pair of Lesser Scaup that were practically under our feet !
Our last stop of the day was at Truro where the long staying Lesser Yellowlegs was showing right beside Tesco`s car park in a small channel .
First stop this morning was at Goosemoor in Topsham where there was 3 Little Egret , a European Green Woodpecker , Common Raven and a female Eurasian Bullfinch an uncommon bird for this site !
I then went to Bowling Green Marsh where the main birds on show were 4 male and a female Tufted Duck , a male and 2 female Common Pochard and a Spotted Redshank .
I am still a bit poorly but this morning I ventured out for a while with my first stop at Goosemoor i Topsham where I got my first Water Rail of the year . Also seen was European Green Woodpecker and a Great Spotted Woodpecker . Then a quick look at Bowling Green Marsh got me 2 Stock Dove .
I then went across to the other side of the Exe Estuary and near Starcross there was 100+ Cattle Egret and a look at the Exe Estuary got me 3 male and 2 female Red-Breasted Merganser .
An afternoon trip to the Otter Marshes got me 2 Eurasian Spoonbill , 2 Little Grebe , a Common Raven , male and female Common Stonechat and 2 distant Water Pipit that were very illusive all the time I was there . Another birder that was with me said that he had seen six of them but I had to make do with just the two of them .
This morning I made my way down to Brixham Harbour in hope of seeing a Caspian Gull that has been there a few days but today there was no sign of it while I was there .
But I did see a nice Black-Throated Diver , 30+ Great Northern Diver , a Red-Throated Diver , 4 Razorbill , 30+ European Shag , an adult Mediterranean Gull , 6 Black-Legged Kittiwake , Common Gull , 5 Purple Sandpiper and a Rock Pipit .
My last stop was at Teignmouth where a look off the seafront got me 6 Little Gulls with a mixed flock of adult and juvenile birds .
Not a lot to report this morning at a very heavily flooded Bowling Green Marsh . But after a bit of a search up to 6 Common Snipe showed very well .
