Black Tern

Today large parts of the Exminster Marshes were under water but it did turn up a Black Tern that was feeding over some water towards the north of the marshes by moterway bridge along with numerous Sand Martin , House Martin , Swallow & Swifts , the only land birds seen in a howling gale were Reed , Sedge & Cetti`s Warblers .

More year ticks

The day started at Dawlish Warren where there was a Grasshopper Warbler that I got reeling by the entrance to the reserve but couldn`t see it , I then went back to the Exminster Marshes where I managed to see numerous Whimbrel , 3 Grey Heron , another nice Yellow Wagtail , 2 Black-Winged Stilt , a new in Hobby & a Lesser Whitethroat sang for a short while in the lane by the railway line but once again I couldn`t see it .

Grey Heron . Exminster Marsh . Devon . 26 / 4 / 2012

Black-Winged Stilt on BGM

Yippeeeeeeeeeeeeee Black-Winged Stilt on Bowling Green Marsh a first for the site I think ?

Wednesday 25th April . 2012

The day started off with a sea watch from Orcombe Point in Exmouth & the usual Gannet & Kittywake were on show along with a single Fulmar , but the highlight of the watch were 3 Pomarine Skua & 5 Great Skua .
Later in the day I had a call telling me that there was 3 Black-Winged Stilt on the Exminster Marshes so I shot off over to see if I could see them as it was an Exe Estuary tick for me ! but at first in the pouring rain there was no sign of them but after a while the rain stopped & they were found again & good views were had of them , also seen was a Little Ringed Plover & a Short-Eared Owl that flew beside the car .

Short-Eared Owl . Exminster Marsh . Devon . 25 / 4 / 2012

Black-Winged Stilt . Exminster Marsh . Devon . 25 / 4 / 2012

Yellow Wagtail

An earlie morning look at the Exminster Marshes didn`t turn up much with only 14 Little Egret , 10 Swallow , 2 House Martin & Reed & Sedge Warbler .
So I then went for a look around Dawlish Warren & saw my first Whitethroat of the year , 10 Linnet , 4 Superb looking male Wheatear , a nice Yellow Wagtail that was in front of the hide , 2 male & a female Blackcap & also seen were these Cowslips .

Northern Wheatear . Dawlish Warren . Devon . 24 / 4 / 2012

Cowslip . Dawlish Warren . Devon . 24 / 4 / 2012

BGM

A quick look at Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham this morning didn`t turn up much at all !! with the best being 50+ Bar-Tailed Godwit , 10 Knot , a summer plumaged Little Grebe & two pristine looking Lesser Black-Backed Gull`s .

Wow What a Day !!

My first day out for quite a while due to illness turned out to be rather good ! First stop was an early visit to the Exminster Marshes where I got 3 yearticks , over 100 + Whimbrel , 2 Reed Warbler & 2 Sedge Warbler , also seen was an Osprey that flew across the marsh & went off towards the Turf Hotel , then on a walk from the middle car park down to the viewing platform that looks out over the main lagoon I saw half a dozen Cetti`s Warbler`s , 2 Chiffchaff & a Willow Warbler .
I then went down to Dawlish Warren where I met up with Brian Heasman & the Warren birders & I saw the following , 10 distant Manx Shearwater , a light phase Arctic Skua , 20+ Sandwich Tern , a single Common Tern , a much appreciated Little Tern & 16 Eider , I then headed for home stopping again at the Exminster Marshes & this time seeing 2 more yearticks with 2 Swift & a House Martin that was in with a few Sand Martin .

Cetti`s Warbler . The Exminster Marshes . Devon . 22 / 4 / 2012

Wednesday 11th April . 2012

Today I went down to Orcombe Point in Exmouth to look for Manx Shearwater`s but I was out of luck but I did see my first 4 Common Tern`s of the year in with about 10 Sandwich Tern`s , there was also 50+ Shag , 10 Gannet & a male Eider & in the fields the Green-Winged Orchids have just started to show .

Green-Winged Orchid . Orcombe Point . Exmouth . Devon . 11 / 4 / 2012

Exminster Marsh

This morning I had a look at the Exminster Marshes between 7.30-8.30 & it was quite productive as I saw a Spoonbill that flew over my head & landed on the marsh , 2 Water Pipit`s were seen by the middle car park , also seen were 3 Willow Warbler , 3 Cetti`s Warbler , 2 Chiffchaff , 2 Reed Bunting & this Slow Worm .
And an  Osprey was seen over Powderham Marsh being mobbed by corvids , so not a bad hours birding !!

Slow Worm . Exminster Marsh . Devon . 10 / 4 / 2012

Goshawk

A nice bit of luck came my way today in the form of a female Goshawk that flew in from the Ludwell Valley in Exeter & into the Exeter Crematorium grounds while I was looking for the Dippers that are on the stream there .

Another very good day !

I was down at Gore Lane in Exmouth just before sunrise this morning in hope of catching up with yesterdays male Ring Ouzel that was found by Brian Heasman & I was in luck as the bird showed at 6.30 in the hedge that it was seen in late yesterday , also seen was a Mistle Thrush , I then walked around the edge of the field & I found the superb male Redstart that was also seen yesterday & I just about got this distant shot of it ! also seen in the area was my first Wheatear of the year , 6 Stock Dove & 4 Chiffchaff .
I then had a call telling me that there was an Osprey on the Exe Estuary so I went to Exton Station to look for it & found it down river off of Lympstone , next stop was at the viewing platform that looks out over the Clyst Estuary where there was two of yesterdays Spotted Redshank`s but not the summer plumaged bird & to finish the day off I had Willow Warbler & Blackcap in my garden .

Happy Easter to everyone

Common Redstart . Gore Lane . Exmouth . Devon . 6 / 4 / 2012

Thursday 5th April . 2012

On the Clyst Estuary this evening there were 3 Spotted Redshank a near full summer plumage one , & 2 winter plumage birds with one of them just starting to change , also seen were 50+ Bar-Tailed Godwit .
A look at Bowling Green Marsh then got me 10 Knot , 3 Sand Martin & my first 3 Swallow of the year .

Wow What a Day !!!

This morning I got a call telling me that there was a Purple Heron on the Otter Marshes so Brian Heasman & myself went to look for it , For quite a while we stood with others just looking at the reedbeds & only seeing 2 Little Egret`s & a Grey Heron , but then after about an hour the bird flew out and landed in a field allowing us to get good views of it !! but after a short while the bird flew off again & back into the reedbed .
We then headed for home & had only been in a while when off went the phone again telling me thistime that there was an Hoopoe on the Teignmouth Golfcourse , so off we went again & got superb views of the bird ... What with the Crane yesterday .. not a bad couple of days birding !!!

Purple Heron . The Otter Estuary Marshes . Devon . 3 / 4 / 2012

Hoopoe . Teignmouth Golfcourse . Devon . 3 / 4 / 2012

Common Crane On The Exminster Marshes !

Yesterday afternoon I had a call telling me that there was an adult Common Crane on the Exminster Marshes but I was up in Tiverton so I couldn`t get there to see it , but this morning I was there at 7.30 in quite thick mist but I walked down the path that runs down beside the railway line & found that the bird was still there out in the middle of the marsh but the views hampered by the mist but I could still got these shots of it at around 7.55 am , there was also a Cetti`s Warbler , a Willow Warbler & a Chiffchaff on the marsh this morning .

Common Crane . The Exminster Marshes . Devon . 2 / 4 / 2012

Saturday 31st March . 2012

Late afternoon an Osprey was being mobbed by numerous gull`s over the River Exe but carried on following the river to the north of Exeter .