Water Shrew

This morning I went down to Exmouth as I had been told that there was some Little Tern off shore & I was in luck & see 3 of them , also seen were 3 Common Tern  & twenty plus Sandwich Tern , in the afternoon I went for a look at the Exminster Marshes but there was not many birds to be seen with only 2 Cetti`s Warbler , a Whitethroat & 2 Reed Bunting worth talking about ... but I did find a Water Shrew & it is only the 3rd one of this species that I have seen in over 30 years of birding etc , so quite a good day !!

Reed Bunting . Exminster Marsh . Devon . 25 / 4 / 2013

Great White Egret

A good day on the Exminster Marshes today with a Grasshopper Warbler reeling as soon as we arrived right near the R S P B car park , the next bird seen was a Great White Egret that was showing out in the middle of the marsh ( The 3rd year on the trot that I have seen one of these birds on the marsh ) ! while we were looking at the egret a female Marsh Harrier flew over the marsh a couple of times before flying off , the only other bird of note was a singing Lesser Whitethroat .

Great-White Egret . Exminster Marshes . Devon . 24 / 4 / 2013

Marsh Harrier . Exminster Marsh . Devon . 24 / 4 / 2013

Hobby

Another look at the Exminster Marshes this morning got me my first Hobby of the year , its always great to see these birds returning ! also seen was a Water Rail , a Lesser Whitethroat , a Common Whitethroat & 6 Blackcap .... also of note was my first Grass Snake of the year & a Holly Blue .
later in the afternoon a look at the estuary from the viewing platform on Bowling Green Marsh got me the female Long-Tailed Duck & on the marsh itself was a very nice Spotted Redshank in full summer plumage , a Green Sandpiper & 2 Cetti`s Warbler were singing .

Hobby . The Exminster Marshes . Devon . 23 / 4 / 2013

Early Bird Catches The Worm !!

Out on the Exminster Marshes at ten past six this morning & met up with Andy Bond who had also just arrived , I was looking for the Blue-Headed Wagtail in the same spot as it was last night but there was no sign of it this morning , so Andy & myself went in different directions he went off to look for the Lesser Whitethroat & I stayed around the middle car park .
I was just taking this shot of the Reed Warbler when my phone went off & it was Andy telling me that he had a reeling Grasshopper Warbler on the back path so I got there as fast as I could & was in luck & get it reeling 3 times ( And no Hopper it wasn`t the pylon lol ) , also seen were 2 Common Whitethroat , 2 Blackcap & all the common migrants & 3 White Wagtails , 3 Yellow Wagtails & the Blue-Headed Wagtail showed again later in the afternoon .

Reed Warbler . Exminster Marsh . Devon . 22 / 4 / 2013

Lesser Whitethroat

Over to the Exminster Marshes quite early this morning to look for the Lesser Whitethroat that was found yesterday & after a little wait the bird popped up right in front of me & sat there singing its head off , also seen was a Common Whitethroat , numerous Sedge Warblers , a Reed Warbler , 4 Cetti`s Warbler , 2 Blackcap , a Yellow Wagtail , 2 Swift &  I heard a Cuckoo calling but couldn`t pin it down ! Later on in the evening there was 7 Yellow Wagtail`s & one of them was from the Blue Headed Wagtail race .

Lesser Whitethroat . Exminster Marsh . Devon . 21 / 4 / 2013

Arctic Tern

This morning I had a look at the Riverside Country Park for yesterdays LRPs but there was no sign of them today & all that i could see was this Common Buzzard , 2 Blackcap & a Willow Warbler , later in the day on the Exe Estuary there was the female Long-Tailed Duck ( Yes its still around ) , the 1st Summer Little Gull that was always distant , & an Arctic Tern that was sat on the mud on the Exminster Marsh side of the estuary but a wait saw me having the bird in flight showing its very long tail streamers !

Common Buzzard . The Riverside Country Park . Exeter . Devon . 20 / 4 / 2013

Little Gull . The Exe Estuary . Devon . 20 / 4 / 2013

Little Gull

The lure to the Exminster Marshes today was for a 1st winter Little Gull that I just about saw it before a Peregrine Falcon flushed everything out on to the estuary , also seen were 8 Whimbrel , 6 Cetti`s Warbler , 5 Sedge Warbler , 3 Willow Warbler , 4 Chiffchaff , 3 Jay & 5 Lesser Redpoll ... also seen was a bird that Im pretty sure was a Bearded Tit but I never got long enough views of it !!!

Little Gull . The Exminster Marshes . Devon . 17 / 4 / 2013

Warblers

A look at the Exminster Marshes between early this morning got me my first Whitethroat of the year along with 6 Willow Warbler , 8 Chiffchaff , 4 Sedge Warbler & 3 Cetti`s Warbler ! also seen were 4 Little Egret , a Water Rail , 2 Greylag Geese & 2 exotic Bar-Headed Geese .

Willow Warbler . The Exminster Marshes . Devon . 16 / 4 / 2013

Sedge Warbler . The Exminster Marshes . Devon . 16 / 4 / 2013

Sedge Warbler

New in today on the Exminster Marshes was the first Sedge Warbler of the year , also seen were numerous Swallow`s & Sand Martin ! but the highlights of the day was a Ring Ouzel on the Matford Marshes & the Reds getting three more points towards the premiership title !!!!

Redstart

Welllllllllllll today I got a male Redstart on the Exminster Marshes my first on the marsh in over twenty years of birding !!!!!! , there was also a few other birds to be seen in between the downpours of rain , I did see my first House Martin of the year in with numerous Swallows & a few Sand Martin , 2 Yellow Wagtails , 2 White Wagtails , a Treecreeper that was only my second on the marsh & 6 late Redwing`s that were still hanging on .

Redstart . Exminster Marsh . Devon . 12 / 4 / 2013

Yellow Wagtails

There were three Yellow Wagtail`s on the Exminster Marshes this afternoon & there was also three White Wagtail`s  with them & they were showing in between the middle car park & the fishermans car park , also seen were three Swallow`s , two Linnet & quite a few Chiffchaff .

Yellow Wagtail . The Exminster Marshes . Devon . 11 / 4 / 2013

White Wagtail . The Exminster Marshes . Devon . 11 / 4 / 2013

Red-Throated Diver

This morning I went over to the Exminster Marshes to look for the Red-Throated Diver that was seen on the canal yesterday & my luck was in as the bird was still on the canal towards the Turf Hotel end & showed very well ! also on the marshes was a Spoonbill , a Common Sandpiper , 2 Cetti`s Warbler , numerous Chiffchaff , my first 3 Whimbrel of the year flew over the marsh calling & near the middle car park was my first Willow Warbler of the year as well .

Red-Throated Diver . The Exeter Canal . Exminster Marsh . Devon . 10 / 4 / 2013

Sunday 7th April . 2013

I decided to wait until today to go down to Start Point for the Bluethroat that was found yesterday..... BIG MISTAKE as there was no sign of the bird this morning !!!!!
But a look at Slapton Ley got me the male & female Ring-Necked Duck`s & a male Garganey , very nice but not the bird I had hoped for , birding just bites you on the bum sometimes doesn`t it !!

Ring-Necked Duck . Slapton Ley . Devon . 7 / 4 / 2013

Garganey . Slapton Ley . Devon . 7 / 4 / 2013

Saturday 6th April . 2013

A look at the Clyst Estuary this afternoon got me 20+ Bar-Tailed Godwit , 6 Avocet , 2 Grey Plover , 3 Knot & 13 Red-Breasted Merganser & looking down the Exe Estuary from the viewing platform on Bowling Green Marsh got me an Osprey that was seen over Powderham Park , then I had a quick look at the marsh and the American Wigeon was showing very well just outside of the hide .

American Wigeon . Bowling Green Marsh . Topsham . Devon . 6 / 4 / 2013

Ring Ouzel

This morning I went to a meadow by Bystock Pools where I saw a superb looking Ring Ouzel the bird showed very well along with 3 Mistle Thrush & it was still there late morning when I left , I then had a look in the woods & I cought up with my first Treecreeper of the year with a pair of them seen , along with Nuthatch , Green Woodpecker & Great Spotted Woodpecker .
When I got back to Topsham I went to Newcourt Road where 40+ Waxwing were flying in & out of the gardens & feeding on the berries in the front gardens , what a great call these birds have !! This year we have been spoilt with these birds seen all over the city but lets dont forget just how rare a sight like this really is !!!

Ring Ouzel . Bystock Meadow . Devon . 3 / 4 / 2013

Treecreeper . Bystock Wood . Devon . 3 / 4 / 2013

Waxwing . Topsham . Devon . 3 / 4 / 2013

Hoopoe a Warren tick for me !!!

Today I got news of a Hoopoe down at Dawlish Warren ( Thanks Boys ) & as the bird was a Dawlish Warren tick for me I went down to look for it ! when I got there no other birders were to be seen so I thought that it would be hard work trying to find the bird , but I had only just got onto the point when the bird flew up in front of me & I fired off these few shots of it , I know that they are not the best but the bird was very flighty & I never saw it on the ground !

Hoopoe . Dawlish Warren . Devon . 1 / 4 / 2013

Saturday 30th March . 2013

The highlight of today was finding 2 Grey Partridge just outside of Ide , as I was driving out of the village towards Haldon one of the birds was in the road but it ran through a gate & into the first field on the left so I parked up the van & had a look for it & found it again with another one , they then ran off to the bottom of the field so I left them there and drove off , later in the day a look at the Exminster Marshes got me 3 Spoonbill & in the village the Rose-Coloured Starling showed again in the apple tree !

Rose-Coloured Starling . Exminster Village . Devon . 30 / 3 / 2013