Black Brant at the Warren !

This morning I went down to Dawlish Warren again in hope of seeing the Black Brant that was found yesterday & I managed to get good views of it but it was always distant to get decent shots of it , also seen were 100+ Brent Geese , 2 Pintail , 4 Knot , a Ruff that was flying around with some Dunlin & a juvenile Curlew Sandpiper was in the bight , there was also a lot of Swallow going through most of the time I was there & I must have seen 50+ .

Black Brant ( Branta bernicla nigricans ) . Dawlish Warren . Devon

Goldcrest

An early morning look in the Topsham Cemetery today got me a flock of Goldcrest a bird that I had never got a nice shot of until today when this one popped out right in front of me !!! & in with the flock were a couple of Chiffchaff & a Nuthatch , also seen were the two Spotted Flycatcher`s again , a dozen Swallow , a Buzzard , a Great Spotted Woodpecker and a very inquisitive Grey Squirrel .

Goldcrest ( Regulus regulus ) . The Topsham Cemetery . Devon

Spotted Flycatcher`s

The only thing to report today was that there are now 2 Spotted Flycatcher`s in the Topsham Cemetery !

Spotted Flycatcher ( Muscicapa striata ) . The Topsham Cemetery . Devon

Bonaparte`s Gull

A trip down to Teignmouth with the girlfriend this morning turned out rather good because when we first looked for the Bonaparte`s Gull there was no sign of it ! but after about half an hour the bird turned up and sat on one of the groins..... a super little gull !!
On the way back we drove around the Kenton area and saw 10 Red-Legged Partridge that ran in front of the car for quite a way before dashing off into the fields .

Bonaparte`s Gull ( Chroicocephalus philadephia ) . Teignmouth . Devon

Spotted Flycatcher

Another look at Bowling Green Marsh this morning only got me some of the same birds as yesterday with 20+ Ringed Plover , 20+ Bar-Tailed Godwit , the Avocet had now risen to eleven birds , 3 Whimbrel , 1 Green Sandpiper & 1 juvenile Little Stint .
This afternoon I had a look around another local patch the Topsham Cemetery where I found this Spotted Flycatcher that was on the water tower & the trees in the cemetery , not a bad find for here & along with the Serin earlier in the year & throw in Green Woodpecker & Tawny Owl its not been a bad year so far !!! but still looking for that elusive yankee warbler lol

Spotted Flycatcher ( Muscicapa striata ) . Topsham . Devon

Avocets are back !!

The Lesser Yellowlegs was showing well on Bowling Green Marsh early this morning over in the the left hand corner , also seen were 5 Avocet the first ones to return this autumn , 10 Ringed Plover , 6 Whimbrel , 2 Curlew Sandpiper , 2 Knot , 1 Green Sandpiper , a juvenile Little Stint , a juvenile Spotted Redshank & they were all put up at time by a Sparrowhawk , &  sitting on my car outside the hide was this Red Underwing Moth a quite large moth that looked quite splendid in flight & a new one for me !!!!

Red Underwing Moth . Bowling Green Marsh . Topsham . Devon

Blog

Just to let anyone who looks at my blog and doesn`t know , if you click once on the photo`s they will enlarge . Dave

Black-Throated Diver in Summer Plumage !!!

Another look this morning for the juvenile Rose-Coloured Starling at Dawlish Warren proved to be a lot better than yesterday as the bird showed very well today in the bushes by the entrance to the Golf Course , I then went for a 2 hour sea watch and it turned out to be well worth it as I saw my first Arctic Skua & Great Skua for the year !! but the bird of the day was a superb Black-Throated Diver in full summer plumage still & to make it even better there was a Red-Throated Diver with it for comparison , also seen were numerous Gannet , 20+ Common Scoter , 6 Sandwich Tern & a single Arctic Tern , at around 11.30 the rain set in and I lost visibility so I Headed for home before I got soaked lol .

Late add on . The Lesser Yellowlegs was showing on Bowling Green Marsh this evening a welcome tick for most of the BGM listers !!!

Rose-Coloured Starling ( Pastor roseus ) . Dawlish Warren . Devon

Rose-Coloured Starling

This morning I had brief views of the Rose-Coloured Starling at Dawlish Warren but was glad that I didn`t have to year tick it on them lol !!!! also seen was this juvenile Whitethroat .
Back home I had a look up river of the River Exe from under the flyover by the boatyard in Topsham and saw the Lesser Yellowlegs , 2 Black-Tailed Godwit & a Greenshank .

Whitethroat ( Sylvia communis ) . Dawlish Warren . Devon

Good find Bri

This morning the Lesser Yellowlegs was found on the River Exe just up from the Moterway Bridge by Brian Heasman ! so I went & had a look at it again , also seen were 2 Kingfisher , a Common Sandpiper & a Grey Wagtail , we then had a look at Bowling Green Marsh but all we saw were 3 Little Stint , later in the day a look around Topsham Cemetery got me a flock of Long-Tailed Tit & in with them were a few Goldcrest , 2 Chiffchaff & a Nuthatch .

Chiffchaff ( Phylloscopus collybita ) . Topsham Cemetery . Devon

Lesser Yellowlegs

This morning I went for another look at the  Lesser Yellowlegs at Trews Weir in Exeter , a superb looking bird and well worth another look , while there I saw one of my old mates from the Scilly Isles days... memories came flooding back , good to see you again Colin & hope to see you again soon at the big one !!!!!!! lol

Lesser Yellowlegs ( Tringa flavipes ) . Trews Weir . Exeter . Devon

Lesser Yellowlegs

This Lesser Yellowlegs was on the flood relief at Trews Weir in Exeter & it gave stunning views to all the birders there , I have managed to see a few of these American Waders but it is still a very rare bird in this country .
Later I had a look at Bowling Green Marsh & saw an Osprey , 5 Little Stint , 3 Curlew Sandpiper , 1 Green Sandpiper & a single Whimbrel .

Lesser Yellowlegs ( Tringa flavipes ) . . Trews Weir Flood Relief . Exeter . Devon

Red-Backed Shrike

News today of a juvenile Red-Backed Shrike down at Dawlish Warren had Brian Heasman & myself making the journey down to see if we could catch up with it !! & we were in luck and get good views of the bird but it was quite distant for getting shots of it while we were there , also seen was a male Redstart , 3 Whitethroat , 1 Wheatear & a Red-Throated Diver
When I was back home again I then got news of another male Redstart at Bowling Green Marsh & as this was a BGM tick for me I shot off down there and got great views of the bird .

Red-Backed Shrike ( Lanius collurio ) . Dawlish Warren . Devon

Redstart . Bowling Green Marsh ( Phoenicurus phoenicuus ) . Topsham . Devon

Birds on the move !!!!

A look at Bowling Green Marsh & the Clyst Estuary today turned out to be rather good as the following birds were seen on the marsh ,  12 Greenshank , 2 Curlew Sandpiper , 4 Little Stint , 2 Whimbrel , 1 Knot , 1 Green Sandpiper , 1 Spotted Redshank all in with the numerous Curlew , Redshank & Black-Tailed Godwit & a Yellow Wagtail flew over the viewing platform calling !!!                                                                                                                                                  2 Osprey where seen out on the Clyst Estuary where the Curlew Sandpiper total went up to 6 & a Peregrine Falcon swooped down & caught a Dunlin , the only other things of note seen today was a Fox & 2 Migrant Hawker .

Osprey ( Pandion haliaetus ) . The Clyst Estuary . Devon

Migrant Hawker . Bowling Green Marsh . Topsham . Devon . 7 / 9 / 2013

Osprey`s

A look at Bowling Green Marsh this morning got me an Osprey sitting on one of the trees in the middle of the marsh , it was being mobbed all the time by Magpie`s & after a while it then flew out and landed on the old ships mast in the Clyst Estuary & while I was looking at that I noticed that all the waders had gone up & when I looked above me I picked up another Osprey being mobbed by Jackdaw , Rooks & Ravens a very nice find !!!
Also seen on the marsh this morning were 2 Little Stint , 1 Ruff , 1 Whimbrel & a Green Sandpiper & out on the Clyst Estuary there were 2 Adult Winter Spotted Redshank .

Osprey ( Pandion haliaetus ) . Bowling Green Marsh . Topsham . Devon . ( 1st Bird )

Osprey ( Pandion haliaetus ) . Bowling Green Marsh . Topsham . Devon . ( 2nd Bird )

Quite a Good Day

The day started with an early morning look at Bowling Green Marsh where I saw a Little Stint & a Ruff & in the tree by Riversmeet House there was a Chiffchaff & a Jay , a look from the viewing platform at the Clyst Estuary then got me a Spotted Redshank , I then had a call telling me that there were some Black Tern in the Exe Estuary off of Powderham so I went over to look for them but only managed to see the one !
An evening look at B G M got me a Spoonbill , 1 Little Stint ( a different bird from the morning one ) 6 Knot , 1 Curlew Sandpiper , 2 Whimbrel , 2 Bar-Tailed Godwit , 4 Ringed Plover , 1 Green Sandpiper & this Collared Dove a bird you see flying over but hardly ever on the ground !!!

Collared Dove . Bowling Green Marsh . Topsham . Devon . 2 / 9 / 2013

Little Stint

An early morning look at Tremlett`s Marsh in Topsham this morning turned out to be a good move as I found at least 12 Yellow Wagtail`s & there could have been more in the long grass also in with them were a few Pied Wagtail & a White Wagtail .
I then went for a look at the Exe Estuary where the Osprey showed very well , a look at Bowling Green Marsh then got me the Spoonbill that has been around a few days now , 2 Ruff & a Little Stint a very welcome bird as there was not one on the marsh last year .

Yellow Wagtail . Tremlett`s Marsh . Topsham . Devon . 1 / 9 / 2013