White-Rumped Sandpiper

Just another nice shot of yesterdays White-Rumped Sandpiper !

White-Rumped Sandpiper ( Calidris fuscicollis ) . Marazion Beach . Cornwall

Hermit Thrush

This morning Andy Bond & myself went down to Cornwall to look for the 1st winter Hermit Thrush that was in the bushes by the car park at Porthgwarra & after a bit of a wait we got good views of this skulking American thrush but I just couldn`t get a nice shot of it !
We then went to Marazion Beach where the weather was now terrible with high winds and drizzle ! to look for a juvenile White-Rumped Sandpiper that was showing very well on the beach quite close to the road , it was in with a few Dunlin & Turnstone & a single Sanderling , & the last bird that we saw today was a juvenile Rose-Coloured Starling that was sat on a wire with numerous Starlings at Long Rock !!

White-Rumped Sandpiper ( Calidris fuscicollis ) . Marazion Beach , Cornwall

Storm What Storm !!!!!

Early this morning I met up with Brian Heasman again & we went for another sea watch off of Budleigh Salterton again , in anticipation that last night big blow may have moved some birds in closer to shore , but we got absolutely nothing at all besides a few Gannet ! so we went over to Mudbank Lane in Exmouth to look at the estuary & got 2 ( Pale Bellied ) Brent Geese , numerous Pintail & a distant Little Gull .
The last stop today was again at Bowling Green Marsh where I saw numerous Teal & Wigeon , 5 Greylag Geese , 20+ Bar-Tailed Godwit , 4 Knot & a winter plumaged Spotted Redshank .

( Common ) Teal ( Anus crecca ) . Bowling Green Marsh . Topsham . Devon

Sea Watching !

The order of the day was a sea watch off of Budleigh Salterton this morning with my mate Brian Heasman but there was not a lot to see with only numerous Gannet & Kittiwake , 1 Pomarine Skua , 1 Arctic Skua , 1 Balearic Shearwater & very strange to see 2 Merlin flying over the sea well off the land , a look at the Otter Estuary then got us 3 Rock Pipit , a Kingfisher , one single Redwing & this close Curlew .
Later a look at Bowling Green Marsh got me a few Bar-Tailed Godwit , and singles of Ruff , Knot , Golden Plover & Green Sandpiper .

(Eurasian ) Curlew ( Numenius arquata ) . The Otter Estuary . Devon

On the marsh again !

A quick look around Bowling Green Marsh this morning got me 20-30 Bar-Tailed Godwit , a very bright looking Golden Plover & the winter plumaged Spotted Redshank , other birds seen today was a Sparrowhawk that flushed everything on the marsh , a Buzzard , a male Blackcap , a Cetti`s Warbler that showed very well in the bushes by the viewing platform & a Jay that was calling from Riversmeet House .
In the afternoon I had a look around at the Topsham Recreation Ground but only got a Water Rail & a Grey Wagtail .

Common Buzzard ( Buteo buteo ) . Bowling Green Marsh . Topsham . Devon

Bowling Green Marsh

A look at Bowling Green Marsh didn`t turn up much today with just numerous Wigeon & Teal , 4 male & 2 female Shoveler , 5 female Pintail , 5 Greylag Geese , the waders today consisted of numerous Black & Bar Tailed Godwit , 23 Avocet , 9 Greenshank , 3 Knot , 2 Whimbrel & an adult winter Spotted Redshank , other birds seen were 2 Stock Dove , a Raven & a male & female Stonechat a bird that you don't see on the marsh very often !

( Northern ) Shoveler ( Anus clypeata ) . Bowling Green Marsh . Topsham . Devon

Not a Lot !!

I covered some different areas today starting at Trews Wear in Exeter where I saw 2 Little Egret , a Grey Heron , a Grey Wagtail , 2 Lesser Black-Backed Gull`s , 1 Great Black-Backed Gull & 11 Cormorant .
The next stop was at the pools in Darts Farm in Topsham where I added a Buzzard , 1 male Sparrowhawk & 2 Kingfisher to the list , the last stop was at the Topsham Recreation Ground where all I could see was one Common Gull & a Great Spotted Woodpecker worth talking about .

( Common ) Kingfisher ( Alcedo atthis ) . Darts Farm Pools . Topsham . Devon

White-Fronted Goose still on show !!

A look at Bowling Green Marsh this morning from the hide ( the best place to be in this weather ) got me 100+ Bar-Tailed Godwit , 30+ Knot , 10 Greenshank , 9 Avocet , 2 Curlew Sandpiper & a single Whimbrel .
In the afternoon I went down to Gore Lane in Exmouth to see if the White-Fronted Goose was still there , so I went to the gate & looked out at the field and found the bird a lot closer to the gate than the other day & so today I could get a lot better photo`s of it , the bird is a juvenile of the albifrons race that breeds in Russia & is yet to get the white patch above the bill that you see on the adult birds ! I then had a look at Maer Rocks to see if I could see the Purple Sandpipers that Terry Smith had yesterday but all I could see today were a few Turnstone`s .

( Greater ) White-Fronted Goose ( Anser albifrons ) . The Top Fields . Gore Lane . Exmouth . Devon

( Ruddy ) Turnstone ( Arenaria interpres ) . Maer Rocks . Exmouth . Devon

Topsham Recreation Ground

A quick look around the Topsham Recreation Ground in between the showers this afternoon got me numerous Black-Headed Gull`s , 2 Mediterranean Gull`s an adult winter & this 2nd winter bird , also seen were 2 Lesser Black-Backed Gull`s , a single Great Black-Backed Gull , a Common Snipe & a Cetti`s Warbler was heard !

Mediterranean Gull ( Larus melanocephalus ) . The River Exe . Topsham . Devon

Bowling Green Marsh

A look at Bowling Green Marsh this morning just turned up most of the same birds that have been on the marsh for a while now with numerous Bar-Tailed Godwit , Redshank & Curlew , 9 Greenshank , 1 adult winter Spotted Redshank , 17 Avocet , 10 Dunlin , 6 Knot , 2 Grey Plover , 1 female Ruff & this Green Sandpiper , But no sign of the female Marsh Harrier today !

Green Sandpiper ( Tringa ochropus ) . Bowling Green Marsh . Topsham . Devon

White-Fronted Goose

Up early this morning to look for the juvenile White-Fronted Goose that has been in the top fields at Gore Lane in Exmouth , when I arrived there it was just getting light & as luck would have it the finder Matt Knott was already there & put me on to the bird quite quickly ( Cheers Matt ) , I managed to get only these record shots of the bird as it seemed quite nervous so I backed off and left the bird feeding in the field !
I then went down into Exmouth & had a couple of shag feeding around the docks an adult bird and this juvenile & on the Exe Estuary at Mudbank Lane there was numerous Brent Geese & Wigeon , 15 Pintail , 8 Turnstone & 2 Common Gull .

White-Fronted Goose ( Anser albifrons ) . The Top Fields . Gore Lane . Exmouth . Devon

(European ) SHAG ( Phalacrocorax aristotelis ) , Exmouth Docks . Devon

Very quiet today

A look from the viewing platform that looks out over the Clyst Estuary on the falling tide this morning got me 9 Avocet , 1 male & a female Ruff , an adult winter Spotted Redshank & a Common Sandpiper & behind me 2 Raven were being mobbed by the crows .
I then went for a look at the Exe Estuary & saw a few Little Egret , an adult & 1st winter Great Black-Backed Gull , an adult Lesser Black-Backed Gull & a Grey Wagtail .
The Marsh Harrier had flown over Bowling Green Marsh but I missed it but did see a flock of 50-60 Common Snipe that must have been flushed by the harrier , the largest flock that I have seen on the marsh .... I think ! , I then went further up the Exe Estuary towards Topsham where there were 2 Spotted Redshank feeding in a small pool an adult winter & a juvenile bird . 

Little Egret ( Egretta garzetta ) . The Exe Estuary . Topsham . Devon

Great Black-Backed Gull ( Larus marinus ) 1st Winter . The Exe Estuary . Topsham . Devon

Spotted Redshank ( Tringa erythropus ) Juvenile . The Exe Estuary . Topsham . Devon

Barnacle Goose

A look at the Exminster Marshes today got me a Barnacle Goose that was in with a flock of 300 Canada Geese  , there was not a lot else to look at with only a Ruff , a male Sparrowhawk that flew over spooking all of the birds & a Cetti`s Warbler .
A walk down to the Turf Locks didn`t turn up anything & at the locks all I could see were a few Black-Tailed Godwits , quite a lot of Black-Headed Gull`s & a Grey Heron .

Barnacle Goose ( Branta leucopsis ) . The Exminster Marshes . Devon

Black-Headed Gull ( Chroicocephalus ridibundus ) . Turf Locks . Devon

Pectoral Sandpiper

News of a Pectoral Sandpiper that was found today on Bowling Green Marsh ! had me dashing back to Topsham from Exeter but by the time that I had got back it had already flown off !! so I decided to go over to the Exminster Marshes in hope that it may have dropped into there & as I looked out to the main pool I found the bird on the far side of the pool , two other birders managed to get there and see the bird before it flew off & landed further out on the marsh , also seen were a few Black-Tailed Godwit .

Black-Tailed Godwit ( Limosa limosa ) . Exminster Marsh . Devon

Marsh Harrier on BGM again this morning

An early morning look at Bowling Green Marsh this morning got me the female Marsh Harrier sat in the open on the far side of the marsh under the railway line , it sat there for quite a while before flying over the marsh towards the hide , also seen were 20+ Grey Plover , a Kingfisher & a Great Spotted Woodpecker .
I then walked around the goatswalk towards Topsham but only saw numerous Black-Tailed Godwit & an Atlantic Grey Seal , later in the afternoon another look at BGM got me 28 Little Egret , 3 Spotted Redshank , 6 Knot , 5 Avocet , 2 Whimbrel & a single Golden Plover .

Black-Tailed Godwit ( Limosa limosa ) . Bowling Green Marsh . Topsham . Devon . 15 . 10 . 2013

A good day around the Exe !!

Dawlish Warren was the first port of call today as news had came out that two Yellow-Browed Warbler`s were showing & I managed to see one of them quite well and I think that I saw the other one as well but didn`t see two together , also seen were numerous Long Tailed Tit , a few Chiffchaff , a male Blackcap , 6 Swallow , a Grey Wagtail & a Clouded Yellow Butterfly of the Helice form the first time that I have seen one of these !
Later in the day I had a look at Bowling Green Marsh & saw  12 Grey Plover , 6 Knot , 3 Spotted Redsank , 1 Ruff , 1 Golden Plover , 1 Whimbrel , 2 Stock Dove & a female Marsh Harrier that put everything up on the marsh , it was then mobbed by the crows & flew over the railway line and was lost from view .

Long-Tailed Tit ( Aegithalos caudatus ) . Dawlish Warren . Devon

Clouded Yellow ( Colias croceus ssp f . helice ) . Dawlish Warren . Devon

Marsh Harrier ( Circus aeruginosus ) . Bowling Green Marsh . Topsham . Devon

Whooper Swan

The only news today was of three Whooper Swan on the Exe Estuary viewed from the end of Dawlish Warren railway platform only ! they then flew off up the Exe & after searching for them in various places along the river up to the Exminster Marshes they could not be found again !

Dawlish Warren

A trip down to Dawlish Warren today didn`t yield much to look at  with only 1 Little Grebe on the pool , 12 Grey Plover & 2 Sanderling on the sea shore & out on Warren Point I could only see 2 Wheatear , a Sparrowhawk that just flew through , a Willow Warbler  , a Chiffchaff & these Butterflies !  Wall Brown , Clouded Yellow & a few Small Copper . 

Grey Plover ( Pluvialis squatarola ) . Dawlish Warren . Devon

( Northern ) Wheatear ( Oenanthe oenanthe ) . Dawlish Warren . Devon

Wall Brown . Dawlish Warren . Devon

Clouded Yellow . Dawlish Warren . Devon

Black-Winged Stilt

Its my birthday today ! so as I always do on my birthday I went out birding & three of us made the trip down to Cornwall , the day started very well at the Hale Estuary where we saw an adult female Black-Winged Stilt that came very close & gave amazing views , also seen was an adult winter Mediterranean Gull & a Sandwich Tern & across the road on Ryan`s Field 3 Little Stint & a Bar-Tailed Godwit showed well .
Then the day started to get go downhill as we made our way to Pendeen to look for the Daurian Shrike that had been there a few days but there was no sign of it today ! but a look out to sea got us 9 Balearic Shearwater & around 20+ Manx Shearwater , a look for a Wryneck that had been seen there brought us no joy either , & our last stop of the day was at St Levin where we dipped the Western Bonelli`s Warbler also so as you can see.....A bit good & a bit bad lol but that birding for you !

Black-Winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus ) . The Hale Estuary . Cornwall

The Ludwell Valley Park

A look around a nice area called The Ludwell Valley Park in Exeter this morning didn`t turn up anything different but still some nice bird were seen with 2 Kingfisher , a single Dipper , a Green Woodpecker , a Grey Wagtail , 6 Goldcrest & a Chiffchaff .

( White-Throated ) Dipper ( Cinclus cincus ) . The Ludwell Valley Park . Exeter . Devon

Green Woodpecker

This morning I went for a look in the Countess Wear Sludge Beds but I didn`t find much at all ! but then again if you don't look you don't find lol , but I did see numerous Goldcrest & Long-Tailed Tit , 4 Chiffchaff , 2 Grey Wagtail , a Great Spotted Woodpecker , a Cetti`s Warbler & another Painted Lady .
I then had a look at The River Exe at the Topsham Recreation Ground & saw 5 Cormorant , 2 Common Sandpiper , 2 Grey Wagtail , 1 Water Rail & a very strange sighting of a Green Woodpecker feeding on the mud on the rivers edge .

Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo ) . The River Exe . Topsham . Devon

Yellow-Browed Warbler

News of a Yellow-Browed Warbler down at Dawlish Warren had me making the trip down for it as it was a first for the year for me & after a while I got some nice views of the bird but no luck with getting any shots of it , it was in with a few Chiffchaff , a Willow Warbler , 2 Wren & a Blackcap .
And on the walk back to the Car I saw 2 Wheatear & and this Painted Lady .

Painted Lady . Dawlish Warren . Devon

An high flying Merlin

The Nuthatch was still showing in  Topsham Cemetery this morning but there was not a lot else to see with just a couple of Chiffchaff in the trees ! later in the day I had a look off of the viewing platform that looks out over the Clyst Estuary & saw 100+ Redshank & in with them was an adult winter Spotted Redshank , 20+ Dunlin , a juvenile Curlew Sandpiper & a Knot .
I then had a look in the small copse at the top of Bowling Green Hill in hope of finding a possible Yellow Browed Warbler but all I saw was a flock of Long Tailed Tit with a few more Chiffchaff in with them , but the highlight was a Merlin that flew over heading towards the marsh .

Curlew Sandpiper ( Calidris ferruginea ) . The Clyst Estuary . Devon