The day started off at my local patch Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham where the 1st summer Ross`s Gull is still showing well and it has been on the marsh for over a month now ! also seen were 8 Mediterranean Gull with 2 adults , a 2nd summer and 5 1st summers , 2 summer plumage Spotted Redshank , 2 Common Greenshank , a Grey Plover and a scattering of Black & Bar-Tailed Godwits and 3 Whimbrel .
Later in the day I went out to Aish Tor on Dartmoor with Brian Heasman where we saw quite a few High Brown Fritillaries but the Dark Green Fritillaries were harder to see with only 2 seen ! also seen was a male and female Common Stonechat , 2 Tree Pipit , a Yellowhammer and 4 Common Raven .
Sunday, 29 June 2014
Monday, 23 June 2014
Ashclyst Forest
An afternoon trip out to the Ashclyst Forest just outside of Broadclyst to look for Butterflies and it didn`t turn out to bad as I saw the two main ones with 10 White Admiral , 3 Silver-Washed Fritillary !!
also seen were around a dozen Ringlet , numerous Meadow Brown , 2 Red Admiral , 2 Large Skipper and a Small Skipper , besides the butterflies 4 Golden-Ringed Dragonfly , 2 Beautiful Demoiselle & a Roe Deer were seen and a Tawny Owl was calling .
also seen were around a dozen Ringlet , numerous Meadow Brown , 2 Red Admiral , 2 Large Skipper and a Small Skipper , besides the butterflies 4 Golden-Ringed Dragonfly , 2 Beautiful Demoiselle & a Roe Deer were seen and a Tawny Owl was calling .
Sunday, 22 June 2014
Woodchat Shrike
Out to Swell Tor Quarry on Dartmoor today with Dave Land to look for a Woodchat Shrike that was found yesterday and after a long walk of around 50 minutes we were lucky enough to get some great views of the bird that kept coming back to the same tree !! so once it had flown off to look for food we hid ourselves away behind a wall and sat down out of view and waited very quietly for the bird to come back and after about an hours wait there it was right in front of us perched on top of the tree ..... Magic !!!
Other birds seen in the area were 8 Northern Wheatear , 6 Common Stonechat , 3 Tree Pipit & a Common Cuckoo .
Other birds seen in the area were 8 Northern Wheatear , 6 Common Stonechat , 3 Tree Pipit & a Common Cuckoo .
Saturday, 21 June 2014
High Brown Fritillary
Today I took my daughter and grandson out to Spickwich on Dartmoor so she could take him for a paddle in the River Dart & while they were there I popped up to Aish Tor to look for Butterflies and I managed to see a few High Brown Fritillary , one or two Dark Green Fritillary , a single Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary and numerous Meadow Brown`s
Friday, 20 June 2014
Still Some Great Birds On Show !!
A look at Bowling Green Marsh today got me some great birds with the Eurasian Spoonbill showing well just outside of the hide with 8 Little Egrets , on the far side of the marsh there were 2 summer plumaged Spotted Redshank in with Common Redshank & Black & Bar-Tailed Godwits & a few Whimbrel .
Gull`s on show today consisted of hundreds of Black-Headed Gull`s , the 1st summer Ross`s Gull , the 1st summer Bonaparte`s Gull , two 1st summer Little Gull`s , 3 Mediterranean Gull`s , 4 Common Gull`s & a Lesser Black-Backed Gull & back home in Topsham this Painted Lady Butterfly was in my garden for a short while .
Gull`s on show today consisted of hundreds of Black-Headed Gull`s , the 1st summer Ross`s Gull , the 1st summer Bonaparte`s Gull , two 1st summer Little Gull`s , 3 Mediterranean Gull`s , 4 Common Gull`s & a Lesser Black-Backed Gull & back home in Topsham this Painted Lady Butterfly was in my garden for a short while .
Wednesday, 18 June 2014
Much Of The Same
Another look at Bowling Green Marsh this morning only got me the same birds as the last few days with the only new bird being a Grey Plover ! other waders included the very smart looking summer plumaged Spotted Redshank , 3 Whimbrel and a few Bar-Tailed Godwit ,
The gulls on show today in with the numerous Black-Headed Gull`s that included this smart juvenile bird , were the long staying 1st summer Ross`s Gull , the 1st summer Bonaparte`s Gull , an adult , a 2nd summer & 4 1st summer Mediterranean Gull`s , 3 Common Gull`s & a Lesser Black-Backed Gull , also seen was the adult Eurasian Spoonbill , 7 Little Egret & a juvenile Peregrine Falcon .
The gulls on show today in with the numerous Black-Headed Gull`s that included this smart juvenile bird , were the long staying 1st summer Ross`s Gull , the 1st summer Bonaparte`s Gull , an adult , a 2nd summer & 4 1st summer Mediterranean Gull`s , 3 Common Gull`s & a Lesser Black-Backed Gull , also seen was the adult Eurasian Spoonbill , 7 Little Egret & a juvenile Peregrine Falcon .
Tuesday, 17 June 2014
Marbled White
Not a lot to report today ! but I did go up to Pynes Hill in Exeter where I saw the following butterflies , 6 Marble White , 4 Meadow Brown & 2 Cinnabar Moth`s , also found was a single Bee Orchid & a Garden Warbler was heard singing .
Monday, 16 June 2014
Eurasian Spoonbill
A look at Bowling Green Marsh today got me the 1st summer Bonaparte`s Gull for a short while before it flew off towards the Exe Estuary around 9 o/clock , the 1st summer Ross`s Gull and the 1st summer Little Gull also showed well along with three 1st summer Mediterranean Gull`s .
A summer plumage Spotted Redshank was also seen but it was on the far side of the marsh along with 4 Whimbrel , a few Bar-Tailed Godwit and a Red Knot and to round the day off a superb looking Adult Eurasian Spoonbill dropped into the marsh around mid - day and was feeding in the channel right beside the hide .
A summer plumage Spotted Redshank was also seen but it was on the far side of the marsh along with 4 Whimbrel , a few Bar-Tailed Godwit and a Red Knot and to round the day off a superb looking Adult Eurasian Spoonbill dropped into the marsh around mid - day and was feeding in the channel right beside the hide .
Saturday, 14 June 2014
The Exminster Marshes
News of 7 Red Kite seen over Exminster Village this morning got me over to the marshes to see if any were hanging around but I didn`t see any ! and the only birds that I saw today were Little Egret , Eurasian Hobby , Cetti`s Warbler , Sedge Warbler , European Reed Warbler & Common Whitethroat ,
But I did see some nice Damselflies with Red-Eyed Damselfly , Blue-Tailed Damselfly & Common Blue Damselfly seen along with Emperor Dragonfly & Black-Tailed Skimmer
But I did see some nice Damselflies with Red-Eyed Damselfly , Blue-Tailed Damselfly & Common Blue Damselfly seen along with Emperor Dragonfly & Black-Tailed Skimmer
Friday, 13 June 2014
2 Bonaparte`s Gull
An evening look at Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham today got me the amazing sight of two 1st summer Bonaparte`s Gull`s on the marsh together and that is a first for the marsh and this is a photo of the new bird !! and the back up wasn`t bad either !! with the long staying 1st summer Ross`s Gull still showing well , as was the 1st summer Little Gull , a 2nd summer & 3 1st summer Mediterranean Gull`s , 5 Common Gull , 5 Sandwich Tern , 6 Little Egret and a single Greenshank .
Thursday, 12 June 2014
Butterflies
A trip up to the East Devon Commons today to look for Butterflies turned out to be quite good ! as I saw 8 Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary , 7 Small Heath , 4 Silver-Studded Blue , 2 Green Hairstreak & 1 Large Skipper .
Also seen were 2 Cinnabar Moth , a July Belle Moth and a Green-Tiger Beetle .
Also seen were 2 Cinnabar Moth , a July Belle Moth and a Green-Tiger Beetle .
Wednesday, 11 June 2014
Birding Dartmoor
Out for a days birding on Dartmoor today with my mate Andy Bond as he wanted to catch up with some of the birds he was missing this year ! our first stop was at the Challacombe Farm where we saw 2 pair of Common Redstart with one pair feeding young , 2 pair of Spotted Flycatcher , a Willow Warbler feeding young , a Eurasian Nuthatch & numerous Barn Swallow , we then walked around to the Sousens area of Dartmoor and we saw 4 male and 7 female Whinchat ( and the photos are of a female bird ) , 4 Common Cuckoo , 2 Tree Pipit , 2 adult and 6 juvenile Northern Wheatear and my first Painted Lady Butterfly of the year .
We then went to an area near Venford Reservoir and saw 2 Lesser Redpoll , 2 Common Stonechat , 2 Tree Pipit , 2 Common Skylark , 12 Common House Martin , a male and female Yellowhammer and my first Small Heath Butterflies of the year .
We then went to an area near Venford Reservoir and saw 2 Lesser Redpoll , 2 Common Stonechat , 2 Tree Pipit , 2 Common Skylark , 12 Common House Martin , a male and female Yellowhammer and my first Small Heath Butterflies of the year .
Monday, 9 June 2014
Cirl Bunting
At a site near Exeter this morning I saw this female Cirl Bunting but there was no sign of the elusive male bird , also seen was a party of juvenile Long-Tailed Tits moving through the trees , around 15 Barn Swallow , a few European Reed Warbler and Sedge Warbler , 4 Blackcap , a single Cetti`s Warbler and a Hairy Dragonfly was also seen , also seen this evening was a male Yellowhammer , a Dartford Warbler , a Barn Owl & 2 European Nightjar with one flying right overhead .
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Sunday, 8 June 2014
Red-Backed Shrike
An afternoon look at Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham got me a gull feast ! as in with the numerous Black-Headed Gull`s ! the 1st summer Ross`s Gull showed very well early on with a 1st summer Little Gull ( and I managed to get the shot of it that I have been trying for since it first arrived !! ) , 4 1st summer Mediterranean Gull`s & 2 Common Gull`s and the icing on the cake was that the 1st summer Bonaparte`s Gull also dropped into the marsh and showed very well !!
Later in the day I had a call telling me that there was a Red-Backed Shrike showing on the Powderham Marshes ( Thanks John ) so off I shot to see if I could catch up with it and my luck was in , the bird looked to be a 1st year male but it was always very distant , also seen was a Eurasian Hobby & a superb looking Golden-Ringed Dragonfly ..... Not a bad day !!!
Later in the day I had a call telling me that there was a Red-Backed Shrike showing on the Powderham Marshes ( Thanks John ) so off I shot to see if I could catch up with it and my luck was in , the bird looked to be a 1st year male but it was always very distant , also seen was a Eurasian Hobby & a superb looking Golden-Ringed Dragonfly ..... Not a bad day !!!
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