I was in Exeter today when I had a text telling me that there was a Black-Legged Kittiwake on my local patch Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham so I dropped everything and dashed to the car ! now I can hear what your all thinking WHY as it is a common bird and the answer to that is yes ... but not on the marsh as I think its only the second I have heard off in nearly thirty years of birding the marsh and a tick for me making my total at the moment 195 ( Thanks Tim ) .
Also seen today where all of the usual waders for this time of year , with a stand out 3 Spotted Redshank , a male and female Ruff , 1 Curlew Sandpiper & 1 Red Knot plus 2 Common Raven and a Stock Dove that dropped in quite near to the hide .
Tuesday, 30 September 2014
Monday, 29 September 2014
Great Bittern
News this morning of a Great Bittern on Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham had me dashing off down there in hope that it would be on show but after looking for it for a couple of hours and seeing no sign of it I gave up ! but I did see good counts of Eurasian Curlew , Common Redshank & Black-Tailed Godwit , 6 Common Greenshank , 4 Red Knot , 2 Curlew Sandpiper , 2 Spotted Redshank , 2 Whimbrel , 1 Ruff , 1 Bar-Tailed Godwit , a few Common Teal , 2 Stock Dove and a Lesser Black-Backed Gull was causing mayhem with the waders as for the last week or so it has been on the marsh killing and eating waders ! a thing that I have never seen before .
Saturday, 27 September 2014
Topsham
A look around the area in Topsham where I live got me 7 Eurasian Collared Dove , numerous European Robin and Common Blackbird , 20+ Long-Tail Tit , 10 Goldcrest , 6 Rook and singles of Great Spotted Woodpecker , Song Thrush & Eurasian Nuthatch so a bit of a quiet day but I will keep on looking as you never know !!!
Friday, 26 September 2014
Red Knot
An early morning look at the cemetery grounds in Topsham only got me numerous Goldcrest and a couple of Grey Squirrel , later in the afternoon I had a look at Bowling Green Marsh but it was low tide and all I could see was 10 Common Greenshank and a nice White Wagtail was in with the cows , I then walked around to the Goatswalk to look at the Exe Estuary where there were numerous Black-Tailed Godwit and in with them was a nice surprise of 14 Red Knot .
Monday, 22 September 2014
Eurasian Wryneck
I apologize for more photo`s of the Eurasian Wryneck at Orcombe Point in Exmouth but I just couldn`t resist as the bird put on quite a show this afternoon for all of the birders that were looking for it and also quite a few holiday makers that were walking by and were inquisitive to ask what we were looking for , the only other thing of note was this very nice Clouded Yellow Butterfly .
I then came back to Topsham and had a look at Bowling Green Marsh and saw 30+ Red Knot , 15 Common Greenshank , 5 Spotted Redshank , 5 Ruff , 5 Curlew Sandpiper , 9 Bar-Tailed Godwit , 2 Common Ringed Plover and 2 Whimbrel
I then came back to Topsham and had a look at Bowling Green Marsh and saw 30+ Red Knot , 15 Common Greenshank , 5 Spotted Redshank , 5 Ruff , 5 Curlew Sandpiper , 9 Bar-Tailed Godwit , 2 Common Ringed Plover and 2 Whimbrel
Sunday, 21 September 2014
More of the R B Flycatcher !
This morning I went down to the Bristol Schools Camp in Exmouth and arrived just after first light to look for yesterdays Red-Breasted Flycatcher , a bit silly really as there was no movement at all ! but after about half an hour Common Chiffchaff`s started to move around but there was no sign of the R B Fly so Myself and a few others went up to the top fields to see if there was anything showing and we just got onto a Northern Wheatear when a text came through saying that the bird was now showing so we went back to look for it and were lucky enough to get great views of this delightful little bird and was able to get a lot better shots than yesterday , I then went over to Orcombe Point where the Eurasian Wryneck was showing very well feeding on the path , so in the end a great mornings birding .
Saturday, 20 September 2014
Red-Breasted Flycatcher
Autumn is here so time to start checking out the Topsham Cemetery Grounds and today I saw 2 Common Chiffchaff , a male Blackcap , a Eurasian Nuthatch and a Coal Tit , also seen were the following Butterflies , 3 Speckled Wood , a Clouded Yellow and a Small Copper .
I then had some great news of a Red-Breasted Flycatcher that was found near the Bristol Schools Camp in Exmouth so I got there as fast as I could and was lucky that the finder Matt Knott was still there and he soon got me onto the bird , the views were distant but quite good but a bit to distant to get any good shots of it so I had to make do with this record shot......but its the first time that I have managed to get any shots of these birds !! So a big thanks Matt .
I then had some great news of a Red-Breasted Flycatcher that was found near the Bristol Schools Camp in Exmouth so I got there as fast as I could and was lucky that the finder Matt Knott was still there and he soon got me onto the bird , the views were distant but quite good but a bit to distant to get any good shots of it so I had to make do with this record shot......but its the first time that I have managed to get any shots of these birds !! So a big thanks Matt .
Thursday, 18 September 2014
Not much quantity but lots of quality !
I went down to Orcombe Point In Exmouth this morning to look for a reported Eurasian Wryneck and I was lucky enough to see the bird for a short while but then it was lost from view and after nearly two hours the bird wasn`t seen again while I was there , also seen was the superb sight of over 20+ Yellow Wagtail seen around the cow paddock and one of the birds could have been of the Blue-Headed race but I didn`t see enough of it to clinch it ! also seen in the top fields was a Northern Wheatear , 3 Common Raven and a Common Kestrel .
Wednesday, 17 September 2014
Black Tern
A juvenile Black Tern was showing on the Exe Estuary from Exton Station but was always quite distant , also see were 3 Pied Avocet , I then had a look at the Clyst Estuary from the viewing platform on Bowling Green Marsh and saw 3 Curlew Sandpiper , a winter plumage Spotted Redshank , a few Common Greenshank and this Little Egret .
Monday, 15 September 2014
Bowling Green Marsh
A look at Bowling Green Marsh at high tide this morning got me a few Common Teal & a female Northern Shoveler , waders included numerous Eurasian Curlew with a few Whimbrel in with them , 50+ Black-Tailed Godwit , 9 Bar-Tailed Godwit , numerous Common Redshank , 16 Common Greenshank , a Spotted Redshank , 20+ Dunlin , 8 Curlew Sandpiper but there could have been more ! a Common Sandpiper , a male and a female Ruff both being juveniles , a winter plumage Red Knot , 2 Common Snipe and in the reeds at the back of the marsh a European Reed Warbler showed now and then .
Friday, 12 September 2014
White-Winged Black-Tern
A trip up to Somerset today with the first stop at Chew Valley Lake to look for a reported White-Winged Black-Tern and we had no trouble seeing the bird but it was quite distant so no chance of any photo`s ! and also seen with it were 3 Common Tern ! also seen were 3 male Ruddy Duck the first that I have seen for a few years .
The next stop was at Mear Heath where we saw 8 Ruff , 2 Little Stint , a Green Sandpiper , 2 Water Rail , a Bearded Tit and a Common Kingfisher , we then walked further along the path to Noah`s Lake and saw 2 Great White Egret , 2 Eurasian Hobby , 3 Common Kingfisher and a female Marsh Harrier .
The last stop of the day was at the Ham Wall Reserve and we saw another closer Great White Egret , 6 more Ruff , a female Marsh Harrier and a female Garganey .
The next stop was at Mear Heath where we saw 8 Ruff , 2 Little Stint , a Green Sandpiper , 2 Water Rail , a Bearded Tit and a Common Kingfisher , we then walked further along the path to Noah`s Lake and saw 2 Great White Egret , 2 Eurasian Hobby , 3 Common Kingfisher and a female Marsh Harrier .
The last stop of the day was at the Ham Wall Reserve and we saw another closer Great White Egret , 6 more Ruff , a female Marsh Harrier and a female Garganey .
Thursday, 11 September 2014
Just a quick look !
A look at Tremlett`s Marsh this afternoon only got me a nice White Wagtail , so I then had a look Bowling Green Marsh and saw a male and female Gadwall , 2 Common Snipe , another White Wagtail or the same one , a Yellow Wagtail and a Comma Butterfly , to finish the day off a look at the Clyst Estuary from the viewing platform got me a juvenile Spotted Redshank and a Common Kingfisher .
Monday, 8 September 2014
Woodchat Shrike
News of a Eurasian Wryneck at Dawlish Warren had me making an early morning trip down there to see if I could see it and I had just got to the dune ridge when I had a message from Lee Collins telling me that the bird was still on warren point so I speeded up and got to Lee only to be told that the bird had dropped out of site but as luck would have it Lee found the bird again and I just got on it and fired off this shot just before the bird dropped out of site again and I don't think that the bird was seen again today ! I then had a text telling me that there was a juvenile Woodchat Shrike showing in the Greenland Lake area so I went back to look for it and the bird showed very well for most of the day to lots of birders , there was also a scattering of good bird also to be seen with 7 Northern Wheatear , 3 Common Whitethroat , 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker and singles of Whinchat , Blackcap and Garden Warbler , also seen was this smart Wasp Spider seen on the dune ridge , I had only just got home and was cooking supper when the phone went of again telling me that there was 3 Little Stint on Bowling Green Marsh so another year tick added to the list .
Sunday, 7 September 2014
Wood Sandpiper
News today of a Wood Sandpiper on the Cranbrooke Nature Reserve had me hotfooting it to there in hope that it would still be showing as I thought that I was not going to see one this year ! and on arrival there was no sign of it and I thought that I had missed it but I hung around just in case !!!! and after about 15 minutes it came out from where it was hiding and showed well , I got this shot of it but had to work hard to get a shot that I was happy with as the light was terrible !
Also seen were 2 Common Snipe , a few Barn Swallow and a Great Spotted Woodpecker , other things of note were numerous Emperor Dragonflies , a Clouded Yellow Butterfly and a Red Fox .
Also seen were 2 Common Snipe , a few Barn Swallow and a Great Spotted Woodpecker , other things of note were numerous Emperor Dragonflies , a Clouded Yellow Butterfly and a Red Fox .
Saturday, 6 September 2014
Bowling Green Marsh
The Barnacle Goose was again in with the flock of Canada Geese on the marsh today , other highlights were numerous Black-Tailed Godwit with a few Bar-Tailed Godwit in with them , 17 Red Knot , 4 Ruff , 4 Whimbrel , a juvenile Curlew Sandpiper , an adult winter Spotted Redshank , a male Peregrine Falcon flew in and made a few attempts to catch a wader but it had no joy and it went and sat on its usual tree for a while before flying off down river , a Eurasian Hobby flew through the marsh very fast towards Goosmoor !! and the Osprey was again sat on the old ships mast on the Clyst Estuary .
Friday, 5 September 2014
Clouded Yellow
Another look at Bowling Green Marsh today got me a single Ruff , a Barnacle Goose and 2 Clouded Yellow Butterflies one of the nominate race and the other a smart one of the race f . helice , and a look down the Exe Estuary got me an Osprey that was sat on a post in the middle of the Estuary .
Later in the day I had a look at the Clyst Estuary and saw another Osprey that was sat on the old ships mast , 27 Eurasian Oystercatcher , 10 Red Knot , a Spotted Redshank and a single Whimbrel .
Later in the day I had a look at the Clyst Estuary and saw another Osprey that was sat on the old ships mast , 27 Eurasian Oystercatcher , 10 Red Knot , a Spotted Redshank and a single Whimbrel .
Thursday, 4 September 2014
Little Crake
A morning look at Bowling Green Marsh got me 4 Ruff and in the hedgerows there was 12 Common Linnet , 3 Juvenile Common Whitethroat and a Female Blackcap , and looking down river from the viewing platform there was an Osprey and a Common Kingfisher .
News then came out of a Little Crake a very rare bird for Devon on Black Hole Marsh in Seaton so Andy Bond and myself decided to go for it with fingers crossed that it would still be there ! and we were in luck but the bird was quite distant and I was very lucky to get these record shots of it as it only showed for a short while and then vanished into the reeds , also on the marsh were 4 Common Sandpiper , a Green Sandpiper , a smart looking Curlew Sandpiper , 2 Ruff , a few Common Greenshank , 2 Common Snipe and in the trees beside the path from the car park a European Turtle Dove was heard calling !
News then came out of a Little Crake a very rare bird for Devon on Black Hole Marsh in Seaton so Andy Bond and myself decided to go for it with fingers crossed that it would still be there ! and we were in luck but the bird was quite distant and I was very lucky to get these record shots of it as it only showed for a short while and then vanished into the reeds , also on the marsh were 4 Common Sandpiper , a Green Sandpiper , a smart looking Curlew Sandpiper , 2 Ruff , a few Common Greenshank , 2 Common Snipe and in the trees beside the path from the car park a European Turtle Dove was heard calling !
Wednesday, 3 September 2014
Yellow Wagtail
On Goosemoor in Topsham this morning there was a few Eurasian Curlew and a Water Rail , on then to Bowling Green Marsh where the bird of the day was my first Yellow Wagtail of the Autumn ! I have been looking for them for the last couple of weeks so this one was very welcome , also seen were around a dozen Common Redshank and 4 Ruff and a look from the viewing platform that looks out over the Clyst and Exe Estuaries got me a very distant Osprey , a Common Sandpiper , a Curlew Sandpiper and another Ruff making 5 in total ... a very good count !
Tuesday, 2 September 2014
Common Redstart
Not a lot to report today ! around midday I was driving past the Powderham Estate and I saw a Osprey sat on one of the trees , later in the day I had a look at Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham and saw 2 Common Whitethroat , a female Common Redstart and a Southern Hawker Dragonfly , I then walked down to the viewing platform and saw another Osprey sat on a post in the Exe Estuary .
Monday, 1 September 2014
Dawlish Warren
A look around Dawlish Warren this morning got me 20+ Dunlin , 20+ Common Ringed Plover , 18 Sanderling that were very photographable this morning , numerous tern were seen today with 30+ Sandwich tern , 10 Common Tern and a juvenile Arctic Tern that was way offshore , also seen were 2 Common Stonechat , 2 Common Whitethroat , 1 Northern Wheatear and the best bird of the day a juvenile Rose-Coloured Starling seen sat on a fence for a short while in the Greenland Lake area before flying over the dune ridge ...... also seen was this Common Seal that was resting on Warren Point !
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