Moths

A couple of nice moths caught over the last couple of days with the Yellow-Barred Brindle another new one for me .

Yellow-Barred Brindle ( Acasis viretata ) . Topsham . Devon

Sandy Carpet ( Perizoma flavofasciata ) . Topsham . Devon

New Moth

No birding done today but I did catch this Base-Line Grey moth last night and when I looked it up it was another new one for me !

Scoparia pyralella . Topsham . Devon

26th May

A trip out to Dartmoor this morning to look for Whinchat but when we got there the mist had come down so I only managed to get one of them , also there was 4 Meadow Pipit , 2 Northern Wheatear , a Common Cuckoo and a few Common Chaffinch .

Common Chaffinch ( Fringilla coelebs ) . Dartmoor . Devon

Somerset

A day out birding in Somerset today with Andy and Ken with our first stop being at Hodders Combe to look for Wood Warblers and after a bit of a search we managed to see 2 of them , also seen was a Eurasian Treecreeper and a Roe Deer .
We then went to the Ham Wall reserve where we saw a Great Bittern in flight and heard another 2 on call , there was also a male Garganey , 7 Great White Egret , a Western Marsh Harrier , 2 Garden Warbler and there was a calling Common Cuckoo . We then went to the other side of the road to the Meare Heath / Noah`s Lake reserves where there was another 2 Great Bittern , 5 Great White Egret , 3 Western Marsh Harrier ,  and a Eurasian Hobby .

Wood Warbler ( Phylloscopus sibilatrix ) . Hodders Combe . Somerset

Great White Egret ( Ardea albus ) . Noah`s Lake . Somerset

Western Marsh Harrier ( Circus aeruginosus ) ( Female ) . Noah`s Lake . Somerset

Bee Moth

Overnight I caught this female Bee Moth and as it is a new one for me I was well pleased .
Later in the day I went up to the Haldon Forest and met up with my mate Charlie Fleming and we had a good laugh and a chat and the birding wasn`t to bad either with 2 Lesser Redpoll , a male and female Common Stonechat , 6 Common Linnet , 3 Common Buzzard , 4 Willow Warbler , 2 Blackcap , 2 Common Chiffchaff , a Garden Warbler , a Common Whitethroat , a European Green Woodpecker and a churring European Nightjar heard at midday .

Bee Moth ( Aphomia sociella ) . Topsham . Devon

Brown Argus

The highlight today were 3 Brown Argus Butterflies seen near the Exeter Vale Tesco Store , also seen was a Small White and a Holly Blue . And also a Common Whitethroat and a Blackcap .
I then had a quick look at the Exminster Marshes where I saw this female Scarce Chaser .

Brown Argus ( Aricia agestis ) . Exeter Vale . Devon

Scarce Chaser ( Libellula fulva ) . The Exminster Marshes . Devon

White-Winged Black Tern

I got news this morning from my mate Brian Heasman that when he was over looking at a Curlew Sandpiper on the Exminster Marshes he had found 3 White-Winged Black Tern , so I got off my bum and got there as fast as I could and I got good luck that they were still there but bad luck that they always stayed out in the middle of the marsh so that they were always distant .
And while I was there two Eurasian Hobby showed very well and at times were right overhead and a Weasel dashed across the road in front of the car .

White-Winged Black Tern ( Chlidonias leucopterus ) . The Exminster Marshes . Devon

Eurasian Hobby ( Falco subbuteo ) . The Exminster Marshes . Devon

Spotted Flycatcher

This morning I went out to Lympstone Common to look for a reported Spotted Flycatcher and it took me a while to find the spot but I was soon on to the Spot Fly , I also thought that I had a singing Wood Warbler but damn ! I just didn`t get enough on it to clinch it . There was also a male and female Blackcap and 2 Eurasian Treecreeper .
On another part of the East Devon Commons I saw 2 Dartford Warbler , 2 Willow Warbler and another male Blackcap .

Spotted Flycatcher ( Muscicapa striata ) . Lympstone Common . Devon

Eurasian Treecreeper ( Certhia familiaris ) . Lympstone Common . Devon

Out Again

I have not been feeling to well so I havn`t been out for a few days , but today I was feeling a bit better so I decided to have a look around and I started at Bowling Green Marsh close to where I live and the highlight was a fly through Cattle Egret .
I then went for a look at the Exminster Marshes but all I saw were a few Common Swift , Sedge Warbler and European Reed Warbler . And I also had a view of a Red Kite slowly drifting over Exminster Village .

European Reed Warbler ( Acrocephalus scirpaceus ) . The Exminster Marshes . Devon

Tuesday 14th May

A day out with the boys today with our first stop at Lydlinch Common in north Dorset to look for Common Nightingale and we heard one singing as soon as we got out of the car , and after a search we managed to see/hear at least five of them , I think that it is one of the joys of birding to be able to listen to the wonderful song of these birds . Also seen were 2 Garden Wablers .
We then went to Martin Down on the Dorset/Hampshire border where we saw 5 Common Whitethroat , 2 Lesser Whitethroat , 4 European Turtle Dove and a calling Common Cuckoo .
I also saw the following Butterflies for the year  Green Hairstreak , Small Heath , Dingy Skipper and Grizzled Skipper .

European Turtle Dove ( Streptopelia turtur ) . Martin Down . Hampshire

Sunday 12th May

A trip out today to Pennington Marsh in Hampshire and it didn`t turn out to bad with a walk around the marsh getting me 4 Common Whitethroat , 3 Common Linnet , a Common Cuckoo and 6 Common Skylark .
And a look at the scrapes got me 2 pair of Pied Avocet with 4 young , 50+ Dunlin , an adult Little Ringed Plover , 5 Common Tern and 2 Little Tern .

Little Tern ( Sternula albifrons ) . Pennington Marsh . Hampshire

Common Tern ( Sterna hirundo ) . Pennington Marsh . Hampshire

Little Ringed Plover ( Charadrius dubius ) . Pennington Marsh . Hampshir

Saturday 11th May

While driving along the M4 towards London I saw 3 Cattle Egret and an Egyptian Goose . And near Radlett in Hertfordshire a Red Kite drifted over the car , Later in the day at the Fleet Services a  superb European Honey Buzzard flew slowly over heading north .

Aylesbeare Common

I got a message this morning telling me that there was a flock of 100+ Common Crossbill on Aylesbeare Common so I went up to see if I could get of shot of them but there was no sign of any of them by the time that I got there . But I did see 9 Dartford Warbler , 2 pair of Common Stonechat , 4 Willow Warbler and 4 Yellowhammer .
Also seen were 2 Slow Worm , a Grass Snake and a Common European Adder .

Dartford Warbler ( Sylvia undata ) . Aylesbeare Common . Devon

Willow Warbler ( Phylloscopus trochilus ) . Aylesbeare Common . Devon

Yellowhammer ( Emberiza citrinella ) . Aylesbeare Common . Devon

Common European Adder ( Vipera berus ) . Aylesbeare Common . Devon

Eurasian Spoonbill

This adult Eurasian Spoonbill was on the Exminster Marshes  by the middle car park today , this is its second day on the marsh and I was well pleased with that having missed it yesterday .
Not a lot else to post about today but it is always nice to see Common Swifts streaming by .

Eurasian Spoonbill ( Platalea leucorodia ) . The Exminster Marshes . Devon

Water Shrew

Today saw me on the Exminster Marshes again and today was a very good day for me as I found only my fourth ever Water Shrew with three of them being on these marshes ! and in the same area were 2 Common Lizard .
There was not a lot of change in the birding with numerous Common Swift and a few Common House Martin and the warblers today consisted of  numerous European Reed Warbler , Sedge Warbler and Cetti`s Warbler , 2 Common Whitethroat , a Lesser Whitethroat and a few Blackcap , also seen were 2 male Reed Bunting and a very distant Little Gull .

Common Swift ( Apus apus ) . The Exminster Marshes . Devon

Common Lizard ( Zootoca vivipara ) . The Exminster Marshes . Devon

Lesser Whitethroat

I went over to the Exminster Marshes this morning to look for a Lesser Whitethroat and I first heard the bird on call but then I managed to see the bird but it was constantly on the move and very hard to get a shot of . Also seen were 2 Common Whitethroat , 3 Blackcap , 5 Cetti`s Warbler , a few European Reed Warbler and Sedge Warbler , 2 Common Buzzard and a nice male Eurasian Bullfinch , I then went and had a look at the scrapes near the fishermans car park where I saw a very distant male Garganey .
It was also good away from the birds today with Common Lizard , a female Broad-Bodied Chaser and a Bank Vole .

Lesser Whitethroat ( Sylvia curruca ) . The Exminster Marshes . Devon

Bank Vole ( Myodes clethrionomys glareolus ) . The Exminster Marshes . Devon

Wood Warbler

I had an early morning message from Exmouth Birder Matt Knott telling me that at the Bristol Schools Camp there was a Wood Warbler showing well . So I made my way there as fast as I could and at first I could only pick the bird up on call but after a bit of a wait the bird showed to me and three other birders that had turned up by then , it was a bit hard to get a shot of it in the open but I am pleased with what I got .
There was also a Garden Warbler calling from the far right hand corner of the camp ground along with a calling Blackcap .

Thanks again Matt.

Wood Warbler ( Ohylloscopus sibilatrix ) . The Bristol Schools Camp . Exmouth . Devon

Barn Swallow

I spent most of this morning with the Barn Swallows down at Turf Locks on the Exe Estuary as its always a good spot to see and photograph these long distant migrants after their long distance migration from Africa where they even cross the Sahara Desert to reach their breeding grounds here in England .

Barn Swallow ( Hirundo rustica ) . Turf Locks . Devon

Little Ringed Plover

I had a look at the Exminster Marshes this morning but there was nothing different to look at with 2 Common Buzzard , a Common Kestrel , a Peregrine Falcon , a large amount of Common Swift with 50+ in one flock but they were coming and going most of the time , 20+ Common House Martin and the same with Common Sand Martin , around a dozen Barn Swallow , 7 European Reed Warbler and 3 Sedge Warbler .
Late in the evening I went to Bowling Green Marsh where a pair of distant Little Ringed Plover were really enjoying each others company lol

Little Ringed Plover ( Charadrius dubius ) . Bowling Green Marsh . Topsham . Devon