Wednesday 29th April

After the rain stopped falling around 11 o/c I decides to go out for my daily walk , I didn`t see much different today but it was good to get out anyway . But I did see a couple of Whimrel , a flock of 30+ Dunlin , a Common Kestrel , 7 Common Sand Martin , 4 Common Swift and the following Warbler`s European Reed Warbler , Sedge Warbler , Cetti`s Warbler , Common Whitethroat , Common Chiffchaff and Blackcap …………….Also seen was a Short-Toed Vole .

European Reed Warbler ( Acrocephalus scirpaceus ) . Devon

Common Cuckoo

On my walk today the highlight was a calling Common Cuckoo , it called 5 times in all but then there was no more sign of it . Also seen were 40+ Dunlin , 20+ Bar-Tailed Godwit , 3 Whimbrel , 20+ Common Swift , 8 Common Sand Martin and the following warblers were also seen with Cetti`s Warbler , Sedge Warbler , European Reed Warbler , Common Chiffchaff and Blackcap .

Whimbrel ( Numenius phaeopus ) . Devon

LRP

On my daily walk this morning I managed to see 3 Little Ringed Plover and how I love to see these smart little birds when they return each year back to our country .
I also saw my first 2 Common Swift of the year along with a few Common Sand Martin and Barn Swallow , 5 Whimbrel , 20+ Black-Tailed Godwit , a single Dunlin , a Cetti`s Warbler and 4 Sedge Warbler .

Little Ringed Plover ( Charadrius dubius ) . Devon

European Adder

On my walk today I came across this European Adder basking in the sun and I was able to get these shots of it without disturbing it . Not a lot else was seen but 5 Willow Warbler were very nice + 3 Common Whitethroat , also seen were a few Barn Swallow and this Brimstone Butterfly .

European Adder ( Vipera berus ) . Devon

Brimstone ( Gonepteryx rhamni ) . Devon

Whitethroat

On my walk this morning I saw 3 new species for the year with a Common Whitethroat , a Common Lizard and a Short Tailed Vole .
Also seen today were 11 Common Sand Martin , 5 Barn Swallow , 3 Common Chiffchaff , 2 Blackcap , 3 Cetti`s Warbler , 8 European Reed Warbler , 2 Sedge Warbler .                                           And the following Butterflies were also seen , Orange Tip , Large White , Green-Veined White , Peacock , Holy Blue and Speckled Wood .

Common Whitethroat ( Sylvia communis ) . Devon

Orange Tip ( Anthocharis cardamines ) . Devon

Common Lizard ( Zootoca vivipara ) . Devon

Walks

On my walks in the last couple of days I have been lucky enough to see some nice birds . With numerous Blackcap , a nice Garden Warbler , 3 Cetti`s Warbler , a few Sedge Warbler and Reed Warbler , 20+ Sand Martin , a few House Martin , 2 Yellow Wagtail , a couple of Whimbrel , 3 Common Raven , a Little Ringed Plover and a smart Glossy Ibis .

Glossy Ibis ( Plegadis falcinellus ) . Devon

Get Off My Patch

These two Grey Heron were having a territorial fight for quite a while this morning and it was good to be able to observe it as I have never seen this before ! Also seen were 100+ Common Sand Martin , 5 Common House Martin , 20+ Barn Swallow , a calling European Green Woodpecker and there seems to be a lot more of these around since the lock down , 2 Stock Dove , a Cetti`s Warbler and 7 Blackcap .

Grey Heron ( Ardea cinerea ) . Bowling Green Marsh . Topsham . Devon

Close Encounters with Mr Fox

On my walk this morning in Topsham I came across this Red Fox in the field very close to where I live . I also added another bird to my Topsham lock down list 3 Common Linnet , also seen were 4 Little Egret , 6 Stock Dove , a European Green Woodpecker , 4 Eurasian Curlew and my first couple of  Whimbrel for the year .

Red Fox ( Vulpes vulpes ) . Topsham . Devon

Another Red Kite

I did an afternoon walk in Topsham today for a change and I saw another Red Kite that was drifting over the Clyst Marshes heading east towards Woodbury Common , once again it was quite high so again no chance of getting a shot of it .
Also seen was a flock of 20+ Common House Martin but again they were going through quite high , a Water Rail , 2 Cetti`s Warbler , 3 Blackcap , 4 Common Chiffchaff , a Common Raven and a male Reed Bunting .

Reed Bunting ( Emberiza schoeniclus ) . Topsham . Devon

Thursday 9th April

It was a very nice sunny morning today so I went out early to do my daily walk in Topsham . I have been doing my walk in a certain area since the government lock down over two weeks ago , and today I was lucky enough to find my first good bird for the area a male Common Redstart . I have been able to see a couple of these before in Topsham but this was the first that I have been lucky enough to find so it was a good day for me .
The area that I cover is also very good also for Cetti`s Warbler and today I got seven of them in different areas .
Also seen today were Water Rail , around 10 Common Chiffchaff , 3 singing male Blackcap , a couple of calling European Green Woodpecker and a Red Fox .

Blackcap ( Sylvia atricapilla ) . Topsham . Devon

Tawny Owl

Add on for this evening a Tawny Owl calling from the Clyst Marshes and my first for the year !

Daily Walk

My daily walk in Topsham this morning got me . 8 Common Shelduck , 4 Common Moorhen , a European Green Woodpecker , 2 Dunnock , a Mistle Thrush , 5 Cetti`s Warbler , 2 Blackcap , 7 Common Chiffchaff , a single Willow Warbler and 4 Reed Bunting .
The lockdown is hard going , but then again I am lucky to live where I am and be able to get out and bird completely on my own .

Common Shelduck ( Tadorna tadorna ) .Topsham . Devon

Cetti`s Warbler

My bird of the day is Cetti`s Warbler . A bird that is not the rare here in Britain but is very secretive and you are very lucky to get a good view of these birds let alone to get one to sit still long enough for you to get a photo of it . So as you can imagine this was a very pleasing day for me .
My localized walk in Topsham today produced 4 of these birds so I am very lucky .

Cetti`s Warbler ( Cettia cetti ) . Topsham . Devon

Osprey

I went for my walk today to the Recreation Ground in Topsham where you can view the Exe Estuary . And there was a super summer plumaged Slavonian Grebe on show today but it always stayed distant on the river . There was also a few gulls on show with Great Black-Backed Gull , Lesser Black-Backed Gull and Common Gull , I was then looking across the estuary towards the Exminster Marshes and I picked up an Osprey being harassed by corvids  , it then flew across the river and headed over Topsham , nice to see my first one of the year .

Slavonian Grebe ( Podiceps auritus ) . The Exe Estuary . Topsham . Devon

Birding Topsham

My daily walk in Topsham today turned out quite good as I saw the following birds . A male and female Northern Pintail , a Common Buzzard , a high flying Eurasian Sparrowhawk , a pair of nesting Stock Dove , a European Green Woodpecker , a Eurasian Jay , 4 Cetti`s Warbler , a male Blackcap , 7 Common Chiffchaff , a Willow Warbler , a male and female Common Stonechat , 4 Reed Bunting and the Icing on the cake was my 1st Barn Swallow of the year .
And back home in my garden there was Small White and Holly Blue Butterflies seen also today .

Common Buzzard ( Buteo buteo ) . Topsham . Devon

Eurasian Sparrowhawk ( Accipiter nisus ) . Topsham . Devon