Wednesday 29 December 2021

Whooper Swan

 I was going to take a break from birding today after yesterdays long trip . But news came out of a Whooper Swan just up the road from me at Clyst St Mary so I went to take a look at it .

You go all year nearly without seeing one and now I have seen 5 different birds in December , thats birding for you lol !

Whooper Swan ( Cygnus cygnus ) . Clyst St Mary . Devon


 

Tuesday 28 December 2021

28th December

 A trip up to Samlesbury in Lancashire today in hope of seeing the Belted Kingfisher a new bird for Britain for me with Mark Bailey , Dave Boult and Kevin Rylands . We arrived in the dark and made the journey up the path and across the field with trepidation as it was like a quagmire in the falling rain .

We stood in the rain for quite a while before we got our first sighting of the bird at just after it got light at around 8.35 it showed on and off for a short while and we got a nice view of it at 9.45 sat right out in the open on the top of a tree . the last sighting was around just after 11o/c , all the views were distant and I only managed to get one shot of it that is not worth posting on here lol

Great days birding Many Thanks Mark .

Sunday 26 December 2021

Tawny Owl

 My final present yesterday was a calling Tawny Owl outside of my house in Topsham and it was my first one this year .

Today I went down to Exmouth in hope of catching up with Common Goldeneye but again I had no luck but I did see numerous Eurasian Wigeon & Northern Pintail , 3 Great Crested Grebe , a Ruddy Turnstone and a male Black Redstart .

Black Redstart ( Phoenicurus ochruros ) Shelly Beach . Exmouth . Devon


 

Thursday 23 December 2021

Wildfowl

 Another trip over to the Exminster Marshes again this morning . And Tundra Bean Goose was the bird that I was looking for today as one had been reported earlier and after a bit of a walk I soon got on to the bird that was in with some Canada Goose and a Greater White-Fronted Goose , the birds were always distant and that with the bad weather made it hard to get a decent shot of .

Also seen were 100+ Dark Bellied Brent Goose and in with them was a juvenile Pale Bellied bird of the race Hrota . I then walked down to the other end of the marsh where the Pink-Footed Goose was still showing , and the 3 Whooper Swan from yesterday were still showing well today .

Greater White-Fronted Goose ( Anser albifrons ) & Tundra Bean Goose ( Anser serrirostris ) . The Exminster Marshes . Devon


 

Wednesday 22 December 2021

Whooper Swan

 A couple of distant shots of todays Whooper Swan`s that were briefly on the Exminster Marshes today and they are a very good bird to get as they a quite rare bird for the marshes . I was quite lucky to get these as I only managed to get there quite late and by all accounts they flew off again a little while after I left .

Happy Days .

Whooper Swan ( Cygnus cygnus ) . The Exminster Marshes . Devon


 


 

Tuesday 21 December 2021

Pink-Footed Goose

 Another look for the Pink-Footed Goose on the Exminster Marshes this morning and today my luck was in as it was showing in with a huge flock of Canada Geese , I just got there and got on it and was able to fire off a few shots . When along came the farmer on his quad bike to gather up his cows and flushed the flock out onto the Exe Estuary near the Turf Locks . So I went to look for them and I was able to pick it out again in with the Canada`s . But they did not stay out there very long before flying back to the marsh further down in the fields below the Turf Locks .

Not a lot else seen with the highlight being a female Western Marsh Harrier

Pink-Footed Goose ( Anser brachyrhynchus ) . The Exminster Marshes . Devon


 


 


 

Canada Goose ( Branta canadensis ) & Pink-Footed Goose ( Anser brachyrhynchus ) . The Exe Estuary . Devon


 

Saturday 18 December 2021

Greater White-Fronted Goose

 Today I went over to the Otter Marshes near Otterton in Devon where there was the incredible  sight of over 30+ Greater White-Fronted Goose of the Russian race . At first we could not find them but then we had a phone call telling us where to look and we soon connected with them . 

Also seen was a White-Throated Dipper and 2 Grey Wagtail .

Greater White-Fronted Goose ( Anser albifrons ) . The Otter Marshes . Devon


 


 

Sunday 12 December 2021

Black-Throated Diver

 A trip down to Broadsands in South Devon this morning to look for Black-Throated Diver as there has been up to 4 seen in the bay in the last few days . But I could only manage to see 2 distant birds . Also seen were a few Northern Fulmar .

The next stop was at the Clennon Valley Lakes where I saw 2 Siberian Chiffchaff , a Common Chiffchaff , a Goldcrest and a nice Yellow-Browed Warbler that was on the move all the time making it hard to get a shot of in the tops of the trees .

Black-Throated Diver ( Gavia arctica ) . Broadsands . Torbay . Devon


 

Yellow-Browed Warbler ( Phylloscopus inornatus ) . Clennon Valley Lakes . Devon


 

Friday 10 December 2021

Whooper Swan

 A trip up to Exmoor this morning in hope of seeing Hen Harrier but our luck was out today . We did see a possible but never got enough on it to confirm it .

But we did see 2 Short-Eared Owl , numerous Common Raven , a male Peregrine Falcon , 5 Red-Legged Partridge , numerous Fieldfare , 20+ Redwing , 2 Eurasian Jay and 2 Red Deer .

Our last stop was at Braunton Marsh as we had come looking for some Whooper Swan and we managed to see just one of them in with some Mute Swan . We also saw 200+ European Golden Plover .

Whooper Swan ( Cygnus cygnus ) . Braunton Marsh . Devon


 


 

Thursday 9 December 2021

Common Kingfisher

 I started the day off at the recreation ground in Topsham . Where I saw a couple of Common Gull and then this Common Kingfisher that flashed past me and landed on the fence .

A look around Bowling Green Marsh then got me 2 Egyptian Geese , 2 Common Pochard , 8 Dunlin , 3 Common Greenshank , a Meadow Pipit , a Eurasian Jay and a European Greenfinch .

Common Kingfisher ( Alcedo atthis ) . Topsham Recreation Ground . Devon


 

Wednesday 8 December 2021

Local Birding

 I went for a look at Bowling Green Marsh this morning as there was a report of some Egyptian Geese . But they were gone again before I got there . But I did see 17 Greylag Geese , a male and female Common Pochard , a Great Spotted Woodpecker , 20+ Redwing , 2 Fieldfare , a Song Thrush and a Eurasian Bullfinch .

I then had a look at the Exe Estuary from Cockwood Steps and saw 200+ Brent Geese , 2 Great Crested Grebe and 20+ Red-Breasted Merganser .

Red-Breasted Mergaser ( Mergus serrator ) . The Exe Estuary . Devon


 

Thursday 2 December 2021

Firecrest

 A trip down to Exmouth this morning to look for Firecrest and I went to where I had seen them before at Madeira Way and today I saw 2 of them . Also seen was a Song Thrush and a Common Raven .

I then had a look at Maer Rocks and saw 20+ Ruddy Turnstone and 4 Purple Sandpiper .

Tuesday 30 November 2021

Black-Necked Grebe

Black- Necked Grebe is a very rare bird to see on the Exe Estuary , so I was very glad to see two of them today off of Exmouth . The birds were well out in the middle of the estuary so no chance of getting any shots of them .

Also seen were a few Brent Geese , a male Peregrine Falcon , 4 Common Raven and a nice male Black Redstart .

Black Redstart ( Phoenicurus ochruros ) . Shelley Beach . Exmouth . Devon


 

Thursday 25 November 2021

Bowling Green Marsh

 A look around Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham this morning on a nice sunny day got me . 12 Greylag Geese , 20+ Northern Pintail , a male and female Common Pochard , a male Gadwall , a male and 2 female Tufted Duck , a Common Buzzard , 3 male Eurasian Bullfinch and a Mistle Thrush .

A quick look at Goosemoor then got me 3 Common Greenshank , a Common Raven and a Water Rail was heard on call .

Eurasian Bullfinch ( Pyrrhula pyrrula ) . Bowling Green Marsh . Topsham . Devon


 

Common Buzzard ( Buteo buteo ) . Bowling Green Marsh . Topsham . Devon . 25 / 11 / 2021


 

Wednesday 24 November 2021

Lesser Scaup

 Out again today down to Beesands Ley in Sth Devon to look for 2 female Lesser Scaup a North  American species that is seen quite regularly in this country . And after a bit of a wait they showed themselves in front of the hide but the reeds were so high it was quite hard to get good views of them .

Also seen was another North American duck a male Ring-Necked Duck + plenty of Gadwall , 2 Common Pochard , a Great Crested Grebe , a Water Rail and 2 male and a female Eurasian Bullfinch .

Lesser Scaup ( Aythya affinis ) . Beesands Ley . Devon


 


 


 

Ring-Necked Duck ( Aythya collaris ) . Beesands Ley . Devon


 


 

Monday 22 November 2021

Little Auk

 A trip up to Weymouth today to look for a Little Auk that has been showing in harbour for the last few days . And after searching for it for over 3 hours the bird finally showed very well . And I was well pleased with that as it is only the 6th one that I have seen , with the last one being at Berry Head in 2009 .

Also seen today was around a dozen Mediterranean Gulls .

Little Auk ( Alle alle ) . Weymouth Harbour . Dorset


 


 

Thursday 18 November 2021

Common Crossbill

 Another trip up to Haldon Forest again today . And the bird that I was looking for the most today was Common Crossbill and I was lucky enough to see 8 of them today and in the picture today is a male and female bird .

Also seen today were 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker , 6 Goldcrest , a Common Raven , 50+ Eurasian Siskin and a single Hawfinch .

Common Crossbill ( Loxia curvirostra ) . Haldon Forest . Devon


 

Monday 15 November 2021

Hawfinch

 An afternoon trip up the Haldon Forest on the edge of Exeter  in hope of seeing a much sought after bird the Hawfinch . And today I was lucky enough to see 7 of them , they were always a bit distant but I did my best to get a shot of one.......Perhaps next time they will come a bit closer lol

Hawfinch ( Coccothraustes coccothraustes ) . Haldon Forest . Devon


 


 

Thursday 11 November 2021

Snow Bunting

 Two days ago I went down to Dawlish Warren to look for a reported Snow Bunting but after searching for it for quite a while I did not get any luck at all .

So when the news came out today that it was still there I shot down as fast as I could and today my luck was in and you can see the results . The bird showed well now and then out in the open but it spent most of the time feeding on the long grasses .

Snow Bunting ( Plectrophenax nivalis ) . Dawlish Warren . Devon


 


 


 


 

Wednesday 10 November 2021

Tuesday 2 November 2021

Lesser Redpoll

 I had a look at the finch flock at Darts Farm this morning in hope of seeing some reported Brambling but I never managed to see any at all !

But there was numerous European Greenfinch and Common Chaffinch , around a dozen Common Linnet and in with them was a Lesser Redpoll . Also seen were Meadow Pipit , Cetti`s Warbler and Reed Bunting .

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


 

Sunday 31 October 2021

Barred Warbler

 Here are a few shots of the Immature Barred Warbler seen at Dawlish Warren Nature Reserve . The bird showed quite well in the entrance bushes .

The bird is a long distance migrant from Eastern Europe that is more seen on the East Coast of Britain and is a very good bird to be seen in the South West .

Barred Warbler ( Sylvia nisoria ) . Dawlish Warren . Devon