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