News of a possible Greenish Warbler at Dawlish Warren meant an afternoon trip down to see if I could catch up with it . But after quite a bit of a search there was no more sign of the bird .
But a massive bonus was seeing this Crimson Speckled Footman a moth that is an immigrant to this country . This is the second time that I have seen one of these moths in this country with my first on the Scilly Isles many years ago .
The birding was much slower today ! But the day started off with a few Fieldfare flying over my garden . I then took a look at Bowling Green Marsh and I saw Numerous Black-Tailed Godwit , 10 Common Greenshank , 2 Dunlin and a Grey Plover .
The next stop was at the Exminster Marshes but there was not a lot on show here as well with only 6 Little Egret , 2 Cattle Egret , a Common Gull and 3 Cetti`s Warbler . And at the Turf Locks there was a Western Marsh Harrier , 2 Redwing and this fly over Grey Heron .
An early morning trip down to Berry Head in hope of seeing a Pallid Swift that was found and photographed yesterday . We arrived in the dark and went to the seawatching point and after a while other birders started to turn up and a seawatch was soon started .
The first bird that was found was a Great Shearwater and I managed to see 20+ of them but others had many more . Also seen were 2 Sooty Shearwater . 2 Balearic Shearwater , a Manx Shearwater , a single Great Skua , 5 Arctic Skua , 2 Common Scoter and of course plenty of Northern Gannet .
As I was stood there I saw some movement on the cliff face and it turned out to be a female Black Redstart . By now it was around 9.30 and the thoughts were that the Swift had possibly moved on and people were starting to leave . But then a cry went out of Swift !!! . And after a bit of panic there was the Pallid Swift above us and it showed to us briefly as it circled twice above us before heading out of view again . I have waited many years for one of these in Britain and even better to get it in my home county of Devon 👀😀
The day started off at Bowling Green Marsh where I found a Spotted Redshank but it was soon lost from view . I then went across to the Exminster Marshes as a Pectoral Sandpiper had been reported there this morning , but there was no sign of it anywhere .
But I did see a Cattle Egret , 2 Egyptian Goose , a female Western Marsh Harrier , a Cetti,s Warbler and at the Turf Locks this Atlantic Grey Seal was basking in the sun .
A trip out to Avon Dam today with my mate Paul Bray to look for Ring Ouzel and in- between the rain showers we saw around a dozen of them with adult and 1st winter birds seen .
Back up birds seen today included Common Buzzard , Common Kestrel , Eurasian Sparrowhawk , a large flock of Fieldfare & Redwing , 2 Eurasian Treecreeper , 3 Meadow Pipit , Numerous Goldcrest and a Common Raven .
There was a fall of birds at Berry Head this morning . So I thought that I would take a look around Orcombe Point . But the birding was really slow and all I saw was a Common Kestrel , 2 Common Raven , a few Goldcrest and a male Common Stonechat . And a look at Lyme Bay got me a few Black-Legged Kittiwake and a single Balearic Shearwater .
A look from the hide at Bowling Green Marsh this morning me a Barnacle Goose , a Greylag Goose & the long staying Snow Goose . I then had a look around the bushes near the viewing platform but it was very hard going ! But the was a small flock of Long-Tailed Tit on the move and in with them were a few Goldcrest and the bird of the day a Lesser Redpoll .
I then had a look at the Clyst Estuary and saw a few Bar-Tailed Godwit , 6 Grey Plover , 2 Common Gull and a Common Kingfisher .
This morning I went for a look at the copse area at the end of Milbury Lane in Exminster and I saw the following birds . Cattle Egret , Grey Heron & Grey Wagtail .
I then walked to the copse under the Motorway at the Exminster Marshes and saw numerous Long-Tailed Tit , a Common Chiffchaff , a few Goldcrest and a Firecrest .
The first bird that I saw today was a female Black Redstart that I saw sat on my fence from my dining room window . It was sat facing me and I though what the **** but it then turned around and I saw that gorgeous red tail that it flicked a few times . It did not stay long and flew towards the cemetery grounds where I went to look for it but I had no joy . It is only the second one that I have seen in Topsham and is a new garden tick for me .
I then had a look at Bowling Green Marsh and saw 26 Bar-Tailed Godwit , 2 Red Knot , a Ruff , a male and female Common Stonechat and 2 Common Chiffchaff .
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Not a lot seen today but a quick visit to the hide at Bowling Green Marsh this morning got me numerous Eurasian Wigeon and Northern Pintail , 20+ Bar-Tailed Godwit and a few Northern Lapwing .
Later in the day news came out of 7 Bearded Reedling showing in the Exe Reedbeds from Topsham . So I went down to look for them but I only saw one of them as it flew from one reedbed to another opposite the ferry crossing . I had a few more brief sightings in the reedbeds but it could have been just the same bird .
A trip down to Exmouth this morning to look for a Whinchat has been seen in the small reedbed near West Lodge . And the bird was on show as soon as I got there and was a juvenile bird that was feeding up before heading for warmer climates .
Also seen were a few Winter Wren and Long-Tailed Tit .
There was news of 100s of Balearic Shearwater being seen in Lyme Bay this morning . So I went down to Exmouth in hope that there would still be a few that had not gone through but I could only manage to see three of them , still better than nothing 😀
Also seen were Northern Gannet , Black-Legged Kittiwake , Common Scoter , Northern Fulmar a very nice Great Skua and a single Bottlenose Dolphin .
I then went up to the top fields at Gore Lane for a look but all I saw were 2 Yellow Wagtail and a Northern Wheatear . My last stop was a look at the Exe Estuary at Exmouth and I saw a few Dark Bellied Brent Goose and the long staying Snow Goose .
Here are a couple of shots of the 1st year Ring-Necked Duck that is on the Blackhill Quarry lake near Woodbury at the moment . The bird is an American Duck that gets seen in Britain most years now , but it is still always nice to be able to catch up with one .
A trip up to Charmouth in Dorset this morning to look for a reported Red Phalarope a bird that is also called Grey Phalarope . A bird that breeds in the high arctic and is the most Pelagic of the Phalaropes . But every year there are a few 1st winter birds that get storm blown and if you are lucky you can catch up with one just like today . .
I went down to Bowling Green Marsh this morning to catch the high Tide and it payed off as I found a Juvenile Little Stint making it the second one on the marsh this year . The bird was always a bit distant on the point but gave nice scope views .
Also seen were the 4 European Spoonbill , numerous Northern Pintail , a juvenile type Garganey , a few Bar-Tailed Godwit , 4 Grey Plover and a calling Yellow Wagtail .
