Friday 31 March 2023

Willow Warbler

 A look around my local patch Bowling Green Marsh , got me my 1st Willow Warbler of the year with a bird that was showing just outside of the hide . Another nice thing to see feeding over the marsh was a flock of 200+ Common Sand Martin that must have been brought in by the bad weather !

Also seen was my first Little Grebe in Devon this year , a male and 2 female Common Pochard , 2 European Spoonbill and a single Stock Dove .

Willow Warbler ( Phylloscopus trochilus ) . Bowling Green Marsh . Topsham . Devon


 

Common Sand Martin ( Riparia riparia ) . Bowling Green Marsh . Topsham . Devon


 


 

Friday 24 March 2023

Alpine Swift

There has been an influx of Alpine Swifts into the British Isles and I managed to see one at Berry Head on the 20th March .
But there has been a few around the Dawlish Warren / Cofton area for a few days and I had tried to catch up with them twice before today with no luck . So when news came out this morning that they were still showing and with the weather looking better , I just had to try for them again and today there was two of them showing very well over the Coften ridge . Also I managed to see one from Cockwood Steps so a very nice tick for my Exe Estuary list 😊 

Alpine Swift ( Apus melba ) . Cofton Ridge . Devon


 


 


 

Wednesday 22 March 2023

The Haldon Forest

The day started with 2 Eurasian Spoonbill and a Common Chiffchaff on Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham .

I then had a look around the Haldon Forest that is on the edge of Exeter . And I saw 5 Common Buzzard , a long distance Northern Goshawk , a Great Spotted Woodpecker , 2 Mistle Thrush , 2 Common Chiffchaff and a small herd of wild Fallow Deer .

Fallow Deer ( Dama dama ) . The Haldon Forest . Devon


 


 


 

Wednesday 15 March 2023

Snow Goose

 I took a walk around Powderham Marsh this morning and I saw the Snow Goose that has been around the Exe Estuary for a few years now . I also sae a female Western Marsh Harrier , a Common Kestrel , Numerous Northern Lapwing , a Green Sandpiper and a Stock Dove .

Snow Goose ( Anser caerulescens ) . Powderham Marsh . Devon


 


 

Tuesday 14 March 2023

The Last Two Days

 Tuesday 14th March

There was news today of a Little Ringed Plover and a few Common Sand Martin showing on the Exminster Marshes this morning . So I went over to see if they were still showing , and I was in luck with the Martins but had no luck with the LRP .


Monday 13th March

Another trip down to the Otter Wetlands to look for a 1st winter Glaucous Gull . I went to the spot that it was reported at but there was no sign of it at all  ! And after a bit of seaching I finally managed to see it in flight over the River Otter .  ( Thanks Dave )

Also seen was a male Garganey , a Cattle Egret , a Green Sandpiper , Grey Wagtail and a Water Pipit .

So not a bad couple of days birding with 2 new birds seen for the year 😊




Garganey ( Anus querquedula ) . The Otter Wetlands . Devon


 

Thursday 9 March 2023

Garganey

News of a drake Garganey on the Otter Wetlands saw me jumping in the car and getting there as fast as I could in hope of seeing my first spring migrant of the year . And I managed to see the bird but it was always very distant .

Also seen were numerous Common Teal , 2 Eurasian Curlew , 2 Green Sandpiper , a Water Pipit , a small flock of Lesser Black-Backed Gull`s and 2 Common Chiffchaff .

Eurasian Curlew ( Numenius arquata ) . The Otter Wetlands . Devon


 

Wednesday 8 March 2023

Rough Weather

A quick trip down to Plymouth this morning to look for a Black Guillemot that has been seen in the sound for a few days now . We spent around an hour looking for it in the pouring rain and had just decided to call it a day when I came across it quite a way out . We all got nice views of it so the trip was well worth it in the end .

We then went to Saltram House in hope of seeing the female Red-Crested Pochard that comes and goes to the pond in the grounds and after one missed attempt we got it in the end . 

Black Guillemot ( Cepphus grylle ) . Plymouth Sound . Devon


 

Red-Crested Pochard ( Netta rufina ) . Saltram House . Plymouth . Devon


 

Tuesday 7 March 2023

Common Kingfisher

 I started my day at Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham . And I saw 1 male and 4 Female Common Pochard , 2 juvenile Eurasian Spoonbill and a female Western Marsh Harrier .

My next stop was a look around the Salmon Pool Area of Exeter as after much looking I still had not been able to catch up with Common Kingfisher this year ! and today my luck was in as I finally saw one 😀

Also seen were 3 female Goosander , a Grey Heron , 50+ Redwing , a Eurasian Jay and a small flock of Eurasian Siskin .

Eurasian Spoonbill . ( Platalea leucorodia ) . Bowling Green Marsh . Topsham . Devon


 


 


 

Goosander ( Mergus merganser ) . Salmon Pool Area . Exeter . Devon


 


 

Grey Heron ( Ardea cinerea ) . Salmon Pool Area . Exeter . Devon


 

Friday 3 March 2023

Local Birding

 The Day started off at Bowling Green Marsh with 3 Gadwall , then a look around the viewing platform area only got me a few Winter Wren and a small flock of European Greenfinch .

So I went across to the Exminster Marshes but it was dead there also with the best being a couple of Common Raven . So I went for a look around the fields in the Kenton area where things picked up a bit with a Western Marsh Harrier , a single Cattle Egret was following a tractor that was plowing the field and after much searching driving around I managed to find 2 Red-Legged Partridge .

Winter Wren ( Troglodytes troglodytes ) . Bowling Green Marsh . Devon


 

Cattle Egret ( Bubulcus ibis ) . Nr Kenton . Devon


 

Red-Legged Partridge ( Alectoris rufa ) . Nr Kenton . Devon


 

Wednesday 1 March 2023

Last Couple Of Days !

 Wednesday 1st March                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Today not a lot of birding done . But I did have a look at the Exe Reedbeds and managed to see three distant Bearded Tit .

Tuesday 28th February

Yarner wood was my destination today to look for Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and I saw two of them . Also seen was Great Spotted Woodpecker , European Green Woodpecker , a single Marsh Tit , quite a few Eurasian Siskin and a Firecrest...a rare bird for this site .