A look at Goosemoor in Topsham got me this Water Rail that showed very well , also seen were 2 Pied Avocet , 4 Common Greenshank and a Common Buzzard .
I then walked down to Bowling Green Marsh where there was 2 juvenile European Spoonbill , numerous Pied Avocet , Black-Tailed Godwit and Common Redshank and also seen was a Grey Wagtail .
A trip out today with our first stop of the day at Broadsands in Sth Devon and we saw quite a few divers with 8 Great Norther Divers on the sea and what looked like 30+ more flying south . I have never seen this many before in a flock so was well pleased with that . But the highlight were 3 Black-Throated Diver together out in the bay as you dont see this very often .
We then went onto Brixham and walked out on the breakwater were we had 10 Purple Sandpiper and an adult winter Mediterranean Gull both new birds for the year for me . And in the harbour there was another Great Northern Diver .
A look at the Powderham Estate grounds this morning got me an Egyptian Goose and 14 Stock Dove . I then had a look at the Exe Estuary from Cockwood steps but all that I saw were 2 Bar-Tailed Godwit and in fields nearby there was a few Eurasian Curlew .
My last stop today was at Coften where there was 16 Cattle Egret .
The day started off on the Exminster Marshes where there was a very large flock of Brent Geese , a Western Marsh Harrier and a couple of Winter Wren . So I walked down to the Turf Locks and a look out at the Exe Estuary got me a flock of a 1000+ European Golden Plover , 12 Red Knot , 2 Grey Plover , 6 Pied Wagtail and this nice Song Thrush .
I then had a look at Maer Rocks in Exmouth for Purple Sandpiper but again there was none to be seen . So I headed for home and stopped of at Phear Park where this Common Sandpiper was on show , the leg colour and other features threw me . But the feeling is that it is just a Common Sand .
A couple of Common Pochard on Bowling Green Marsh this morning brightened up the day as its a bird that we do not see on the marsh as often as we used too .
Also seen were 2 male Gadwall , a few Northern Pintail , a single Common Snipe a very elusive Water Rail and a Grey Wagtail . And a walk down to the viewing platform produced a male and female Eurasian Bullfinch and a Eurasian Jay .
a look around the recreation ground at Topsham this morning got me a Common Gull that was in with around 40 Black-Headed Gull`s and also seen was this male Reed Bunting .
I then had a look at Bowling Green Marsh where the stand out birds were 2 European Spoonbill , also seen were a Common Snipe , a Eurasian Sparrowhawk and 20+ European Goldfinch .
A message was put out this morning of a Slavonian Grebe seen off of Brandy Head in East Devon . And as this is now quite a rare bird in Devon I got in my car and got there as fast as I could .
I set my scope up and started searching for it and soon picked up some Red-Throated Diver and a single Great Northern Diver , but it then took quite a bit of searching until I got onto the bird that I was looking for the Slavonian Grebe a bird that used to be quite common in the area but not so much now . ( Thanks Paul )
Also seen were a few European Shag , 2 Northern Fulmar and around a dozen Cirl Bunting .
A trip down to Roadford Reservoir this morning to look for a Green-Winged Teal that has been there for a few days . But my luck was out as after searching for it for over an hour in the freezing wind there was no sign of it at all . And all I saw were 2 male and 2 female Common Goldeneye and a Male and female Goosander .
I was then very cold so I headed for home and on the way I stopped off at the Haldon Forest where the row of pylons are and I saw my 1st Hawfinch for a couple of years . So a bit of good luck in the end .
Once I was home I saw that the local Western Jackdaws were picking out their nesting spots !
This morning I got my 1st European Green Woodpecker of the year in the cemetery grounds in Topsham .
I then went across to the Exminster Marshes and I found a Great White Egret a good bird to get on the marshes . There was not a lot more to talk about so I went further down the Exe Estuary to Cofton where there was 15 Cattle Egret on show .
A morning look at Bowling Green Marsh did not get me much at all with the best being 100 + Pied Avocet , a Common Snipe and a Eurasian Bullfinch .
So I went to have a look around the Ludwell Valley Country Park & a White-Throated Dipper was added to the year list but only after a bit of a search . Also seen were 3 Green Sandpiper , 3 Grey Wagtail and a Siberian Chiffchaff .
An early morning look at my local patch Bowling Green Marsh got me a European Spoonbill . It spent most of the time asleep as Spoonbills do lol . Also seen was a large flock of Pied Avocet and Black-Tailed Godwit , around 20+ Northern Lapwing and a few Dunlin .
I then stopped off at the top of Bowling Green Lane and a quick look got me 2 Firecrest .
A short trip up the the Haldon Forest just outside of Exeter to look for Common Crossbill and I managed to see 12 of them . Also seen was a single Eurasian Siskin , 3 Common Raven and a Song Thrush .
I then drove around the lanes near Kenton and I saw 100+ Fieldfare , a Great Spotted Woodpecker and 12 Fallow Deer .
News came out late yesterday of a Black-Throated Diver seen off Brandy Head in East Devon . So I made my way there this morning in hope that it would still be there and I was rewarded with nice views of the bird but it drifted off towards Budleigh Salterton before I could get my camera on it .
But still there was quite a lot of Red-Throated Divers on show along with a couple of Fulmar , 2 Great Crested Grebe and 4 Common Guillemot . Also seen along the path were a male and female Cirl Bunting .
I went to look for Purple Sandpipers on the Maer Rocks at Exmouth today but there was none to be seen and the best birds I saw were 3 European Shag . After that I went up the Maer Valley where I saw 3 Rose-Ringed Parakeet . My last stop was at the overflow beside Phear Park and I saw a Common Sandpiper and 2 Grey Wagtail .
I stayed around the Exe Estuary today and my first stop was at Topsham Quay where I saw a male and female Red-Breasted Merganser and this nice male Common Goldeneye .
I then went to the Exminster Marshes where there was a large flock of Dark Bellied Brent Geese , 3 male and a female Gadwall and a Western Marsh Harrier . I carried on walking down the canal path to the Turf Locks and I saw 10 European Golden-Plover , a Grey Plover and a Common Kingfisher .
A trip down to the Lower Tamar Lake this morning to look for Willow Tit and it was freezing cold 😨 but a look at the lake got us 20+ Goosander , a Red-Breasted Merganser and a female Lesser Scaup .
We then had a look around the woods and saw Willow Tit , Marsh Tit , Coal Tit , a few Redwing and a Eurasian Bullfinch .
Our last stop of the day was at Fremington Quay where we saw a nice Glossy Ibis to end the day off .
We started the day off at the Hale Estuary where we saw a European Spoonbill , 2 male Goosander and a wintering Whimbrel . We then had a look in the Newlyn Harbour for a male Black Redstart and after quite a long search we managed to see it and also seen was a close in Razorbill .
Our next stop was at Tremethick Cross in hope of seeing a Little Bunting that has been seen in the area and we got distant but nice scope views of it . Then news came out of a Bonaparte`s Gull in the mouth of the Red River at Marazion so off we went and it was soon added to the list along with a Siberian Chiffchaff .
Our last stop of the day was back at the Hale Estuary again and we saw a 1st winter Iceland Gull , a few European Golden Plover and a distant Ring-Billed Gull .
A trip up to Burnham On Sea in Somerset this morning in hope of seeing a Kentish Plover that has returned to the area and we managed to get distant scope views of the German ringed female bird .
There was not a lot more to see so we headed for home and a stop off at the Ludwell Valley creek in Exeter got me 5 Green Sandpiper , 2 Grey Wagtail and 2 Common Chiffchaff .
NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH
A long trip up to Essex today with Mark Bailey and Clive Mason .
To look for a new bird in Britain for all of us a Northern Waterthrush that had been found at Heybridge Nr Maldon . We left Exeter at around 3 am and got there at just around 7 . The bird was heard on call by Clive and myself at 7.20 but then we stood in one spot freezing until 11.20 when a cry went up from someone of got it !!! And I was lucky enough to be stood in the right place and got on to the bird that was sat in a bush with a couple of Blue Tit but in seconds they were gone again .
The crowed had now risen to around 200+ all trying to get a nice view , but the bird was very hard to get onto as it creeped along a wet ditch but after a while both Mark & Clive got good views of the bird . As for getting photos it was a nightmare as you can see ! and I could only manage to get this one shot of it .But then again its better than a kick up the bum .
A great days Birding had by all .
Three of us went down to Broadsands Nr Brixham this morning in hope of seeing the wintering Yellow Browed Warbler and just as we got there it started to rain and boy did it rain ! But our luck was in and we did manage to see the YBW . Also seen was a single male Cirl Bunting .
We then went on to Brixham and around the area we saw 10 Northern Gannet , 6 Razorbill , 2 Common Guillemot and 2 Great Northern Diver .
A look around Bowling Green Marsh in between the rain bursts did not get me much at all today but there was a nice show of Pied Avocet and Northern Lapwing . And further up along Bowling Green Lane 2 Mistle Thrush were guarding their Mistletoe .
A trip out with the boys to the Greylake RSPB Reserve in Somerset to look for a Baikal Teal but our luck was out today as after much searching there was no sign of the bird today .
And the best birds that we saw were 2 Common Crane and a Western Marsh Harrier . We then then ended the day off at the Barrow Gurney Reservoir where the returning male Long-Tailed Duck showed very well along with Tufted Duck`s and Common Pochard .
Me and my mate Andy Bond decided to start the year off at Dawlish Warren and we were rewarded just after we got out of the car with a fly over Great White Egret that flew in off the sea and dropped into the Exe Estuary . I went all last year without seeing one in Devon but that`s birding for you lol
Also seen were 5 Common Eider not a common bird in this neck of the woods , numerous Bar-Tailed Godwit and a few Sanderling . We then finished off the day at the Exminster Marshes with a Western Marsh Harrier and a few Redwing and Fieldfare .
