Tuesday, 18 February 2025

Cold

A walk around Aylesbeare Common in a cold wind didn`t get me much at all . But I did see my 1st Dartford Warbler of the year . Also seen was a Common Raven  and a Fieldfare . There was also a flock off Redpoll / Linnet that flew through . 

Fieldfare ( Turdus pilaris ) . Aylesbeare Common . Devon


 

Sunday 16th February

 There was over 300 Pied Avocet on Bowling Green Marsh this morning . Along with numerous Black-Tailed Godwit , a single Ruff that was my 1st of the year , numerous Common Redshank and a nice looking winter plumage Spotted Redshank was in with them , and it was nice to see this Common Kestrel .

Ruff ( Philomachus pugnax ) . Bowling Green Marsh . Devon


 

Common Kestrel ( Falco tinnunculus ) . Bowling Green Marsh . Devon


 

Friday, 14 February 2025

Bowling Green Marsh

 Birding from the hide at Bowling Green Marsh this morning in heavy rain got me the following .

Greater Scaup , Tufted Duck , 300+ Pied Avocet , Numerous Common Redshank , Spotted Redshank , 100+ Black-Tailed Godwit , Bar-Tailed Godwit , 3 Common Snipe and Grey Heron . And in the trees around the hide a Goldcrest .

Greater Scaup ( Aythya marila ) . Bowling Green Marsh . Topsham . Devon


 

Common Snipe ( Gallinago gallinago ) . Bowling Green Marsh . Topsham . Devon


 

Wednesday, 12 February 2025

Tuesday 11th February

 A day out in Somerset with our first stop at Burnham On Sea in hope of seeing the wintering Kentish Plover but after much searching there was no sign of the bird today .

So we then went to Kilmersdon where we saw at least 3 Hawfinch in the Churchyard and got superb views of them ( I love these birds ) , also seen were a quite a few European Greenfinch .

Our last stop of the day was at the RSPB Reserve at Greylake where we saw at least 3 Water Rail , 2 Great White Egret , male and female Western Marsh Harrier , a nice but distant Barn Owl that was seen hunting for about 20 minutes , a quick view of a Cetti`s Warbler , a nice fly past Jack Snipe and then to finish the day off this 1st winter Merlin flew in and landed close to the hides . 

Hawfinch ( Coccothraustes coccothrausted ) . Kilmersdon . Somerset


 


 


 

Merlin ( Falco columbarius ) . Greylake RSPB . Somerset


 


 

Barn Owl ( Tyto alba ) . Greylake RSPB . Somerset


 

Friday, 7 February 2025

Wednesday 5th February

 Todays pictures are of a bird not native to our lands but it is a new bird for my photo list as I have never photographed this species anywhere in the world before Swan Goose  .

Not a lot else to report but a look at the Exminster Marshes got me Great Scaup , Common Pochard and a Green Sandpiper .

Swan Goose ( Anser cygnoides ) . Bowling Green Marsh . Topsham . Devon


 


 

Thursday, 30 January 2025

Water Pipit

A quick visit to the Otter Estuary got me a Water Pipit on my 4th try this year 😀 Also seen were 2 Meadow Pipit , 12 Common Ringed Plover , a Common Kestrel and a male and female Common Stonechat .

Also seen was a nice display of Otter tracks on the mud under White Bridge . Great to know one at least is about on the River Otter .

Common Stonechat ( Saxicola torquatus ) . The Otter Estuary . Devon


 

29th January

 Birding Somerset

Our 1st stop of the day was at the RSPB Reserve at Greylake but there was not a lot on show with only 5 Water Rail and a Cetti`s Warbler worth talking about                                                                                   So we went on to the Ham Wall Reserve where the birding was a bit better and we saw numerous Gadwall , 5 Great White Egret , 2 Egyptian Geese , a few Western Marsh Harrier , a Great Bittern was seen in flight and another 4 were heard booming . We then went to the Sharpham Lane area of Ham Wall were we saw 100+ Greylag Geese and a ( Russian ) Greater White Fronted Goose .

Our last stop of a good days birding  was at Swell Wood with 2 distant Common Crane .

Todays photos are 2 of our beautiful common birds that we all take for granted .

Blue Tit ( Cyanistes caeruleus ) . Ham Wall . Somerset


 

Great Tit ( Parus major ) . Ham Wall . Somerset


 

Tuesday, 28 January 2025

Goldcrest

 A morning look at Bowling Green Marsh hide got me 200+ Northern Pintail , a Mistle Thrush , a male Peregrine Falcon that flew in and put everything up but then left again with nothing .

I then walked down to the viewing platform area and I saw a Water Rail , a Eurasian Bullfinch and 30+ European Goldfinch . I then came back home and had a look around the Cemetery Grounds where I saw my 1st Goldcrest of the year .

Northern Pintail ( Anus acuta ) . Bowling Green Marsh . Devon


 

Friday, 24 January 2025

Out and About

 Today started off at the Recreation Ground in Topsham where this pair of Common Goldeneye were performing very well . Also seen were 2 Reed Bunting .

I then went down to Cockwood in hope of seeing Cattle Egret . But they were not in their usual fields so I had to search a little bit before I found 30+ of them . Later on I found some more of them at the back of Exminster Village .

The last bit of birding today was around the fields near Kenton and I saw around a dozen Fieldfare and in with them were a few Redwing .

Common Goldeneye ( Bucephalus clangula ) . Topsham Recreation Ground . Devon


 


 


 

Cattle Egret ( Bubulcus ibis ) . Nr Cockwood . Devon


 


 

Fieldfare ( Turdus pilaris ) . Nr Kenton . Devon


 

Thursday, 23 January 2025

Rain

 I went to have a look of off Brandy Head again this morning but just as I arrived it started to bucket down with rain . So my look only produced 5 Red-Throated Diver before I headed back to the car a bit wet .

On the way home I had a look at Bowling Green Marsh where the best bird on show was this Spotted Redshank 

Spotted Redshank ( Tringa erythropus ) . Bowling Green Marsh . Topsham . Devon


 

Wednesday, 22 January 2025

Tuesday 21st January

 A trip down to Cornwall with Andy and Tim to look for the Booted Eagle ., and I am happy to say that we had nice views of it sat in a tree . But it was a bit of a shame that we never saw it in flight as we moved on to catch up with other birds !

And at Sennen Cove we were lucky to see the Bonaparte`s Gull that has been on show there . Backup birds were Mediterranean Gull , 12 Red-Billed Chough and a really smart male Black Redstart . 

Our last stop of the day was at the Trenance Boating Lake in Newquay where we saw the long staying female Long -Tailed Duck

Booted Eagle ( Aquila pennata ) . Marazion . Cornwall


 


 


 

Bonaparte`s Gull ( Chroicocephalus philadelphia ) . Sennen Cove . Cornwall


 


 

Red-Billed Chough ( Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax ) . Sennen Cove . Cornwall


 

Monday, 20 January 2025

Dipper

A walk with Sue through the Riverside Country Park in the falling rain got me the following birds . White-Throated Dipper , Little Egret , Green Sandpiper , 3 Grey Wagtail and a Common Chiffchaff . 

White-Throated Dipper ( Cinclus cinclus ) . The Riverside Country Park . Exeter . Devon


 

Sunday 19th January

 

Distant views were had today of the American Green-Winged Teal from the viewing platform on the Exminster Marshes .

Also seen was the 1st winter male Greater Scaup , a pair of Common Pochard , a female Common Goldeneye , Western Marsh Harrier , Common Buzzard and Peregrine Falcon .

Green-Winged Teal ( Anus carolinensis ) . Thw Exminster Marshes . Devon


 

Saturday, 18 January 2025

Exmouth

 I went down to Exmouth this morning to look for the Common Eider that have been showing there and after quite a search I managed to see 3 of them . Also seen were 20+ Brent Geese and a Red-Breasted Merganser .

I then went to have a look at the brook that runs past Phear Park and I found the elusive Black Redstart that has been there since the start of the year .

Black Redstart ( Phoenicurus ochruros ) . Exmouth . Devon


 


 

Friday, 17 January 2025

Good Birding

A walk around the Riverside Country Park in Exeter got me 20+ Eurasian Siskin , 3 Redwing , 3 Song Thrush , 10 Long-Tailed Tit , 3 Grey Wagtail and a European Green Woodpecker .

I then went to the Brandy Head area near Otterton where I saw a Black-Throated Diver , 4 Red-Throated Diver , 20+ Common Scoter and 2 Red-Legged Partridge .

Eurasian Siskin ( Carduelis spinus ) . The Riverside C P . Exeter . Devon


 


 

Grey Wagtail ( Motacilla cinerea ) . The Riverside C P . Exeter . Devon


 

Wednesday, 15 January 2025

Tuesday 14th January

 A trip up to Somerset with my mate Andy with our first stop at the Cheddar Reservoir to look for some reported Black-Necked Grebe . And after we walked nearly all around the reservoir we got nice views of them in the end . Also seen was Goosander and Great Spotted Woodpecker .

We then went to the Steart Marshes as there has been an American wader a Least Sandpiper showing there . And when we first got there the bird was so distant that it was just a dot , but all of a sudden something put all the waders up and the bird landed a lot closer to us , so we were well pleased with that 😀

Also seen were 2 Peregrine Falcon , a Merlin and 2 male Western Marsh Harrier .

Black-Necked Grebe ( Podiceps nigricollis ) . Cheddar Reservoir . Somerset


 


 

Least Sandpiper ( Calidris minutilla ) . Steart Marshes . Somerset


 


 


 

Sunday, 12 January 2025

Brandy Head

 A look at the sea from Brandy Head this morning got me 20+ Common Scoter , a Velvet Scoter , 2 Common Guillemot and a large flock of 30+ Northern Fulmar .

Also seen nearby was a Peregrine Falcon , Common Buzzard , Common Raven and a small flock of Redwing .

Common Scoter ( Melanitta nigra ) . Brandy Head . Devon


 

Northern Fulmar ( Fulmarus glacialis ) . Brandy Head . Devon


 

Friday, 10 January 2025

Green Sandpiper

 A stop off after my hospital visit at the Ludwell Valley Country Park in Exeter got me 2 Green Sandpiper after a bit of a search  . And as I was watching them 2 Eurasian Collared Dove dropped in . My first of the year and a bird that does not get much attention on the blog . Also seen was a Grey Wagtail . 

Green Sandpiper ( Tringa ochropus ) . The Ludwell Valley Country Park . Exeter . Devon