A trip down to the Powderham Estate to look for a reported Osprey and the bird showed very well sat on the same tree that we had one on 2 years ago ! Also seen were at least half a dozen Mistle Thrush .
Then a quick look at Powderham Marsh got me Grey Heron , Common Buzzard , Common Swift , Common House Martin and Common Sand Martin .
While sitting out in my garden this morning I came across a White Stork that was slowly circling towards the Clyst Marshes . It was being harassed all the time by a Eurasian Sparrowhawk and circled higher and higher .
A quick trip up to Chew Valley Lake this morning with Andy to look for an American wader . A summer plumaged Spotted Sandpiper and after a bit of a wait the bird showed very well for us .
Also seen was this very nice looking Red-Necked Grebe , 3 Great White Egret , 20+ Common Swift and a few Common House Martin .
Lundy Island Devon Birds Trip
We left Bideford at 9.30 heading out to Lundy Island on a very calm sea and not too far out we saw our first Manx Shearwater of the the trip our first of 50+ also seen was Atlantic Puffin , Razorbill and a few Common Dolphin .
We then got to Lundy and went around the Island seeing numerous Atlantic Puffin , Common Guillemot , Razorbill and Black-Legged Kittiwake .
On the Island the birding was not so good but we did see 6 Northern Wheatear , 2 Common Skylark , 5 Spotted Flycatcher , Tree Pipit , numerous Common Linnet and 4 Sika Deer .
On the trip back to Bideford we saw a few more rafts of Manx Shearwaters to end a superb day out with some good birding buddies 😊
Driving into the marsh the 1st bird that I saw was a Red Kite being harassed by corvids .
On the marsh there was 15 Little Egret , Great White Egret , Grey Heron , 3 Pied Avocet , Common Raven , Common House Martin , Garden Warbler , Common Whitethroat , 8 Blackcap and male Eurasian Bullfinch .
There was also a Common Cuckoo calling from near the railway bridge but I could not get to see it .
A morning trip up to Dorset with our first stop at Lydlinch Common where we had nice views of two Common Nightingale but it was impossible to get any shots of them .
We then went to Alners Gorse where we had another 2 Common Nightingale singing but they were very illusive . There was also a singing Garden Warbler .
Also seen were the following Butterflies . Marsh Fritillary . Painted Lady and Speckle Wood .
A couple of long distance shots of todays 1st summer Little Gull on the Otter Estuary at Budleigh Salterton this morning .
Also this European Green Woodpecker that flew into our lilac tree right in front of us as we were sat in the dining room , It then fed on the lawn .
A trip out to Dartmoor today with my first stop being at Challacombe Farm where there was 2 Common Cuckoo , 2 Pied Flycatcher , a Spotted Flycatcher , 20+ Barn Swallow and 10 Common House Martin .
I then drove up and down the road from the farm to Headland Warren looking for Whinchat but all I was seeing were Northern Wheatear and Common Stonechat , and after I had done that 3 times I thought thats it I`m not going to see one and had given up !
So I started for home and had gone quite a way when I thought I would stop and put something in the boot of the car and as I got out I heard a Whinchat singing and after a bit of a search there he was on top of a bush singing its head off 👀😀
A trip up to Slimbridge in Gloucestershire with my mates Ken and Andy to look for the returning Bluethroat that has shown up for a few years now and is from the white spotted race cyanecula . And after a bit of a trek we got nice views of the bird .
Also seen were 2 Little Ringed Plover , 2 male and a female Garganey , Wood Sandpiper , Great White Egret , Glossy Ibis and a couple of Common Crane .
Our next stop was the Ham Wall area in hope of seeing a female Red-Footed Falcon that has been seen there and in the end we got superb views of the bird . Then a quick look at Shapwick Heath got us 4 Booming Great Bittern .
This morning Sue and I went for a walk around the top fields at Orcombe Point in Exmouth and we found a reeling Common Grasshopper Warbler along the path from Gore Lane to the coastal path . We tried to get a view of it but it was impossible as it was on the other side of a hedge . Also seen was a Wall Brown Butterfly .
Later in the day new came out of a pair of Black-Winged Stilt on Black Hole Marsh at Seaton . So the afternoon was spent enjoying looking at these smart birds that were viewed from the Island hide .
Today I got my 1st Lesser Whitethroat of the year along the back path at the Exminster Marshes . It was singing constantly but I only saw it the one time .
Also seen was Common Kestrel , around a dozen Common Swift , Common House Martin , Barn Swallow , European Reed Warbler , 4 Cetti`s Warbler and 4 Common Whitethroat .
An hour spent on the Exminster Marshes this afternoon got me 3 Eurasian Hobby , 2 Whimbrel and Grey Heron , European Reed Warbler , Common Chiffchaff , Reed Bunting and this Beautiful Demoiselle .
The day started off at the Wintebourne Downs Reserve to look for Stone Curlew and we saw 2 of them along with Corn Bunting , Red-Legged Partridge , Red Kite and a few Brown Hare .
We then went across to an area on Salisbury Plain for Great Bustard and we got superb views of male and female birds . Also seen were 3 Eurasian Hobby , a Yellow Wagtail , over 50+ Corn Bunting , plenty of Common Whitethroat , 20+ Red Kite , 3 Yellowhammer , 4 Red-Legged Partridge and the day was then finished off with a superb pair of Grey Partridge .
Also seen was Muntjac and Red Deer .
I went to a spot on the Exminster Marshes to look for Eurasian Hobby and Whinchat but I had no luck with either of them today .
But I did manage to see . Common Skylark , Cetti`s Warbler , Common Whitethroat , Common Raven , House Sparrow and Common Linnet .
Also seen were the following Butterflies . Green-Veined White , Orange Tip , Peacock and plenty of Large Red Damselfly .
I misread a message this morning about a calling Grasshopper Warbler that was calling near the viewing platform on the Exminster Marshes but I read it to quick and went to the viewing platform at Bowling Green Marsh .
The rain was falling as I walked towards the viewing platform and I saw this bird sat in the prominent dead tree . I got on it and was amazed to see that it was a European Turtle Dove ! It was one of those times when I saw it and it saw me as it then flew into the garden of Riversmeet House . I spent over an hour getting soaked looking for it but sadly there was no more sign of it .
This was only the second time that I have seen these birds birding my local patch Bowling Green Marsh with the other one seen way back in 1996 !
Back at home this European Green Woodpecker was seen in Topsham Cemetery .
A trip over to the Exminster Marshes this morning turned out to be a good move as I saw 3 more birds for the year with . A very nice Wood Sandpiper , a male Garganey ( Always very distant ) and Common Swift with 3 birds seen .
Also seen was my 1st Common House Martin in Devon this year that was in with a small flock of Common Sand Martin and then a look at the cattle got me 20+ Cattle Egret .
