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

 

Tuesday 28th October

 Another trip down to Cornwall today with our first stop at Truro to look for a Lesser Yellowlegs that has been showing on the the river . And at first there was no sign of it but after a bit of a walk we ended up getting nice views of the bird that seems now to be a yearly migrant from across the pond .

We then went to Helston where there was an immature male Ring-Necked Duck......I think that I have only seen at this age over in America so it was good to see it in this plumage .

Our last stop was at the Lower Tamar Lake and we managed to see Willow Tit and Marsh Tit .

Lesser Yellowlegs ( Tringa flavipes ) . Truro . Cornwall

 

Ring-Necked Duck ( Aythya collaris ) . Helston Boating Lake . Cornwall .

 

BGM

A look around Bowling Green Marsh saw me start in the hide where I saw . European Spoonbill , Pied Avocet , Bar-Tailed Godwit , Common Greenshank and Dunlin . 

I then had a look around the bushes but the birding was very slow with the best birds being a pair of Eurasian Bullfinch my first ones on the marsh for quite a while .

European Spoonbill ( Platalea leucorodia ) . Bowling Green Marsh . Devon

 

Bar-Tailed Godwit ( Limosa lapponica ) . Bowling Green Marsh . Devon

 

Eurasian Bullfinch ( Pyrrhula pyrrhula ) . Bowling Green Marsh . Devon

 

Wednesday 22nd October

My day started off at Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham were I saw Egyptian Goose , European Spoonbill , 6 Pied Avocet , 10 Bar-Tailed Godwit , 9 Common Greenshank , 12 new in Common Blackbird all in one tree ,  Eurasian Jay and 4 Common Chiffchaff .

I then went to Emsworthy Mire on Dartmoor in hope of seeing Ring Ouzel an I managed to see 5 of them , also seen were 12 Fieldfare , 2 Common Raven and just as I was leaving 2 Lesser Redpoll my 1st of the year .  

Ring Ouzel ( Turdus torquatus ) . Emsworthy Mire . Dartmoor . Devon

 

 

3rd Time Lucky !

Yesterday a Red-Throated Pipit was found on Orcombe Point in Devon . So this morning I got up early and went to look for it expecting there to more people looking for it and nowhere to park . I arrived at 7.30 in the dark but to my surprise there was no other birders there !

I started looking for around 7.45 but could only see a few Pied Wagtail but then after a while a flock of Meadow Pipit came in and landed on the mud . I quickly looked through them and there the little beauty was with its pale reddish face and smart overall plumage , I was trying to get a shot of it but they then flew off with the bird calling once as they left . I stayed looking for it again until 10.15 but there was no more sign of it .

I have missed Red-Throated Pipit twice before at Orcombe Point in 2009 and 2012 and the only other one that I have seen was on the Scilly Isles in 1990 . So I was well pleased and just glad I made the effort to get up early and look for it instead of waiting on news .

Cirl Bunting ( Emberiza cirlus ) . The Top Fields . Orcombe Point . Devon

 

1st Light at Orcombe Point . Devon

 

Firecrest

A quick look around the bushes at Bowling Green Marsh got me 3 Firecrest but I suspect there are more . Also seen was a Goldcrest , 4 Common Chiffchaff , 6 Pied Wagtail , a Common Raven and a small flock of European Goldfinch.......... And a couple of European Hornet 

Firecrest ( Regulus ignicapilla ) . Bowling Green Marsh . Topsham . Devon

 

 

Wednesday 15th October

Today I did a trip over to the Scilly Isles  to look for an American Mourning Dove and it was my first trip over to the Islands since 2004 !

 The trip over on the Scillonian got us Great Skua , Cory`s Shearwater , 4 Great Shearwater and quite a few Common Dolphin .

We then caught an inter island boat over to St Agnes and then made our way to the spot where the dove has been showing hoping that the bird would show quickly but over 2 hours later there was still no sign of it . So my mate Andy and myself went to another spot to look for it and after a couple of minutes he said GOT IT and we then enjoyed looking at the bird , a new one for the both of us .

Soon other birders got onto the bird and it showed very well . I have seen plenty of Mourning Dove in America but its great to get one on my British List 😁

On the return journey on the Scillonian I saw over 40 Great Shearwater and a European Storm Petrel .

A great days Birding

American Mourning Dove . St Agnes . The Scilly Isles

 

 

Cornwall

An early morning trip down to Cornwall with our first stop at St Gothian Sands Nr Hale and after a bit of a search for the Red-Necked Phalarope , we ended up with great views .

Our next stop was at Brews Farm near Lands End to look for some reported European Turtle Doves and at first there was no sign of them but we did see 70+ European Collared Dove the most I have ever seen in one count . Also seen was a Great Spotted Woodpecker and 3 Common Skylark . We then went to other places looking for the Doves with no luck , so we went back for another look around the farm and this time we saw 2 adult and a juvenile European Turtle Doves .

Our last stop of the day was at the Siblyback Reservoir where we saw a White-Rumped Sandpiper and also a Clouded Yellow Butterfly

Red-Necked Phalarope ( Phalaropus lobatus ) . St Gothian Sands . Cornwall

 

European Turtle Dove ( Streptopelia turtur ) . Brews Farm . Lands End . Cornwall

 

 

White-Rumped Sandpiper ( Calidris fuscicollis ) . Siblyback Reservoir . Cornwall

 

 

Whoopers

 I was my way down to Orcombe Point in Exmouth this morning when news broke of some Whooper Swan on Colyford Common . So I diverted  my journey and went to see if I could catch up with them and I am glad to say that I was soon looking at my first Whoopers of the year .

I then went to Black Hole Marsh where I saw 2 Curlew Sandpiper , 2 Ruff ,  Little Stint  , Pied Avocet , around a dozen Black-Tailed Godwit , Western Marsh Harrier and a few Goldcrest .

Whooper Swan ( Cygnus cygnus ) . Colyford Common . Devon

 

Curlew Sandpiper ( Calidris ferruginea ) . Black Hole Marsh . Devon

 

Little Stint ( Calidris minuta ) . Black Hole Marsh . Devon

 

Black-Tailed Godwit ( Limosa limosa ) . Black Hole Marsh . Devon

 

Leach`s Storm Petrel

Another trip up to the Cheddar Reservoir this afternoon with my mate Andy to look for a reported Leach`s Storm Petrel . We got onto the bird ok but it always stayed distant while we were there . But it was great to be able to see this storm blown little gem . As my last one was way back in 2014 !

Leach`s Storm Petrel . Cheddar Reservoir . Somerset