Stupid

 This morning the weather was nice so I went out to Emsworthy Mire on Dartmoor in hope of catching up with Common Cuckoo but when I got there the wind was quite strong so the cuckoos where hard to see but I managed to see one and heard another calling .

Also seen was a male Common Redstart so I though I would get a nice shot of it only to find that I had come out with no card in my camera...Stupid me 😖 as I also saw 2 Lesser Redpoll my first of the year . And a male and female Northern Wheatear .

Back home in Topsham I saw 2 Eurasian Collared Dove a common bird but I found them hard to see this year !

Eurasian Collared Dove ( Streptopelia decaocto ) . Topsham . Devon

 

Eurasian Hobby

 Well today I could only manage to get this distant shot of a Eurasian Hobby . It is my first of the year so fingers crossed that I can better it some time .

Also seen was a male Western Marsh Harrier , Cetti`s Warbler , Eurasian Reed Warbler  , Sedge Warbler , Common Chiffchaff and a Blackcap .

Eurasian Hobby ( Falco subbuteo ) . The Exminster Marshes . Devon

 

Bluethroat

Tim Andy and myself made a trip up to Swineham Gravel Pits in Dorset to look for a Bluethroat a very rare bird that visits us from Europe some times . And after a long walk we got great views of the bird of the red spotted race of northern Europe .

These birds used to be rarer in Britain but they seem to be turning up a bit more allowing us to enjoy these beautiful birds . 

Bluethroat ( Luscinia svecica ) . Swineham Gravel Pits . Dorset

 

 

 

Weasel

 The highlight of the day for me was seeing my 1st Weasel of the year that was seen on the canel path at the  Exminster Marshes .

Also seen were the following birds

Common Buzzard . Eurasian Curlew . Whimbrel . Common Skylark . Sedge Warbler . Blackcap . Common Chiffchaff and Cetti`s Warbler

Sedge Warbler ( Arocephalus schoenobaenus ) . The Exminster Marshes . Devon

 

 

Friday 17th April

 News of a Black-Crowned Night Heron saw me making the trip over to Seaton in East Devon in hope of seeing it . And the bird was showing very well on Borrow Pit . There was not a lot else to see with only 4 Cetti`s Warbler and a Common Chiffchaff .

Black-Crowned Night Heron . Borrow Pit . Seaton . Devon

 

Nice Day

 I started the day off at Emsworthy Mire on Dartmoor where I saw a Common Buzzard , a Common Raven . And new for the year Common Redstart with 3 male birds seen . also seen was  a Clouded Yellow Butterfly .

I then went to Yarner Wood to look for Lesser Spotted Woodpecker but again I was out of luck .

But I did see 2 male Blackcap , 2 Willow Warbler , Eurasian Treecreeper , Great Spotted Woodpecker , 2 Mistle Thrush , Pied Flycatcher and my first Tree Pipit of the year

Tree Pipit ( Anthus trivialis ) . Yarner Wood . Devon

 

 

Rain

 A quick look at the Exminster Marshes this morning before the rain set in . Got me 3 Common Buzzard , a few Barn Swallow , 3 Cetti`s Warbler , 2 European Reed Warbler , 2 Sedge Warbler , Common Chiffchaff , 2 male Blackcap and 2 Cattle Egret .

Cattle Egret ( Bubulcus ibis ) . The Exminster Marshes . Devon

 

Sunday 12th April

The Pied Flycatcher have returned to Yarner Wood and a pair showed quite well this morning .

Also seen were a pair of Blackcap , Willow Warbler , Common Chiffchaff , Goldcrest and Song Thrush .

Another highlight today was seeing a Water Shrew near the reservoir my first in over ten years 😀

Pied Flycatcher ( Ficedula hypoleuca ) . Yarner Wood . Devon

 

Ruff

 On The Exminster Marshes this morning new birds for the year were Common Swift , 2 Sedge Warbler , a European Reed Warbler and a  Ruff  . Also seen were Black-Tailed Godwit , Cetti`s Warbler , European Spoonbill , 4 Barn Swallow , numerous Common Sand Martin , The long staying Greater White-Fronted Goose , a male Western Marsh Harrier and 20+ Cattle Egret .              

Ruff ( Philomachus pugnax ) . The Exminster Marshes . Devon

 

Wednesday 8th April

 Four of us made an early morning trip up the Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire in hope of seeing some good birds and we started off with Corn Bunting and in the end we had seen 100+ of these birds .

Also seen were 30+ Great Bustard , 10 Red Kite , a Common Whitethroat , 5 Stone Curlew , 2 Northern Wheatear , 20+ Skylark , 3 Grey Partridge , 2 Red-Legged Partridge & 2 Meadow Pipit .

We finished the day off at Marlborough Downs and we saw 2 Tree Sparrow and 6 Yellowhammer .

Also seen was Brown Hare , Roe Deer , Red Deer & Muntjac Deer .

A great days birding in superb weather !

Corn Bunting ( Miliaria calandra ) . Salisbury Plain . Wiltshire

 

Stone Curlew ( Burhinus oedicnemus ) . Salisbury Plain . Wiltshire

 

Grey Partridge ( Perdix perdix ) . Salisbury Plain . Wiltshire

 

 

The Exminster Marshes

 A look at the marsh today got me 2 Little Ringed Plover , 100+ Eurasian Curlew and in with them was my first Whimbrel of the year . Also seen was a Bar-Tailed Godwit , a Lesser Black-Backed Gull , Common Raven and a Common Chiffchaff .

Little Ringed Plover ( Charadrius dubius ) . The Exminster Marshes . Devon

 

Good Birding

 I started off today at Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham where I saw this Spotted Redshank that is just starting to turn into summer plumage . Also seen was a female Western Marsh Harrier and a Cetti`s Warbler .

I then went across to the Exminster Marshes in hope of seeing the Greater White-Fronted Goose that has been hanging on from the winter and today my luck was in . There was also another 6 Cetti`s Warbler , 4 Common Chiffchaff and my 1st Willow Warbler of the year 👀 .

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

 

Greater White-Fronted Goose ( Anser albifrons ) . The Exminster Marshes . Devon

 

The last couple of days

30th March                                                                                                                                              

THE EXMINSTER MARSHES

Gadwall , 2 Eurasian Curlew , Peregrine Falcon , 2 Common Buzzard , 2 Western Marsh Harrier and a female Merlin that flew through like a rocket .

31st March

HALDON FOREST

Numerous Eurasian Siskin , 5 Yellowhammer , a female Brambling , Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Eurasian Nuthatch