February 28, 2005
MONDAY 28th FEBRUARY . 2005
Today it was bright & sunny so I went down to Orcombe Point at Exmouth for a sea watch & saw the following .
20+ GREAT CRESTED GREBE , 1 SLAVONIAN GREBE , 17 COMMON SCOTER
6 SHAG , 9 RAZORBILL , 1 RED THROATED DIVER .
And this Male COMMON EIDER that was quite a long way out but my first for the year .
February 27, 2005
SUNDAY 27th FEBRUARY . 2005
Today at Trendlebear on the edge of Dartmoor , there were 6 COMMON BUZZARD , 3 SPARROWHAWK , 2 KESTREL & 5 COMMON RAVEN .
I then went down to Stover Country Park & saw the following 6 SISKIN , 3 NUTHATCH , 2 LESSER REDPOLL , & 1 BRAMBLING .
And to my amazement a singing WILLOW WARBLER I looked for it but couldn`t see it ! but still amazing in February .
February 26, 2005
SATURDAY 26th FEBRUARY . 2005
This morning a PEREGRINE FALCON was showing on St Michael`s Church in Exeter .
Later on in the morning the Male MARSH HARRIER showed very well flying over the Exe reed beds , also seen were 2 Female & a Male RED-BREASTED MERGANSER & this COMMON SANDPIPER .
COMMON SANDPIPER . THE EXE ESTUARY . TOPSHAM . DEVON . 26 / 2 / 2005
February 25, 2005
FRIDAY 25th FEBRUARY . 2005
News of a Marsh Harrier flying towards Exminster Marshes this morning had myself & Andy Bond over there looking for it this afternoon ! but there was no sign of it .
But we did see this PEREGRINE FALCON with a fresh kill .
We then went out to Stoke Cannon to look for an Egyption Goose that was seen there this morning ! but we were out of luck again & didn`t see it .
But there were about 60 FIELDFARE , 1 GREEN SANDPIPER & this Female GOOSANDER .
GOOSANDER . THE RIVER EXE . STOKE CANNON . DEVON . 25 / 2 / 2005
I got a phonecall from Brian Heasman telling me that the MARSH HARRIER was on view from under the moterway bridge at Topsham , so I shot down & managed to get it before it went to roost at 5.30 pm .
February 21, 2005
MONDAY 21st FEBRUARY . 2005
At Exminster today there were 2 WOODLARK seen in display flight . I then went up to Fernworthy Reservoir to see if I could get any photo`s of the Great Grey Shrike but I was out of luck again & didn`t see it .
But I did see 15 SISKIN , 2 CROSSBILL , a Male & Female BULLFINCH & a very nice WILLOW TIT .
And at a site near the Warren House Inn on Dartmoor I was lucky enough to see a Female HEN HARRIER at 4 o/c in the afternoon .
February 20, 2005
SUNDAY 20th FEBRUARY . 2005
The male GOSHAWK showed very well this morning at Trendlebear on the edge of Dartmoor in mid Devon ! it came up twice between 10 & 11 am .
Also seen were 4 COMMON BUZZARD & 8 COMMON RAVEN .
I then went down to Yarner Wood for a look ! but all that I could see were 2 NUTHATCH , 1 GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER , & this Male GREEN WOODPECKER that I could hear calling but took quite a bit of time to locate & get a photo off .
There was also a TAWNY OWL calling but I coundn`t see it .
February 18, 2005
FRIDAY 18th FEBRUARY . 2005
This afternoon I made a trip up the Riverside Country Park on the outskirts of Exeter & was rewarded with 2 COMMON BUZZARD , 2 LITTLE EGRET , 10 COMMON SNIPE , 1 JACK SNIPE & these 2 GREEN SANDPIPER .
GREEN SANDPIPER . THE RIVERSIDE COUNTRY PARK . EXETER . DEVON . 18 / 2 / 2005
And a big surprize was this Female SPARROWHAWK that was sheltering in the reed bed .
EURASION SPARROWHAWK . THE RIVERSIDE COUNTRY PARK . EXETER . DEVON . 18 / 2 / 2005
February 16, 2005
WEDNESDAY 16th FEBRUARY . 2005
Today in Topsham at Bowling Green Marsh these 2 TRUMPETER SWAN were on view .
They are presumed escapes but were unringed ! so who knows where they came from .
TRUMPETER SWAN . BOWLING GREEN MARSH . TOPSHAM . DEVON . 16 / 2 / 2005
I then went over to Exminster Marsh for a look around as there was a report of a SONG SPARROW there yesterday , could it be last yeard bird back again ?????????
Anyway there was no sign of it today but I did see 9 GREATER WHITE FRONTED GEESE , 4 GADWALL , a female RUDDY DUCK & a CETTI`S WARBLER .
Another fine site & sound was of about 600 BRENT GEESE flying into the marsh a great sound to hear .
February 15, 2005
SUNDAY 13th FEBRUARY . 2005
A cold winters day saw me at the hide above the Otter Estuary in Devon looking for some MEDITERRANIAN GULL`S , after searching through about 500 BLACK-HEADED GULL`S ! I managed to find the 1st winter & adult winter birds that were seen last week .
MEDITERRANIAN GULL . THE RIVER OTTER . BUDLEIGH SALTERTON . DEVON . 13 / 2 / 2005
I phoned Andy Bond from the hide at Budliegh to tell him about the Med Gulls & he said that he was off up to Halberton to look for the female Red-Crested Pochard that had been seen there .
So I asked him to wait for me & I would go with him , we got to the Grand Western Canal & met up with Mark Bailey & after a walk of about a mile found the bird with some Mallards .
We also saw about 100 FIELDFARE & 20+ REDWING .
RED-CRESTED POCHARD . THE GRAND WESTERN CANAL . HALBERTON . Nr TIVERTON . DEVON . 13 / 2 / 2005
February 9, 2005
WEDNESDAY 9th FEBRUARY . 2005
I went down to Bowling Green Marsh at Topsham today to see what I could find & ended up with this RUFF ! the first one that i`ve seen this year .
Other birds seen were numerous WIGEON & PINTAIL , 7 POCHARD & a LITTLE EGRET .
The lure of a SPOTTED REDSHANK on the Exe Estuary at Mudbank Lane Exmouth had me driving down to see if I could see it .
At first there was no sign of it but I had 4 KNOT & 2 GREENSHANK , but then I found it very close to the railway line & got good views of it .
February 7, 2005
MONDAY 7th FEBRUARY . 2005
Today I went to Yarner Wood to see if any Woodpeckers were showing & I had a good day ! I had great views of 2 LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER , 2 GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER & 1 GREEN WOODPECKER .
I also saw 12 MARSH TIT , 6 NUTHATCH , 4 BULLFINCH & a TREECREEPER & a SISKIN .
I then went to the National Trust site at Parke in Bovey Tracey & had 6 more SISKIN , 4 BUZZARD & a SPARROWHAWK .
I then drove down to the heathfield industrial estate at Bovey Tracey to see if i could catch up with the WAXWING that have been seen there & I was in luck & saw 16 of them .
BOHEMIAN WAXWING . HEATHFIELD INDUSTRIAL ESTATE . BOVEY TRACEY . DEVON . 7 / 2 / 2005
I then went to the village of Dunchideock & finished off the day with a LITTLE OWL .
February 5, 2005
SATURDAY 5th FEBRUARY . 2005
The WAXWING`S are still on show at Ide lane in Alphington Near Exeter , I saw about 35 today .
February 4, 2005
FRIDAY 4th FEBRUARY . 2005
Today I saw 10 more RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE near the village of Kenn , also seen were 2 MISTLE THRUSH & a PEREGRINE FALCON .
In the afternoon I went down to Alphington in Exeter to look for the reported WAXWING`S & after a little while I saw 50+ of them , they were gorging themselves on rowan berries , & they were calling all the time ! a great sound to hear .
This MISTLE THRUSH was also flying down & feeding very well on the berries .
THURSDAY 3rd FEBRUARY . 2005
Today I finally caught up with RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE for the year I had 3 in the fields near to Kenn , also seen were 2 MISTLE THRUSH .
February 2, 2005
WEDNESDAY 2nd FEBRUARY . 2005
News today of a BLACK GUILLEMOT at Branscombe got myself & Andy Bond shooting off down there to see if we could get it .
We were in luck as there were some other birders there who were watching it , it was a good way out but you could pick out all the features on it .
Also seen were 2 GREAT NORTHERN DIVER , 30+ RAZORBILL & a FULMAR .
We then had a look at the sewage works & had half a dozen CHIFFCHAFF & about 20+ GOLDCREST , 1 TREECREEPER & this FIRECREST ( Sorry about the picture but I could only hand hold the camera ) .
