April 30, 2007
Another Garganey ?
A bright sunny morning saw me at the Riverside Country Park on the outskirts of Exeter but all that I saw there were some SWALLOW & I could hear SEDGE WARBLER , REED WARBLER & BLACKCAP in the reserve but couldn`t see them , so off I went to the Exminster Marshes for a look but that was quite dead as well with only a few SEDGE WARBLER & CETTI`S WARBLER , 2 GREY HERON & 2 REED BUNTING seen .
I then went to the village of Exminster where there was a wonderful singing LESSER WHITETHROAT & I finished the day off with a nice Male GARGANEY on the pool at Matford .
April 29, 2007
SPOTTED REDSHANK . BOWLING GREEN MARSH . TOPSHAM . DEVON . 29 / 4 / 2007
Birding On Dartmoor Again
Brian Heasman & myself went up to Dartmoor again this morning & birded around the Bennett`s Cross / Sousens area & saw 2 CUCKOO , 2 WHINCHAT , 3 STONECHAT , a Male RED GROUSE , numerous WILLOW WARBLER & a WHEATEAR , we then went across to Headland Warren where we saw another 3 CUCKOO , a Male WHEATEAR & 3 RAVEN .
Our last stop was at the Challacombe Farm area & we saw a Male PIED FLYCATCHER , a Male COMMON REDSTART & a TREECREEPER .
Later on in the evening I got a phonecall telling me that there was a summer plumaged SPOTTED REDSHANK on Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham & as we dont see them in that kind of plumage in this part of the country very often ! I shot down & managed to get this shot of it in fading light .
April 26, 2007
Garganey
An early morning call telling me that there was a Male GARGANEY showing well on Bowling Green Marsh had me dashing off to have a look at it , I arrived to find the bird right outside the hide but the light was to bad to get any decent shots of it ! so later in the day I went back again & was able to get this shot of it .
There was also 2 Male & a Female GADWALL , 2 LITTLE GREBE , 2 LITTLE EGRET & a few SAND MARTIN & SWALLOW that were flying over the marsh & 3 Orange Tip Butterflies were seen in Bowling Green Lane .
April 25, 2007
Yarner Wood . Devon
Andy Bond & myself went out to Yarner Wood on the edge of Dartmoor today & we saw the following birds in the wood , 1 LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER , 1 GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER , 6 WOOD WARBLER , 6 BLACKCAP , 3 Male & 2 Female PIED FLYCATCHER , 1 MARSH TIT , 4 WILLOW WARBLER , 2 CHIFFCHAFF , 1 NUTHATCH & we also saw 2 Roe Deer & 5 Brimstone Butterfly .
We then went up on to the heath were we saw 2 TREE PIPIT , a Male & Female DARTFORD WARBLER , 1 WHITETHROAT , a Female REDSTART , 2 RAVEN , 1 YELLOWHAMMER & 4 SWIFT .
We then headed off back home & went down to Exmouth sea front where a sea watch got us 7 GANNET , numerous SANDWICH TERN & 7 LITTLE TERN
Tuesday April 24th . 2007
News of a HOBBY on Exminster Marshes had me dashing over there to look for it but when I got there it was quite misty so I didn`t hold up much hope but I met up with another local birder Terry Smith & we had a look for it & after a little while Terry picked it up & we got good views of it but it was quite distant .
Also seen was a COMMON SWIFT & REED WARBLER another 2 new birds for the year , 2 LITTLE EGRET , 20+ LAPWING , 1 GREY HERON , 1 CETTI`S WARBLER & the PHEASANT population has built up on the marsh .
April 23, 2007
Laughing Gull now on my BGM list
This morning I went to Bowling Green Marsh in hope that the 1st winter LAUGHING GULL would come in & it payed off as the bird did come in for about 15 minutes but was then gone again , I also found a LITTLE RINGED PLOVER on the far side of the marsh & there was also a few GREENSHANK , BAR-TAILED GODWIT & WHIMBREL & a lot of SAND MARTIN & a few SWALLOW were hawking over the marsh .
I then went to the pool at Matford just outside of Exeter & saw 2 GREY WAGTAIL , 3 WHITETHROAT , 1 WILLOW WARBLER , 1 CHIFFCHAFF & a new in SEDGE WARBLER .
LAUGHING GULL . BOWLING GREEN MARSH . TOPSHAM . DEVON . 23 / 4 / 2007
LITTLE RINGED PLOVER . BOWLING GREEN MARSH . TOPSHAM . DEVON . 23 / 4 / 2007
April 22, 2007
Birding On Dartmoor
Today Brian Heasman & myself went up to Dartmoor around the Yes Tor area near Okehampton & saw the following birds , we found a fine male RING OUZEL that was singing its head off , the next birds that we saw were a male & female RED GROUSE & I was able to get these shots ! the first time that I have got shots of this species , 7 NORTHERN WHEATEAR , a WHITE WAGTAIL & a GREY WAGTAIL , a male COMMON REDSTART & 2 COMMON RAVEN .
April 20, 2007
Still no Laughing Gull for my BGM list
This morning I saw my first HOUSE MARTIN of the year with 2 SWALLOW at Venny Tedburn , later in the day I went for a look at Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham & saw a LITTLE EGRET , 3 Male & a Female GADWALL , 30+ BAR-TAILED GODWIT , 12 WHIMBREL , 8 GREENSHANK , 20+ SAND MARTIN & another HOUSE MARTIN , 3 SWALLOW & the Fox was again out in the evening sun in its usual spot below the railway line , but the bird that I was looking for the Laughing Gull never put in an appearance today !
April 19, 2007
Wednesday 18th April . 2007
This morning I went for a look around at Dawlish Warren but it was very strong sunlight so my hopes were not very high but I still saw the saw the following birds , 2 Dark Bellied & 2 Light Bellied BRENT GOOSE , 16 WHIMBREL , 20+ DUNLIN , 50+ RINGED PLOVER , a BAR TAILED GODWIT , 12 SANDWICH TERN , a COMMON TERN , 2 WHITE WAGTAIL , 2 WHEATEAR , 6 WILLOW WARBLER , 2 CHIFFCHAFF , 2 BLACKCAP & a WHITETHROAT , also seen was a Clouded Yellow Butterfly .
Later on I went to the Bowing Green Marsh in Topsham for a look at these 2 RUFF that had dropped in today .
April 16, 2007
Still no birds
This morning I went to the Riverside Country Park on the outskirts of Exeter for a look but all that I saw was a CHIFFCHAFF & a Male BLACKCAP , the next stop was at the pool at Matford where there were 2 GREEN SANDPIPER , 2 GREY WAGTAIL & half a dozen SWALLOW but no sign of the Laughing Gull .
On then to the Exminster Marshes & there I saw 3 Male & 2 Female WHEATEAR , 6 CETTI`S WARBLER & a PEREGRINE FALCON , I then headed off back home & when I got there this WILLOW WARBLER was still singing its head off !
April 13, 2007
STONE CURLEW
This morning I woke up to the sound of a singing WILLOW WARBLER in my garden , later in the day I saw 2 SWALLOW sat on wires in the village of Kenford .
I then had a call telling me that there was a STONE CURLEW on the Seaton Marshes so later in the day I went to see if it was still there & arrived to find some people there looking at it but it had moved onto the Axe Estuary & I was able to get good views of the bird that is extremely rare in Devon & was a county tick for me as I had missed out on one 20 years ago ( would you believe ) , also seen was a female GOOSANDER & a LITTLE GULL .
April 11, 2007
Still very slow birding
Today I went over to the Exminster Marshes for a look but there wasn`t a lot to see ! but 2 new birds for the year came in very handy , they were 2 SWALLOW on wires at the Turf Locks & a YELLOW WAGTAIL that was sat on one of the brick bunkers on the marshes with 2 PIED WAGTAIL .
Also seen were a Male & Female GADWALL , 3 GREY HERON , 3 PHEASANT & there was around 10-15 CETTI`S WARBLER singing but I could only see 3 of them & a single WILLOW WARBLER .
April 8, 2007
WOODLARK
The birding is still going very slow so I went for another look at the LAUGHING GULL at the Matford pool near Exeter this morning & also saw 2 Adult COMMON GULL & 3 GREEN SANDPIPER .
I then went to the Exminster Marshes where there were 2 LITTLE RINGED PLOVER & a CETTI`S WARBLER & in the village of Exminster there were 2 WOODLARK & a MISTLE THRUSH .
April 6, 2007
LITTLE-RINGED PLOVER
This morning I went for a look at the pool at Matford near Exeter & was lucky enough to find this LITTLE-RINGED PLOVER & a first for the year for me , also showing well was the 1st winter LAUGHING GULL , a LITTLE EGRET , 3 GREEN SANDPIPER & 2 STOCK DOVE .
I then had a look at the Exminster Marshes & saw the Male GREEN-WINGED TEAL , 6 COMMON TEAL , a singing male REED BUNTING , a CETTI`S WARBLER & a CHIFFCHAFF
LITTLE-RINGED PLOVER . MATFORD POOL . EXETER . DEVON . 6 / 4 / 2007
April 4, 2007
Hen Harrier
This morning I went to the Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham in hope of a Little Ringed Plover still being there but I was out of luck again , but there was a SPOTTED REDSHANK that was just starting to come into breeding plumage , a single AVOCET , a BRENT GOOSE & a singing BLACKCAP .
I then decided to go to the Exminster Marshes & on the way there luck hit me right between the eyes in the shape of a superb Male HEN HARRIER that slowly drifted across the Topsham road , I jumped out of my car & watched it slowly fly towards the Clyst Marshes until it was out of view , this being only my second seen in the Topsham area , I then went to the pool at Matford where the 1st winter LAUGHING GULL was still showing well as were 3 GREEN SANDPIPER .
Later in the day I went to the Otter estuary at Budleigh Salterton with Brian Heasman but all we saw were 2 CHIFFCHAFF , a CETTI`S WARBLER & our first WILLOW WARBLER of the year .
Tuesday 3rd April . 2007
A quick look at the pool at Matford near Exeter got me the 1st winter LAUGHING GULL & a single GREEN SANDPIPER , later on in the day I went to the Exminster Marshes to look for a reported Little-Ringed Plover but there was no sign of it ! but the Male GREEN-WINGED TEAL was showing very well on the first pond to the right as you drive in to the reserve .
I then went across the river to Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham & was in luck & see my first RUFF for well over a year , there were also still a few WIGEON , a Male & Female GADWALL , 4 LITTLE GREBE & a few SAND MARTIN .