November 30, 2007
RUDDY DUCK
This afternoon I went for a look at Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham to see if I could catch up with the reported RUDDY DUCK that has been seen there & my luck was in & I got good views of the bird .
Also seen were numerous WIGEON , SHOVELER & TEAL , 2 Male PINTAIL , 4 TUFTED DUCK & a Female GARGANEY .
RUDDY DUCK . BOWLING GREEN MARSH . TOPSHAM . DEVON . 30 / 11 / 2007
November 27, 2007
BRAMBLING
The highlight of the day was a BRAMBLING a first for me on my local patch Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham , it was in with a large flock of finches that included GREENFINCH , GOLDFINCH & CHAFFINCH .
Also seen on the marsh were quite a few REDWING , 2 JAY & a SPARROWHAWK .
I then went down to Exton Station to look for the Long-Billed Dowitcher but there was no sign of it & there was only this KESTREL looking for something to eat !!
November 26, 2007
Another Yellow-Browed Warbler
This morning I had a quick look at Bowling Green Marsh but could only see a 100+ AVOCET & a few FIELDFARE & REDWING that were worth talking about .
So I then went to Countess Wear in Exeter to look for a reported Yellow Browed Warbler but the first birds that I saw were the LAUGHING GULL & a COMMON SANDPIPER that were both in the Sewage Works , I then went to the old sludge beds where I got good views of the YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER { my 5th of the year } , then on the walk back to the car there were 2 GREY WAGTAIL , 2 CHIFFCHAFF , a KINGFISHER & a REED BUNTING on the banks of the River Exe .
COMMON KINGFISHER . THE RIVER EXE . COUNTESS WEAR . EXETER . DEVON . 26 / 11 / 2007
November 24, 2007
GARGANEY
Today I heard news of a Glossy Ibis on Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham so off I went to look for it but when I got there it had already gone , but I did see numerous WIGEON , SHOVELER & TEAL , 2 Male & 2 Female TUFTED DUCK , 2 Male & a Female POCHARD , 2 Male PINTAIL & this Female type GARGANEY .
Also seen were 30+ LAPWING , a LITTLE EGRET & a WATER RAIL
GARGANEY . BOWLING GREEN MARSH . TOPSHAM . DEVON . 24 / 11 / 2007
November 22, 2007
21st November . 2007
PECHORA PIPIT
Pechora Pipit in Wales was the words that were screaming down the phone line to me on Tuesday !! so the next day saw Andy Bond , Dave Hopkins & myself making the long journey from Devon to Fishguard in Pembrokeshire in hope that the bird would still be there .
But it was well worth it as after a wait of about half an hour the bird showed right in front of us down to a few yards & what a stunning little bird it was & one that I thought I would never see in this country .
November 21, 2007
Monday 18th November . 2007
News of a 1st winter Male Wheatear up on Northam Burrows in North Devon looking like either a PIED or a BLACK EARED of the eastern race Melanolleuca had Brian Heasman , Dave Hopkins & myself going up to look for it & we were in luck & get the bird flying up & down the dune ridge & showing very well .
But as up to now the experts still cant sort it out as it seems 1st winter birds are very alike .
PIED/BLACK EARED WHEATEAR . NORTHAM BURROWS . DEVON . 18 / 11 / 2007
November 13, 2007
SURF SCOTER
Today I went down to Dawlish Warren with Andy Bond to look for a reported Little Auk but we never saw it , but we did see the immature SURF SCOTER , 20+ COMMON SCOTER , 20+ GANNET , a GREAT CRESTED GREBE & a RED THROATED DIVER .
Then on the Exe Estuary we saw 10 BRENT GOOSE , 100+ GOLDEN PLOVER , 20+ GREY PLOVER , 10 AVOCET & 3 LITTLE EGRET .
November 11, 2007
WOODLARK
This morning I went down to Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham for a look but I just missed the Long-Billed Dowitcher as by the time that I got there it had gone out of sight , but I did see quite a few AVOCET , 20+ GOLDEN PLOVER , a few REDWING & FIELDFARE & a PEREGRINE FALCON that flew through putting everything else up .
I then went to the top fields in Exminster where I saw 9 WOODLARK .
November 7, 2007
Topsham Gull Roost
I awoke this morning to find the trees around my house still full with REDWING , FIELDFARE & MISTLE THRUSH .
Later in the day I went to look at the gull roost on the Exe Estuary off of the recreation ground in Topsham & saw numerous BLACK HEADED GULL . 40+ HERRING GULL . 20+ COMMON GULL , a single LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL & this adult winter MEDITERRANEAN GULL .
Later in the evening I had my first BARN OWL of the year fly across the road near Newton Abbot at around 10.30 pm .
MEDITERRANEAN GULL . TOPSHAM RECREATION GROUND . DEVON . 7 / 11 / 2007
November 6, 2007
Distant Dowitcher
There are still quite a lot of REDWING & MISTLE THRUSH in the cemetery grounds in Topsham but the Fieldfare seem to have moved on .
Down on the Clyst Estuary this afternoon there were 10 AVOVET , 4 GREY PLOVER & a KINGFISHER , I then went up to the hide on Bowling Green Marsh where I saw 100+ DUNLIN , 20+ GOLDEN PLOVER , 20+ BAR-TAILED GODWIT , 2 KNOT & the LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER showed very well but was distant .
COMMON KINGFISHER . THE CLYST ESTUARY . TOPSHAM . DEVON . 6 / 11 / 2007
LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER . BOWLING GREEN MARSH . TOPSHAM . DEVON . 6 / 11 / 2007
November 5, 2007
A Thrush Banquet
This morning in Topsham Cemetery there was a mass of thrushes gorging themselves on the berries with 100+ REDWING , 50+ FIELDFARE & a handful of MISTLE THRUSH , also seen was a GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER .
I then went down to Bowling Green Marsh where I saw 6 JAY & out on the Clyst Estuary there were 30+ AVOCET , a COMMON SANDPIPER , a KINGFISHER & a WATER PIPIT that stopped for a while before flying around Riversmeet corner .
November 2, 2007
KINGFISHER
I went down to the viewing platform on Bowling Green Marsh today to look for the Long-Billed Dowitcher that gets on the River Clyst but I never got a sight of it today , but there were 2 LITTLE EGRET , 100+ DUNLIN , 10 GREY PLOVER , 6 KNOT , 4 AVOCET . a Female PEREGRINE FALCON & a SPARROWHAWK & the LAUGHING GULL flew down river & around riversmeet corner & headed up river.
On the marsh itself there was a KINGFISHER , 2 JAY , a Bank Vole & a Small Copper Butterfly .
