July 30, 2008
A Magical Sea Watch
Early this morning Brian Heasman & myself went down to Berry Head in South Devon to do a sea watch , as with this type of birding you go in hope but we never expected it to turn out as good as today was !
This is the list of birds that I saw today , CORY`S SHEARWATER = 51 , GREAT SHEARWATER ( a county tick for me ) = 3 with one in very close that sat on the sea , MANX SHEARWATER = 44 , BALEARIC SHEARWATER = 10 , SOOTY SHEARWATER = 1 , GREAT SKUA = 2 , ARCTIC SKUA = 1 , FULMAR = 15 , MEDITERRANEAN GULL = 1 Juvenile , COMMON TERN = 3 , Numerous GANNET & KITTIWAKE & also seen was a Harbour Porpoise .
July 28, 2008
Movement At Last
This morning I went over to the Exminster Marshes for a look & found this juvenile LITTLE RINGED PLOVER that was feeding on a scrape along with a GREEN SANDPIPER .
Later in the day I had a look at Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham & saw 20+ DUNLIN , 2 more GREEN SANDPIPER , a COMMON SANDPIPER & a 2nd summer MEDITERRANEAN GULL .
July 21, 2008
Topsham Birding
This morning I went to the reserve at Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham & on entering the hide I was greeted by this WREN that was flying around inside the hide , so I managed to catch it & let it go outside with no harm done to it !
On the marsh itself were 100+ DUNLIN , 100+ REDSHANK , 3 GREENSHANK , 3 WHIMBREL , a 1st summer MEDITERRANEAN GULL & 4 CHIFFCHAFF .
I then walked down to the viewing platform that looks out over the Clyst Estuary where I saw a SPOONBILL & 10 LITTLE EGRET .
(Winter ) WREN . BOWLING GREEN MARSH . TOPSHAM . DEVON . 21 / 7 / 2008
( Eurasian ) SPOONBILL . THE CLYST ESTUARY . TOPSHAM . DEVON . 21 / 7 / 2008
July 16, 2008
SPOONBILL
Early this morning I had a look at the Exe Estuary at the Topsham recreation ground & I saw 5 MEDITERRANEAN GULL , one adult bird , a 2nd summer bird & 3 1st summer birds , there was also 10 LITTLE EGRET , 2 WHIMBREL , 2 COMMON SANDPIPER & a mixed flock of SWALLOW & HOUSE MARTIN .
The next stop was at the Exminster Marshes for the SPOONBILL that has been around for a few days , also seen were 2 HOBBY & a RUFF .
