October 28, 2008
Great White Egret
Today three of us went birding around Wiltshire & Hampshire with the first stop around the Salisbury Plain area where we saw a male & a female MERLIN , 10 CORN BUNTING , 100+ RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE , a movement of over 20+ MISTLE THRUSH , 35 GOLDEN PLOVER & 7 WOODLARK & also seen was a Brown Hare .
We then went to Eyeworth Pond near Fritham in Hampshire for MANDARIN DUCK & we saw 5 males & 2 female also seen were 8 GADWALL , the next stop was at the Blashford Lakes in Hampshire for the GREAT WHITE EGRET that has returned to the lakes again , our last stop of the day was around the Hartland Moor area in Dorset where we saw a stag Red Deer & then we headed home towards Devon & we came across a field with around 30+ Sika Deer in it .
October 9, 2008
Grey Phalarope
After yesterday`s hectic day today was a lot quieter with a trip up to the Cheddar Reservoir in Somerset for this GREY PHALAROPE that has been there a few days , but the bird was always a bit distant but was still a wecome year tick .
Wednesday 8th October . 2008
A car load of us set of early this morning for Cornwall as there had been an American Common Nighthawk seen the day before at Church Cove on the Lizard peninsula but we were out of luck today as the bird wasn`t seen early morning or at dusk !! but there was a RED-BREASTED FLYCATCHER , 2 CHIFFCHAFF , a REED WARBLER , a GREEN WOODPECKER & a MERLIN .
Then news broke of an American Flycatcher in Nanjizal Valley !!! so we shot off over to there & got good views of the bird that is either an ALDER or WILLOW FLYCATCHER & a 1st for Britain & as its my birthday today I will settle for either for a nice present .
( At the time of writing this the bird has now been trapped & ringed & has been named as an ALDER FLYCATCHER the second for the western p & the first for Britain)
P.S Sorry about the crap photo`s but better than nothing .
October 1, 2008
Bowling Green Marsh
On Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham this morning were over 300 WIGEON , 2 female PINTAIL , a LITTLE GREBE , 3 LITTLE EGRET , an OSPREY that flew over the marsh & put up the waders that included 25 AVOCET , numerous REDSHANK , a SPOTTED REDSHANK , 6 GREENSHANK , 2 RUFF , 2 WHIMBREL , 6 DUNLIN & 3 CURLEW SANDPIPER also seen was a GREY WAGTAIL my first on the marsh for quite a while .
