January 30, 2009
Thursday 29th January . 2009
A trip up to Somerset today with the first stop at the Ham Walls reserve to look for the Great White Egret that has been seen there but there was no sign of the bird today , so the next stop was at Noahs Lake were there was good luck with the GREAT WHITE EGRET seen in flight before it went to roost but then we also had bad luck with 2 Otter cubs missed by 15 minutes , and on the walk back to the car there was a roost of over 200 PIED WAGTAIL on the Mear Heath .
January 27, 2009
( White Throated ) Dipper
This morning my favourite British bird a male BULLFINCH was opposite my house in the hedge of the Topsham Cemetery , later in the day I went to the river Otter in Otterton to look for DIPPER & after a bit of a walk I managed to see one but by then the rain was falling & the light not to good , also there was a TAWNY OWL calling , a GREEN WOODPECKER & a KINGFISHER .
I then drove to Budleigh Salterton & a look at the sea got me 20+ COMMON SCOTER & the female LONG-TAILED DUCK was still with them , I then walked up the estuary a bit & got the wintering WHIMBREL in with a flock of CURLEW & a RAVEN flew overhead .
( White Throated ) DIPPER . THE RIVER OTTER . OTTERTON . DEVON . 27 / 1 / 2009
January 26, 2009
Sunday 25th January . 2009
Andy Bond & myself went up to Dorset & Hampshire today to do some birding with our first stop being at Portland Bill where we saw 2 SHORT-EARED OWL over the fields just after daylight , we then went to the Radipole Lake In Weymouth & had a look at the HOODED MERGANSER it is in superb plumage now & worth seeing ! also there were 2 CETTI`S WARBLER , we then headed inland to the Tarrant Rushton Airfield to look for CORN BUNTING & we saw 20+ birds & also 9 Brown Hare .
Over the border into Hampshire to the Blashford Lakes & we had great views of a BITTERN there but it was in the reedbed & hard to see sometimes , also seen were LESSER REDPOLL , SISKIN , GREEN WOODPECKER , 2 male & 2 female RUDDY DUCK & 2 female GOOSANDER , we then went up to the Ibsley Bridge & while we were having a bite to eat we were watching 6 BEWICK`S SWAN , after we had finished we went to Whiteley & saw 23 WAXWING sat in the trees , to finish the day off we headed back to the Blashford Lakes for the gull roost & saw 2 YELLOW-LEGGED GULL & a BLACK-NECKED GREBE .
HOODED MERGANSER . RADIPOLE LAKE . WEYMOUTH . DORSET . 25 / 1 / 2009
January 24, 2009
Goshawk
A trip out to Stover Park this afternoon to look for woodland yearticks turned out to be a good move as I got 3 NUTHATCH , 2 MARSH TIT & a TREECREEPER , also seen was a female GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER , 10 COAL TIT , 4 SISKIN & a male BULLFINCH , but the best bird of the day was a GOSHAWK that flew over me just above tree leval heading towards Bovey Tracey ..... superb !
The next stop was at the Exminster Marshes where there was over a 100 BAR-TAILED GODWIT , 60+ GOLDEN PLOVER & 6 COMMON SNIPE
January 23, 2009
Grey Phalarope
A trip up to the Northam Burrows in North Devon this afternoon to look for the GREY PHALAROPE that has been seen there for the last few days & there was no trouble at all seeing the bird as at times it came to just a few feet away when it was feeding on the edge of the pool .
January 21, 2009
Portland Bill
Today I was up in Dorset so this afternoon I went to Portland Bill for a look & I saw the following birds , there was a LITTLE OWL that was sat in the quarry , I then went down to the bill where there were 5 PURPLE SANDPIPER sat on the rocks & a look at the sea got me a couple of KITTIWAKE , 3 GANNET & numerous GUILLEMOT & RAZORBILL , & I then got the bird that I hoped to see ! a SHORT-EARED OWL that was quartering the fields near the obs but being mobbed by the crows all of the time .
January 19, 2009
Snow Bunting
Today Andy Bond & myself went out birding with our first stop being at the Roadford Reservoir as Andy needed the female LONG-TAILED DUCK that has been seen there & we were in luck with the bird showing quite well in with some GOLDENEYE & POCHARD .
We then headed off to Davidstow Airport in Cornwall as there had been 2 SNOW BUNTING reported from there yesterday but when we first got there we couldn`t find them anywhere but after about an hour we got lucky & found them on one of the runways , then our luck continued with this LITTLE GULL in with some BLACK-HEADED GULL`s .
January 18, 2009
Black-Throated Diver
This afternoon I went up to Woodbury Common & looked for Dartford Warbler but nothing was seen ! I then went to Otterton & looked for Dipper on the river but only saw a KINGFISHER & a GREY WAGTAIL , the next stop was at Ladram Bay as I thought there might be a Black Redstart around but no luck again BUT then I did get lucky & found a BLACK-THROATED DIVER out in the bay feeding so the day didn`t end to bad in the end after all !
January 16, 2009
Cattle Egret
This afternoon I went down to Powderham to look for the 2 CATTLE EGRET that I had been told were there & they were showing in the field with the cows until an electricity helecopter flew over the fields & they flew towards Exminster Marsh , I then had a look around the Kenn/Kenton area for RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE & I ended up seeing 6 of them .
I then headed home but stopped off at the recreation ground in Topsham for a look & it produced my first COMMON SANDPIPER of the year + a male & 2 female RED-BREASTED MERGANSER & 20+ COMMON GULL .
January 15, 2009
Whoops
To all of my readers Sorry about the F--K up with the captain for the Scoter picture it has been put right now , wow I never knew I had so many readers ( I must try harder ) !!!!!!!
January 14, 2009
Penduline Tit
This morning I went down to Dawlish Warren to look for the SPOONBILL that has been there a couple of days & I found the bird asleep on finger point but after a while a put its head out & I was able to get this shot of it , on the sea there was 2 SLAVONIAN GREBE , 6 RED THROATED DIVER , the female SURF SCOTER , a male VELVET SCOTER & a female COMMON SCOTER & on the walk back to the car I saw a GREEN WOODPECKER & 4 BULLFINCH .
News then broke of a PENDULINE TIT at the Clennon Valley in Goodrington so I met up with Andy Bond & off we went for it , we arrived just as it started raining but still got good views of the bird but the light was not to good for photographs , we then went to Broadsands for a quick look & saw a BLACK-NECKED GREBE , 5 CIRL BUNTING & a REED BUNTING
PENDULINE TIT . THE CLENNON VALLEY . GOODRINGTON . DEVON . 14 / 1 / 2009
January 12, 2009
Scaup
This afternoon there was a break in between the rain showers so I went to look for the Female SCAUP on the Exeter Canal & I found the bird feeding near the Double Locks pub & showing very well , also seen in the area was a LITTLE EGRET , 20+ COMMON TEAL , a Male SHOVELER & a flock of LONG-TAILED TIT .
January 11, 2009
North Devon
This morning I went up to North Devon to look for the birds that have been reported there with my first stop being at the Braunton Burrows for the 2 BEWICK`S SWAN & they showed well but were very distant , I then went to the Roundswell Industrial Estate in Barnstaple where there have been up to 12 BOHEMIAN WAXWING but I could only manage to see two of them & after looking for about an hour & a half for the others I called it a day & headed home & on the way I stopped of at Bishop`s Tawton & saw the WHOOPER SWAN that was with in with 10 MUTE SWAN .
WHOOPER SWAN . NEW BRIDGE . BISHOP`S TAWTON . DEVON . 11 / 1 / 2009
January 10, 2009
Hawfinch In Devon
Today I went out to the village of Ide near Exeter to see if I could get a shot of the HAWFINCH that has been seen there & I was in luck & get this shot of it , there was also a few SISKIN , 20+ REDWING , 6 FIELDFARE & my first MISTLE THRUSH of the year .
January 9, 2009
Dawlish Warren
I had a call this morning telling me that there was a HAWFINCH showing near the village of Ide so I went for a look & managed to see the bird just before it flew off , then this afternoon I went down to Dawlish Warren & saw the following birds , off of Langstone Rock there was a Male VELVET SCOTER , the long staying Female SURF SCOTER & a Female COMMON SCOTER & a GREAT NORTHERN DIVER flew past , I then walked up towards the Exmouth end of the warren & saw a SLAVONIAN GREBE , 4 SANDERLING , 3 GREY PLOVER & a couple of KNOT .
January 7, 2009
Hawfinch
Today Ken Montandon & myself went up to Bruton in Somerset to look for the HAWFINCH that have been coming into gardens there & after a bit of a wait we ended up seeing two birds , also seen was a female BULLFINCH , a GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER & a JAY .
We then went to Green Ore where we saw 20+ YELLOWHAMMER , 6 TREE SPARROW & 2 Roe Deer , our last stop of the day was at the Mear Heath/Ham Walls reserve & we saw 3 MARSH HARRIER , 3 WATER RAIL & 3 LESSER REDPOLL .
January 6, 2009
Mandarin Duck
This aftern I went out to the Grand Western Canal near Halberton to look for the reported Male MANDARIN DUCK & at first I couldn`t find the bird because the canal was frozen over but has luck would have it there was a patch of water that was unfrozen & there the bird was with a few MALLARD , also seen were half a dozen MOORHEN , 2 WREN & a Male BULLFINCH .
MANDARIN DUCK . THE GRAND WESTERN CANAL . Nr HALBERTON . DEVON . 6 / 1 / 2009
January 5, 2009
Long-Tailed Duck
Off of Budleigh Salterton in Lyme Bay this morning there was over 100 COMMON SCOTER , a female LONG-TAILED DUCK , 3 RED-THROATED DIVER , a female COMMON EIDER , 5 RAZORBILL & a GUILLEMOT .
Later in the afternoon I had a look around the Trews Wear area of Exeter & saw a KINGFISHER , a SISKIN & a female GOOSANDER but the best bird I saw was another JACK SNIPE that flushed from a ditch right in front of me giving superb views !
January 4, 2009
Little Owl
This morning I went & looked for the reported Waxwing at Ide but there was no sign of them today , so I went on to Dunchideock where I saw four male BRAMBLING in with a large finch flock & also showing was a FIELDFARE , 4 RAVEN & the resident LITTLE OWL .
A stop off at the top fields at Exminster produced 6 WOODLARK today & at the Exminster Marshes a WATER RAIL showed quite well .
January 3, 2009
Afternoon Delight
Driving around Exeter today I had the Male PEREGRINE FALCON sat on St Michaels church spire , then around midday this Female BLACKCAP was feeding on the apples in my garden , later in the afternoon I met up with Andy Bond & we had a look around the top fields in Exminster & we saw 9 WOODLARK & a WOODCOCK that was flushed giving great views .
We then went to the Exminster Marshes & saw a WATER PIPIT , 6 COMMON SNIPE & a JACK SNIPE that was very gratefully receaved as I never caught up with one last year !!
January 2, 2009
Birding Cornwall
Early this morning three of us made the trip down to Cornwall in search of yearticks with the first stop for the SNOWY OWL that is on Trendrine Hill near Sperris Quoit but today the bird was very distant & the light was not that good but still a great bird to see , we then went to Penzance & got 24 PURPLE SANDPIPER on the rocks , another short drive had us at Newlyn where a female BLACK REDSTART came onto the yearlist along with a BLACK-NECKED GREBE .
On then to Drift Reservoir where there were 2 PINK-FOOTED GOOSE but not a lot else , so a short drive had us at Sancreed where there was 3 CATTLE EGRET , on then to Helston to look for the reported RING-BILLED GULL`s & the two 1st winter birds showed very well , our last stop of the day was at the HEN HARRIER roost at Tregonetha & we were in luck & see a 1st winter male bird come in & show well for a while before dropping in to roost .
RING-BILLED GULL ( 1 ) . HELSTON BOATING LAKE . CORNWALL . 2 / 1 / 2009
RING-BILLED GULL ( 2 ) . HELSTON BOATING LAKE . CORNWALL . 2 / 1 / 2009
January 1, 2009
Happy New Year
Out yearticking today around the Exe Estuary in Devon but there wasn`t a lot to be seen !!! , my first stop of the day was at the Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham where there were the usual winter birds showing with the best being a some nice PINTAIL , WIGEON , BAR-TAILED GODWIT & a SPOTTED REDSHANK , I then had a look at the Clyst Estuary & saw 2 LITTLE GREBE & a MEDITERRANEAN GULL .
A look around the Exmouth area then got me a GREY WAGTAIL , 4 RED-BREASTED MERGANSER , 2 GOLDENEYE & this RED-NECKED GREBE that I caught up with late in the day hence the photograph .
