April 29, 2009
Collared Flycatcher
This morning a look at the Exminster Marshes only got me 4 REED WARBLER , a SEDGE WARBLER & a REED BUNTING so I headed off down to Dawlish Warren for a look & the walk out to Warren Point produced 6 WHITETHROAT , 2 BLACKCAP , a REED WARBLER & 2 WHIMBREL but then I received some news that was like a smack between the eyes !!! a COLLARED FLYCATCHER a British tick for me had been found at Southwell on Portland so I ran back to the car as fast as I could & met up with my mate Mark & off we went for it with fingers crossed that it would still be showing when we got there , & we were in luck but only got brief views to start with but after about an hour of waiting the bird flew into an apple tree & was on show for about 5 minutes & then later on again the bird performed flycatching for around half an hour giving great views !
On the way home we stopped for a look at Ferrybridge & finished off the day with 4 LITTLE TERN .
COLLARED FLYCATCHER . SOUTHWELL . THE ISLE OF PORTLAND . DORSET . 29 / 4 / 2009
April 28, 2009
Woodchat Shrike
A trip down to the Ford Park Cemetery in Plymouth this afternoon for a female WOODCHAT SHRIKE that has been on show there for the last two days & here are some shots of a delightful little bird that showed very well flitting from gravestone to gravestone .
April 26, 2009
2 More Yearticks
A look at Orcombe Point near Exmouth this morning got me my first GARDEN WARBLER of the year & plenty of Green-Winged Orchid were on show , then a look at the sea got me 8 GANNET , 3 KITTIWAKE , 6 SANDWICH TERN & 30+ COMMON SCOTER .
I then went to the Exminster Marshes where the first SWIFT of the year had come in & 10 birds were seen in with numerous HOUSE MARTIN , SAND MARTIN & SWALLOW , also seen were 1male & 5 female WHEATEAR , 3 REED BUNTING , 4 LITTLE EGRET , 6 SEDGE WARBLER & 17 WHIMBREL flew over .
GREEN-WINGED ORCHID . ORCOMBE POINT . EXMOUTH . DEVON . 26 / 4 / 2009
April 23, 2009
House Martin
A look at the Exminster Marshes today got me my first 2 HOUSE MARTIN of the year , also seen were 3 LITTLE EGRET , 2 WHIMBREL , 8 REED WARBLER , 2 SEDGE WARBLER , 2 CETTI`S WARBLER that were showing very well , 2 BLACKCAP , a WILLOW WARBLER , 2 REED BUNTING , I also had a bird that I thought was a Marsh Harrier but it seemed to have a light rump as it flew away from me so now I`m not so sure but everything else looked good for Marsh Harrier oh well another one that got away ! & Large Red Damselfly & Hairy Dragonfly were also seen .
April 22, 2009
Yellow Wagtail
This male YELLOW WAGTAIL showed very well on the Exminster Marshes this morning & there possibly could be two , also seen was a male GARGANEY most likely the one from Bowling Green Marsh yesterday , 3 WHIMBREL flew around calling before dropping into the marsh , a female WHEATEAR was sat on one of the posts & up on the thermals were 5 BUZZARD , a HOBBY , a KESTREL & also seen were a few Large Red Damselfly .
April 21, 2009
Little Stint
A call this afternoon soon had me at the viewing platform on Bowling Green Marsh that looks out over the Clyst Estuary & looking at my first LITTLE STINT of the year but the bird was quite distant , also seen were 11 KNOT , 5 BAR-TAILED GODWIT & 3 GREY PLOVER .
A look on the marsh then got me a very nice male GARGANEY & 10 GREENSHANK & a LITTLE RINGED PLOVER .
April 20, 2009
First Cuckoo Of The Year !!
I went up to the Hawkerland Common this morning in hope of seeing the Grasshopper Warbler that has been seen there but there was no sign of it this morning ! but there was 5 WILLOW WARBLER , 2 male BLACKCAP , 3 TREE PIPIT , 2 RAVEN , 2 YELLOWHAMMER , my first CUCKOO of the year was seen & another one was heard , & also seen was a COMMON REDPOLL .
April 19, 2009
Exminster Marshes
Early this morning I looked out of my upstairs window & was amazed to see a Roe Deer in my front garden & after a short while it was joined by another one for a short while before they both vanished from sight again !
After that I went to the Exminster Marshes & saw a PEREGRINE FALCON sat on one of the pylons , 5 SWALLOW , 4 REED WARBLER , 4 CETTI`S WARBLER , 2 SEDGE WARBLER , a CHIFFCHAFF , a BLACKCAP & the following Butterfly were also seen Orange Tip , Green-Veined White & Speckled Wood .
Saturday 18th April . 2009
A very good afternoon was had today on the Exminster Marshes with the following birds seen ! a very nice YELLOW WAGTAIL was in with some cows near the Lions Rest Industrial Estate , further along the road there was 4 REED WARBLER & a CETTI`S WARBLER & then it was bird of prey time with 3 ( Common ) BUZZARD , 2 SPARROWHAWK , 1 KESTREL , 1 OSPREY & the first HOBBY of the year on the marsh .
Other things of note was a male Orange Tip Butterfly & a nice patch of Greater Periwinkle .
April 15, 2009
Yarner Wood
An early morning look at Bowling Green Marsh this morning only got me 1 LITTLE GULL the one that turned up yesterday but there was no sign of the other one , also seen were 6 GREENSHANK & there was a few REED WARBLER singing .
I then went out to Yarner Wood on the edge of Dartmoor & was greeted by singing PIED FLYCATCHER`s & in the end I saw 6 male birds & also singing was a WOOD WARBLER , I then started to walk up to the top of the woods & a LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER called behind me & after looking at the top of the trees I found a male bird but it flew off right away !
I then went up to the heathland & saw 4 WILLOW WARBLER , a male & female STONECHAT & a performing TREE PIPIT .
April 14, 2009
Grasshopper Warbler
This morning I had a call telling me that there was a GRASSHOPPER WARBLER reeling on my local patch Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham & as this was a BGM tick for me I got there as fast as I could & was lucky enough to get it before it stopped reeling !! also on the marsh the LITTLE GULL that has been there for a while now was joined by another one & as you can see from the photo`s of it it has a darker cap than the first one , & also seen was a male ( Northern ) WHEATEAR .
LITTLE GULL`s . BOWLING GREEN MARSH . TOPSHAM . DEVON . 14 / 4 / 2009
April 12, 2009
A Good Days Birding
A trip out birding today with Brian Heasman & Ken Montandon with our first stop at Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire where we saw 6 CORN BUNTING , 3 RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE , a STOCK DOVE & a Brown Hare , we carried on then to the old Winchester Hill car park in Hampshire to look for the reported American WHITE THROATED SPARROW & after a short wait we were soon being treated to good views of this smart little bird ! after that we headed for an area around the village of Faccombe to look for RED KITE & we were in luck & see two of them along with another 11 RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE , 2 more Brown Hare & 3 Muntjac Deer & then we had another RED KITE very close to the car Nr Andover .
Our last stop of the day was again in Wiltshire and we saw 38 GOLDEN PLOVER with most of them in full summer plumage & a very nice STONE CURLEW !
April 10, 2009
Warblers !!
On Bowling Green Marsh first thing this morning there were 2 male & a female TUFTED DUCK , 4 AVOCET were still hanging on , the LITTLE GULL also still seems settled & a BLACKCAP was singing its head off & the OSPREY could still be seen on top of the ships mast on the Clyst Estuary .
There was news of a Little Ringed Plover on Exminster Marsh so I went over to look for it but could only see a ( Common ) RINGED PLOVER !!! , also seen were 6 CETTI`S WARBLER , 4 CHIFFCHAFF , a REED WARBLER & a SEDGE WARBLER .
April 9, 2009
Yellow Wagtail
Out on the Exminster Marshes early this morning in hope of seeing an Otter but i had no such luck but the highlight was a fly over YELLOW WAGTAIL ! also new in to the marsh was a SEDGE WARBLER & there were also 4 CETTI`S WARBLER , a REED WARBLER , 6 SWALLOW & 4 GREY HERON .
A look later in the day at the Matford Pools got me quite a few SAND MARTIN , 2 more SWALLOW & a single GREEN SANDPIPER .
GREEN SANDPIPER . THE MATFORD POOLS . EXETER . DEVON . 9 / 4 / 2009
April 8, 2009
Nuthatch on B G M list at last !
The OSPREY was still on the Clyst Estuary on the old ships mast this morning & also making a few fishing out on the Exe Estuary , on Bowling Green Marsh the long staying LITTLE GULL was over on the far shoreline with 8 BAR-TAILED GODWIT , 3 AVOCET & a SPOTTED REDSHANK that is starting to come into summer plumage , down at the Riversmeet House area of the marsh there was a GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER , 2 BLACKCAP , a CHIFFCHAFF & my first NUTHATCH !
Exminster Marsh didn`t produce much today with only 34 SAND MARTIN , a SWALLOW 4 CETTI`S WARBLER , my first REED WARBLER of the year & a few Peacock Butterflies .
April 7, 2009
Osprey
A call late this afternoon soon had me down at Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham looking for a reported OSPREY & I arrived at the viewing platform that looks over the Clyst & Exe Estuaries just as the bird was flying away but the bird then caught a fish & flew back up river again & landed on an old ships mast & proceeded to eat it !
Then a look at Bowling Green Marsh got me 2 winter plumaged KNOT , a GREEN SANDPIPER & a single SWALLOW .
April 6, 2009
Little Haldon
A trip up to Little Haldon today to look for CROSSBILL proved to be a good move as I saw 3 birds , one was in with some LESSER REDPOLL & another two flew over me calling & landed in some distant trees , there was also singing CHIFFCHAFF & WILLOW WARBLER & a fly over RAVEN & around the Mamhead car park were patches of Wood Sorrel , when I got back home I had a quick look at Bowling Green Marsh & the adult LITTLE GULL was still there feeding over the pool .
April 5, 2009
A bit slow today
I was up early again this morning & off to Otterton to see if there were any Barn Owl showing but after looking for quite a while none showed today , but there were two LITTLE OWL & 6 SKYLARK showing & a GREEN WOODPECKER was heard .
Later I had a look at the Exminster Marshes where there were 7 CETTI`S WARBLER , 3 CHIFFCHAFF , 2 WILLOW WARBLER , 4 male REED BUNTING & this Speckled Wood Butterfly .
April 4, 2009
Long-Eared Owl
Down to Dawlish Warren this afternoon as news had come out of a LONG-EARED OWL being seen in the Greenland Lake area & the bird was still showing quite well to the crowd of people when I got there & I was able to get these shots of it !
There was also a few CHIFFCHAFF , a WILLOW WARBLER & a single SWALLOW flew through ! & 2 butterfly were also seen today , a Small White & a Small Tortoiseshell .
April 1, 2009
Willow Warbler
I woke up this morning to the sound of a GREEN WOODPECKER laughing it head off in the Cemetary next to where I live , I then went down to the Bowling Green Marsh reserve for a look & the LITTLE GULL that was there yesterday was still showing very well & there was also a COMMON GULL & 30+ BAR-TAILED GODWIT .
News came out later of not one but three LITTLE RINGED PLOVER on the Exminster Marshes today so a trip there was well worth the while !! & to make the day I saw my first WILLOW WARBLER of the year .
