May 31, 2009
Dartmoor
A trip around Dartmoor today with Brian Heasman with our first stop at the Yarner Woods where we had 2 WOOD WARBLER , 1 PIED FLYCATCHER & a BULLFINCH , we then carried on to the lovely area of the Challacombe Farm ! & we saw 2 SPOTTED FLYCATCHER , a male REDSTART that was very vocal but hard to see but we got it in the end , & a couple of Beautiful Demoiselle that were showing by the stream , & on the road that takes you from the farm out on to the moor there was 2 WHEATEAR & a WHINCHAT .
On then to the Sousens area where there was 2 more WHINCHAT , 3 CUCKOO , a TREE PIPIT & quite a few Small Heath Butterflies .
SPOTTED FLYCATCHER . CHALLACOMBE FARM . DARTMOOR . DEVON . 31 / 5 / 2009
BEAUTIFUL DEMOISELLE . CHALLACOMBE FARM . DARTMOOR . DEVON . 31 / 5 / 2009
WHINCHAT . Nr CHALLACOMBE FARM . DARTMOOR . DEVON . 31 / 5 / 2009
SMALL HEATH . THE SOUSENS PLANTATION . DARTMOOR . DEVON . 31 / 5 / 2009
May 30, 2009
Nightjar
A trip up to the Haldon Forest this evening to look for NIGHTJAR & after quite a wait I ended up seeing 5 of them , also seen was a TURTLE DOVE & another 3 were heard , a YELLOWHAMMER was singing its head off , & a JAY flew across the clearing & this Hobby was feeding on the insects but always stayed quite distant .
May 29, 2009
Dawlish Warren
I went down to Dawlish Warren this afternoon to get the Western Sandpiper ? on my Warren list just in case !!! the bird was on the beach with a couple of DUNLIN just a few feet in front of other observers when I got there & I got this shot of it just before they flew off as other waders flew past , I then looked for Butterflies & saw 40+ Common Blue , 3 Green Hairstreak & 4 Brown Argus .
An add on for the day were my first Common Pipistrelle Bats of the year with 2 seen in my garden in Topsham this evening .
May 27, 2009
Sea Watching
Crap weather again this morning had me down at Orcombe Point on the end of Exmouth for a sea watch & as soon as I started watching I was picking up Shearwater`s & in the end I had counted 150+ MANX SHEARWATER & 2 BALEARIC SHEARWATER , another highlight was a ROSEATE TERN that passed close inshore heading for Dawlish Warren , there was also numerous GANNET , 20+ KITTIWAKE & half a dozen FULMAR but again I couldn`t connect with Storm Petral but I heard there was some seen at Berry Head .
May 25, 2009
Bowling Green Marsh
This morning on my local patch Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham there was 10 LITTLE EGRET , 5 LAPWING , 2 RINGED PLOVER , 2 WHIMBREL , a nice adult YELLOW-LEGGED GULL & this MEDITERRANEAN GULL but no sign of the Little Gull seen yesterday .
Later in the day I had a call telling me to get down to the Goats Walk in Topsham as there was a RED KITE flying up the Exe Estuary but when I got there the finder Mat Knott told me it had gone across to the River Clyst area so we went on to B G Marsh to look for it & had it in flight going east !! making it my 3rd BGM Tick this year ( Thanks Mat ) .
MEDITERRANEAN GULL . BOWLING GREEN MARSH . TOPSHAM . DEVON . 25 / 5 / 2009
May 24, 2009
Dartmoor
A look around the Sousens area of Dartmoor today got me 3 CUCKOO 1 seen & the other 2 heard , 2 TREE PIPIT , a GREEN WOODPECKER & there was also a steady passage of Painted Lady Butterflies going through with a 100+ seen .
The next stop was at the Challacombe Farm area where there was 3 male & 2 female REDSTART & 2 SPOTTED FLYCATCHER !
May 23, 2009
Butterflies
Another trip up to the Haldon Forest this afternoon to look for Butterflies & at the spot that I went to there was a GARDEN WARBLER & a NIGHTJAR was heard churring , & the following Butterfly were seen Grizzled Skipper , Dingy Skipper , Painted Lady & Pearl-Bordered Fritillary .
The next stop was at the Butterfly walk where a few Small Pearl-Bordered Fritillary were seen & a Common Blue .
SMALL PEARL-BORDERED FRITILLARY . THE HALDON FOREST . DEVON . 23 / 5 / 2009
May 22, 2009
Little Owl
A look at the Exminster Marshes this afternoon got me 3 REED WARBLER , 2 SEDGE WARBLER , 2 CETTI`S WARBLER , 2 HOUSE MARTIN & a RAVEN + there were numerous Azure Damselfly & a few Large Red Damselfly , I then went up to the Haldon Forest but could only see 2 MISTLE THRUSH & a male BULLFINCH , the last stop of the day was at Splatford where I saw a LITTLE OWL & a TURTLE DOVE .
May 17, 2009
Sea Watching
I woke up this morning & it was raining hard outside so I went down to Orcombe Point in Exmouth & did a sea watch from the car & I saw numerous GANNET & FULMAR , 6 KITTIWAKE , 17 MANX SHEARWATER , 2 ARCTIC SKUA & 2 GREAT NORTHERN DIVER in between the heavy showers of rain .
At around 6 pm this evening I walked down to the viewing platform on Bowling Green Marsh that looks out over the Clyst Estuary & had a SPOONBILL fly off right down the Exe Estuary & start feeding , I then walked back to the hide & to my surprise found this juvenile bird feeding on the marsh !
SPOONBILL . BOWLING GREEN MARSH . TOPSHAM . DEVON . 17 / 5 / 2009
Saturday 16th May . 2009
A trip up to Somerset this afternoon with the first stop at the Chew Valley Lake to look for the male FERRUGINOUS DUCK that has been seen there & the bird was showing very well today in with some POCHARD & TUFTED DUCK , over the lake was about 200+ SWIFT & a 100+ HOUSE MARTIN & also seen was a LITTLE TERN .
The next stop was at the Mear Heath reserve but it was quite dead there with only 2 KINGFISHER , 2 GREENSHANK seen & a GARDEN WARBLER was singing , we then went to a wood near Taunton where there were 2 NIGHTINGALE singing but they were very hard to see in the windy conditions !
Friday 15th May . 2009
As I was up in Somerset this afternoon I dropped off at the Mear Heath reserve in in hope of seeing the Green Winged Teal that has been seen there but I was out of luck as there was no sign of the bird ! but I did see 20+ GADWALL & a male GARGANEY .
I then had a look at the Ham Walls reserve & I had a BITTERN booming the first time that I have heard one in quite a few years & even better it then decided to fly giving good views , there were also 2 CUCKOO & a GARDEN WARBLER .
May 14, 2009
Wood Sandpiper
This WOOD SANDPIPER was showing this morning on the Exminster Marshes but was always quite distant so I could only manage this record shot of it , the sky above the marsh was full of SWALLOW & a few SWIFT in the slight misty conditions & the marsh was also full of the sounds of REED , SEDGE & CETTI`S WARBLER .
Later in the day there was another WOOD SANDPIPER on Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham or perhaps it may of been the same one from the morning !!!
May 13, 2009
Kentish Plover
News today from Dawlish Warren of a female KENTISH PLOVER so off I shot to see if I could get it ! but when I arrived there was no sign of the bird & the weather was terrible so I decided to walk around Warren Point & was coming along the beach when a small group of plover flew up & the bird was in with them & they flew into the bight where I got these shots of it from the hide , also seen were 14 WHIMBREL , some nice summer plumaged SANDERLING & 3 summer plumaged KNOT .
I then went up to the Exminster Marshes & saw numerous SWALLOW & SAND MARTIN , 3 HOBBY & 2 CETTI`S WARBLER .
May 12, 2009
Hobby
An afternoon look at the Exminster Marshes got great views of 6 HOBBY sat on posts & also in flight , also over the marsh were 30+ SWIFT , 6 SWALLOW , 2 SAND MARTIN & a single HOUSE MARTIN , on the marsh there was also REED WARBLER , SEDGE WARBLER , CETTI`S WARBLER & 6 Green-Veined White Butterfly & 2 Azure Damselfly .
May 10, 2009
Turtle Dove
A trip up to Haldon Forest this morning to look for TURTLE DOVE & I ended up getting five of them , there was also 6 WILLOW WARBLER , a GARDEN WARBLER , a male BLACKCAP , a nice male YELLOWHAMMER & this performing TREE PIPIT , also seen were 2 Large Red Damselfly & a Comma Butterfly .
Saturday 9th May . 2009
An early morning look at Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham only got me 5 WHIMBREL & a single LITTLE EGRET so I went over to the Exminster Marshes for a quick look where there was 6 REED WARBLER , 3 SEDGE WARBLER & 10-15 SWIFT were feeding over the marsh .
Later in the day I had a call telling me that there was a SUBALPINE WARBLER of the eastern race at Portland Bill in Dorset so me & Ken Montandon went up to see if we could catch up with it & when we got there a small crowd was watching it & soon enough we were getting good views of this little gem ! that was flying from bush to bush & showing very well .
Also seen around the bill were 2 WHEATEAR . a WHITETHROAT & a LITTLE OWL that was sat in the quarry .
May 6, 2009
Western Sandpiper ?
This morning I was up very early to look for the Semipalmated/Western Sandpiper that has been seen on the Exe Estuary & I found it at 6.15 am on rocks below the Turf Hotel with around 30+ DUNLIN & managed to get a couple of shots of it just before a biker flushed them to the other side of the estuary .
Later in the day I went up to Challacombe Farm on Dartmoor & saw a GARDEN WARBLER , a NUTHATCH , a REDSTART was singing & close by there was a female WHINCHAT , the next stop was at Sousens Down where there was a male & female REDSTART showing well , 3 CUCKOO , a GREEN WOODPECKER & 2 more WHINCHAT .
SEMIPALMATED/WESTERN SANDPIPER . THE EXE ESTUARY . DEVON . 6 / 5 / 2009
May 5, 2009
Haldon Forest
This afternoon I made a trip up to the Haldon Forest on the edge of Exeter to look for Butterfly & managed to see 6 Pearl-Bordered Fritillary , 2 Brimstone & 2 Small White , also seen was a JAY , a CHIFFCHAFF & a BLACKCAP , 6 Fallow Deer & 2 Large Red Damselfly .
I then went & had a look at the Clyst Estuary in Topsham & saw 30+ WHIMBREL & 2 COMMON SANDPIPER & a look at the Exe Estuary then got me 100+ DUNLIN & distant views of the bird that is either a SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER or a WESTERN SANDPIPER & as there was good photo`s taken of it yesterday lets hope it is sorted out sooner than later .
PEARL-BORDERED FRITILLARY . THE HALDON FOREST . DEVON . 5 / 5 / 3009
May 4, 2009
Montagu`s Harrier
Yesterday news came out of a female Montagu`s Harrier found on Woodbury Common in East Devon , so this morning up I went in hope of seeing it & when I arrived there were a few birders already there but there was no sign of the bird so we stood in a spot where you had a good view of the common & saw a CUCKOO fly by , a couple of DARTFORD WARBLER & a male & 2 female WHEATEAR & then the MONTAGU`S HARRIER came into view & was watched for around a quarter of an hour flying along a ridge before it vanished from sight again , also seen were 15+ CROSSBILL & a LESSER REDPOLL .
Sunday 3rd May . 2009
An overnight trip up to Dungeness in Kent with a couple of mates to look for the CRESTED LARK that has been seen there for a few days & a British tick for me , we arrived just as it was getting light & we had managed to get good views of the bird before 6 am but it was always quite distant , a look at the outfall then got us ARCTIC TERN & 6 COMMON TERN , then we stopped at some pits by the main road & saw 2 LITTLE RINGED PLOVER , a YELLOW WAGTAIL & this nice BLUE-HEADED WAGTAIL , then a walk around the reserve got us a 1st summer LITTLE GULL , numerous SEDGE WARBLER & WHITETHROAT , 4 MARSH HARRIER , 2 CUCKOO & a nice Brown Hare .
We then stopped off on the way home at Wraysbury in Berkshire & saw 10 ROSE-RINGED PARAKEET & on Salisbury Plain we had 2 GREY PARTRIDGE .
