September 30, 2009
Cornwall
Cornwall was the destination today with the first stop being at the Marazion Marsh where LITTLE GREBE , CETTI`S WARBLER & an ecclipse GARGANEY was seen & a look on the beach got us a single NORTHERN WHEATEAR .
The next stop was at Treen to look for a Rose-Coloured Starling that has been showing there but we couldn`t find it anywhere & all we saw was 100+ SWALLOW & a YELLOW WAGTAIL that was showing in the horse field , & down in the Nanquidno Valley we got good but distant views of a juvenile WOODCHAT SHRIKE .
On another note we dipped 2 Wryneck , a Melodious Warbler & a Buff-Breasted Sandpiper but hey thats birding for you !
September 28, 2009
Sunday 27th September . 2009
I went down to the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall this afternoon to look for the possible BROWN SHRIKE & after looking for around 3 hours I ended up only getting fleeting views of the bird working its way through a bush & then sat in the bush facing me !!! but was left so frustrated as to not having it sat out in the open !!!! also seen were 12 CHOUGH flying over .
September 24, 2009
Dotterel
A late afternoon trip down to Bolberry Down in South Devon with Andy Bond to look for a DOTTEREL that has been seen there for the last few days & we were lucky enough to find someone looking at the bird when we arrived & he soon putt us onto the bird but it was quite distant but later on better views were had of the bird , there was not many other birds to be seen but we did see 6 ( Northern ) WHEATEAR & a single SWALLOW .
September 23, 2009
Dawlish Warren
This morning I went down to the nature reserve at Dawlish Warren for a look & in the woods & the Greenland Bay area I saw the following , a very noisy GREEN WOODPECKER , a GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER , a JAY my first for the reserve , a female BLACKCAP , another first for the reserve for me was a REDSTART that was heard calling but I couldn`t find it , & a YELLOW WAGTAIL flew over calling .
I then went up to the beach area & saw 20+ BAR-TAILED GODWIT , 15 RINGED PLOVER , 9 SANDERLING , 4 WHIMBREL , 2 GREY PLOVER & a LITTLE STINT , also seen on the reserve were 6 Small Copper Butterflies
September 20, 2009
The Otter Estuary
Birding today saw me at Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham but the sun was just coming up & viewing was quite bad ! but there was an eclipse plumaged GARGANEY , a CURLEW SANDPIPER & a LITTLE STINT .
The next stop was on the Otter Estuary where there was a few CHIFFCHAFF & WILLOW WARBLER , a Male & Female BLACKCAP , 2 CETTI`S WARBLER & a REED BUNTING , & up in the fields above the estuary were 30+ MEADOW PIPIT , a WHINCHAT , a stunning Male ( Greenland ) WHEATEAR & a SPARROWHAWK flew through looking for its lunch !
September 19, 2009
Glossy Ibis
A trip down to the Axe Marshes in East Devon today for 6 GLOSSY IBIS but you had to view the birds from the top road & the birds were quite distant , later in the day I went down to the Clyst Estuary & Bowling Green Marsh & saw 5 LITTLE EGRET on the Clyst & on the marsh there was 4 female PINTAIL the first of the autumn I think , 20 GREENSHANK , 30 + DUNLIN , 2 GREEN SANDPIPER , a CURLEW SANDPIPER & a LITTLE STINT .
September 17, 2009
Wednesday 16th September . 2009
Today Brian Heasman & myself went down to Davidstow Airport in Cornwall for another look at the BAIRD`S SANDPIPER on the Davidstow Airport near Camelford & this time I managed to get some shots of it , there was also some RINGED PLOVER & DUNLIN & a single NORTHERN WHEATEAR , I had just managed to get a few shot when news broke of a 1st for Britain a Tufted Puffin in Kent so we turned the car around & headed for Kent but we had only gone a short distance when news came out that it had flown off !!!
So we drove back to Exeter & when there was no more news on the Puffin we went to the Black Hole Marsh in Seaton a fabulous new reserve with lots of pools to look at !!! & good feeding for the birds , & we saw the bird we had gone for a juvenile PECTORAL SANDPIPER from America & also seen was a GREEN SANDPIPER & a couple of fly over YELLOW WAGTAIL .
PECTORAL SANDPIPER . BLACK HOLE MARSH . SEATON . DEVON . 16 / 9 / 2009
Tuesday 15th September . 2009
I had this partial albino male BLACKBIRD in my garden this afternoon quite a smart looking bird ( dont you think ? ) , later in the day I had a look at the Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham & saw 14 LITTLE EGRET , 100+ DUNLIN , 10 KNOT , 3 BAR-TAILED GODWIT in with 100s of BLACK-TAILED GODWIT , & singles of SPOTTED REDSHANK , WHIMBREL , GREEN SANDPIPER & CURLEW SANDPIPER .
September 11, 2009
Thursday 10th September . 2009
Another trip up to Somerset today with a couple of mates who wanted to see the SPOTTED CRAKE at the Greylake Reserve & the bird showed quite well but not as good as the day before but there was also a female MARSH HARRIER on show today .
After that we headed to Chew Valley Lake in hope of seeing the GLOSSY IBIS that is there & we got lucky as the bird flew over our heads & flew towards the the Stratford Hide , we also saw 2 GREEN SANDPIPER & a KINGFISHER .
SPOTTED CRAKE . THE GREYLAKE RSPB RESERVE . SOMERSET . 10 / 9 / 2009
September 9, 2009
Spotted Crake
Today I made a trip up to Somerset with the first stop at the Mear Heath reserve where I looked for Otter but once again I was out of luck ! but I did see a couple of RUFF & some COMMON SNIPE , I then went to the Greylake RSPB Reserve as I was told that the SPOTTED CRAKE that has been there for a while was showing well & would you believe it !! there was no sign of it when I got there , BUT two hours later the bird did show & very well to the four people that did bother to wait for it .
SPOTTED CRAKE . THE GREYLAKE RSPB RESERVE . SOMERSET . 9 / 9 / 2009
September 8, 2009
No Birds !!!!
This afternoon I went for a look around the Countess Wear sewage works & sludge beds but it was dead birdwise with just a flock of LONG-TAILED TIT & 2 CHIFFCHAFF but if you dont look you dont find !!!
But there was a few butterflies around with a couple of Comma & Green Veined White , 4 Speckled Wood & a Small Tortoiseshell .
GREY SQUIRREL . THE COUNTESS WEAR SEWAGE WORKS . EXETER . DEVON . 8 / 9 / 2009
SPECKLED WOOD . THE COUNTESS WEAR SLUDGE BEDS . EXETER . DEVON . 8 / 9 / 2009
COMMA . THE COUNTESS WEAR SLUDGE BEDS . EXETER . DEVON . 8 / 9 / 2009
SMALL TORTOISESHELL . THE COUNTESS WEAR SLUDGE BEDS . EXETER . DEVON . 8 / 9 / 2009
September 7, 2009
Wilson`s Phal back on the marshes
The WILSON`S PHALAROPE was back on the main pool on the Exminster Marshes again today but showing on the far side of the pool , I then had a walk along the canal path but there was no sign of the Wryneck today but this GREAT CRESTED GREBE was showing on the canal !
I then had a look at the Bowling Green Marsh but only saw a single GREEN SANDPIPER & the OSPREY was seen on the old ships mast on the Clyst Estuary .
GREAT CRESTED GREBE . THE EXETER CANAL . EXMINSTER MARSHES . DEVON . 7 / 9 / 2009
September 6, 2009
Yellow Wagtail
An early morning look at the Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham got me 5 WHIMBREL , 3 CURLEW SANDPIPER & 3 GREEN SANDPIPER , I then went across to the Exminster Marshes for a look but it was very quiet there today but 3 LITTLE EGRET , 3 YELLOW WAGTAIL & 2 RAVEN made the journey worth while .
Saturday 5th September . 2009
The old saying is ( The early bird catches the worm ) & thats how it worked out this morning as I was up early & went over to the Exminster Marshes before 7am for a look & was walking along the canal path looking at some warbler`s , one a very bright WILLOW WARBLER when a WRYNECK came out of a bramble bush on to some grass but was frightened back into again by a BLACKBIRD & after searching it wasn`t seen again , but there was a few CHIFFCHAFF & a WHITETHROAT .
Later in the day four of us went down to the old Davidstow Airport in Cornwall to look for a reported BAIRD`S SANDPIPER & after looking for it for a while we ended up getting good views of it in with some DUNLIN & RINGED PLOVER & also seen were 2 NORTHERN WHEATEAR .
September 4, 2009
Wilson`s Phalarope Found Again !!!
This afternoon I had a call telling me that there was a WILSON`S PHALAROPE on the Exminster Marshes presumably the one that was on Bowling Green Marsh earlier in the week so I went over to see if I could get a better shot of it ( not hard to do ) lol & this is what I got !
WILSON`S PHALAROPE . THE EXMINSTER MARSHES . DEVON . 4 / 9 / 2009
September 2, 2009
Wilson`s Phalarope
Late this evening I got a call telling me that there was a Phalarope on the Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham & as I am only 5 minutes away I was soon there with 3 others in the hide & the bird was soon named as a juvenile WILSON`S PHALAROPE ! the bird was on the far side of the marsh as they always are & what with the distance & the pouring rain this was the best shot that I managed to get .
Also seen on the marsh were 5 RINGED PLOVER , 4 AVOCET , 2 KNOT & my first CURLEW SANDPIPER of the year .
WILSON`S PHALAROPE . BOWLING GREEN MARSH . TOPSHAM . DEVON . 2 / 9 / 2009
Portugal . August 2009
I have just been on a short three day trip to Portugal with eight other birders & the main bird we were looking for was the RUPPELL`S VULTURE that is in with a colony of ( Eurasian ) GRIFFON VULTURE`s & we had to wait until our final day before we were lucky enough to see it , we also had a lot of other bird & butterflies & here is a selection of photo`s that I took .
Hope you enjoy them .
September 1, 2009
Wednesday 26th August . 2009
I did a sea watch from Berry Head this morning & got there just in time to see a juvenile LONG-TAILED SKUA pass very close to the headland ! also seen were 10 GREAT SKUA & 7 ARCTIC SKUA , it was also quite a good day for Shearwater`s with 10 SOOTY SHEARWATER , 20+ MANX SHEARWATER & 4 BALEARIC SHEARWATER , there was also 15 COMMON SCOTER , 15 COMMON TERN & the usual number of GANNET , FULMAR & KITTIWAKE .
Another highlight of the day was seeing 2 Ocean Sunfish in close & 2 Harbour Porpoise .