February 7, 2010
Tree Sparrow
An early morning look at Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham this morning got me 2 STOCK DOVE on the railway bridge , I then met up with a couple of mates & went up to Somerset with our first stop at the Catcott reserve where the 3 GLOSSY IBIS were seen in flight , on then to Mere Heath & a female MARSH HARRIER showed over the reeds , we then walked up to Noah`s Lake & saw 6 WHOOPER SWAN , a single BEWICK`S SWAN , a female LONG-TAILED DUCK & another female MARSH HARRIER .
We then went back to the car & went to Green Ore to look for TREE SPARROW & we saw 12 of them , also seen was a male YELLOWHAMMER , 6 RAVEN & 2 Roe Deer , our last stop of the day in fading light was at the Greylake RSPB Reserve & we saw a female MERLIN that put the LAPWING & STARLING up a few times .
February 4, 2010
Wednesday 3rd February . 2010
This morning saw me at the Mear Heath reserve in Somerset before it had got light in hope of seeing an Otter !! I left the car just has it was starting to get light & walked towards Noah`s Lake & had 2 TAWNY OWL calling , once I had got to Noah`s I settled in & saw numerous GOLDENEYE , WIGEON & TUFTED DUCK , a look through the swans got me 2 BEWICK`S SWAN , then two EGYPTIAN GOOSE flew across the lake & it seems that is quite a good sighting for here ! & a female LONG-TAILED DUCK was seen but was a long way off , some Wigeon then came quite close to the hide & in with them was a female SMEW , always good to see these birds .
And then the long wait was made worthwile as I saw not one but two OTTER that swam out from the reeds to the left of the hide & across the water in front of me...... Magic , I then went across to the reserve at Catcott & saw 3 distant GLOSSY IBIS before making the journey home .
February 1, 2010
The Devon Commons
This afternoon I decided to go up to the East Devon Commons with the first stop at Aylesbeare Common but I only saw a single DARTFORD WARBLER there but it was my first of the year , my next stop was at the Hawkerland Common & I saw a BUZZARD , 2 JAY , 3 REED BUNTING & a male & female BULLFINCH , the last one was Woodbury Common & I had just seen two RAVEN when I got caught in a snow storm .
So I headed for home & on the way I stopped for a look at the marsh at Exton & saw my second JACK SNIPE of the year , a ROCK PIPIT of the Scandinavian race & a single WATER PIPIT .
