April 30, 2006
Bowling Green Marsh
This morning I went for a look at Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham & there were quite a few WHIMBREL on show with the numerous BLACK TAILED GODWIT . & quite close to the hide there were a few SONG THRUSH feeding by the road .
I then got long distace views of RINGED PLOVER , LITTLE RINGED PLOVER & 6 GREENSHANK & then 3 SANDWICH TERN flew in with a few BLACK HEADED GULL .
In Bowling Green Lane the LESSER WHITETHROAT was again showing well with along with a couple of BLACKCAP .
SONG THRUSH . BOWLING GREEN MARSH . TOPSHAM . DEVON . 30 / 4 / 2006
LITTLE RINGED PLOVER . BOWLING GREEN MARSH . TOPSHAM . DEVON . 30 / 4 / 2006
SANDWICH TERN . BOWLING GREEN MARSH . TOPSHAM . DEVON . 30 / 4 / 2006
April 27, 2006
EXMINSTER MARSH
This afternoon I went over to Exminster Marsh & there was a LITTLE RINGED PLOVER showing well there along with 2 COMMON SWIFT , 3 SWALLOW , a SAND MARTIN & 3 HOBBY
And in the reeds there were a few SEDGE WARBLER , REED WARBLER & CETTI`S WARBLER .
April 26, 2006
Lesser Whitethroat
Today I went for a look at Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham , it was low tide so there were not many waders on the marsh only 6 BLACK TAILED GODWIT & a KNOT .
But in the bushes there was a LESSER WHITETHROAT that showed very well , also a few BLACKCAP & CHIFFCHAFF & a few SWALLOW flying over the marsh .
And in Bowling Green Lane there were a few butterfly with Orange Tip , Speckled Wood , Small White & Holly Blue seen .
Orange Tip . Bowling Green Lane . Topsham . Devon . 26 / 4 / 2006
April 24, 2006
YARNER WOOD
Today I made a trip out to Yarner Wood on the edge of Dartmoor to look for migrants & it was a good move as I saw 4 Male & 1 Female PIED FLYCATCHER , 2 Male COMMON REDSTART , 2 WOOD WARBLER , & a TREE PIPIT .
In the woods there were also numerous WILLOW WARBLER , a Male MANDARIN , 3 MARSH TIT & a JAY .
I then went up the road a bit to Trendlebear to look for Goshawk but was out of luck as one didn`t show , but there was a very nice GARDEN WARBLER showing well & 2 GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER & a MISTLE THRUSH .
April 23, 2006
EXMINSTER MARSHES
This morning I went over to Exminster Marsh for a look & I saw numerous SEDGE WARBLER & 5 REED WARBLER both new for the year & also seen were 6 CETTI`S WARBLER , a Male GARGANEY , 2 SWALLOW & single AVOCET , WHIMBREL , REED BUNTING & PEREGRINE FALCON .
Also seen were Peacock & Brimstone Butterfly
April 17, 2006
Slow Birding
On Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham this morning there was a SPOONBILL , a LITTLE EGRET , an AVOCET & a STOCK DOVE .
I then went across the estuary to Exminster Marsh but the birding was slow there as well with just 4 CETTI`S WARBLER , 3 CHIFFCHAFF & a WILLOW WARBLER seen along the canal & a few SWALLOW & SAND MARTIN .
SPOONBILL . BOWLING GREEN MARSH . TOPSHAM . DEVON . 17 / 4 / 2006
April 14, 2006
Dawlish Warren
This morning I dropped into the Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham for a quick look but I only saw 10 LITTLE EGRET , a SPOTTED REDSHANK & 2 STOCK DOVE .
I then went to Dawlish Warren where the birding was a bit better & a sea watch got me 40+ SANDWICH TERN , 5 LITTLE TERN , 2 COMMON TERN & 7 WHIMBREL .
And around the Greenland Lake area there were a few WILLOW WARBLER , CHIFFCHAFF & BLACKCAP & a GRASSHOPPER WARBLER that was reeling away but was impossible to see .
( Snake`s Head ) FRITILLARY . DAWLISH WARREN . DEVON . 14 / 4 / 2006
April 12, 2006
GREAT WHITE EGRET !!
This morning I had a phone call telling me that there was a GREAT WHITE EGRET on Exminster Marshes so I got over to there as fast as I could , only to find out that the bird had already flown but the luck was with me as it was then picked up quite a way off flying over the village of Exminster & I think only 5 or 6 people saw the bird before it flew out of sight .
Also on the marshes today were 2 GREAT CRESTED GREBE , 2 GADWALL , numerous SAND MARTIN , 2 SWALLOW , a WHEATEAR & a YELLOW WAGTAIL .
I then went to the pools at Matford on the outskirts of Exeter & saw 4 GREEN SANDPIPER & a LITTLE EGRET .
April 7, 2006
Another Night Heron ???
This evening I went to the Riverside Country Park at Countess Wear in Exeter to look for a reported NIGHT HERON but this time I was out of luck & didn`t see it .
But I did see a LITTLE EGRET , a GREEN SANDPIPER , a SPARROWHAWK that flew through & flushed a COMMON SNIPE & about a dozen SAND MARTIN .
I then went to Exminster Marsh where I saw my first SHORT EARED OWL of the year .
April 6, 2006
GARGANEY
Today on Exminster Marsh there was a Male & Female GARGANEY , numerous SHOVELER , 2 GADWALL , a LITTLE GREBE , a LITTLE EGRET & 30+ SAND MARTIN .
I then went to the top fields in Exminster but all I could see was a SPARROWHAWK , a Male WHEATEAR & a RAVEN .
April 5, 2006
SPRING AT LAST
This morning was a bright & sunny day so I went for a look at the new pool at Matford on the outskirts of Exeter as there was an LRP reported there yesterday but there was no sign of it today , but I did see 20+ SAND MARTIN , a SWALLOW & my first HOUSE MARTIN of the year , & there were a couple of CHIFFCHAFF singing .
I then met up with a mate & we went down to Budleigh Salterton for a look & on the way there we saw 2 RED LEGGED PARTRIDGE & a GREEN WOODPECKER in the Bicton Arena .
At the Budleigh / River Otter area all we saw were 5 ROCK PIPIT , 3 Female & 1 Male WHEATEAR & a WILLOW WARBLER .
RED LEGGED PARTRIDGE . THE BICTON ARINA . Nr EAST BUDLEIGH . DEVON . 5 / 4 / 2006
April 4, 2006
NIGHT HERON
This morning news came out of a possible NIGHT HERON on Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham , so I went down just in case & it turned out to be correct information as when I got there the bird was sat in a tree on the far side of the marsh below the railway line , the bird was quite distant but it was still good to see this first for the marsh ( I think ? )
Also seen on the marsh today was the SPOONBILL that has been here for a few days , an AVOCET , a SPOTTED REDSHANK , 30+ BLACK TAILED GODWIT ,
9 BAR TAILED GODWIT , a Female SPARROWHAWK & this ROBIN that comes into the hide looking for any food .
And in Bowling Green Lane there was a WILLOW WARBLER , a CHIFFCHAFF & a BLACKCAP .
And to finish off the day I had my first BARN OWL of the year on Bowling Green Marsh just before the light went .
(Black Crowned ) NIGHT HERON . BOWLING GREEN MARSH . TOPSHAM . DEVON . 4 / 4 / 2006
( European ) ROBIN . BOWLING GREEN MARSH . TOPSHAM . DEVON . 4 / 4 / 2006
April 3, 2006
3 ALPINE SWIFT !!
This morning I went to Lower Buckland Ponds near Seaton for another look at the ALPINE SWIFT` s & today I saw 3 of them , they were quite high in the sky so I could only manage these 2 shots of them through the hand held camera BUT I was very pleased as it is a new bird photographed for me .
In the afternoon I went for a look at Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham where the SPOONBILL was showing very well , also seen were 20+ SAND MARTIN , 2 SWALLOW , 3 STOCK DOVE , 2 Male GADWALL , a LITTLE GREBE & a BARNACLE GOOSE .
ALPINE SWIFT . LOWER BUCKLAND PONDS . Nr SEATON . DEVON . 3 / 4 / 2006
April 2, 2006
ALPINE SWIFT`S
Out early this morning & off to the town of Seaton in East Devon to look for the reported ALPINE SWIFT of yesterday , we arrived at just gone 6 in the morning to find a small crowd already there looking at the Swift as it roosted behind a pipe , we all had quite a wait before the bird flew out & we were then told that there was another bird there as well ! & after a little while this one flew out giving us better views than the first one .
We then went up to the Colyford Common area where there were a few SAND MARTIN , a SWALLOW & 3 EGYPTIAN GOOSE .
We then decided to go down to Plymouth for a BLACK WINGED STILT that was showing there & we got great views of the bird on the Blaxton Water Meadows beside the River Plym & then as we were walking back to the car we came upon a Male & Female MANDARIN on the river .
BLACK-WINGED STILT . BLAXTON WATER MEADOW . PLYMOUTH . DEVON . 2 / 4 / 2006
April 1, 2006
GOOD DEVON BIRDING
I was up early this morning & went for a look at Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham where I saw a SPOONBILL , a GREEN WOODPECKER & a singing CHIFFCHAFF , my next port of call was at Exminster Marsh where I had my first WILLOW WARBLER of the year & a SPARROWHAWK .
Later on in the day I went up to the skern at Northam Burrows in North Devon with a mate to look for the reported FRANKLIN`S GULL & we were in luck & got great views of it , also seen at the site was a stunning Male MERLIN that just sat in the open for around 5 minutes & a Male WHEATEAR .
We then went to Barnstaple to look for the summer plumaged LAUGHING GULL that has been seen there & again we were in luck & find the bird showing well beside the river , ( who would have thought Franklin`s & Laughing Gull`s on the same day in Devon )
