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 )