January 28, 2007
GOOD BIRDING AT FERNWORTHY RESERVOIR
This morning I was out birding early to Fernworthy Reservoir on Dartmoor & the following birds were seen there a GREEN WOODPECKER , a GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER , 2 LESSER REDPOLL , 20+ SISKIN , a very nice WILLOW TIT , 2 RAVEN , a BUZZARD & a BULLFINCH .
And I spent a couple of hours looking for CROSSBILL & had just about given up & went back to my car only to find 2 of them sat on trees right beside it .
GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER . FERNWORTHY RESERVOIR . DEVON . 28 / 1 / 2007
January 25, 2007
RING-NECKED DUCK
News today of a Female RING-NECKED DUCK at Stover Country Park so off I went to see if I could catch up with it & I had no problem there as when I arrived there were already a few birders there looking at it , it spent a lot of time asleep but I managed to get a couple of shots of it awake .
Also seen were 3 GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER , numerous SISKIN & a NUTHATCH .
January 24, 2007
BEAN GOOSE
This morning I went for a look for the Hawfinch at Ide but I never saw any , my next stop was at Step`s Bridge where there were 3 Male & 2 Female GOOSANDER , 3 DIPPER & 2 GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER .
But news came out of 2 ( Tundra ) BEAN GOOSE near the village of Awliscombe in East Devon ! so Andy Bond & myself went for them & ended up getting good views of them , there were also 20+ REDWING & a few FIELDFARE .
Our next stop was at the Colyford Common near Seaton & we saw an EGYPTIAN GOOSE , a GREEN SANDPIPER & a WATER PIPIT .
January 22, 2007
SLAPTON LEY
This morning Andy Bond & myself went down to Slapton Ley in South Devon for a look & the first bird we saw was a Female COMMON SCOTER on the sea , on the ley there were numerous POCHARD & TUFTED DUCK , a handful of GOLDENEYE , a female SCAUP ( my first for quite a while ) & 3 Male & 4 Female RUDDY DUCK .
Also seen were 5 CETTI`S WARBLER , a RAVEN & 2 Red Fox .
We then had a look at the Mill Pond in Stoke Gabriel where there were 2 EGYPTIAN GOOSE & a LITTLE EGRET , on then to Broadsands but there was a howling gale there & all we saw were 3 RED BREASTED MERGANSER & a GREAT NORTHERN DIVER .
Our last stop was around the Brixham harbours & we saw 2 GUILLEMOT , a RAZORBILL & an Adult winter MEDITERRANEAN GULL .
January 21, 2007
ISLEY MARSH
This morning I went to Isley Marsh in North Devon to look for the Spoonbill but I was out of luck today as they never showed when I was there .
But I did see 7 LITTLE EGRET , 30+ COMMON TEAL , 30+ WIGEON , 4 LITTLE GREBE , a PEREGRINE FALCON , 2000+ GOLDEN PLOVER , a single SKYLARK & a Male BULLFINCH .
January 19, 2007
GREEN-WINGED TEAL
News today off a Male GREEN-WINGED TEAL on Exminster Marshes so I shot off over there to see if I could see it ! I arrived to find a few birders there looking at it & I was soon put onto the bird .
Brian Heasman then turned up to look at it & after he had a good look at it we decided to go down to Broadsands to look for the Red Necked Grebe , on arrival we saw 2 CIRL BUNTING by the car park we then went & did a sea watch & we saw 5 GREAT NORTHERN DIVER , 4 GREAT CRESTED GREBE , a BLACK-NECKED GREBE , a SLAVONIAN GREBE , a very nice RED-NECKED GREBE , 5 FULMAR & 2 RAZORBILL .
January 17, 2007
Slow birding today
Today I went down to Brixham in South Devon & saw 7 GUILLEMOT , a RAZORBILL & a FULMAR in & around the harbour , the next stop was at the 2 tier carpark to look for some Firecrest that have been reported there but all I could see were a few GOLDCREST & a BLACKCAP .
Over to Broadsands for the next stop & I saw a GREAT NORTHERN DIVER , 4 GREAT CRESTED GREBE , 2 BLACK-NECKED GREBE , a SLAVONIAN GREBE , a Male REED BUNTING & a grey CHIFFCHAFF presumed to be of the Siberian race Tristis .
January 15, 2007
LAUGHING GULL
This morning I went down to Newton Abbot with Andy Bond as there was news of the 1st winter LAUGHING GULL on the roofs of houses in wharf road & we managed to get good views of this American bird .
We then went to Preston sea front in Torbay & saw a 1st winter MEDITERRANEAN GULL & 9 TURNSTONE , our next stop was a look at the sea off of Goodrington Sands where a BLACK NECKED GREBE slipped on to the year list & we also saw another one at Broadsands along with 11 RAZORBILL .
Later on in the day I went to the Mamhead area where I saw a BRAMBLING & a SISKIN in with a large flock of GREENFINCH & CHAFFINCH .
January 14, 2007
Dipped Again !!!!
This morning I went down to the the Passage House Inn on the Teign estuary to look for the Laughing Gull that was seen there yesterday but after looking for three hours I didn`t see it only to find out later when I was back home that it had turned up again .
I also looked for it on the Decoy Lake in Newton Abbot but all that I saw there were 3 GREAT CRESTED GREBE , 6 TUFTED DUCK & a Female POCHARD , but no sign of the gull there either .
On the way home I stopped off in Exminster where I saw 14 REDWING , 6 WOODLARK & a single MISTLE THRUSH .
COMMON POCHARD . DECOY LAKE . NEWTON ABBOT . DEVON . 14 / 1 / 2007
January 10, 2007
Yellow-Browed Warbler
This morning I went for a look at Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham & saw 100+ AVOCET , a SPOTTED REDSHANK , my first GREENSHANK for the year , numerous BLACK TAILED GODWIT & DUNLIN & a SPARROWHAWK .
I then met up with Brian Heasman & we went off to Plymouth to look for the reported YELLOW BROWED WARBLER in Central Park & after a short while we were soon looking at the bird , also seen was an Adult Winter MEDITERRANEAN GULL .
We then had a look at the Plym Estuary in hope of seeing the Bonaparte`s Gull that was seen at the weekend but we were out of luck ! so we went to the Cattedown area of Plymouth & saw 2 GREAT NORTHERN DIVER & a COMMON SANDPIPER .
SPOTTED REDSHANK . BOWLING GREEN MARSH . TOPSHAM . DEVON . 10 / 1 / 2007
GREAT NORTHERN DIVER . CATTTEWATER . PLYMOUTH . DEVON . 10 / 1 / 2007
January 8, 2007
Rain Rain & More Rain
A morning out to Stover Country Park today but the weather was terrible with some more heavy rain but a few woodland birds were seen with 3 NUTHATCH , COAL TIT & MARSH TIT , a TREECREEPER & 4 JAY .
Also seen were 3 GREAT CRESTED GREBE , 6 POCHARD , a handfull of MALLARD & a KINGFISHER .
The next stop was at Staverton Bridge where a DIPPER was added to the list & the next stop of the day was at Splatford where 2 YELLOWHAMMER were seen , the day was then finished off at the Countess Wear sludge beds looking for a reported Firecrest but I never saw it but there was a flock of LONG TAILED TIT , a CHIFFCHAFF & another TREECREEPER .
January 7, 2007
Cattle Egret
This morning in between the bursts of rain I went down to Otterton in East Devon to look for the CATTLE EGRET that has been seen there & after a short walk I was soon getting great views of it in a field with 7 LITTLE EGRET & 3 SHELDUCK .
I then went for a walk up the river Otter looking for Kingfisher & Dipper but I didn`t see either ! but I did get my first GOLDCREST for the year .
January 6, 2007
ICELAND GULL
This afternoon I decided to go for the Cattle Egret down at Otterton but I had not gone far when I had a call telling me that there was an ICELAND GULL on the Axe Estuary so I met up with Brian Heasman & Andy Bond & off we went for it .
We arrived to find the bird showing very well & it is the first one that I have seen for quite a long while .
January 4, 2007
Wednesday 3rd January . 2007
Off to Dawlish Warren this morning with Andy Bond & we saw 30+ GREAT CRESTED GREBE , 2 SLAVONIAN GREBE , a VELVET SCOTER , a single RED THROATED DIVER , 6 BAR TAILED GODWIT & a KNOT .
We then headed off to the Sidmouth/Beer area as Andy needed to tick off the SURF SCOTER & the BLACK REDSTART & we had good views of both of them & there was also a very nice BLACK THROATED DIVER showing well not to far offshore .
We then had a look at the Axe Estuary & came across this gull looking very much like a YELLOW LEGGED GULL .
Our last stop was at Sidmouth where there were a few PURPLE SANDPIPER showing in the very strong winds .
January 2, 2007
A good start to the year
Out again looking for yearticks today with Brian Heasman & Mark Bailey with our first stop at Kilmington Quarry where we saw a WOODCOCK , 2 RAVEN & a REDWING , we then went on further down the road & saw the bird that we had come for a WHOOPER SWAN that is in with a flock of MUTE SWAN .
We then headed of towards Seaton & on the way there we came across an EGYPTIAN GOOSE on the Colyford Common , on then to Beer for a look at the wintering SURF SCOTER , also seen were 2 RED THROATED DIVER & a BLACK REDSTART .
Mark then had to go back home but Brian & myself then went to the top fields in the village of Exminster where we found 7 WOODLARK , we then finished the day of with an Adult winter MEDITERRANEAN GULL on the Exe Estuary at the recreation ground in Topsham .
MEDITERRANEAN GULL . THE TOPSHAM RECREATION GROUND . DEVON . 2 / 1 / 2007
YEAR TICKING 1st JANUARY . 2007
Out early this morning to look for yearticks with the first stop at Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham where yesterdays GREY PHALAROPE & the RUDDY DUCK were still on show along with the usual suspects that you would see on the marsh at this time of year .
I then went across the river to Exminster Marsh for a look at the 1st winter FALCATED DUCK , the only other birds of any note were 2 WHITE FRONTED GOOSE & a CETTI`S WARBLER
