October 30, 2007
29th OCTOBER . 2007
A quick look at Bowling Green Marsh today got me numerous WIGEON & SHOVELER , 3 TUFTED DOCK , 30+ BLACK-TAILED GODWIT , 10 LAPWING , 1 LITTLE STINT , 1 RUFF , 2 JAY & a GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER .
Later on the Clyst Estuary the LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER showed well for a short time .
October 28, 2007
WADER FEAST !
On Bowling Green Marsh this morning there were quite a lot of waders to be seen with numerous BLACK TAILED GODWIT , CURLEW & REDSHANK , over 100 AVOCET , 30+ DUNLIN , 20+ GOLDEN PLOVER , 20+ BAR TAILED GODWIT , 10 GREENSHANK , 6 KNOT & single LITTLE STINT , CURLEW SANDPIPER & SANDERLING & the LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER showed quite well before flying out on to the Clyst Estuary .
I then went down to the viewing platform that looks out over the Clyst Estuary & got better views of the Dowitcher along with numerous CURLEW & AVOCET & a COMMON SANDPIPER .
CURLEW SANDPIPER . BOWLING GREEN MARSH . TOPSHAM . DEVON . 28 / 10 / 2007
LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER . THE CLYST ESTUARY . DEVON . 28 / 10 / 2007
October 26, 2007
LITTLE OWL
I had a look at Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham again today but I never saw the Long-Billed Dowitcher ! but the juvenile RUFF was still there .
Out near Cullompton this LITTLE OWL showed very well & there were also 6 FIELDFARE , 2 MISTLE THRUSH , a GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER & a RAVEN .
October 25, 2007
LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER
Today I dropped into Bowling Green Marsh again for another look at yesterdays LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER but again it was on the far side of the marsh with a few LAPWING & a RUFF & And trying to get a shot of it was nearly impossible & this was the best I could do .
Out on the Exe/Clyst Estuary there were 6 LITTLE EGRET , 10 AVOCET , 5 GREENSHANK & 4 COMMON SANDPIPER .
LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER . BOWLING GREEN MARSH . TOPSHAM . DEVON . 25 / 10 / 2007
October 24, 2007
LONG-TAILED DUCK
This LONG-TAILED DUCK took me quite a long time to find this morning off of Cockwood in Shutterton Creek on the Exe Estuary but in the end I walked out onto the mud & ended up getting good views of it .
There were also a few LITTLE EGRET & GREY HERON & 1 Male & 2 Female RED-BREASTED MERGANSER .
Later in the afternoon news came out of a LONG BILLED DOWITCHER on Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham a BGM tick for me !! so I shot off to there with no scope or bins but was lucky enough to scrounge views of this bird though someone else scope ( Thanks Bob ) .
LONG TAILED DUCK . SHUTTERTON CREEK . THE EXE ESTUARY . DEVON . 24 / 10 / 2007
October 23, 2007
Pallas`s Warbler ?
News of a Pallas`s Warbler at Axmouth in East Devon had me going over there to see if I could catch up with it but the answer to that was NO , I spent around 3 & a half hours there looking for it but with no luck .
But I did find a FIRECREST in a apple tree beside the church yard , it was in with a flock of tits & crests doing a circuit around the area .
October 22, 2007
School Holidays ughhhhhhh
This morning I went to the Stover Park Country Park not knowing that it was the school half term so rather than being like a nice quiet park it was more like the Great North Run .
And all I saw were half a dozen GREAT CRESTED GREBE , a WATER RAIL , a GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER & 4 JAY .
October 17, 2007
GREAT GREY SHRIKE
Today Brian Heasman & myself went up to the Molland Common in North Devon to look for the reported GREAT GREY SHRIKE that has been seen there & we were rewarded with good but always distant views of the bird .
Also seen were 200+ GOLDEN PLOVER , 20+ FIELDFARE , 15 SISKIN , 2 RAVEN & a ringtail HEN HARRIER .
We also saw 2 Male & 7 Female RED DEER .
October 8, 2007
Birthday Boy
Today is my birthday so like I always do off I went birding ! with my first stop at Blagdon Lake in Somerset to look for the Male LESSER SCAUP that has been seen there & after a bit of a search I managed to see it quite well .
Also seen were numerous TUFTED DUCK , 2 Male & a Female RUDDY DUCK , 4 LITTLE GREBE & a KINGFISHER .
I then went to the Meare Heath Reserve again in Somerset & I saw a PECTORAL SANDPIPER , 2 RUFF , 20+ LITTLE EGRET & a juvenile PURPLE HERON that flew right in front of me & gave superb views .
October 7, 2007
Grey Phalarope
News came out yesterday of a Red Necked Phalarope seen at the Portworthy Dam in South Devon ! so this morning Brian Heasman & myself went down to look for it but when we found it it turned out to be a GREY PHALAROPE that was showing very well .
Also seen were 4 MISTLE THRUSH , 3 JAY & a GREEN WOODPECKER was heard calling .
October 5, 2007
The Big Dipper
A long trip up to Flamborough Head in Yorkshire today to look for yesterdays Brown Flycatcher just turned into a big dipp !!!!!!!!
But there was a few birds in the wood with a YELLOW BROWED WARBLER , 2 COMMON CHIFFCHAFF ( One of the Siberian race ) , 2 BRAMBLING & a LESSER WHITETHROAT seen .
We then went to Buckton where we got good but distant views of an ISABELLINE SHRIKE of the Turkestan Race that has been there for a few days now , & we also saw a TREE SPARROW .
October 3, 2007
A GOOD DAY !!
Today was quite productive with the following birds seen on Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham , 41 LITTLE EGRET , numerous BLACK TAILED GODWIT , CURLEW & REDSHANK , 50+ AVOCET , 10 GREENSHANK , 50+ DUNLIN , 4 CURLEW SANDPIPER , 6 GOLDEN PLOVER , a LITTLE STINT & a RUFF .
In the afternoon Andy Bond , Ken Montandon & myself went to the Meare Heath Reserve in Somerset as there had been a report of a possible Sharp Tailed Sandpiper there but all we saw were 50+ COMMON SNIPE , a GREEN SANDPIPER , a WATER RAIL & a MEDITERRANEAN GULL .
But the highlight for me was photographing Adder for the first time & seeing my first ever Otter in England .
GOLDEN PLOVER . BOWLING GREEN MARSH . TOPSHAM . DEVON . 3 / 10 / 2007
LITTLE STINT . BOWLING GREEN MARSH . TOPSHAM . DEVON . 3 / 10 / 2007
October 1, 2007
Birding Cornwall
Today Andy Bond , Ken Montandon & myself went down to Cornwall to do some birding with our first stop being at the St Gothian Sands at Gwithian to look for a reported PECTORAL SANDPIPER & we were soon having good views of this American wader .
Also seen there were 6 LITTLE STINT , 4 DUNLIN , 3 GREY PLOVER 1 RINGED PLOVER , a GREY WAGTAIL & a WHITE WAGTAIL .
We then went to Cynance Cove on the Lizard peninsula to look for some reported Buff Breasted Sandpiper but we could not find them , but we did see a Female HEN HARRIER , 6 WHEATEAR & 10 CHOUGH , on our way back home we stopped at the Davidstow Airport to look for another Buff Breasted Sandpiper but we dipped that one as well .
