May 7, 2008
American Golden Plover
A look at Exminster Marsh this morning got me the 1st summer AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER again + a HOBBY , 6 SEDGE WARBLER & 8 SWALLOW .
I then went to Yarner Wood on the edge of Dartmoor where I saw 4 WOOD WARBLER , a Male & Female PIED FLYCATCHER & a pair of nesting TREECREEPER , I then walked up to the heath & was rewarded with good views of a GARDEN WARBLER & a TREE PIPIT & there were a few WILLOW WARBLER singing their heads off .
May 5, 2008
WHISKERED TERN
An early morning look at Exmouth bay got me 4 MANX SHEARWATER , 50+ COMMON SCOTER , 60+ COMMON TERN & a single ARCTIC TERN , then news broke of a WHISKERED TERN at Radipole in Dorset so I met up with Ken Montandon & off we went to see if get it .
We arrived at Radipole & got the bird right away flying up & down the stretch of water by the tennis courts with a couple of COMMON TERN , we also saw a few BEARDED TIT , we then went to Lodmoor where there were more COMMON TERN & this HOOPOE that has been around a few days & on the way back home there was a few LITTLE TERN at Ferrybridge / Portland Bay .
May 4, 2008
AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER
This morning I went over to the Exminster Marshes to see if any Hobby were around , I walked down towards the main lagoon with another birder stoppping on the way to look at several SEDGE WARBLER & CETTI`S WARBLER , on reaching the lagoon we had a look for Hobby but there was none showing just some COMMON SWIFT we then had a plover type bird fly off down the Exe Estuary .
As the other birder was walking his dogs he walked off towards the Turf Hotel but I stayed there looking & about 20 minutes later I picked up a plover type wader on one of the scrapes that grabbed my atention right away so I waved to the other birder & called him back we then looked at the bird for a while not to sure in what we had ! so he called some other birders & after a while the bird went down as a Golden Plover & the birders dispersed but I was still not happy with it so I shot off a few more shots of it & then about an hour later it was flushed by a HOBBY & flew showing greyish axillaries so I went home to look at the pictures , once home I was pretty sure that it wasn`t a G P so I sent the shots off to someone else who confirmed what was in my thoughts that it was an AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER another good bird for the marshes & a County tick for me .
Also seen today was a WOOD SANDPIPER , a COMMON TERN & 3 HOBBY .
AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER . EXMINSTER MARSHES . DEVON . 4 / 5 / 2008
May 3, 2008
BLACK TERN
This morning I heard news that there was a BLACK TERN on the Exminster Marshes so over I went to see if I could catch up with it , the bird was soon spotted flying over the main lagoon but getting a shot of it was nearly impossible what with the distance & the bird being constantly in flight & this was the best I could do .
There was also 100+ SWIFT & a few SAND MARTIN over the lagoon as well & on the walk back to the car there were 3 SEDGE WARBLER , 2 CETTI`S WARBLER & a REED BUNTING .
May 2, 2008
Wednesday 30th April . 2008
A quick look at the Exminster Marshes got me a Male GARGANEY on the main lagoon , my first 6 SEDGE WARBLER of the year , 3 REED WARBLER 3 CETTI`S WARBLER , 50+ SAND MARTIN , 20+ HOUSE MARTIN , 10 SWALLOW & my first SWIFTS of the year also .
Sunday 27th May . 2008
Trip to Lundy Island
Today Ken Montandon & myself went on the Devon Birdwatching Society trip to Lundy Island & as the boat was leaving Bideford we saw a 1st summer MEDITERRANEAN GULL & 2 COMMON SANDPIPER , once the boat had got out into the open sea we saw a few Harbour Porpoise & some MANX SHEARWATER then after a while some STORM PETREL were seen along with numerous GUILLEMOT & RAZORBILL , on reaching Lundy the boat went around the island & we were in luck with 2 PUFFIN seen ! one sat on the sea & the other in flight .
We then disembarked & made our way up the island , once at the top I had a look at a sheep field & found a WHITE WAGTAIL & a YELLOW/BLUE HEADED WAGTAIL , we then heard news that a RING OUZEL had been found so we went & got good views of it , there had been a bit of a fall of birds with over 150 CHIFFCHAFF , 20+ WHEATEAR , 10 WILLOW WARBLER , 6 BLACKCAP , a few WHITETHROAT & a REED WARBLER seen .
No major rare birds were seen but a good day was had by all & on the way back to the mainland good numbers of GANNET , FULMAR & a few more Manxies were seen
