Another cold morning. I had a quick look in at the passage house this morning and found 3 egyptian geese on the far shore. 7 snipe,5 redshank, numerous curlew and lots of gulls.
I heard the news of the yellow browed warbler and as I only live 5 mins away, made this my first stop before work. I had a walk arond the pottery pond, saw goldies, blackcap but no YBW. Disheartened (again) I made my way to the passage house.
The first bird was a singing reed bunting. I checked the gull just common, gbbg,lbbg,bhg around. I also watched a dabchick feeding.
So afterwork I thought I'd sneak in the YBW so back to pottery pond. Well I'm blowed I meet another birder who hasn't seen it and as we walk around to the small copse there it is, very mobile and quiet as you like. Cracking bird. Alot better views of this one than the one at countess wier last year.
Slapton ley, 1030-1530, sunny with some cloud, SE wind
I went for my bi annual trip to SL today. I was hoping for the ring billed gull.
The first bird of the day was a Cetti's Warbler singing in the reeds. I followed the footpath around the ley to Ireland bay because this is where the RBG has been seen. I saw hundreds of RBG but 1 after another they magically turned into common gulls!
After an hour of watching them I took a walk further along the path and managed a Mistle thrush and a Greater Spot drumming. Iwalked back to the viewing platform.
Just as I got there and set up my scope for another look at the gull, some started to fly in from further back up the bay, as I watched a Marsh Harrier quartered it's way towards the sea. It was a beautiful male bird. Big time chuffed as this is a lifer for me.
I did some more double taking on the gull and by this time it was 1300 hrs, lunch time. I made my way back to the car, had lunch and then sea-watched for 20 mins but there was nothing there. so i thought i would see what was at Beesand Ley.
Even colder there, saw a Marsh Harrier but i think it was the same one, it was being chased of by 3 Buzzards! But not much on the ley there too so I called it a day.
Here is a list of bird seen today; cetti's warbler gadwall coot moorhen water rail mistle thrush robin mallard tufted duck herring gull Common gull black headed gull blackbird great crested grebe blackcap greater spotted woodpecker phesant long tailed tit goldcrest wren blue tit wood pigeon chaffinch song thrush marsh harrier greater black backed gull mute swan cormerant raven canada goose crow rook starling buzzard polchard meadow pipit greenfinch stonechat pied wagtail jackdaw
I popped into the passage house before work this morning. The usual common birds around. GBBG, blackheads coming into summer plumage, common gulls in verious stages of plumage, herrings. 6 redshank 2 curlew. A male stone chat was in his territory same as last year.
3 trips out today and the last(closest to home waas the best) I went to Topsham this morning. Looked for med gull by the rec but no joy. I did see a common sandpiper in an odd posistion on the river(see photo)
Went to Bowling green, not much there but there were 6 snipe in the open all together.
I then went for a walk along the teign river and found 3 dipper, 2 cirl bunting and 3 buzzard, 1 of which was on the ground in a small park.
Cracking views of little owls today. I watched them for 30 mins just transfixed on them.
I have to say these, i think are my favourite birds i've seen since i've been birding. They are so charismatic and a challange to see. They are not the rarest of birds, by no means the prettiest, there just something about them.
The video is off my mobile so please forgive the quality. It is a new thing i'm trying.
i live in a small village in south devon and i could never move from the area(medical rasons( i go mad in big town(don't even think about cities)). Now a family man and love it.
I will, as much as i can use photos and now video taken on my sony ericsson K850i either through a scope or not. This is a mobile phone so the photos arn't great, but they are record shots.
