South Devon Bird Blog

09.05.09

noreply@blogger.com (da2m) — Sat, 09 May 2009 21:02:00 +0000

I'm well chuffed the bird I have managed to dip for a few years now was reeling on Knighton Heath this evening a Grasshopper Warbler, when I was look for Nightjar, who were also churring. I think thats my first proper find. Yiphee for me.

14.04.09

noreply@blogger.com (da2m) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:15:00 +0000

A great little bird and 2 site ticks for the Passage house this morning. The Little Ring Plover was still present from yesterday and flew off, heading towards Newton Abbot shortly after this photo was taken. But the 2nd site tick was a singing Cetti's Warbler. Also present were 2 Common Sandpipers.

12.04.09

noreply@blogger.com (da2m) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 11:49:00 +0000

Early start at the warren this morning was very cold. From the sea wall there was a lack of birds. I walked through 1st pond where a Willow Warbler and a Chiff were trying to out do each other sing. If there's any bird that reminds me of spring it the Willow Warb.
Met up with a friend and walked to the warren point and there was a Wheatear on the sign there. On the estuary side of the warren were 7 Turnstone, 4 Dunlin and a single Sanderling and Sarnie Tern(missed the Gropper though).
Walked back down to the top of the golf course and found 2male and a female Sand Lizard. Watch possibly the worst golfer in the world, I thought at one point that I would challenged him to a round, he could use his sticks and I would throw the ball! When the 6 hole was free I was challenged to throw a ball closest to the hole, I won.
God know what we missed while we were playing but 4 Swallows passed through.
I had to be back home and on the way passed the main pond a Reed Warbler was singing it's head off.

18.03.09

noreply@blogger.com (da2m) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 13:05:00 +0000

This is my 1st Wheater of the year. He was at the Warren in Greenland lake. It always amazes me how far these stunners travel. Other birds included 6 Chiffs, 1 Slavonian Grebe, 2 Red Throated Divers, Gannets.

06.03.09

noreply@blogger.com (da2m) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 17:52:00 +0000

Well after a week off and a little birding done i managed a Goshawk today. They were distant views but they were good views. Also this week I have been to Bowling Green Marsh and Yarner Wood. Not much to report, only common birds but I will watch anything.

04.02.09

noreply@blogger.com (da2m) — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 21:58:00 +0000

A quick stop at the passage house before work, in the freezing cold found an Avocet really close to the car park. A Greenshank was further upriver. A small flock of waders flew past and landed, turned out to be 17 Dunlin and 7 Redshank, the most Dunlin I have ever seen there. GCG was in the river as were numerous Gulls, Common, Blackheaded, Herring, Lesser and Greater Black Backed.

01.02.09

noreply@blogger.com (da2m) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 12:47:00 +0000

I started at the warren this morning because yesterday they had a good day down there, which was the exact opposite to today. I did manage 1 Little Gull but it was brief. Red throated Divers were a plenty and the Velvet, Surf and Common Scoter were all present.
But I like to feel my hands and feet so went off to find a missing bird off my list.
I didn't have to go far as right by the road side just off the Exeter to Dawlish rd was this lovely Red legged Partridge. The photo was taken through my car windscreen but it's a record shot!

22.01.08

noreply@blogger.com (da2m) — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 12:05:00 +0000

Powderham village, in the field next to the chruch, were 3 Cattle Egrets.

17.01.09

noreply@blogger.com (da2m) — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 19:28:00 +0000

I have been really patient over the last couple of days, not being able to get down to Paignton for the Penduline Tit, but it was worth it. I had a few hours out this afternoon and headed that way.

The bird showed really well for about 10 minutes. It was very active, feeding off the reeds. But then vanished, I hung around for another 10 mins but it never showed again so I went to Broadsands.

By the time I got down there the wind had really picked up. I found a seat over looking the bay and started to pick up birds on the sea. Lots of gulls and a very distant Black Neck Grebe. There was a raft of Eider with a Velvet Scoter tagging along.

08.01.09

noreply@blogger.com (da2m) — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 21:06:00 +0000

My mornig started at Countess weir in Exeter this morning. I was greeted by a Goldcrest calling in a Bramble hedge.The ship canal was completely frozen over. On the Exe, which was very low, a flock of Black heads were preening, some where starting to come into breeding plumage. Up river 2 Common Sandpipers were feeding along the frozen shoreline and a F Goosander was in the river. Also present were Stonechat, grey and pied wag, pipit sp and 2 snipe.
I walked to the Riverside cp but the was not much around, all the pond were frozen.
On my way home I stopped off to see if the Little Owls were out in Dunchidiock, there was one in the open, preening and watching the Wood pigs being twitchy. Redwing and Fieldfare a plenty.

15.12.08

noreply@blogger.com (da2m) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:13:00 +0000

I had a nice walk along the Exe canal this morning. On the ponds were Teal, Wigeon, Snipe(calling). A flock of Redwing were feeding on the otherside of the canal. Further along was the female Scaup who was beautiful and happy to let me stand only about 5m away. This will possibly be the last year tick this year.

02.12.08

noreply@blogger.com (da2m) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 18:37:00 +0000

What a cold day! I went to Countess Weir in Exeter to see if the reported Scaup was around but didn't see it. I did see loads of Goldcrests, I'm talking 8+ in such a small area. I thought I might be onto a Firecrest but it wasn't. Chiffchaffs were also in good numbers but they were so mobile that I couldn't tell if they were the reported Siberian Chiffs.
But the rain and the cold were just to much and I left after about 1 1/2hours.

27.11.08

noreply@blogger.com (da2m) — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 19:23:00 +0000

I had a couple of hours to spare this afternoon so I went to BGM. As I walked down towards the hide I could hear the Teal whistling and saw some Wigeon feeding around the pools, 7 Brent Geese flew over the site too.
There was alot of common stuff there, Lapwing, Blackwits, Canada G's, Shovelers and the beautiful Pintail. I the walked towards the VP.
On the walk I was mesmerized by the Redwings that were feeding on the Hawthorn berries. In the field next to the VP 50+ Brents were socializing, I had never seen this many Brents at this site before.
By the gate to the VP was a Goldcrest, which I had to stop and check out. At the VP, Grey Plover, Redshank, Avocets, Curlew and 150+ Dunlin were all busy feeding on the rising tide.
The walk back produces a Fieldfare calling from a dead tree.

I had to put this in, I love the sound. Did you know that Swan means noise, thought to be from the wings, so these are no noise!

16.11.08

noreply@blogger.com (da2m) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 17:40:00 +0000

I managed to see the elusive Sardinian Warbler this afternoon, it showed well but briefly so no photo.

11.11.08

noreply@blogger.com (da2m) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 12:07:00 +0000

Dawlish Warren.
Not many birds, GCG and a few Tit flocks. I think this is a Migrant Darter but please correct me if I'm wrong.

07.10.08

noreply@blogger.com (da2m) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:53:00 +0000

Sea watching at the warren this morning between 0730-0840, in the howling wind and rain. Misses a Bonxy but at least 8 Arctic Skuas. Loads of Kitts and Gannets. 1 knot, 2 Sarnies and thats about it!

05.10.08

noreply@blogger.com (da2m) — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 21:27:00 +0000

It was the first day of my weeks holiday and I had to try and make it down to the warren, I did and it was worth the wait.

I watched the sea for about 1/2 an hour, 1 Shearwater(to far out to id) and a Skua (sp) but again to far out. There was a couple of Arctic Skuas around and later on this morning 2 flew very close by the dune ridge, both dark phase.

I made my way to the dune ridge with a mate and as we're setting up someone shouts 'MERLIN ON A WOODEN POST CLOSE BY'. I haven't seen 1 in 2 years and there one sat about 50m from us, just as I get my camera on it a Magpie mobs it and it's off, but it was a lovely adult female. A few minutes later she reappeared on another post about 200m away, hence the crap photos.

There were some waders in the bight but by the time the Merlin had gone, so had they. So had I, I said I would be back for lunch!!!

On my way back, past the main pond, I heard a familiar bird call but at the same time some thing was not right. I found a clearing and saw a Kingfisher being chased by another female Merlin, whether it was the same bird, who knows but I watch this life or death struggle as the KF darted around, giving the M the slip. The KF did get away, calling like a speeding express train, over the trees and off. Mean while the M was again being mobbed by Corvids.

16.09.08

noreply@blogger.com (da2m) — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 20:52:00 +0000

Curlew Sand under a Curlew

I had a lovely couple of hours at Bowling green marsh this morning.
I got there for high(ish) tide and there were loads of birds around, the waders were all bunched up so you couldn't get a good view of what was there, until an Osprey few over.

As usually everything went up, a group of Avocets mobbed the Osprey as it circled over the site but everything settled once it was gone.

Then the fun started. I called out 2 Ruff walking along the far shore, feeding. Dave, another birder there, called Curlew Sandpiper. We managed maximum 4 Ruff in total and at least 6 Curlew sands.

Then the Canada geese started to come in. They brought out Wigeon and 2 Barnacle Geese, which I have been missing for ages. There was also a movement of finches, mainly Gold by their call. Other species included Blackwit, Red & Greenshank, Dunlin, Lpwing, Little Grebe, Teal, Shoveler, Little egret, Heron and a Sparrowhawk.

Great times.

31.08.08

noreply@blogger.com (da2m) — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 20:56:00 +0000

i'm sorry no matter what i do i can't get these photos the right way around!!!

Finally managed to get time to see the Semipalmated Sandpiper at the warren. Work and home life have just taken over!

I got down at about 1845 and there were still other birders and photogs there.
The bird, as you can see had it's head under it's wing, dozing but it did occasionaly pop it's head up and gave good, close views of a rare find indeed.

Other birds to note; Artic Skua, Gannet, Sarnies, Dunlin, Sanderling, Turnstone and a Chiff

18.08.08

noreply@blogger.com (da2m) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:25:00 +0000

I really love these birds, they are so magestic and i watched, in awe, one preening at Powderham today.
Previously I went to Dawlish Warren ans watched the sea for an hour. Only good birds were 2 Artic Skua and a handful of Sarnies.

10.08.08

noreply@blogger.com (da2m) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 23:00:00 +0000

Black Tern under the red arrow(don't worry the arrow isn't at the warren)

Dawlish Warren this morning produced a flurry of Terns.
I got to the hide and everyone was watching a Black Tern on the far side of the river, it showed reasonably well and even managed to watch it feeding. Beauty of a bird, really small next to the Sarnies.
Other highlight included a Slavonian grebe towards Cockwood, Common and Sarnie Terns and a lovely Rosiate Tern, close by and in great condition.

The rosey is the one in the middle that takes off and lands straight away.
I watched the sea for a bit but gave up cos I didn't see anything.

There was a strange juv gull in the bight, it was thought to be a 1st summer Yellow Legged Gull, this caused much debate, which I don't think got resolved. I thought that the bill shape was to thin but I have just been looking at the Portland Bird Observatories web site and they had a similar looking bird earlier in the week. Who knows??????

04.08.08

noreply@blogger.com (da2m) — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 12:05:00 +0000

Bowling Green Marsh

Crap photo but it shows plumage well.

This Wood Sandpiper was by the fisherman's car park in Exminster marshes. There were also Curlew and Blackwit.
I moved onto Bowling Green and there was loads of stuff. Whimbrel, Ringed plover, Lapwing, Blackwit, Redshank, Greenshank, Dunlin, Sanderling, Teal, loads of Blackheads, Canada Geese and 2 Barheaded Geese.
On the road there as juv Willow Warblers calling

20.07.08

noreply@blogger.com (da2m) — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 22:30:00 +0000

I took this this morning from my nursery window. They have got chicks and have started to add onto the nest.

17.07.08

noreply@blogger.com (da2m) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 21:23:00 +0000

Topsham this morning.
I haven't had a sniff of a Med Gull all year then I get 3 in 20 mins!!!
As you can see I went along to the rec at Topsham and scanned the gull that were there. Mostly BH gulls but there was a scruffy, I think 2nd winter MG by the shore. I walked along to the bigger roost under the M5 flyover and found an adult MG with a couple of rings on, I think they say M12 on the right leg. After looking through the rest of them I walked back. There was now another MG

While there I also found a juv Herring Gull caught up in some rigging on a small boat. I spoke to someone from the fire and rescue and they were sorting it. Hopefully it all ended well.

16.07.08

noreply@blogger.com (da2m) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 20:54:00 +0000

Well it has been a long time since I've posted. I really have only been birding a few times in the last month and they were really not worth the time to type anything out.

So it felt a bit strange going out this afternoon for a bit, in the heat of the day.

I found myself at Exminster Marsh and the first bird was the elusive Spoonbill. Managed a few minutes watching it( 3 photos) and saw it's bill. But i moved on. A flock of Blackwits were on one of the pools and that was pretty much it. Apart from the usual martins and gulls