31.12.07

before the weather closed in this morning i had great views of a huge finch flock at ludwell valley country park. the flock was a good 500+ birds including brambling, gold and greenfinch, house sparrow and reed bunting all feeding on seeds in rough pasture. also the first bird of the day was a sparrowhawk. 3 fieldfare were in the bushes too.

i am a bit gutted about this year as i only had 1 bird more than last year and that was low. this years count was 177 species.

better luck next year.

happy new year!!

22.12.07

Scaup at stover. lovelly.

21.12.07

i had a hour or 2 to do a bit of birdin so i started around allerbrook fishing ponds. 6 canada geese, goldcrest, 20 siskin with a few goldfinches in. also a green wody in the background.

i moved onto the teigngrace rd to see if the cattle egret was there, it was and i had great, close views. also present pied wag, little egret, mipipit and redwing. in the field opposite was a single fieldfare.

i then went to the passage house. as i got there 40 lapwing went up, i think that is the most this year. many blackheads and herrings and blackbacks. a single redshank and greenshank were feeding in the rising tide.

13.12.07

Drove to Countess Weir in Exeter. Another cold morning, really starting to feel like winter.

Made my way around SWW works to the Sludge beds. Saw blue, great and long tailed tits. I looked through the gulls but nothing out of the ordinary.

I wandered around the sludge beds not seeing much from the blinding low sun. I came to the walk way by he pylon and saw a robin feeding on the ground but some thing else was there too, skulking through the mud and leaf litter, a Water Rail. I had really great views of this hard to see bird, made my day.

I continued around and found 2 chiffs chasing each other! Also gs woodpecker and Kingfisher flying across the marsh.

10.12.07

I finally caught up with the Cattle Egret that is so close to home. I went to find it yesterday but the rain was so heavy. There was Curlew, mipipit, redwing and pied wags there too.

I have had a poor year birding this year, my list is down( i won't count it until 31.12.07) but i have had some good birds. saying that i have missed some good birds too.

I still need Short eared owl for the year. Bogey birds are Hoopoe for the UK and Hawfinch for life. maybe next year will be better!!

28.11.07

well chuffed, found a Ruddy Duck at BGM today, but no photo.

12&13.11.07

12th
I really love this time of year. Not only are there loads of birds around but the scenery is stunning. I took my boy to Yarner Wood because he is getting that age were he can come with me and watch wildlife (only for about 10 seconds though!) We got there for 0900 and the sun was just starting to climb over the top of Lower Down. We made our way to the hide and on the way saw a small flock of Redwing. Also Blue, Great, Long-tail, Coal and Marsh Tits with a Nuthatch and GS woodpecker calling and drumming around the area. After a walk we made our way back to the car and watched a Gray Wag catching inverts on a car wing mirror.

13th
I got to go to BGM after dropping the boy at school. Loads around again but over cast.
Golden Plover, Lapwing, Dunlin, Blackwit, Teal, Shoveler, Wigeon, Blackhead, heron and something putting them all up but remained unseen but no LB dow.
It was nice to see Redwing and Fieldfare flying together in big flocks (100+).

Wren in the garden.

25.10.07

I saw the reports from last night about the Long billed Dowitcher at Bowling Green Marsh and had some spare time before work so I made my way there. I got there about 20 mins before it flew to the Clyst. In that time it mainly tucked it's head under it's wing.
I re found the bird at the mud banks off the viewing platform and had great views of it but the bad light ruined any chance of a good shot on the phone! But I did watch it feed with Barwits and Redshanks.

22.10.07

I was suprised to find Blackwits and a barwit at the passage house today. Also present was Redshank, Knot, Curlew, Snipe, Lapwing and many gulls(herring,GBBG and BH) also saw a Kingfisher.

18.10.07

Managed to get an hour away from the fam at Bowling Green Marsh.
I pleased to find Golden Plover and my first Ruff for the year! I also saw my first Avocet for the Autumn.

12.09.07

I went to Passage house after work at mid tide, yet again the Osprey that has been hunting was there, sitting in the water for about 5 mins at one stage. Flew off up river with a small fish being mobbed by a Crow.
I went down yesterday at it was there then too. Also so 2 Blackwits, a Knot and a Kingfisher.

no internet!

i have moved so have no internet for 2 weeks. so hear are some photos. close up of the back of a Dunlin. Curlew sandpiper and a Dunlin and a Curlew Sand all at the warren.

02.03.07

Down the warren. Little stint, yellow wag, teal. Also watched dolphin with a baby.

30.08.07

Great my first osprey on the teign at passage house. Flew up river from teignmouth at 1000. Then went back down then back again. Cracking adult bird. Also 2 kingfisher and common sandpiper.

17.08.07

Can you see it?

Yep there is a Curlew Sandpiper in there somewhere.
My 1st for the year at the warren. I also found a Sedge Warbler in the bushes around the main pond with Chiffs and juv Reed Warbs.

Ringed Plovers have increased loads over the last week, well over 400 with Sanderling and Dunlin also roosting above the high tide line.

13.08.07

Another lovely day but only common bird on show at the warren. But migrants are starting to move. Today day I had 147 Ringed Plovers, Wheatear, Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs, 7 Knot and 3 Juv Turnstones.
An added bonus was watching a model have a photo shoot!!!!!! Best bird of the day;)

10.08.07

had a trip to the warren today.
loads of common birds.
2 artic terns
sarnies
ringies
swallow
reed warb
willow warb
heron
common tern
whimbrel
curlew
backhead
longtailed tit
I can't wait till we have a bit more movement

Popped into Bowling Green this evening, nothing apart form a Little Grebe in front of the hide.

The viewing platform had a few more birds. 100+ Redshank, Greenshank, Blackheads, 3 Ringed Plovers, Blackwits, 3 Sandwich Terns,Dunlin,Oycs,Little Egret, Curlew, Whimbrel and Common Sandpipper. But what a lovely evening.

On the way back to the car I saw a Hobby hunting Swallows along the road. Believe it or not but that's my first one this year!!!

05.08.06

Caught up with the long staying Laughing Gull on the Exe today. It was on the tidal mud flats by Topsham playing fields. I first saw this bird in Newton Abbot in January, it has hardly changed since then.

Also present was the gorgeous Slavonian Grebe still in summer plumage. Other birds included LBBG, Blackheads, Common Sandpiper(about 10!), Blackwit Reed Warbler, Swallows ,House Martins.

This is a great little spot that is easy to get to and always has something to watch, get down there!

29.07.07

Well it was nice to get out this morning, I went to Bowling Green Marsh in Topsham. Unfortunately the kids decided last night to trash the public hide down there(bastards).

Green and Redshank, Blackwit, Dunlin , Grey Plover and Common Sands were all present this morning in front of the hide and on the River Clyst from the viewing platform.

In the evening I meet up with some friends at the warren and found a Med Gull, Arctic Skuas, Gannet, Common and Sarnie Terns amongst other common birds there.

12.07.07

I managed a couple of hours at stover cp today with my son. It was quite a good time to see butterflies. As you can see from the photos we found Marbled Whites, Silver Washed Fritillary, Gatekeepers and the surprise of the day a Large Tortoiseshell all in the same area.

We also found a Grass Snake egg( hatched)

09.07.07

I think this is my 50th post.

I went to Dartmoor this afternoon, around the Warren House Inn area. The first bird of the trip was a stunning Dartford Warbler. Then I saw a bird flying over head, it was a Curlew!! Other birds to note were Sky and Wood lark. Swallow, Kestral, Buzzard, Raven but no Ring Ouzel.

I must find one before they migrate.

03.07.07 & 04.07.07

I managed to get a bit of time on Tuesday and went up to Saddle Tor to see what was around. Skylarks were singing in between the rain showers. As I walked from Saddle Tor towards Haytor i heard the chat of the Whinchat and they were close, they were also joined by a Reed Bunting, odd I thought. There were plenty of Wheatears but no Ring Ouzels.

Wednesday brought much the same weather but I had to get to the warren. There was the normal birds around. As I didn't have much time, I walked towards the bight and as I got closer the gulls went up and hovering over the bight was an Osprey, my first for the year and the first for the year at the warren. YEAH. It stayed around for about 10 mins, fishing, catching a huge fish before flying towards Starcross. I have never seen an Osprey fish before, what a treat.

29.06.07

A quick look into the passage house revealed a solitary Redshank and over 50 Curlew. Also present were 2 Little Egret and a few Black heads.

26.06.07

Again not many trips out birding this month but Autumn is coming.

I took a trip to Topsham and had a look on the river by the rec. A cracking Med gull was with the Black head and also present were 4 Black wits. A Lesser Black Back Gull flew in and started trying to eat an eel or fish. I thought the lbb looked very dark.

Well it's been a quiet month for me, I have been out but nothing to shout about.

Today however I got a call from a friend to say that a Woodchat Shrike was at the warren and low and behold it was, I didn't get any good photos but the views were awesome. We even saw it catch prey and eat it. On further investigation it was a mouse that it brain and innards ripped out.

cracking bird.

Took my boy to Yarner Wood this morning, a what a beautiful sight an English wood is in the spring. Cuckoos were calling and the wood was alive with bird song.

After that we went to Knighton heath and found a Broad Bodied Chaser( dragonfly), this was the first for the year. We came back after lunch and found a Beautiful Demoiselle (damselfly)and a few Common Lizards.

This evening I paid a visit to the passage to see if there had been and new migrants, the only ones seemed to been 3 more Whimbrels making the count now 6 and 2 Curlew. No passage gulls unfortunately!!!!!!!

29.04.07

This photo is from last year but tonight I saw my first Nightjar on Chudleigh knighton heath this year.

It was a male as far as I could tell, it flew very close to me and vanished.

28.04.07

Yarner wood held 12 birds just in the car park this morning but not the one i wanted, a cuckoo.

I did find loads of Pearl Boarderd Fritillary. I had 6 species of butterfly today too. Orangetip, Common Blue, Green Veined White, Peacock, Brimstone and the Fritillary.

27.04.07

First of all I would like to admit to an id error, yesterday I told of 2 pair of Garganey, it was only a male with a female Pintail, I took a photo but didn't post it and couldn't really see it either.

I popped into the warren with the family, they kindly let me have half an hour to look around, Reed Warblers were calling and singing and occasionally flying past. Saw a Green Veined White and a Small Copper butterfly in Greenland lake with a unidentified moth in dead dolphin wood, either a wave or emerald but deffinitly a Geo.

This evening I went up to Haldon Forest to see if any Nightjars have arrived, I went up last week but all was quiet. However tonight I heard 1 chirring and saw 1 flying around. I also went to Stover, a mothr was there and he said he heard 1 but I didn't.

At home I found this (above) moth, I believe it's a Small Phoenix.

26.04.07

In exmouth on holiday with the family. In topsham heard and saw 2 swift in the high st. Also went to bowling green marsh and saw 2 pair of Gargany in front me the hide. Sand and house Martins were busy feeding and collecting mud for nest building.

22.04.07

After yesterday great hawl at the warren(for somebody) ,I was hoping it was going to be a good day for me, and with one of the wardens(thanks Dale) managed the highest count of sarnies so far this year.

There was a massive movement of Sarnies in the evening 100+ feeding and flying around. There were 42 on one of the sand bars off Exmouth at one point with 5 Commics, 2 of which were Commons Terns.

Also on the sea 2 Fulmars, Razors, Scoter and 2 Common Gulls could be found as well as 5 Whimbrel coming off the sea and landing on he beach by groyne 9.

Elsewhere Chiffs and Willows where again making themselves heard in the trees and bushes, while at least 2 Whitethroats were being aggressive, possibly fighting over territories. 6 Swallow, 1 Blackcap also made an appearance to make it really seem like summer is on its way.

I also saw 3 speckled woods around the 1st pond.

On the way home I noticed a number of Martins feeding around Cockwood harbour.

21.04.07

Hellish day at work, popped into the passage house on the way home and found this little beauty, Dark Bellied Brent Goose, feeding and resting with 7 Canada Geese.

Maybe tomorrow!!!!!!!

20.04.07

On this rare occasion i took my digicam with me, just to try it out with my scope and the first piccy is with that, the second with my phone.

Well another quite morning at the warren, there were 9 Sandwich Terns flying around and calling and 1 was even on a basket. But the rest was of the norm. 1 sand martin, 3 house martins and 6 swallows passed me on their way to feed. but that pretty much it for migrants.

15.04.07

What a great day!

I had to do a bird survey this morning for the RSPB. When I left the house the sun was still under the horizon but on the way down the A38 I got one of my bogey birds, a Barn Owl. I have seen countless displays with them in but this was my first wild one.

At the farm I found loads of summer migrant which weren't there last time, Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs and Swallows(which were looking at an old nest). Another surprise for the day was my first Brambling of the year.

could it get any better?

I had finished the survey by 0930 so I disided to go to Yarner Wood, as it isn't far from home. When I got there the car park was quite full but I found a place. As I got out so were many other, I have never seen so many birders there! I but don't mind, more pairs of eyes!

I have been trying to find Lesser Spotted Woodpecker here for over a year, I have seen one at Stover 3 years ago but I really need one at Yarner!!!

I knew that Pied Flycatchers were there and so heard their lovely call. As I walked up the main path 2 Cornish birders had seen LSW already nearby and a female PFC was feeding in the canopy and made a visit down for a good view, stunning bird( I say this about most bird but this one I really mean, STUNNING). As we walked on as a group the LSW flew and everyone got a great view and it hang around for a bit too.

How many year ticks is that now?4

Then when looking in the canopy a female Redstart was feeding and flicking her tail so you could see her orange tail, 5. What a day! This looks like the first sighting this year.

I then took the back path towards the hide and found a male PFC calling and getting pushed away from nest boxes by a Blue Tit.

Now 5 year ticks isn't much but I had a great day.