29.02.08

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.

25.02.08

pottery ponds again
the ybw was agin present and was showing really well.
also found firecrest, bullfinchs, redwing, goldcrest and blackcaps.

24.02.08

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.

21.02.08

Minotor beetle

i found this at the warren house area inn this morning. i also found some frogspawn. i did see some toad spawn 2 weeks ago up there.

oh still no shrike for me.
ahhhh

19.02.08

very frustrated, i have been upto the warren house area 4 times and still missed the shrike. ahhhhhhhhhhhh


today at the passage house,green and redshank. reed bunting calling and grey heron flyover

12.02.08

(marsh harrier)

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

08.02.08

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.

07.02.08

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.

04.02.08

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.

01.02.08

cold!!

Popped into cardew ponds(by the pottery) to see if the red crested polchard was around, it was.

drove to countess wier to find the falcated duck, it was there too.

then walked to riverside to see if i could find jack snipe, with no luck!