30.04.08

A trip to the warren was on the cards but the weather wasn't the best.

I watched a flock of about 30 tern fly towards the end of the warren so I walked that way. I found this little stunner watching prey by the visitor centre. Then I watched some Swallows feeding over the main pond.

I walked upto a good sea watching post and settled down for a couple of hours.
Lots more Commics now with 1 positive Artic Tern. Shearwaters on the horizon but unable to id. 1 summer plumage Red Throat and my first Swift of the year.

Last night
Still no Nightjars but they were early last year. However I was looking for them last night when I heard a noise behind me, I looked around a saw a bird flying towards me, I thought ' that looks to big for a Nightjar and as it got closer and lower I realised it was a Buzzard( at night!!!!!) anyway it didn't stop coming towards me and then I what it was about to do. See it was cold again last night and I wore my winter hat that has spouts( not brussels) on the top. I then ducked as the bird missed my head by about a foot(my size foot thank F@*K cos theirs is sharp), it then circled and I thought it was going to have another go but it flew way.

24.04.08

Dawlish warren this morning gave me the chance to get a few more year ticks. I missed the Nightingale by a few minutes and went back for it but no sign. Year ticks included Whitethroat, Common, Little and Arctic Tern. Other birds included 40ish Pale Bellied Brent Goose( possible record) flying up river toward Starcross and settling on the river, Knot, Dunlin, Ringy, Peregrine, Barwit, Whimbrel, Sanderling, Swallow, Sand Martin and many of the usual birds.

There was also a Common Seal catching 40 winks just off shore.

22.04.08

This is a comparison between Lesser and Greater Black Back Gulls. In the first photo you can clearly see the size difference between the two gulls. You can also notice the thickness of the bill here, the lesser looks like a extremely dark herring gull.

Another good way to tell the 2 birds apart is by the colour of the legs, here no colour or sometimes pink for the Greater,

yellow on the Lesser. This doesn't always work but it can be a good easy clue. The Lesser fellow has yellow!! I will try to find some Juvs, they can be really hard to id.

These shots were taken at the passage house on Sunday(20.04.08)

I went to Yarner Wood today. Found a few pairs of Pied Flycatcher. 5 species of butterfly too; Orangetip, Brimstone, Small white, Speckled Wood and Peacock.

17.04.08

Very cold conditions down at the warren this morning. Somewhere in the video are 2 Great Skuas! Also seen were 3 Little Gull, numerous shearwaters and Terns but they were to far away to id.

15.04.08

What can I say, at last I have managed to get a shot of the cracking Little Crake at Exminster Marsh.

Very nice vibe down there this morning, everyone got a great view, within 2m.
Cetti also calling.

I went to BGM first and saw a distant Osprey being mobbed by gulls.

On the way home popped into Chudleigh Knighton Heath and flushed some Snipe, watched and listened to Woodlark displaying.

Great morning.

13.04.08

visited the warren today, there was not much around. Saw 26 Knot, about the same number of sarnies, 5 Whimbrel flying to the beach. Heard Willow Warblers, Chiffs, Buzzards. Pretty poor show. There was a Small Copper by the dune pond.

On the way home looked into Matford Scrapes. Whitefronted Goose is still there with 4 Greylag and 5 Canadas. A single Common Sand was the only wader.

10.04.08

This had me fooled at first!!!
link

09.04.08

Had a call this morning saying that there was a Little Crake at Exminster Marsh. So i shot down there but the little bugger was playing hard to get. I had to be home for something so I left a bit gutted. However I gt a text saying that it was showing again so off I go again and this time, after a little wait it showed twice but then hide in the undergrowth.

I don't usually twitch birds, I enjoy watching even common ones but this is a mega rare, only the second for Devon so I had too. However I didn't like the ' I can't see it so I'll try and get close to it' mentality, it just doesn't seem right, that's not why I bird. Yes I did go for the bird but I was willing to give it space, I only take photos if I can and wont disturb the subject so hence there is no photo of this bird (yet!)

That's me off my soapbox. If your coming down for the bird, welcome and enjoy but please remember it is a fragile eco system and don't do just about anything for a great shot.

08.04.08

An unexpected bird of the day was 2 Dartford Warblers on Chudleigh Knighton Heath. I have heard of them there but not in a few years. I was watching a Shotchat when I heard on call from some gorse then the other called back and they both popped out, cool. Also singing from a copse were 2 Willow Warbler

Had a quick visit to BGM. A few Blackwits were the only waders. Pintail, Shoveler, Wigeon, Teal made up the ducks. A hand full of Sand Martins few over but didn't stay. A very loud Chiffchaff by the hide let himself be known.

07.04.08

first house martins of the year.
new garden bird, redpoll.

found this on youtube.

06.04.08

i can't believe that today at the passage house i watched swallows in the snow! there were also 5 egyptian geese making the most of the grass. common, lbb,gbb,bh and herring gulls were present.

05.04.08

Well a busy day today. First I did my Bird-atlas Breeding Bird Survey just outside of Bovey Tracey. Had a reasonable tally of birds including Willow Warbler, Reed Bunting, Buzzard, Sand Martins, Swallows, Blackcaps and many more common birds. That took 2 hours around some beautiful landscape and in beautiful sunshine.

As I was close I popped into Yarner Wood. Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was calling and flying around the path that leads to the field museum but I lucked out on the Pied Flycatcher that was reported yesterday.

I then went to visit a farm that I have to survey for the RSPB but no-one was in, another great location in our beautiful county. Thought I heard a Cukcoo but it was windy and I only heard it once while I was writing a note, who knows.

The family was out so I went down to the warren. I watched Sandwich Terns feeding and found a summer plumage Red Throated Diver. 1 WW and 2 Swallows at that was it. On the way out I did see a Buzzard getting mobbed by Herring Gulls.

01.04.08

first bats of the year. deabentons, pips and a greater horseshoe.