A quick look around local patch after work from 15:00 16:30
A black tern from the viewing platform on bowling green marsh at 15:50 before flying towards powderham corner
1 juv curlew sandpiper was on goosemoor at 16:15 , with 1 juv ruff, 20+ greenshanks, 25+ redshanks , 14+ black tailed godwits, 4+ dunlin, 8 little egrets
from the hide on bowling green marsh 2 adult spotted redshanks , 1 avocet, 1 knot, 20+ dunlin, in with the usual redshanks and black tailed godwits, 3 pintail, 15+ wigeon, 20+ little egrets.
from the goatwalk , 7+ sandwich terns.
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Topsham
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Beer Head and Colyford Reserve.
15 members of DB (East Devon Branch) enjoyed a morning around the headland. Yellow Wagtails (10+) were found with cattle early in the walk with a few Wheatear, Whitethroats and an elusive Redstart, plus 3 Bullfinch, a Peregrine and others. Thanks to Ian Waite for leading us.
The remaining party moved on to Black Hole Marsh and then Colyford Common where a Bittern was seen in the early afternoon in the reedbed in front of the hide.
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River Caen
1330-1630 Sherpa marsh held 4 Common sandpiper and a juv Marsh harrier. The mouth of the caen held 4 Curlew sandpiper, 20+ Ring plover and 30+ Dunlin. On horsey high tide roost 2 Greenshank and a juv Ruff.
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Bowling Green Marsh
Just to add to Keith's post. Viewed over the early afternoon high-tide. The Little Stint was seen left of the viewing platform with a Ruff and 3-Knot at mid-day. From the hide at high-tide 3-Spotted Redshank and a Green Sandpiper dropped into left water channel briefly before disappearing and the usual high numbers of other waders. The Curlew Sandpiper was seen in Goosemoor just after the high-tide with other Dunlin and the Ruff.
Curlew Sandpiper: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnT-A37y974
Green Sandpiper: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVVzEuG95Yg
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Sherpa Marsh
Late evening visit showed two Dunlin, 2 Green Sandpipers, one Black-tailed Godwit and one Marsh Harrier. Only about 8 Swallows.
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South Brent ~ Hobby and Redstarts
At home in South Brent a Hobby sat on one of my field posts at 7am, I saw it yesterday evening and suspect it is the young bird I reared and released last year, it came in and took food offered to it after circling round above me.
Brent Hill, South Brent this afternoon gave me two Redstarts and one Whinchat, they are two species that have been eluding me for some time, good numbers of both Stonechat and Meadow Pipits, reasonable numbers of Goldfinch feeding on thistle heads, four Wrens seen and that many again heard.
Four Buzzard including a very loudly calling juvenile, Dunnocks, one unidentified small Warbler sp, four Raven overhead and a very confiding Grey Wagtail was the last of 23 species seen.
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Ring Ouzel, Shipley Bridge
1 first-winter Ring Ouzel and 4 Whinchats halfway between Shipley Bridge and Avon Dam, evening, 7/9.
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River Taw off Ashford
Firstly sorry about the late post.
09:15 hrs River Taw from near Ashford, of the approx.400 Gulls mid channel, approx 5% were Mediterranean Gulls i.e. count 20. Also 2 Whimbrel
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Rillage Point
06.50-08.20 First Firecrest of the autumn along with Whitethroats, Chiffs and Blackcaps. Overhead, more Grey Wagtails (6) and Siskins (mostly too high to count accurately today in virtually cloudless skies and a moderate ESE breeze).
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East Soar
When you walk from the car park to the farm without encountering a single passerine, you know its not going to be a good day! Highlights just 12 Yellow Wagtails, Sand Martin, Spotted Flycatcher, Willow Warbler and a steady trickle of Swallows east!
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Berry Head
Despite what looked like promising conditions - light easterly and some cloud cover it was rather quiet: first movement of crests that I've noticed this autumn; 5 Goldcrest, 1 Redstart, 6 Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler, 7 Blackcap, 1 Redstart. Overhead: 3 Grey Wagtail, 1 Tree Pipit, 4 Siskin, 11 Swallows 13 House Martin. A brief look at the sea produced a pod of 15-20 Common Dolphins.
Goldcrest
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Exmouth - Caspian Gull
Mudbank - first-winter Caspian Gull until 1700 at least. More photos on gobirdingexmouth later.
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Around topsham
watched from 14:50 till 19:20
Started at bowling green marsh from the hide , the highlight was 2 little stints which finally showed well as they flew out with 20+ dunlin after an hour of brief views, there were at least 70+ dunlin an increase to 5+ juv ruff, 3 spotted redshanks , 3 knot, 5 greenshanks, 4+ yellow wagtail over, good numbers of redshank and black tailed godwits, 1 water rail, 1 kingfisher, 15+ little egrets.
from the viewing platform 6 avocet , 2 common sandpipers , 5 reed warbler, large number of black headed gulls, 2 water rail, 1 kingfisher, 10+ little egret.
finished at the goatwalk, was surprised to find 26 pale bellied Brent geese, they then moved to powderham corner winter not far now, at least 100+ dunlin, a noticeable feeding frenzy of severall thousand gulls of Lympstone was still growing as I left and included at least 40+ sandwich terns , 1+ black tern and severall 'commic' terns.
A very good few hours around patch
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Sherpa Marsh
Productive walk to the Marsh this evening. Now 6 Dunlin, single Black-tailed Godwit still, 2 Green Sandpipers 1 Common Sandpiper, 4 Greenshank, 2 Little Egrets, but the pick was a tiny TEMMINCK'S STINT!
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Kingfisher @ Saltram Marsh
Light not good as it was 19:15 but managed to get a few shots, the Kingfisher was not too worried I was there.
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Berry Head
Headland blown out so tried seawatching: 1 ad Sabine's Gull south with a group of Kittiwakes at 0830hrs, 46 Balearic Shearwaters, 1 Manx, 7 Arctic Skua, 1 Bonxie, 7 Common Tern, 11 Sandwich Tern, 1 Wigeon, 1 Common Scoter. Also 3+ Harbour Porpoise.
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Sherpa 08:30-11:00
Corvids where attacking the Marsh Harrier when I arrived and she flew off disturbing 2 Greenshanks, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, a single green sandpiper and several teal. On the river 2 common sandpipers flew downstream. On reaching the pond area a kingfisher flew over and a Cetti's was calling but no sign of the T Stint. As I searched a Woodsandpiper arrived and the cows disturbed pied wagtails and the Temminck's. This was very flighty and flew off chased by a pied wagtail, so no photo. On the way back a dipper and grey wagtail in the stream.
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South Efford Marsh, Aveton Gifford
South Efford Marsh, Aveton Gifford with Keith Male this afternoon gave us 28 species on or around the marsh and River Avon including Common Sandpiper (7) several small unidentified Warbler species and one confirmed but sickly looking Chiffchaff.
Kingfisher sightings and calls almost from the word go with 8 or 9 good but distant views and one close fly past as one streaked up the drainage ditch alongside us within feet of where we were standing.
Teal, Curlew, Black Tailed Godwit, Herons, Egrets, female Sparrow hawk and Stock Dove to name a few.
After some time in the hide a slight movement on the marsh to the front and left of the hide eventually revealed a count of 12 Ringed Plover and Dunlin which from the plumage I am guessing were all juvenile birds.
On leaving three White Wagtails flew in and pitched below and to the left of the hide.
Back home at South Brent (9) Stock Doves and 2 Raven passing overhead and a further visit from the Hobby subject to my post of a day or so ago.
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Mountbatten, Plymouth
A sunny but breezey walk around Jennycliff and Mountbatten at Plymouth today and the highlights were:- a white wagtail feeding along the beach at Jennycliff with pied wagtails; 2 kingfishers flying along the shoreline towards Bovisand; 2 gannets circling around Plymouth Sound; 4 Sandwich terns noisely flying around The Cattewater; and a juvenile sparrowhawk flew past at Mountbatten Castle within a few feet of me much to the consternation of a swallow which noisely mobbed it as it went by.
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Kingfisher @ Saltram Marsh 09-09-15
A better day for the kingfisher, better light and showed itself more
Kingfisher River Plym
Kingfisher with its meal
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