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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Devon Birding (3 Viewers)

Just had a look around Berry Pomeroy, but no sign of the Kite. Saw one reported yesterday over the A380 at Hamelin Way, so must still be around.

Good luck!

Ken.
 
Quick look on the hoe this afternoon Five Meds and a couple of Sandwich Terns and a Peregrine giving the gulls on Drakes island a hard time.
 
Just had a torrential rainstorm. Over now, but wow, was it strong! The westerlies are blowing hard, might have a quick look round my patch later, hoping for a Bobolink! ;). 3 Swallows hurried past as I opened the curtains this morning. Chiffchaff in full song in the garden.
 
Had my usual brief stop at Exminster Marsh on my way home from work this morning, the recent rains have meant there is standing water near to the anglers' car park again after many weeks of nothing but grass. Better late than never, we've still got time to give the Seaton lads a run for their money! ;)

Mostly Black-headed gulls around this pool with 4 Curlew and 9 Black-tailed godwit. A Little Egret flew over, with 2 more feeding in the fields. A sunny interlude after this morning's thunderstorm persuaded me to stroll down as far as the lagoon, though it's distant and requires a scope to watch it effectively, there's often something of interest on there. The small pools close to the tow-path held the usual Teal and Mallards but no waders today.

The Lagoon had another large flock of Black-headed gulls, with 1 Common Gull and a Small number of Herring Gulls. There were loads of Coots and around the edges 30 or 40 Widgeon fed unobtrusively. Nothing else of note, but one or two pairs of Shoveler. Overhead, a Sparrowhawk flashed by, hotly persued by one of the many local Carrion Crows!

Carrying on home, I took a detour through Powderham Park and after a quick look at the lake, which held nothing but a large flock of Canada Geese and 50 or so Mallard, stopped where the stream goes under the road into the estuary.

Along the edge of the stream were two or three flocks of Redshank, with perhaps 15 or 20 Greenshank snoozing beside them. A dozen or so Little Egrets peered out from the grass beside the stream. A few Teal roosted along the banks with the waders.

Arrived home, ready for breakfast, only to find that the kids have eaten all the bacon. I'm off out birding again!

Ken
 
Plym Estuary

Redshank 150+ 4 CommonSandpiper 5 Greenshank lots of BH Gulls 30 + Curlew and a grey Wagtail. Over head 2 Buzzards 1 Kestrel and a Sparrowhawk plus lots of rain and wind.
 
enjoyable seawatch at Hopes Nose this evening with the highlights being a smart Black Tern south nice and close at 6.12, a Sooty Shearwater south at 5.45, a Balearic at 5.25 and an adult light phase Arctic Skua at 6.40 pm.
 
hey everyone, i had a seawatch at dawlish warren this morning. as i got down there the rain stopped few a bit so managed to get good view for a couple of mile out. first good bird was a belearic shear, very close in, i could see markings and colouration on the under side. then one of the more experianced guys there shouted out a distant sooty shear, 1 of 2 for me for the day. can it get better. well yes 1 bonxie flew past but very distant, then 2 flew past and much to our suprise as i said ' come on babies a little closer' what did they do but cruise right over us, cracking views. phew. then the rain started again, i started to wander who many twichers get hit by lightening, as a few claps of thunder made themselves felt. after about 10 mins it cleared and so did the birds for the morning anyways. so not bad. but with every good thing something bad happens. i went for a walk down on the river teign with my family and as we played on the bank my mrs shouted look at that bird, i turned of see a cormorant flying low over the field and as we watched it hit a phone line and it's wing ripped off and it cartwheeled through the sky. i ran over to it and it was still alive(poor thing) minus a wing and gasping for air. so what would you do?
i weighed up the options very quickley and discided there was only one thing to do so i found a log a smacked it over the head to put it out of it's misery. was i right???
 
West Charleton Marsh

Very quiet this am, 54 Teal, Pintail and Whinchat. Obliging Grey Wagtail in the sewage works. Bright sun made it almost impossible to see anything on estuary ( high tide ).
 
Hi Perry

Ye! K/Br Est. pretty quiet today p.m. Hobby, 2 common tern, 4 Bar-wit. wound up mess'in with the new 30xWA lens, should work OK for digiscoping?

rgds
 
i weighed up the options very quickley and discided there was only one thing to do so i found a log a smacked it over the head to put it out of it's misery. was i right???[/QUOTE]



I am not having a dig here mate, just wondering if a bird, any bird, could survive without a wing. Is there a local wildlife hospital near and if so could the bird have lived on even though it would be in captivity?
 
iainvaughan said:
i weighed up the options very quickley and discided there was only one thing to do so i found a log a smacked it over the head to put it out of it's misery. was i right???



I am not having a dig here mate, just wondering if a bird, any bird, could survive without a wing. Is there a local wildlife hospital near and if so could the bird have lived on even though it would be in captivity?[/QUOTE]

it did look in a bad way. i know that teignmouth has a seabird hospital but it is a long way i'm sure it would have died by the time i would have got it or they come to the site. i still feel guilty though!
 
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Plym Estuary

2Kingfisher,2 Common Sandpiper, 67 BH Gull, 1 1st winter Med, 150+ Redshank, 56 Curlew,60+ Mallard,1 Bar tailed Godwit 2 Canada G 15 Little Egret.
 
da2m said:
i weighed up the options very quickley and discided there was only one thing to do so i found a log a smacked it over the head to put it out of it's misery. was i right???
You absolutly 200% did the right thing. Well done, cruel to be kind......
 
Popped into Topsham yesterday on the way to a Terry Pratchett signing. What a beautiful place. Not too much about though as the tide was out but had lovely views of Avocet. Thanks for the tip Jyothi.
 
The Hoe Plymouth

A quick look on the Hoe this morning 4 Sandwich Terns,2 Med Gulls and 1 Little Gull.
 
Been a reasonable weak on my patch. I've got up at first light every morning to stand for an hour on a local hill looking for visible migration. Good numbers of Meadow Pipits moving for an inland site.

2nd: 40 Meadow Pipits SW, 2 'alba' Wagtails S, 14 Skylarks N, 5 House Martins and 2 Swallows S, Buzzard, Jays, and G and GS Woodpeckers.
3rd: 62 Meadow Pipits SW, 8 Skylarks N, 2 Linnet, 4 Jays, 4 Ravens, 3 Swallows, Bullfinch, Buzzard, 'alba' Wag, 14 Goldfinches.
4th: 86 Meadow Pipits SW, 5 Linnet, 12 Swallows, 27 'alba' Wags, steady flow of Woodpigeons S, Green Woodpecker, Mistle Thrush, 2 Chiffchaffs, Yellowhammer, 2 Ravens, Blackcap.
5th: 38 Meadow Pipits S/SW, Raven, 20 Goldfinches, 5 'alba' Wags, G Woodpecker, singing Dunnock, Bullfinch. Stover: 3 Pochard, Tufted Duck, 5 GC Grebes, 3 ads and 2 young.
 
Start Point

The Firecrest said:
Been a reasonable weak on my patch. I've got up at first light every morning to stand for an hour on a local hill looking for visible migration. Good numbers of Meadow Pipits moving for an inland site.

Intersting stuff Firecrest, well done.
Did a vis-mig watch at Start Point this morning 07:15-08:15. 30 Pied Wags, 70 Swallows, 20 House Martins, Sand Martin, Grey Wagtail, G S Woodpecker, 120 Meadow Pipits, 50 Skylarks, 50 Chaffinch, 17 Siskins, 330 Goldfinch and 220 Linnets. Little else present bird wise - lots of Clouded Yellows and Red Admirals.
Perry
 
Birdguides are reporting a Twite at Skern, Northam Burrows CP, the site of the long-staying Franklin's Gull. Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Wryneck, and Snow Bunting all present in Devon yesterday.
 

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