[Gavin Haig]

Really nice Spoonbill pic, Brian. Glad you had a good time.......

[Andrew]

Spent the morning at Dawlish Warren.

Osprey showing well as it moved between the railway saltmarsh and The Bight at high tide. Two Spoonbills on Finger Point. Redwings overhead. Reed Buntings in Greenland Lake and Warren Point. Chiffchaffs and a Goldcrest in the woods. Brent Geese coming in off the sea. Clouded Yellows and a Painted Lady.

Apparently I missed three Merlins!

[Ppedro]

Went to Start Point first light. Good bit of Vis mig over the car park 07:30-08:45 when it petered out. Highlights were 190 Meadow Pipits, 7 Siskins, 4 Bramblings, 100 Greenfinches, 340 Linnets, 670 Goldfinches, 320 Chaffinches, Reed Bunting, 50 Skylarks and 75 Stock Doves. Strangely no Woodpigeons. Everything heading south. Elsewhere very quiet only 2 Redwings, Goldcrest and 3 Wheatears. Good numbers of Red Admirals still and one Clouded Yellow.
In the afternoon went to Charleton Marsh. The resident Cetti's Warbler was singing and a Black-tailed Godwit was on the top scrape. Out on the estuary were Med Gull, 150 Golden Plover and a real highlight in the shape of an adult male Long-tailed Duck, a plumage we don't often see in Devon.

[Andrew]

A Firecrest showed well this morning at West Charleton Marsh. Also logged were a Green Woodpecker, two Jays, a Reed Bunting, six Redwings, two Goldcrests, and a female Sparrowhawk.

I saw that a Long-tailed Duck had been logged in the book (Tuesday) as well as a Marsh Harrier (Saturday). I watched in vain for the Harrier and did not bother with the duck. Serves me right! Hurrumph!

Slapton had nine of those ducks, you know, the ones we must not mention to the authorities!

Just a Wheatear and a Chiffchaff of note at Start Farm in the afternoon.

[Gavin Haig]

Originally Posted by Andrew

Slapton had nine of those ducks, you know, the ones we must not mention to the authorities!

I'd be very pleased to see one of those nasty little genetic contaminants on the Borrow Pit at Seaton Marshes!!

[Mark]

The Long Tailed Duck was still present on the Kingsbridge Estuary this afternoon. As Perry said it is a cracking male with a long tail...very impressive indeed. As per usual, it is spending more time under the water than on top, but was showing pretty well at times.
A look at Slapton lower ley in a strenghtening wind only produced 4 fem/imm Ruddy Ducks ,the rest presumably sheltering in the reeds. I also had quite a long look from the bridge, which failed to add Marsh Harrier, though there were still 2 there two days ago according to the log book.

[Andrew]

Apart from the Long-tailed Duck, there was also a Peregrine in pursuit of a Black-tailed Godwit. Looked to have sent it crashing and could not pick it out of a ditchful of water. Only a Goldcrest in the hedge but Perry later reported the Firecrest was still there.

A female Marsh Harrier lifted out of the bushes at Slapton Ley (Higher Ley) and drifted off high over the hills presumably towards the bay by France Wood. The log chalkboard in the stone building had two Marsh Harriers written on it.

Strete Gate was pleasantly sheltered but surprisingly completely devoid of birds.

As expected, Start Point was a waste of effort as the wind was strong and a thick mist descended.

Good to meet you Mark. You sure made your little boys walk fast!

[Mark]

Originally Posted by Andrew

Apart from the Long-tailed Duck, there was also a Peregrine in pursuit of a Black-tailed Godwit. Looked to have sent it crashing and could not pick it out of a ditchful of water. Only a Goldcrest in the hedge but Perry later reported the Firecrest was still there.

A female Marsh Harrier lifted out of the bushes at Slapton Ley (Higher Ley) and drifted off high over the hills presumably towards the bay by France Wood. The log chalkboard in the stone building had two Marsh Harriers written on it.

Strete Gate was pleasantly sheltered but surprisingly completely devoid of birds.

As expected, Start Point was a waste of effort as the wind was strong and a thick mist descended.

Good to meet you Mark. You sure made your little boys walk fast!

Hi Andrew, the boys are use to it now, especially when there Dad hasn't yet seen the bird in question ! At least I don't have to usually carry them any more..

as for the Harrier, that explains why I didn't see it then ...I got to the bridge about 2.30...

[Andrew]

Mark, this might hurt. I noted the sighting in my notebook as soon as it went over the ridge and it says 1435pm so you were in the area at the time. Understandably out of sight though. We were further up the road watching from Ian's car.

[JRE]

Sorry for not posting for a while, I've been on holiday on Yorkshire (half term). Typing this from Malton, near York. Good day at Flamborough on thr 28th, Purple Sand, Sooty Shear, Twite, and Pinkfeet. Also a large population of Tree Sparrows where I'm staying, very nice.

[JRE]

Birdguides are reporting a Cattle Egret on the Otter Estuary this morning, at Coleton Raleigh (spelling??).

[JRE]

Massive fall of thrushes at Start Point. 2000 Song Thrushes and 1800 Redwings.
Ppedro, was that you?

[Ppedro]

Originally Posted by The Firecrest

Massive fall of thrushes at Start Point. 2000 Song Thrushes and 1800 Redwings.
Ppedro, was that you?

Hello Firecrest,
yes it was me who was lucky enough to be at Start today. Was it me or the weather forecast that was wrong. Thought I was heading to Start this morning for some vis mig. Misty, drizzly weather and a grounded Redwing in the dark on the road 2 miles before Start raised my hopes for something else. On reaching the car park could hear a few Redwings and song thrushes calling in the dark. In the half light went through the gate to head for the lighthouse and it was clear something big was on. In the fog there was a constant noise of thrushes taking off and calling from the bracken beside me. Scattered birds were hoping around on the road before me. On getting to within 400 metres of the lighthouse compound things really got busy. A small 30-40m stretch of stone wall had about 80 birds perched on it. Birds were perched all over the place on the rocks and exploding out of the bracken. In the lighthouse tamarisks birds were everywhere. I spoke to the people in the cottage, they had first noticed " thousands " of birds around the light at 21:00 hrs the previous evening. Surprisingly 6 or so Skylarks were in the compound, 50 starlings were on top of the lighthouse. I got permission to go in the compound. I was watching a few Blackcaps in the bottom line of tamarisks when thrushes started pouring out of them - c300 song thrushes and 100 Redwings in 5 minutes. After a few hours i headed around the coast towards Mattiscombe beach. On walking back up the valley to the car park odd parties of 20-30 birds would fly out of the grass like Meadow Pipits. After midday i headed back down to the lighthouse. Around 14:00hrs the fog cleared considerably at low level and the thrushes were starting to move off. When i walked back up about an hour later i only saw 40 song thrushes. It looked to me like 3-400 Redwings went to roost in Start Farm.
Other birds seen included a late Sandwich Tern passing,4 Black Redstarts,1 Fieldfare, 100 Blackbirds, 15 Blackcaps, 1 Garden Warbler, 10 Chiffchaffs, just 2 Goldcrests and 350 Starlings. The counts of 2000 song thrushes and 1800 redwings are i would think quite conservative.
I had rung a few friends early morning in case they were able to get out. Surprisingly other places , namely Rame and Soar were quiet. A friend of mine ringing nearby at Lannacombe said it was quiet there. Start it would seem had swallowed up and grounded virtually all of the thrushes that were obviously on the move within its grasp last night. For me its not the light thats the main pull - its the foghorn. Start Point seems to get its best days after a drizzly foggy night, nights when the light is only visible over a short distance. The foghorn is audible at sea for over 10 miles- this must be what they focus on when in trouble. The light then captures them and the tamarisk and bracken shelters them.
I imagine to many east coast and island birders these falls are not exceptional but they are few and far between down here. It has been a day i will remember for a long time and feel very lucky to have been in the right place at the right time.

Perry

[Andrew]

Nice one Perry.

Lots of finches around Dawlish Warren, mostly Greenfinches and Goldfinches but as with each autumn I find vis-mig very frustrating for obvious reasons. Treecreeper in the woods by the first pond was notable for Dawlish Warren I think.

Got word on the Cattle Egret. Walked from White Bridge to Otterton and back down to the estuary. No sign. 2 Buzzards, 2 Kestrels, a Redwing (you lost one there Perry!), 14 Curlew, 6 Little Egrets, a Grey Wag, two Jays and two male Kingfishers.

Finally caught up with the Cattle Egret at Otter Farm. It flew off south five or ten minutes after I got on it.

For Otter Farm you drive into Colaton Raleigh from the south and turn off to the right (eastwards) to the end of a lane. You will see 'Otter Farm' on a sign. Park up here and there is a riverside public footpath from here. It was in a field near the farm.

[Mark]

The Cattle Egret was still showing late morning today and had been present all morning. Apparently started getting a bit flighty again around 12.30 pm. Easiest directions are From Exeter drive to Newton Poppleford then take the Budleigh road at the roundabout...after a mile you get to Collaton Raleigh and just after the village sign turn left into Church Road. Drive to the end and park before the cattle grid. Walk over the cattle grid and there is a kissing gate right in front (the entrance to the farm is to the right). Follow the path round and bear right along the riverbank (so that you are walking south) and after about 100 yards start scanning the grassy fields. When I was there the Cattle Egret and 6 Little Egrets were at the back of the 2nd field down directly below the farm buildings. A couple of Little Egrets did fly over the hedge and out of view at one point and I think the Cattle Egret did this as well after I left, but it always seems to come back..Amazing to think that just 3 years ago, there hadn't been an acceptable Cattle Egret in Devon for 17 years and now this is the 4th widely twitchable one since.

[Andrew]

Good directions Mark. Better than mine.

Bowling Green Marsh, Budleigh Salterton and this one come to mind. Where was the fourth one?

[devon.birder]

Originally Posted by Andrew

Good directions Mark. Better than mine.

Bowling Green Marsh, Budleigh Salterton and this one come to mind. Where was the fourth one?

Colliford. Roger

[Gavin Haig]

Originally Posted by Andrew

Where was the fourth one?

Where it truly mattered!!

[Mark]

The regular female Marsh Harrier was still at West Charleton Marsh today at midday.

[tereksora]

Very smart "abietinus" Chiffchaff at Dawlish Warren today, mostly on the sunny side of the sallows by the first pond.

No photos of Clouded Yellows in flight, Andrew? Hard aren't they?

[Andrew]

Nah Brian, just stick my finger in the air and they land on it. Very obliging.

[Gavin Haig]

Originally Posted by mark bailey

The Cattle Egret was still showing late morning today and had been present all morning. Apparently started getting a bit flighty again around 12.30 pm. Easiest directions are From Exeter drive to Newton Poppleford then take the Budleigh road at the roundabout...after a mile you get to Collaton Raleigh and just after the village sign turn left into Church Road. Drive to the end and park before the cattle grid. Walk over the cattle grid and there is a kissing gate right in front (the entrance to the farm is to the right). Follow the path round and bear right along the riverbank (so that you are walking south) and after about 100 yards start scanning the grassy fields. When I was there the Cattle Egret and 6 Little Egrets were at the back of the 2nd field down directly below the farm buildings. A couple of Little Egrets did fly over the hedge and out of view at one point and I think the Cattle Egret did this as well after I left, but it always seems to come back..Amazing to think that just 3 years ago, there hadn't been an acceptable Cattle Egret in Devon for 17 years and now this is the 4th widely twitchable one since.

Thanks for the directions Mark. Actually ventured off-patch this morning, and detoured to see the Cattle Egret. Without these directions I probably would not have bothered to work out, on a map, where the bird actually was. So you are partially responsible for my second Devon twitch in the last 15 years! Hope you haven't started something..........

[Mark]

Originally Posted by Gavin Haig

Thanks for the directions Mark. Actually ventured off-patch this morning, and detoured to see the Cattle Egret. Without these directions I probably would not have bothered to work out, on a map, where the bird actually was. So you are partially responsible for my second Devon twitch in the last 15 years! Hope you haven't started something..........

Glad to oblige Gavin, glad you got it.....real cracker I reckon....perhaps it will go a small way to repaying all the times you and the boys successfully got me over your way last year and at the start of this year...

[tereksora]

2 Bewick's Swans on Exe from BGM viewing platform at 1600 but afraid they flew off North at 1630 and looked like they weren't going to stop.......................???

A Serin seen just past the hide this afternoon but didn't have time to look. The field behind the hide has quite a few Linnet I'm told so worth a look tomorrow...

Snow Bunting till dusk at Hope's Nose I'm told.

[Andrew]

Darted down the M5 with Ian and got to the viewing platform for dusk. Just about picked out three Mute Swans. Stopped looking when we got the report that they had flown north.

Hope they decided to turn back and settle on Exminster Marshes.