Devon Birding (2 Viewers)

[Ppedro]

Start Point

06:15-10:00. 30% cloud cover at dawn, moderate west-southwest wind. Becoming cloudier and front arriving mid-morning.

Vis mig ( 06:35-09:00 ). All birds below south over car park. Birds moving on a broad front through Start this morning therefore many missed flying over the top fields.

Sparrowhawk, 750 Woodpigeon, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 7 Skylark, 230 Meadow Pipit, 30 Pied Wagtail, 19 Swallows, House Martin, 12 Brambling, 710 Chaffinch, 940 Goldfinch, 210 Linnet, 21 Greenfinch, 22 Siskin, 5 Reed Buntings.

Elsewhere in addition to above saw Merlin, 250 Woodpigeon, Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaff, Firecrest, 3 Brambling, 11 Siskin, Lesser Redpoll and 3 Reed Buntings.

 

[Roy C]

Finally a break i'm on holiday this week might just have to give this a go this afternoon.

Proper job

Stu

I had a drive around this morning Stu, but no sign of the bird. There is only one patch of communal grass in the area and the rest is private houses so short of looking in everyone's garden it is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Give us a shout if you have any joy.

 

[parttimer]

I had a drive around this morning Stu, but no sign of the bird. There is only one patch of communal grass in the area and the rest is private houses so short of looking in everyone's garden it is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Give us a shout if you have any joy.

Off out about 3ish I've got your mobile number, all day to myself on Wednesday trying to decide a plan of attack.

What to do ! What to do !

 

[Jon Turner]

I had a drive around this morning Stu, but no sign of the bird. There is only one patch of communal grass in the area and the rest is private houses so short of looking in everyone's garden it is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Give us a shout if you have any joy.

Same result for me Roy, and I met Stu too, who had had similar luck. I went down to Isley and saw 6 Spoonbills - anyone sent the ringing details off yet? They are for sure Dutch ringed birds - one had a Yellow Flag which is diagnostic of this scheme I think. Nothing on Fremington Pill, but the reserve at Bradiford had loads of Teal and several Snipe. The weather eventually defeated me.

Let me know if it turns up?

Jon

ps. I was ringing in the garden this morning and caught 2 male Blackcaps and hooray! a Goldcrest - the first I've seen in weeks. Also caught a Herring Gull!!

Jon

 

[Roy C]

I went down to Isley and saw 6 Spoonbills - anyone sent the ringing details off yet? They are for sure Dutch ringed birds - one had a Yellow Flag which is diagnostic of this scheme I think.
Jon

That's good news on the Spoonbill numbers Jon, I went to Isley several times last week and only ever saw 2 - both un-ringed birds. The ringed Spanish bird seems to have gone. I guess 4 of the 6 you saw are birds that have arrived in the past few days.

BTW, I have asked my mate's son who lives in Yelland (and saw the Hoopoe last week) to give me a shout if he sees it again - could be our best chance.

 

[Jon Turner]

That's good news on the Spoonbill numbers Jon, I went to Isley several times last week and only ever saw 2 - both un-ringed birds. The ringed Spanish bird seems to have gone. I guess 4 of the 6 you saw are birds that have arrived in the past few days.

BTW, I have asked my mate's son who lives in Yelland (and saw the Hoopoe last week) to give me a shout if he sees it again - could be our best chance.

I met anoher chap at Isley who said he had seen 8 last week! Unfortunately I couldn't quite make out the ring colour combinations. I sent details of a yellow-flagged bird I saw in Spain to Otto Overdijk in Holland and he sent back full details very quickly.

Yes - hope your mate's son comes good!

Jon

 

[parttimer]

Having driven around most of the housing estates in Yelland yesterday afternoon in search of the Hoopoe,there are plenty of well manicured lawns and gravel gardens that will make this task impossible.
So I will be going back again today i like a challenge, only a matter of time before I get arrested for snooping.
The things we do for the sake of birding

 

[Kev Rylands]

Newton Abbot Mega alert

two Shag at Passage House this afternoon - a Newton tick for me B

Don't all rush at once...

 

[Andrew]

I'd love a Shag on the canal too!

It'd be a first for me but maybe not for many others.

 

[Ppedro]

I'd love a Shag on the canal too!

It'd be a first for me but maybe not for many others.

:-O

 

[Roy C]

6 Spoonbills showing well at Isley Marsh today. Out in the estuary between Isley and the first jetty there was a Great Northern Diver first spotted by Stu (Parttimer). Also lots of Stonechats around.

 

[Jon Turner]

6 Spoonbills showing well at Isley Marsh today. Out in the estuary between Isley and the first jetty there was a Great Northern Diver first spotted by Stu (Parttimer). Also lots of Stonechats around.

Nice pics (again) Roy well done.

Been out at Hartland ringing today, a few Chiffs and Goldcrests, 2 Treecreepers, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, and a juvenile male Sparrowhawk were the highlights. Only one Blackcap. Lots of Long-tailed Tits around.
Saw a ringtail Hen Harrier over being mobbed by a big flock of corvids.

Jon

 

[Ppedro]

Many people able to get the Black-throated Thrush today ? Fingers crossed it hangs around for a while. Another of the more likely to be found County first has fallen. Well done the finder :clap:

 

[Andrew]

The Black-throated Thrush showed well this afternoon as it sat in a berry laden rowan tree for ages and fed now and then. Branches obscured it for most of the time but who is complaining? Plenty of Fieldfares and a few Redwings about too but the sight of the BTThrush and a full white breasted Ring Ouzel in the same tree was amazing really.

I expect it will stay a while yet. My reasoning beside the cloudy night and fruitful rowan tree is that the chances of it having been found up there on it's first or second day is slim so it must have been here a few days and should stay a few more yet.

Mind you, no one is an expert on randomness. If anyone could be then randomness would not exist. Birding contradicts this often enough!

I only got one 'keeper' out of a few poor dodgyscoped images. It was too distant for the DSLR.

I hope many see it.

 

[Jon Turner]

One wintered in Maidenhead a few years ago. Was nearby so saw it on January 1st that year. Nice way to start the year list!

Jon

 

[Odonate]

Thrush Movements

Hi all

Being fairly new to Devon I have a question about thrush movements. Over the last three days there has been the first good Redwing passage over Wembury (5-6 calls/minute). The thing that has surprised me has been the number of Song Thrush in with them (about 30% of calls heard). Is this a Devon thing as I have never heard such a large proportion in East Anglia or in Somerset? Is it just here or have others noted the same thing around the county?

O

 

[Ppedro]

Hello Odonate,
firstly welcome to Devon and i hope you like it here. Occasionally i have noticed a good proportion of Song Thrushes in with Redwings at night but not with the consistancy you mention. There were shedloads of Redwings going over last night ( maybe with a Black-throated amongst them :C ) but i don't think i heard any song thrushes, will keep a sharper ear out tonight. We certainly do sometimes get good falls of Song Thrushes on the south Devon coastline (eg see post *113 on this thread though this was quite exceptional )
Good luck, Perry.

 

[Kev Rylands]

Hi Odonate,

The last two nights I have noticed heavier than usual nocturnal thrush movements over Newton. These have also included a fair proportion of Song Thrush (and the occasional Blackbird) Like you I estimated around 25-30% of calls to be Song Thrush.

This is far higher than normal, indeed I cannot remember hearing them at night before over here, so just a good thrush autumn rather than a Devon thing.

Cheers
Kev

 

[Marshall-78]

Just to add to the above. Whilst working a night shift in Torquay last night between 2200hrs and at least 0100hrs there were lots of Redwing calling overhead I counted 5 calls per minute as an average when I was able to.

 

[Odonate]

Thanks for the replies - fewer Song T proportionally last night and a single Blackbird. Finally be able to find out tomorrow if any of them have grounded....

Perry, I'm only a short distance migrant from accross the border in Somerset but it is nice to have some salty water that actually looks like the sea and for it to be facing in a better direction!