Devon Birding (2 Viewers)

[JRE]

Slapton this morning. 2 Water Rail, 2 Ruddy Duck, 3 Goldeneye etc on the ley. Red-throated Diver and an oiled Guillemot offshore.

Perry, have the Cattle Egrets been giving good views? Very poor light today so decided to postpone a trip to Kingsbridge, but if they've been showing well then it would be nice to get down next weekend for photos, assuming the birds are still around.

 

[Ppedro]

Slapton this morning. 2 Water Rail, 2 Ruddy Duck, 3 Goldeneye etc on the ley. Red-throated Diver and an oiled Guillemot offshore.

Perry, have the Cattle Egrets been giving good views? Very poor light today so decided to postpone a trip to Kingsbridge, but if they've been showing well then it would be nice to get down next weekend for photos, assuming the birds are still around.

Hello Joe,
talked to someone just now who went this afternoon and only saw 2 but there were of course only 4 yesterday so maybe some kind of pattern will emerge. It would not be the easiest place to get a photo, there are tall hedges around the field. This morning i parked in a gateway on the Easton Farm road and managed to count all the egrets in the field comfortably before the inquisitive cattle came down and made viewing difficult.

 

[JRE]

Hello Joe,
talked to someone just now who went this afternoon and only saw 2 but there were of course only 4 yesterday so maybe some kind of pattern will emerge. It would not be the easiest place to get a photo, there are tall hedges around the field. This morning i parked in a gateway on the Easton Farm road and managed to count all the egrets in the field comfortably before the inquisitive cattle came down and made viewing difficult.

Thanks for the info Perry, I'll try to make it down at the weekend.

 

[Ppedro]

2 Red-throated Divers in Start Bay off Slapton Sands this morning and 5 Ruddy Duck on the Lower Ley viewable from Slapton Bridge.
3 Scaup still on Beesands Ley. Also 70+ Gadwall, 6+ Shoveler and the Red-crested X Tufted Duck hybrid. A showy Slavonian Grebe just offshore from the football pitch.

 

[Terry Smith]

Little Owl at Dunchideock today - opposite the village hall.

 

[Jack Dawe]

Just before Christmas, morbid curiosity led me to the duck pond at Saltram House. The last time I was there was a few years ago when there were all sorts of ducks there - Wigeon, Red-crested Pochard, White-cheeked Pintail, Chiloe Wigeon, Wood Duck, you name it. This time all I found were 3 Mandarin, a couple of Moorhens and loads of Mallards (of dubious parentage). Anyone know what's happened? Has the chap who used to keep the pond retired or died perhaps?

 

[JRE]

18 Teal on the Dart at Totnes, just upriver from Brutus Bridge this afternoon. Also 2 Little Grebe, Little Egret and Grey Wagtail.

23 Lapwings in a field just off the A381 near the Pig and Whistle Inn at 15.00 - this is on the edge of my patch, and my first personal record for this area. At least 18 of the birds were then seen flying past Redpost, appearing to drop down into nearby fields and were lost to view.

 

[Jon Turner]

Iceland Gull still on Croyde beach today, nearby now 12 Common Scoter off Down End and 2 Bewick's Swans on Braunton great field.

Jon

 

[Terry Smith]

9 Woodlarks at Exminster, off Deepway Lane this afternoon. They weren't in the usual setaside fields though! They flew over the middle of Deepway Lane while I was leaning on a farmgate, and landed in an adjacent field on the south side of the lane!

 

[MTN1540]

Had a Brambling in the garden (at Dolton) on saturday and sunday, I was out yesterday so did not see if was was around again.

 

[Jon Turner]

Been a busy first week of the new year here in a very cold North Devon: all three Swans is pretty unusual, - 2 Bewick's on Braunton great field, along with lots of Curlew and 2 Black-tailed Godwits. Iceland Gull still on Croyde Beach, up to 17 Common Scoter off Down End, drake Eider off Westward Ho! point, and a few Red-throated Divers seen off there this morning too. A strange sight was 3 Gadwall on the sea here too. Also saw several Harbour Porpoise out in the bay. An adult Mediterranean Gull over Westward Ho! this afternoon, then the Spotted Redshank with a Greenshank on Fremington Creek.

Jon

 

[Andrew]

The female Surf Scoter was still off the sea wall at Dawlish Warren. A single Slavonian Grebe was also on the sea. A surprise Jack Snipe showed well in front of the hide too.

 

[Terry Smith]

Budleigh Salterton seafront/R. Otter mouth failed to show any Long-tailed Duck, but there were 50+ Common Scoter, a female Eider and 3 Red-throated Divers off the shingle bar. A Common Chiffchaff put in a nippy appearance by the toilet block (and so did I with a very cold wind blowing)! Later this afternoon 5 Red-legged Partridge just east of Yettington.

 

[parttimer]

Braunton Great Field produced 3 Black-tailed Godwit large numbers of Curlew and Common Snipe and a Wood Sandpiper. The Bewick Swans are still present which I also saw with the kind loan of a fellow Birders Scope.

Stu

 

[JRE]

Penduline Tit at Slapton Ley 11.30am in the south west corner according to RBA. Interestingly, the corresponding Birdguides report says North Ley. Anybody know if this is in reference to the Higher Ley, viewable from the bridge by the ringing hut?

Fingers crossed the bird will stick around with the cold weather. Smew on the ley, anyone?

 

[Terry Smith]

Today: Jack Snipe at Trews Weir, Exeter (west side of suspension bridge in ditch), 2 brownhead Goosander at Countess Wear (just below road bridge on Exe), Common Sandpiper at Topsham rec ground, Black Redstart at Shelly Beach, Exmouth late afternoon (around appartments), 2 Pale-bellied Brent Geese (off Shelly Beach), 105 Knot and 20 Sanderling just off the beach there too.
2 Cattle Egrets reported from Exminster Marshes behind Swans Nest pub..........

 

[Ppedro]

Penduline Tit etc.

Apparently the Penduline Tit was seen in the Higher Ley by someone standing on the bridge. They told someone up at the field centre but it was not seen again. Worth remembering the one in 2003 was first seen on 23rd December and then went missing until seen again on New Years Day and remained into early March so a good chance of seeing it Joe. :t:
Spoke to a friend in West Charleton tonight, this morning he saw a White-fronted Goose on the marsh and 2 Cattle Egrets, 60 Lapwings and 21 Buzzards in the field between the beacon and village. Later on he saw presumably the same two Egrets by the stream behind Sicklemans Close in West Charleton.
At least one Cattle Egret still near Easton Farm, West Alvington today. Hopefully when the weather thaws a bit the egrets will settle down somewhere.

 

[Ppedro]

Lucky enough to bump in to a few good birds driving around at work today. Best were a flock of c150 Golden Plover flying around near West Alvington, a Black Redstart at South Huish near the food kiosk ( around for a while i think ) and this afternoon a male Hen Harrier on the moors at Cross Furzes near Buckfastleigh heading in the Ryders Hill direction.

 

[Terry Smith]

At Dawlish Warren today:
female Surf and male Velvet Scoters just off Langstone Rock.
Great Northern Diver flew east past there.
Slavonian Grebe and female Common Scoter off the sewall.
Greenshank off Shutterton Creek.
At Chiverstone Farm, near Kenton:
15+ Brambling
4 Red-legged Partridge

 

[Kev Rylands]

Just recieved a report from North Devon of about a dozen waxwings eating berries in a hedgerow alongside Fishleigh Road in Roundswell, Barnstaple.

Two Cattle Egret behind Swan Nest, Exminster with Common Sand and Redshank in Exeter at the Mill on the Exe