Devon Birding (7 Viewers)

[Cuckoo-shrike]

I've no idea whether this has already been reported but whilst travelling up to London on the train from Cornwall I saw a Great White Egret on the Exe. It was shortly after leaving Dawlish Warren.

 

[sherlock]

Today we had had a good day at Skern and we enjoyed
Curlew
Lapwing
Redshank
Dunlin
Cormorant
Brent Geese
Little Egret
Golden Plover
Grey Plover
Shelduck
Wigeon
Oystercatcher
Bar-tailed Godwit
Goldfinch
Linnet
Skylark
Meadow pipit
A Buzzard on a post being mobbed by a Magpie.

 

[sherlock]

At Westward Ho! cricket ground this morning.

A Black Redstart either a female or a juvenile.

 

[sherlock]

At Westward Ho! Pebble Ridge two Ravens - one flew by less than 10 metres away!! What a treat. On the promenade there were two Rock Pipits, and the Black Redstart either a female or a juvenile was again at Westward Ho! cricket ground this afternoon.

 

[camelbirder]

Sightings from my visit to Ernsettle Creek can be found on the Camel Estuary Birds Website.

 

[Andrew]

Sightings from my visit to Ernsettle Creek can be found on the Camel Estuary Birds Website.

Ernsettle Creek, Plymouth; 5 Greenshank, 2 Shelduck, 20 Teal, 1 Curlew, 79 Black-headed Gull, 47 Herring Gull, 7 Mallard, 2 Cormorant, 75 Redshank, 1 Buzzard, 16 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Mute Swan, 1 Heron, 2 Common Gull, 1 Lesser Yellowlegs, 6 Blackbird, 2 Song Thrush, 4 Robin, 2 Blue Tit, 14 Chaffinch, 2 Carrion Crow, 6 Ferla Pigeon, 5 House Sparrow, 6 Goldfinch, 1 Skylark, 2 Jackdaw, 2 Jay, 10 Woodpigeon, 1 Mistle Thrush, 1 Pheasant, 2 Magpie, 4 Great Tit, 1 Nuthatch, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker. (D Julian & C Selway)

Good to see the Lesser Yellowlegs is staying into 2013.

 

[Chris Oates]

StuartLine birdwatching cruise 12/1/13
Brent geese, Goldeneye, RB Merganser, Avocet, Long-tailed duck, Kingfisher, Grey plover, Sanderling, Bar & Black tail Godwit, Dunlin, Shellduck, Turnstones, Oystercatchers, Lapwing, Curlew, Great crested grebe, Wigeon, Golden plover, Redshank, Greenshank, Knot, Cormorant & Shag in breeding plumage, flightless Slavonian grebe.

Brent geese have moved into the fields to graze and have very few young with them.

 

[Neil Duggan]

Could anyone advise me if there are any companies that organise sea watching trips on south coast for Devon or Cornwall ?

Thanks in advance

 

[mickbe74]

Hi All,i'm having a week in Woolacombe in early June,could anyone tell me is there anything of interest in the area at that time of year or reserves to visit,also how far would the nearest Cirl Buntings be?thanks in advance.
Regards Mick

 

[Jon Turner]

Hi All,i'm having a week in Woolacombe in early June,could anyone tell me is there anything of interest in the area at that time of year or reserves to visit,also how far would the nearest Cirl Buntings be?thanks in advance.
Regards Mick

Ah the birdwatching desert of North Devon!!! Frankly not much at that time of year! Nearest Cirls way south. If anything does turn up it'll be on the new Devon Birds Blog.

Have a lovely time on the beach!

 

[mickbe74]

Ah the birdwatching desert of North Devon!!! Frankly not much at that time of year! Nearest Cirls way south. If anything does turn up it'll be on the new Devon Birds Blog.

Have a lovely time on the beach!

Is it that bad? Knew I should've looked before I booked it,oh well,any idea how long the drive is to the nearest reliable cirl site ?

 

[Jon Turner]

Is it that bad? Knew I should've looked before I booked it,oh well,any idea how long the drive is to the nearest reliable cirl site ?

Mick, sorry to be so pessimistic!!! Got flu, all horrible at the moment, bleah:-C
There's the usual summer migrants breeding (Braunton Burrows is good and wildflowers there are outstanding) and if you go up to the woods at say Arlington Pied Flycatchers breed (we have a nestbox scheme there) and some Redstarts too. Wood Warblers are there too (although I haven't seen any in the last two years). Nearest Cirl site is in the South Hams, although for obvious reasons we don't publish sites on open forums like this, sorry.
If you are still keen PM me nearer the date for local sites. You never know your luck - I think it was about that time of year that a Blue-cheeked Bee-eater was photographed (by a non-birder) about a mile from my house but not identified until about 4 days later. Ho hum!

 

[davercox]

I'd say 80+ miles to Labrador Bay RSPB, not as far as the South Hams.
(One of the few sites that does get published).

 

[mickbe74]

Cheers for the replies Dave and Jon,didn't even think about the obvious problem with my question regarding the Cirls,a nice woodland walk would be nice for the kids the wife might even enjoy it and give me half a day to go see the CB's.
Cheers Mick

 

[Nick Smith]

Is it that bad? Knew I should've looked before I booked it,oh well,any idea how long the drive is to the nearest reliable cirl site ?

we stayed at woolacombe a few years ago. Spring time tho. No obvious places to visit for my pre-breakfast birding so i looked at a map and found morte point, just above woolacombe. Used that as my local patch for the week. Visited it daily. Amazing what i found there. A bit later on the lundy trumpeter finch was found on there!

 

[andyr]

Could anyone advise me if there are any companies that organise sea watching trips on south coast for Devon or Cornwall ?

Thanks in advance

Neil ... Not sure if anyone has sent you a PM, but if not then www.stuartlinecruises.co.uk is worth looking at for birdwatching/wildlife trips from and around the Exe area. Also my brother-in-law has also been on one from Paignton Harbour, advertised through the Devon Bird News site.

Hope this helps.

Andy R.

 

[Gerry Hooper]

Two Otters crossed the road in front of me as I was on the way to Powderham church early on saturday morning. First definite sighting I've had on the Exe.........not bad after only 17 years of watching.

 

[d.steeley]

Visited Slapton Ley today 24/3/13. Ringed Necked Duck on main lake near to Slapton
Bridge end.
Dave

 

[Furball man]

Just had a blackcap on the feeder. I thought they were mainly summer birds.

I guess we must have some residential one too!

 

[Staysee]

I would like to make 2013 the year i finally see an Osprey.

I have at times been just a few days off seeing them, or within a mile.


We moved house the end of last april, 5 days after we moved an Osprey was spotted flying over the village we'd just moved from....typical right? Also i worked in Kingsbridge and i'd always find reports of Ospreys along the estury on days i was in work and so i'd be close and days i had time and went to look, never found a thing.

Im guessing my best bet is powderham castle? I havent been there since i went to a gig in 2004 though, so if theres anyone off on an Osprey trip anytime, I wouldnt mind tagging along if that would be ok?

I also want to see some new birds this year, so now im living outskirts of plymouth, if anyone in the plymouth area is off birding, again, could i tag along?