Devon Birding (1 Viewer)

[Andrew]

Hi,

Been a long while since I posted. Got used to life without the net to a certain degree due to a busted computer.

Not been out much for some time. Birds interesting me in the garden in Tiverton for a couple of months have been many Siskins peaking at thirty but now down to five or so, a female brambling visiting several times a day and at least two Blackcaps coming to apples put out for them. Highlight was a Reed Bunting a few weeks ago that turned up in the orchard for a mere five minutes, a suburban garden makes that a remarkable record for me.

Oh, and the Prince Eider was good. No, not in the garden!

That Torres goal on Tuesday was something wasn't it?!

Keep it up, spring's coming, honest, it really is!

 

[Gavin Haig]

Welcome back, Andrew!

 

[Terry Smith]

Speaking to my dad in Barnstaple, the observer who saw the RLBs has a bit of a reputation for been a bit over enthusiastic with some of his sightings.

Mike.

Given the Force 10 gale that was blowing at the time, one seriously has to question just how long a couple of RLB's would be visible in the air?:-O

PS Welcome back Andrew - only another 9 and a half thousand posts and I will catch you up! :t:

 

[da2m]

Situations Vacant!

The RSPB need, at short notice, someone to cover a research post in Devon this summer.

Info below. PM if interested.

The post is a four-month research assistant contract. The fieldworker will be undertaking bird surveys on two grass management experiments: one investigating how grazing extensification can be made to benefit birds, the other to see how drainage affects the quality of grasslands for birds. We need someone with good general bird identification skills, ideally an established birdwatcher. They will need to be able to quickly/accurately identify any farmland birds that might visit the experimental plots to feed. A variety of sward and soil condition measurements will also be collected and there will be some sampling work on soil-dwelling invertebrate prey.


Cheers
Kev

i wish i had time kev but i have a farm for the v&fa again this year + bto bbs. sounds very interesting though.

 

[da2m]

4 egyptian geese at passage house this morning.

 

[Mark]

At Hopes Nose this afternoon, 3+ Wheatear and a female Black Redstart in the Sandy Point area, all on the rocks below the edge of the cliff. Looks like at least 25 Wheatear have been seen on the south Devon coast today which is good at last.

 

[JRE]

At Hopes Nose this afternoon, 3+ Wheatear and a female Black Redstart in the Sandy Point area, all on the rocks below the edge of the cliff. Looks like at least 25 Wheatear have been seen on the south Devon coast today which is good at last.

100+ Sand Martins reported over Slapton yesterday, as well as 25 at Bowling Green with 3 Wheatears. Looks like spring is finally on the way B

 

[Andrew]

First four Chiffers of the year on the Grand Western Canal between Halberton and Tiverton so obviously fresh arrivals. Two male Reed Buntings singing away. Not much else though. Brambling still in the garden.

 

[The Kerreran]

100+ Sand Martins reported over Slapton yesterday, as well as 25 at Bowling Green with 3 Wheatears. Looks like spring is finally on the way B

Certainly is! [ You can tell by all the rain.. ]
There were 60+ Sand Martins at Bowling Green this afternoon [ 40+ low over the water, and c20 visible high up when the weather briefly cleared at 1330 ] though I couldn't pick out any House Martins, 2 male Wheatears, 15+ Pied Wags, 20+ Mipit [ how many of those migrants, I wonder? ], as well as the usual suspects - though waders were limited to 6 Curlew, 8 Blackwit, 1 Barwit, and 6 Snipe with the neap tide. A Grey Plover, 6 Avocet, and 40+ Barwit with the Dunlin, Curlew, and Redshank from the Clyst platform in steady rain. Coming back along the path from the platform at 1515 and scanning the group of Wigeon and Shelduck in the field on the right, I'm stopped dead by a Spotshank! :eek!: It's wading on the far side of the closest scrape, maybe 15m away, and I scramble the scope into position as quietly as I can, praying it'll still be there when I look up... I get on it and start grinning like a maniac as I follow it along the side of the pool, right past a dumpy dark grey wader. :bounce: Yup, Spotshank and Long-billed Dowitcher in the same scope field, [ and this is my ED82 at 75x - a very narrow field indeed! ] so so so very close. :t:
Figuring I was as soaked as I could get, I came home via Matford and Exminster; 2 Green Sand, c50 Sand Martin, at least one House Martin, and a Grey Wag at Matford with Wigeon, Teal, Shovelor, and a tree-perching Mallard. 800+ Blackwit, including several moulting and one gorgeous islandica in full regalia, 30+ Curlew, 200+ Wigeon, 20+ Shovelor, 10+ Shelduck, 10+ Sand Martin with another House Martin, a singing Skylark [ ! ], Grey Heron, 8+ Mute Swan and 50+ Teal at Exminster.
A surprisingly good day for a bad weather settle, though very soggy - my s.o.c. is still drying out as I type.. :gn:

 

[Terry Smith]

3 Sandwich Terns off Orcombe Point/Sandy Bay either side of midday today.

.........and a Sand Martin heading low north into the cold wind at Mudbank Lane, mid afternoon.

 

[Ppedro]

4 Cattle Egrets at Park Farm this morning and the Black Brant showing well mid morning with the Brents off Charleton Point. The blonde Red-crested Pochard and the Hybrid Tufted X Red-Crested Pochard still on Beesands Ley.

 

[The Kerreran]

An afternoon stroll around Dunsford Wood produced 3 Marsh Tit including a singing male, a singing Goldcrest and mate right over the path and seemingly unconcerned by all the people, a lone female Goosander on the Teign, a yaffling Green Woodpecker, and a singing Mistle Thrush. It seemed pretty much everything was singing! A look around Kennick/Tottiford/Trenchford was very quiet until a pair of Goosander showed very well on Trenchford after 5, finally in a field by the Hennock road were a male black morph Pheasant and 35 Redwing.

Anyone know anything about the Little Bunting possibly seen at Torcross?

 

[JRE]

Anyone know anything about the Little Bunting possibly seen at Torcross?

Reported by RBA as 'between Torcross car park and boulders with pipits and wagtails'.

 

[Roy C]

Nice Long-eared Owl at Ashford near Barnstaple this morning - out in full view from the tarka trail.

 

[Steve Waite]

Nice Long-eared Owl at Ashford near Barnstaple this morning - out in full view from the tarka trail.

Wow - that's nice, very very nice! How I wish for one of them somewhere around here!!!

 

[Terry Smith]

A first-winter Rough-legged Buzzard at Orcombe Point for 15 minutes, between 1315 and 1330 hrs. Drifted low in from the east, perched on a fencepost, where it was attacked by local crows, moved about 150 yards towards the campsite field, perched on another post, where it was again mobbed by crows and Magpies, took flight and circled slowly upwards, being constantly harried by gulls. Soaring with wings held in a V, then drifted off very high north towards Exeter. It regrettably did not return.

 

[da2m]

Nice Long-eared Owl at Ashford near Barnstaple this morning - out in full view from the tarka trail.

cracking photo.

 

[andy]

long eared owl

L E Owl still showing up to 17 15 hrs at least showing extremly well still.

 

[Ppedro]

2 Cattle Egrets at Park Farm nr Kingsbridge this morning.

 

[Tav94]

2 Cattle Egrets at Aveton Gifford in field by road bridge.

Chris Buckland.


www.freewebs.com/tav94