Devon Birding (7 Viewers)

[Roy C]

I hope to visit Isley Marsh for the Spoonbills Sat am, could anyone advise on best parking areas/access to Tarka Trail as I'm from out of county?? thanks in advance.

Hi, You need to access the Tarka Trail at Yelland (on the old Barnstaple to Bideford Road, not the new link Road). At Yelland turn off to the old Power station site sign posted Estuary Business Park. Just before the road crosses the Tarka Trail you can park on the right hand side, there will be other cars parked there. Once parked, walk to the Tarka Trail and turn Right, about 200 yards down the trail on the left you will see the entrance to Isley marsh. Hope this helps.

 

[cwpbirder]

Roy - thanks for the info - v useful - I think high tide is before dawn so will try when tide falling early-mid morning

 

[Roy C]

Roy - thanks for the info - v useful - I think high tide is before dawn so will try when tide falling early-mid morning

You should have a excellent chance of seeing the Spoonbills - I will probably be there myself weather permitting.

 

[metal.birder]

Haldon forest

Took a walk around Haldon Forest looking for the Crossbills.....no such luck today.|=o|

Had to settle for 4 Siskin on one of there feeders,, got about 15 foot away so they looked lovely with bins! Just wish I had a nice long camera lens again!! Oh also some Marsh Tits!

:t:

 

[Jon Turner]

I hope to visit Isley Marsh for the Spoonbills Sat am, could anyone advise on best parking areas/access to Tarka Trail as I'm from out of county?? thanks in advance.

Hi, If you want to see the Spoonbills off the estuary, they seem to be spending the night(?) roosting in the flooded field across the Tarka Trail from Wrafton pond. All 6 have been there for the last two mornings. I saw them there at 09.30 this morning and they looked fairly settled. I wonder if this is because of the high spring tides at the moment?
The Red-crested Pochard is also still in residence on the pond.

They are quite close, so should provide decent photo ops, (Roy?)

Jon

 

[Roy C]

Hi, If you want to see the Spoonbills off the estuary, they seem to be spending the night(?) roosting in the flooded field across the Tarka Trail from Wrafton pond. All 6 have been there for the last two mornings. I saw them there at 09.30 this morning and they looked fairly settled. I wonder if this is because of the high spring tides at the moment?
The Red-crested Pochard is also still in residence on the pond.

They are quite close, so should provide decent photo ops, (Roy?)

Jon

Thanks for the tip Jon - I was at Isley this morning and there was no sign of the Spoonbills. Like you say, the high tide must have driven them off the Marsh all together. Will be at Wrafton tomorrow am (weather permitting).

 

[pandachris]

Torcross/Slapton/Prawle

A nice few hours around midday on one of our infrequent visits to Devon.

One Black-necked Grebe on the lagoon, viewed from the hide near the Sherman Tank.

One Slavonian Grebe, one Red-necked Grebe and one Long-necked Duck on the sea at Torcross, viewed from near the Start Bay Inn.
One Red-throated Diver along the surf line from the beach car park a little further east.
Several Gannets off Prawle Point.

The five regular British grebes in the space of an hour might have been a UK first for us.

 

[Jon Turner]

A nice few hours around midday on one of our infrequent visits to Devon.

One Black-necked Grebe on the lagoon, viewed from the hide near the Sherman Tank.

One Slavonian Grebe, one Red-necked Grebe and one Long-necked Duck on the sea at Torcross, viewed from near the Start Bay Inn.
One Red-throated Diver along the surf line from the beach car park a little further east.
Several Gannets off Prawle Point.

The five regular British grebes in the space of an hour might have been a UK first for us.

As indeed might the Long-necked Duck!!:-O:-O

Jon

 

[Sprigo]

One Slavonian Grebe, one Red-necked Grebe and one Long-necked Duck on the sea at Torcross, viewed from near the Start Bay Inn.

As a newbie the Long-necked Duck had me searching my field guide. :-O

 

[Maurice499]

North Devon Spoonbills.

I hope to visit Isley Marsh for the Spoonbills Sat am, could anyone advise on best parking areas/access to Tarka Trail as I'm from out of county?? thanks in advance.

Hi cwpbirder,

The map refs for Isley Marsh and Wrafton Pond are:-
SS490328 and SS488354

Look `em up on Googlemaps or Ordnance Survey websites. Easier to see from a map.

Maurice

 

[metal.birder]

Think he may have been excited, and I probably would have been with his list of Grebes!! Was it a long-TAILED Duck??? lol

 

[Roy C]

Hi cwpbirder,

The map refs for Isley Marsh and Wrafton Pond are:-
SS490328 and SS488354

Look `em up on Googlemaps or Ordnance Survey websites. Easier to see from a map.

Maurice

Too late Maurice, He (Brian) went to Isley this morning - No sign of the Spoonbills though - they were on the other side.
BTW Maurice I went up to the pond opposite Bishop Tawton yesterday - no sign of the Goosander or Green Sand.

 

[SANDYMERE]

Skern

Lonesome Whooper spotted on the Skern this afternoon.:t:

 

[pandachris]

As a newbie the Long-necked Duck had me searching my field guide. :-O

Oops. Obviously I meant Black-tailed Duck. Or was it a Long-tailed Grebe? Hope nobody tries to park in that car park just east of Torcross, as well. Might get closer to the duck than they bargained for. Schoolboy geographical error based on the perception that the south coast runs east to west.

Hope the weather bucks up a bit today. Might want to walk off our hotel breakfast.

 

[Pastynator]

Hi Roy. Is this the pond you mean?
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=51.064533,-4.065553&spn=0.003432,0.006899&t=h&z=17

Any other bird life there? (even common birds i mean)

Too late Maurice, He (Brian) went to Isley this morning - No sign of the Spoonbills though - they were on the other side.
BTW Maurice I went up to the pond opposite Bishop Tawton yesterday - no sign of the Goosander or Green Sand.

 

[Roy C]

Hi Roy. Is this the pond you mean?
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=51.064533,-4.065553&spn=0.003432,0.006899&t=h&z=17

Any other bird life there? (even common birds i mean)

No, I am pretty this is the one although it does not look like a pond on the map. You can get to this one by following the river up from Rock Park. It is more of a large flood pool. There is almost always something in there - yesterday it was just Teal, Mallard and a few shelduck.

 

[cwpbirder]

Roy - after meeting you yesterday, I understand the Spoonbills were over on the Braunton side! oh well, another time. Had a successful boat cruise on the Exe later in the day with 3 Great Northern Divers, Spotted Redshank and Greenshank in addition to the commoner waders - later the Surf Scoter distantly off Exmouth with a Long-tailed Duck and a Slav Grebe. Thanks for your help.

 

[Pastynator]

Cheers Roy

No, I am pretty this is the one although it does not look like a pond on the map. You can get to this one by following the river up from Rock Park. It is more of a large flood pool. There is almost always something in there - yesterday it was just Teal, Mallard and a few shelduck.

 

[Maurice499]

Hi Roy. Is this the pond you mean?
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=51.064533,-4.065553&spn=0.003432,0.006899&t=h&z=17

Any other bird life there? (even common birds i mean)

Hi Pastynator,
This is the pond Roy and I were discussing.
It`s that light brown smudge to the west of the river and railway line. It`s between the railway bridge and the cultivated fields. I suspect the Google image was taken in the summer when the water level was very low.
The pond has produced Mandarin, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper plus the usual Teal, Mallard, Wigeon, Redshank and the like.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?ie=UT...1249,-4.056015&spn=0.021254,0.086861&t=h&z=14

I hope I`ve managed to copy the correct link.

Maurice.

 

[Jon Turner]

Marsh Sandpiper

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?ie=UT...1249,-4.056015&spn=0.021254,0.086861&t=h&z=14

I hope I`ve managed to copy the correct link.

Maurice.

Maurice, are you sure about Marsh Sandpiper?

Jon