Dartmouth golf club
Yesterday, in warm sunshine, my first singing blackcap of the year amid the chorus of chiffchaffs.
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Goosander and Water Rail at Seaton Wetlands
Seen on 27th March 2023
River Torridge, Northam
3 Chiffchaffs calling from the trees near Hyde Barton, Two Greenshank on the mud by the floating crane along with Redshank, Oystercatcher and 6 Teal. No sign of the Kingfisher that was present yesterday.
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Evening atRiver Plym
A quick evening walk along the river Plym. Male and Female Goosander, Female Mandarin and a couple of Dippers (one ringed).
Slapton ley
Great White Egret 3, male Ring- necked Duck 1 , Water Rail, Kingfishers 2, Chiffchaffs 50+ , Blackcap 2 , Firecrest 1.
Baggy.
Hoopoe around after we saw Mr Jutsum but didn’t see it later in the day. 1 Common Lizard, 1 Wheatear and a pair of Goldcrests round the pond.
Plym Estuary & Saltram
On a lovely sunny morning: 3 Red-breasted Mergansers (2 drakes), 4 Goosanders (1 drake), Red-crested Pochard (female), Wigeon, 30+ Turnstones, 22 Snipe, 6 Greenshanks, just 2 Dunlins, Kingfisher (male), Green Woodpecker & a Bullfinch (male).
Finally, some signs of Spring, with 2 Moorhen chicks in the nest and a Brimstone.
West Charleton marsh
Lone Whimbel and Greenshank with 3 Redshank feeding along the shoreline at West Charleton marsh.
South Molton, Mon 27th March
Brimstone butterfly, 13.40
Baggy
The Hoopoe was still present this morning & spent most of the time foraging in the grass.
Lee Moor
Around the Big Pond area 2 male Wheatears – one taking exception to a male Stonechat. Looking down from on high into the flooded quarry 5 distant ducks diving – presume Tufted from black and white colouration of 3 .
The Skern
Sunday Morning. Tide still still very high with no mud exposed. Large flock of Oystercatchers on the salt marsh with 4 Ringed Plover. 3 Turnstones by the Appledore Bridge and a Snipe flew up as I walked along the embankment. The extremely high tides during the week had overtopped the banked up pebbles near the 9th Green but 2 Wheatears flitting about the stones. 3 more Wheatears with Stonechats, fiches and skylarks on the grassed tip and rushes. Greysand Mere had 20 Shelduck
Pork Hill/Cox Tor, West Dartmoor
14.05
A Red Kite flew west between the B3357 at Pork Hill and Cox Tor.
Lone housemartin
Single housemartin Plymouth Hoe late afternoon
first day of the hols at Seaton Wetlands.
CLOSE BY THE DISCOVERY HUT A CETTIS SHOWING WELL, A FIRST FOR ME. SEVERAL REED BUNTINGS,MOSTLY MALES AND ONE WHEATEAR. ON BLACK HOLE MARSH NOTHING OF NOTE BUT THE OYSTER CTCHERS VERY VOCAL IN THEIR MATING AND PAIRING. AT THE WETLANDS HUT NOTHING OF NOTE EXCEPT SEVERAL TEAL AND GODWIT IN BREEDING PLUMAGE. WATCH THIS SPACE FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS.
Ilfracombe
Rock Pipit
Sighting Sunday 26th 10:30
Feeding on crumbs dropped by fishermen around the Damien Hurst statue area at the entrance to the harbour.
Soar
13 migrant Buzzards moving generally eastwards in a north-westerly breeze mid-morning over Southdown Farm. 23 Chiffchaffs in Soar Mill Valley.
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Caen Estuary, Horsey, Braunton Marshes
Cycled along the Toll Rd to the White House hoping to see an Osprey over the Caen Estuary, Horsey & the Taw Estuary but instead had a Chiffchaff in full song in the garden of the White House & 2 Roe Deer in one of the grazing marsh fields on Braunton Marshes to the west of the Toll.
Also a Tractor Rally along the Toll Road while I was photographing the Roe Deer. At least 34 tractors but could have been a few more!
Powderham
Pair of Egyptian Geese with four young goslings.
Twenty plus Cattle Egret.
Wrafton
Garganey still present (on the smaller scrape this morning). Only one Black-tailed Godwit. Good numbers of Chiffchaff around, and drake Pochard on Wrafton Pond. A few Sand Martins over. Went back to the scrape later on and while looking over Sherpa for a Marsh Harrier, saw a female Hen Harrier instead.
