Plymbridge Woods
Small group of Swallows over the Plym Peregrines viaduct.
Torbay Cruise
A nice mixture of birds and other wildlife on todays cruise: 4 Great Northern Divers, 17 Common Scoter, 1 Long-tailed Duck, 5 Great Crested Grebes, 4 Eider, 4 Purple Sandpipers, 6 Turnstones, 2 (possibly 4) Manx Shearwaters), 1 (2nd winter) Yellow-legged Gull, Peregrine Falcon, Raven, Kittwakes, Gannets, 40+ Razorbills, lots of Guillemots, 2 Harbour Porpoise, 4 Grey Seals.
Swallow flying above Chulmleigh town centre
Newly arrived Swallow seen flying above Chulmleigh town centre mid-afternoon today 5/4/23. My first sighting at Chulmleigh this year.
Osprey to the north of Torquay on the Coast Path
Long sighting of an osprey sitting atop a telegraph pole only about 20 yards away. Very unfortunately I didn’t have a camera ready. Eventually it flew off.
RED KITE, near Kingsbridge
A sub-adult RED KITE flew low over lane near Warcombe (3 km N of Kingsbridge)
+1 Photo
Fernworthy and Thornworthy
This afternoon in the lane along the side of Fernworthy Reservoir there were about six Siskins and two Mistle Thrushes. Over at Thornworthy there was a Kestrel and a Red Kite. Long distance shots of both the Siskin and the Red Kite.
Pair of Goosanders at Coypool River Plym
Date: 4th April
Time: 09.45
+1 Photo
Stover Purple Heron
Purple Heron showing well this afternoon at Stover. Also Tawny Owl roosting yesterday at Yarner.
Sand Martins on the Otter
20+ sand martins on the Otter near Fluxton this morning, first of the year. A pair of dippers further downstream, 3 or 4 singing blackcaps with a female showing briefly. Plenty of chiffchaffs singing on a sunny day, rounded off with a hunting female kestrel; glorious Spring!
Bowling Green Marsh
Lunchtime visit at low tide with daughter. So just hide & ducks. 75+ Wigeon, 45+ Teal, 18+ Shoveler, 6 Tufted, 3 Pochard (2M, F), M Pintail & Juv Spoonbill. No hirundines. Green Woodpecker, M Blackcap & singing Chiffchaff.
Tawstock Court estate
Single Red Kite
Meeth quarry
mid Devon branch met here today,. Excellent weather and 48 birds seen. Good day after the rain we’ve had.
Red Kite, Bigbury
A Red kite was over fields with two Buzzards north of Bigbury along the B3392 at around 14.oo hrs.
Hoopoe near Brownsham woods
Spotted a Hoopoe in the middle of the road just outside National Trust Brownsham Woods car park
South Molton, Tue, 4th April
- Humming-bird Hawkmoth feeding strongly on narcissi in garden this morning
- Siskins flying over, calling
- Goldcrest, repeated singing
- Raven fly-over
Instow and r. Taw off Instow.
Whitethroat Singing from Scrub on Instow sand dunes , Several Willow Warblers in Song , a Swallow flew over . Out on the river a Great Crested Grebe 2 or 3 Eider and 9 Grey Plovers along the shoreline.
13 Grey Herons counted sitting out on the rocks at low tide but none showing any interest in the new nesting platforms installed when the old Heronry was destroyed……..
+1 Photo
Plym Estuary & Saltram
Five Garganeys (4 drakes & a duck) early morning on the lower estuary; eventually lost near Point Cottage. Also, my first Swallow of the year here, and at least 2 Green Woodpeckers.
+1 Photo
Yarner Wood
Yesterday afternoon: Chiffchaffs, Willow warblers, Blackcaps, Song thrush, GSW and a Tawny Owl
Powderham Church area
In fields near main gate were 10+ Egrets with st least four Cattle Egret & 4 Little Egrets. Also 120+ Linnet in the same field with sheep.
Earlier at Dawlish Warren (beach day) not too much bird wise, but nice to see a few Sand Crocus out.
Hope’s Nose
A lunchtime scan of the sea started well when an adult drake and two female Eiders flew in from the north at about 12.20 and settled on the sea north of the Orestone. Just before they drifted behind the Orestone, the wintering immature male and female flew in from the south and joined them, but separately and to the south of the Orestone. 5 off the headland probably equates to the biggest group there in recent years.
In addition, a lone male Common Scoter flew south as did a single Sandwich Tern.
