Blackcaps in north Exmouth
We have had a daily visit by a female Blackcap since Christmas. It is fairly aggressive towards any other visitors to the table. Last weekend both Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers announcing their presence in the local area + a Tawny Owl in the predawn gloom.
Lopwell
Visit to lopwell before the rain. Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper. Red Shank, 6 Buzzard on the thermals together.
Lopwell
Visit to lopwell before the rain. Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper. Red Shank, 6 Buzzard on the thermals together.
Plymouth
ford park cemetery, mutley, black redstart showing well, 75yards behind the chaple at 09. 30.
also a black guilliemot off maderia road next to the Hoe, between the yellow and green bouys 150 meters out .
Stoke, Plymouth
Male sparrowhawk visited our garden about 5pm yesterday
+1 Photo
Yarner Wood – Long-tailed Tits
The Long-tailed Tits at Yarner Wood were demonstrating their wonderfully acrobatic method of holding and eating a sunflower seed in one foot whilst dangling from a twig by the other.
Also around the feeding station Marsh, Coal, Blue and Great Tits, Siskin, Nuthatch, Chaffinch, Robin and Great Spotted Woodpecker. Several Goldcrests in the hollies.
Still at least six Cattle Egrets in with bullocks at Blackpool Farm, near Yealmpton.
River Otter Firecrest
Single firecrest feeding amongst willow at SY075839 (south of Otterton near to where the old aqueduct once discharged into the river).
Ringed Black headed gull at tidal Road Averton Gifford
Photographed this bird on the 6th January at the above location, ring number J0012, submitted info to Euring via the website, unfortunately I never heard back from them. Wondering if anyone else has seen sight or sound of it?
Gordon Flower
Elberry cove area
4th march:
4 redwing still around
Haytor area
on 2nd march (pm):
large flock (100+ ?) of i think were golden plover, flying locally in the haytor area and twice settling for some time.
Cornwood, Red Kite
Red Kite rising from field close to Cornwood this afternoon at 1440.
2 GSW, a Treecreeper and large flock of mixed Coal and Long Tail Tits flying through woods at Quick Bridge
Velator reserve
After ringing a female Sparrowhawk on Friday morning (handle very carefully)! I later caught a Blue Tit which looked in adult plumage, so I checked the ring number to see it started with an ‘S’ ; I know that these rings were quite a while ago so checked when I got home to see it was ringed in May 2016. So approaching 7 years. Good going. Today, while talking with Sue Bruce on the Tarka Trail we saw lots of small birds on a telegraph wire which on closer inspection were all Meadow Pipits. All 20 of them! Must keep looking for a Water Pipit….
Lopwell Dam
At the dam this morning were 4 Little Grebes, just downstream, a Common Sandpiper and a Green Sandpiper feeding on worms. Also, a Greenshank, Marsh Tit, Woodpeckers drumming, and Mallards mating.
Plym Estuary & Saltram
The first Godwits of the year here, this morning, with 2 sum-plum Black-tailed on the lower estuary at low tide. Also, Dipper, 2 Kingfishers, 3+ Siskins, 2 Grey Wagtails, 2 Common Sandpipers, 2 Goosanders (1 drake), 48 Wigeon & 2 Little Grebes.
Taw Estuary, Heanton Court
A couple of hours with Andy Leat around high tide yesterday afternoon produced a dozen or so bar tailed godwits and 20ish common gulls on Bassetts Ridge viewed from Heanton Court. Also present were a few dunlin, a sanderling, some black headed gulls and two greater black backed gulls. On the water, a great crested grebe and a pair of goosander accompanied by a red breasted merganser. Interesting to see the two side by side for comparison. I notice that neither Collins nor BTO comparison video mention the lack of a hooked bill on the merganser, a pretty useful ID detail I would have thought. Any ideas why that would be? Is it not definitive?
+1 Photo
Plymouth
Around a very cold Plymouth this morning ~
Saltram House for the Red Crested Pochard duck, on the pond with at least seven Mandarin duck, one pair displaying and mating, good numbers of Moorhen with birds displaying , along the wood land track seven plus Ring Necked Parakeet, the female of one pair checking out a nest hole.
On Blaxton Meadow a flock of Wigeon, singles of Grey Plover and Greenshank and a handful of Redshank.
At Ford Park Cemetery a female Black Redstart eventually showed up, very mobile but showing well at times, Raven overhead, a very well marked Buzzard perched on one of the gravestones, Green Woodpecker calling, numerous Carrion Crow and Magpie.
Back at home, over last night a Barn owl calling, around the feeders today male GSWP, three Siskin (2M &1F), female Blackcap, Song Thrush and a very vocal Green Woodpecker.
Blackcap
Had a Blackcap on my bird table on the 28th February.
Eds- a reminder to state location (in the title please). You can put a general area if you don’t wish to disclose a home address.
Tarka Trail, Ashford side.
A walk along the trail just after lunch at low tide. Half a dozen each of Goosanders and Red Breasted Mergansers, 3 Teal, 200+ Lapwing in the middle of the river, several GBB Gulls, several Little Egrets and a good mix of Curlew, Redshank, Oystercatchers and BH Gulls and a couple of Mediterranean Gulls. On the walk back noticed a large gathering of Brent Geese on the far side of the river, probably a good 200.
River Mole Valley
In the orchard today attracted by supplementary feeding…..5 Yellowhammers,85 Chaffinches….3 showing signs of Papillomavirus,18 Stock Dove,8 Greenfinch,a female Linnet , 5 Pheasant,2 Bullfinch,Marsh Tit, Long Tailed Tit, 2GSWs, Nuthatch, 2 Buzzards and 75 Starlings feeding on Ivy berries.Elsewhere on the farm a mixed flock of 75 Fieldfare and Redwing , with 2 Snipe a Little Egret and pairs of Goosander and Mallard by the river.Non avian included a buck Roe Deer in velvet and 21 Red Deer hinds.
Chiffchaff at Northam, near The Skern
A Chiffchaff was seen this afternoon feeding on insects on a pile of horse manure on Long Lane in Northam. Not sure if it was a winter resident or newly arrived summer visitor?
In the morning a single Redwing seen observed near the top of a tree near Hyde Barton, Northam along with a singing Mistle Thrush.
