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Posted January 6th at 10:52 am by Mike Langman in Bird News
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Posted August 25th, 2020 at 9:58 am by Mike Daniels in Bird News
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Posted October 10th, 2016 at 9:14 am in Bird News
Tuesday 7th July 2015
On todays return trip from Lundy about 6miles out, we saw 2+ very large Shearwaters in amongst juvenile gannets & several Sandwich Terns. I think they were most likely to be Great Shearwaters but may have been Cory's Shearwaters.
Posted July 7th, 2015 at 9:29 pm by Martin Thorne in Bird News
Viewed over the late morning high-tide.
To add to Nick's post from the hide adult and juvenile Mediterranean Gulls dropped in together after the high-tide with both showing well on the point with c700-Black Headed Gulls; 1-Spotted Redshank; 2-Bar Tailed Godwits; c60-Black Tailed Godwits; 5-Whimbrel; c200-Curlew.
From the viewing platform a Harbour Seal was seen on the mud of the river Clyst close to the reeds and later seen with the Common Seal together on the mud-bar in middle of the river Exe estuary. The Spotted Redshank was hiding in one of the gulleys left of the platform with just it's head showing most of the afternoon. Video link for the seals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QqRZ_jEJhw
No Common Redshanks were seen from the hide, platform and Goosemoor.

adult & juvenile Mediterranean Gulls from the hide

adult & juvenile Mediterranean Gulls from the hide
Posted July 7th, 2015 at 8:55 pm by David Boult in Bird News
3 European Bee-eaters seen flying down Ivy Cove valley at 1205hrs. Watched feeding with hirundines before heading off after a few minutes north west towards Coleton Camp car park
Posted July 7th, 2015 at 6:40 pm by Josh Marshall in Bird News
Disappointed in this the breeding season to both see and hear the disturbance at the normally quiet Beesands Ley today. 3 possibly 4 Kayaks with lots of screaming youngsters under adult supervision in what I presume to be an organised outing. I'm glad the youngsters were having a good time, but this is not an appropriate location. Needless to say not many birds in sight, except the family of swans getting out of the way in the background. What next, swimmers, inflatables etc?

Posted July 7th, 2015 at 6:05 pm by David Pakes in Bird News
Lunchtime visit to the hide until about 1.50. The Spotted Redshank showed well eventually having been hidden among a group of 6 Greenshanks. 1 adult and 1 juvenile Mediterranean Gull. Also 1 Lesser Black-back and 1 Great Black-back.
Posted July 7th, 2015 at 2:27 pm by Nick Potter in Bird News
A bit slow off the mark but found my 1st juv. Yellow-legged Gull of the year at BGM this am. After comparing photos it looks different to Matt's bird. Spotted Redshank also present but surprised by total absence of Med Gulls.

Yellow-legged Gull juv 7/7/2015 Topsham

Yellow-legged Gull juv 7/7/2015 Topsham
Posted July 7th, 2015 at 12:04 pm by Tim Worfolk in Bird News
Seawatch 0530-0830hrs, all birds south; 210 Common Scoter (including one flock of 80+ see photo below), 344 Manx Shearwaters, 1 Balearic Shearwater, 1 Puffin, 7 Mediterranean Gulls, 2 Sandwich Tern 50+ Kittiwake, 80+ Gannet and 5+ Harbour Porpoise just off headland.

Posted July 7th, 2015 at 10:06 am by Mike Langman in Bird News
Monday 6th July 2015
Watched from 19.30 - 21.30.
Spotted Redshank showed well from the observation platform. Also juv. Shelduck.
From the hide, in poor light, usual waders Curlew, Redshank, Whimbel etc circa 1800 BH Gulls (more coming in as I left) with one Med Gull. Apologies for poor quality pictures. Peregrine tried three passess without succes (fox also crossed the marsh at the same time) causing consternation. Peregrine still in trees to the right of the hide as I left.

Peregrine

Shelduck Juv.

Spotted Redshank
Posted July 6th, 2015 at 11:38 pm by Martin Rooney in Bird News
Blackhill Quarry - juvenile yellow-legged gull at Blackhill Quarry this evening. Hopefully the first of many. More photos at www.gobirdingexmouth.blogspot.co.uk.

Posted July 6th, 2015 at 8:01 pm by Matt Knott in Bird News
A38 Ashburton, a Kestrel sat on overhead wires.Templar Way, Newton Abbot, pair of Mute Swan with five small cygnets, Swifts, House Martins and Swallows in reasonable numbers, Sky Lark could be heard singing from towards the race course, Starling overhead.
Rv Teign at the Passage House Inn, good numbers of both Curlew and Little Egret present, very brief view of a Kingfisher.

Labrador Bay (RSPB reserve) Cirl Bunting and Skylark.

Marine Parade, Preston, Paignton, one immature Mediterranean Gull with a growing number of Back Headed Gulls including one juvenile.

Broadsands four Cirl Bunting reasonable numbers of Herring and Greater Black Backed Gulls, one juvenile GBB had a yellow ring with the details 6AA8 and what appeared to be a plain metal tag ring on the other leg.

Posted July 6th, 2015 at 4:41 pm by Steve Hopper in Bird News
Juvenile Great-crested Grebe again upstream of Velator weir at high tide this morning. Unusual here.
Posted July 6th, 2015 at 12:25 pm by Jon Turner in Bird News
Much better than expected in the run up to high tide this morning with 6 wader species. 9 Oystercatcher. 66 Curlew, 1 Whimbrel, 6 Dunlin, 3 Black-tailed Godwit, and 1 very early Ruff. The Ruff was a male moulting out of, in this case, black breeding plumage. Among the 57 Black-headed Gulls were 3 Juvs.
Posted July 6th, 2015 at 10:27 am by Roger Doble in Bird News
Sunday 5th July 2015
Yesterday at slapton ley there was this hybrid duck. It looks to me a red-crested pochard with tufted duck, however different from the bird that has been returning to slapton these past years.
Also, the 4 black swans are still present as well as 1 pochard, the brood of tufted ducks and good numbers of mute swans and canada goose( also one feral goose with them) gadwalls, great crested grebes, reed warblers and 2 mediterranean gulls. offshore 1 male common scoter


Posted July 5th, 2015 at 2:29 pm by Martin Rey Pellitero in Bird News
Saturday 4th July 2015
Viewed 1845-2115 hrs over the icoming high-tide.
From the viewing platform 7-Common Sandpipers amongst the rocks and seawall of riversmeet house right of the platform; 3-Ringed Plover; 1-Sanderling; c120-Redshank; 9-Bar Tailed Godwits; c70-Black Tailed Godwits; 11-whimbrel; c250-Curlew. Video link for the common sandpipers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Bs5dPOq7CI
From the hide 3-Greenshank; c2000 Black Headed Gulls no signs of the spotted redshank; little gull or any mediterranean gulls.

Common Sandpiper

3-Ringed Plover & 1-Sanderling
Posted July 4th, 2015 at 10:56 pm by David Boult in Bird News
Lovely walk around Saltram and the Plym Estuary saw Mediterranean Gull on the Plym just on the bend before it narrows out -at low tide. Other birds seen Skylark, Chiffchaff and Nuthatch

Mediterranean Gull
Posted July 4th, 2015 at 9:35 pm by Ian Teague in Bird News
A splendid Spotted Redshank from the viewing platform at B.G.M.
Along with a Greenshank & Whimbrel with very close views.
At Topsham Rec.a first year Little gull also adult Med.Gull four birds in all their glory.
Posted July 4th, 2015 at 9:24 pm by Stephen J Turner in Bird News
A late afternoon gull watch on the rising tide at Broadsands, Paignton this afternoon, four Terns showing well if a little distant for over an hour as they dived for small fish near the surface, a check of my birding book suggests that they were Sandwich Terns having light tipped black beaks.

A flight of at least four Mediterranean gulls flew in but as they landed in a mixed group of Greater Blacked Backed, Herring and Black Headed Gulls a beach goer decided it would be fun to run through the gull flock scattering them in all directions, one 2st year Mediterranean gull did return a little later.

Biggest surprise was a full summer plumage Black Tailed Godwit that came in and landed for a very short spell by the gulls, a count of 16 House Martins, a Pied Wagtail, male Green finch and two Goldfinch also on the beach.
On the way home through Dartington a Roe Doe with a calf at foot in the field alongside the new building site.

Posted July 4th, 2015 at 7:46 pm by Steve Hopper in Bird News
Lovely walk around Saltram and the Plym Estuary saw Mediterranean Gull on the Plym just on the bend before it narrows out -at low tide. Other birds seen Skylark, Chiffchaff and Nuthatch
Posted July 4th, 2015 at 7:03 pm by Ian Teague in Bird News
A 1st year female seen heading North East at 4pm today from Colaton Raleigh
Posted July 4th, 2015 at 6:48 pm by Ray Hamilton in Bird News
Plenty of birds about around Topsham but the star of the show was the Summer plumage Spotted Redshank seen at the platform looking over the Clyst, Stunning Bird!!

Posted July 4th, 2015 at 6:44 pm by simon thurgood in Bird News
Evening seawatch yesterday at Berry Head: 2 Arctic Skuas, 2 Sandwich Tern, 2 Mediterranean Gulls, 10 Common Scoter, 1 Curlew, 16 Manx Shearwater also 9 Common Dolphin, 5 Harbour Porpoise.
Posted July 4th, 2015 at 8:06 am by Mike Langman in Bird News
Friday 3rd July 2015
Had news back on 2 ringed birds seen on the marsh this week
27P3 is a juv bird ringed this summer at Hoeshill South west of reading and was seen at the colony the day before it appeared at Bowling green marsh
20L9 is an Adult and was ringed at hosehill as well in June 2013 it was at bowling green marsh in May and June 2014 before returning to bowling green marsh this week.
Will keep looking with the black headed numbers increasing still am still awaiting news back on some birds.
Posted July 3rd, 2015 at 8:42 pm by Keith Birchall in Bird News
The summer plumaged Spotted Redshank was showing from the viewing platform this lunchtime - still there at about 1.40 when I left. It was with a group of Redshanks looking to the left from the platform.
Posted July 3rd, 2015 at 2:12 pm by Nick Potter in Bird News
Thursday 2nd July on the low tide at Marine Parade, Preston, Paignton initially two adult summer plumage Mediterranean gulls on the exposed rocks a bit distant but clealry in view, they were joined by a younger bird without summer colours.
Posted July 3rd, 2015 at 1:13 pm by Steve Hopper in Bird News
Thursday 2nd July 2015
Photo and video to Keith's earlier post of the very smart looking summer breeding plumage Spotted Redshank seen on the marsh tonight.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tk3pFmX63fo

Spotted Redshank (summer breeding plumage)
Posted July 2nd, 2015 at 10:58 pm by David Boult in Bird News
watched from 17:45 till 20:35
the highlight was an adult summer plumage Spotted redshank which came in with 200+ redshank, 7 greenshank, 292+ curlew, 10+ whimbrel, 8 bar tailed godwits, 70+ black tailed godwits, 5 Mediterranean gulls( 1 adult, 4 1st summers) among 1600+ black headed gulls, 1 pochard, 12 lapwing, 6 little egrets.
with reference Nick Potters post the juv black headed gull with a ring the code is 27P3 and has been around for 3 days have sent info of and am awaiting reply also another black headed gull with code 20L9 back for its second summer ringed at hosehill South west of reading.
Posted July 2nd, 2015 at 10:28 pm by Keith Birchall in Bird News
6 swifts flying over Budleigh town centre this evening at 8pm for at least 20 mins
Posted July 2nd, 2015 at 10:13 pm by Richard Allen in Bird News
A modest count admittedly but good for Topsham Rec, 5 Med Gulls (three ads, one 3cy, one 2cy) dropped by briefly for a mid afternoon wash. The 2cy Little Gull also feeding on the shingle/mud under the M5 bridge; now regular here at low tide.

Med Gulls - Topsham Rec 2/7/2015
Posted July 2nd, 2015 at 4:29 pm by Tim Worfolk in Bird News
Wet lunchtime visit to the hide. Fairly quiet over a low tide. Highlights being a Sparrowhawk being mobbed by a group of Swallows by the pond to the right of the hide. When it flew off it was carrying what looked like a Swallow so no wonder they were so angry! Also a male Pochard was new in.
Only a few Black-headed Gulls present but this included 2 juveniles, one of which has a white ring with black writing on its left leg - but it flew off towards Topsham before I could read it. Worth keeping an eye out for to see where it is from...
Posted July 2nd, 2015 at 2:08 pm by Nick Potter in Bird News
It is that time of year folks & the numbers are increasing every year, so enjoy them while they are here.

Posted July 2nd, 2015 at 12:35 pm by Rob Jutsum in Bird News
Wednesday 1st July 2015
watched from 15:45 till 19:35
the 1st summer little gull put in a brief appearance, black headed gull numbers were down but no count with constant movement due to flying ants up over topsham, 3 Mediterranean gulls( 1 adult, 2 1st summers)
continued increase in waders with 175+ redshank, 271+ curlew, 10+ whimbrel, 3 greenshank, 12 lapwing, 5 oystercatchers, 7+ bar tailed godwits, 73+ black tailed godwits, 1 sandwich tern.
on walk around to the hide, 1 common tern from the goatwalk, 4 adult Mediterranean gulls.
Posted July 1st, 2015 at 11:19 pm by Keith Birchall in Bird News
A walk along Saunton Sands before breakfast this morning (Already 21C at 06.00).
Millions of Sandhoppers feeding on decaying seaweed & stranded jellyfish along the strandline.


Posted July 1st, 2015 at 12:29 pm by Rob Jutsum in Bird News
Hobby hunting bats at dusk last night.
Posted July 1st, 2015 at 8:40 am by Rob Macklin in Bird News