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From Morte Point @ todays high water 20 porpoise+ 90 or more Short beaked Common Dolphins in small groups all the way from Baggy to Bullpoint & right up to Grunta.  Also good numbers of Gannets & Manx Shearwaters feeding.  

The adult Spotted Sandpiper showed late afternoon just south of the hide on the far side of the marsh, but reasonable views through the 'scope in excellent light. Also a Greenshank, a juv Little Ringed Plover, 10 Dunlins and 4+ Common Sandpipers.

From this mornings trip out into Lyme Bay with Nigel

A Green Sandpiper took flight from the river bank by the new sewage pumping station at Clyst Honiton as I dropped by to see if the public footpath has been opened yet.  (Found that the new foot bridge has yet to be built, so the path remains closed).  (A Common Sandpiper was in the same place a few weeks ago where the river is only feet wide). 

Calling in at the large lake west of the Education Campus at Cranbrook, Swallows and House Martins where present in good numbers feeding over the water and an overhead Hobby was a new tick for this area.  Later at 1610 hrs when home three miles away, a Hobby (maybe same one?) flew over the house heading towards Whimple.  Quite a regular visitor here most summers.   

Single swift over Kingsteignton Saturday 20.10.

This mornings trip out of Brixham a few species of seabirds. 25 Manx Shearwater, 1 Balearic Shearwater, 1 Great Skua, Kittiwake, Fulmar, Great black-backed gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Guillemots and Gannet.  3 Harbour Porpoise and at least 12 Common Dolphin, very difficult to know how many we had around the boat. Many young gulls around boat when chumming!!   Looking forward to next Saturday and Sunday trip with DB Plymouth Group.

0900 to 1030. Nice cluster of birds and butterflies at the bottom of the valley These included Whitethroats, Willow Warblers, a restless Pied Flycatcher and a Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary.. In total in the valley  were 10+ Whitethroats, 20+ Phylloscs, 12 Stonechats, and a Blackcap..9 other butterfly species.

An afternoon visit to Aveton Gifford didn't look too promising when I was informed the Spotted Sandpiper had not been seen since yesterday. But after a bit of a wait it showed briefly down channel of the hide before flying to the centre of the marsh where it stayed on view for at least an hour from 17:00 with a Common and a Green Sandpiper for comparison!  At least 5 Green and 4 Commons, 4 Dunlin and a Snipe. A poor record photo.

Family stroll mid afternoon. 6 Med gulls, incl 2 juvs plus 2 Sandwich terns Last Sunday there were 9 Med gulls in total, incl 3 juvs.

The Marsh Harrier still present on the southern side of Exminster Marsh near the lagoon at 7pm. Flew off towards the northern marsh. 

South Efford Marsh first thing - Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpipers, Kingfisher, Snipe, 3 Swifts & 8 Dunlins, but nothing else Spotted!

At Soar a Yellow Wagtail, c20 Whitethroats, a handful of Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers and a buck Roe Deer.

6 Med Gulls on the beach this morning two with colour rings (white).

Goodrington: 2 juv Med Gulls on beach

Preston: 1 Yellow-legged Gull juv on rocks at low tide(my first for this beach!), 13 Sandwich Terns, 8 Turnstone

12-08-16. A Good sighting of a Chiffchaff and to my surprise a very obliging Wheatear, which came within 9 feet of me, other birds seen were, Juv Linnets, Juv Dunnock, Goldfinches and Stonechats

Eds: the chiffchaff is actually a juv Willow Warbler despite the dark legs(unreliable feature) check the brightness of the plumage, strong supercilium and most importantly the length of the exposed primaries beyond the tertials,the edges at the tip are also rather spaced out - unlike the short and bunched tips on a Chiffchaff. 

Walking along the coastal path from Mill bay a small, slim falcon flew past just below me, I managed to refind it further along and it proved to be a juvenile Hobby with clear facial markings, heavy streaking underneath and lacking the red trousers. It gained height then flew inland.

Best birds over the afternoon low high-tide was Spotted Redshank, 3-Little -ringed Plovers, 3-Common Sandpipers and adult Mediterranean Gull

Common Sandpiper

Early morning visit produced a imm male marsh harrier harried by a kestrel  two little egret four heron and one smart whimbrel.unusual were two kestrels on owl box.i was joined by Malcolm Shakespeare at11am and so did the marsh harrier,all from main hide.Saltpill produced sparrowhawk and buzzard with usual finches and warblers,

A bit of movement through the area: 3 Wheatear, 13 Whitethroat, 2 Blackcap, 12 Willow Warbler, Bullfinch and post-breeding Linnet numbers up to 227.

12th Aug 2016. Spotted Sandpiper distant, but showing very well at South Efford Marsh. Visited 0800-0930 hrs, also 3 Green Sandpiper and Common Sandpiper.

15.00-19.30: Little Egret 20, Marsh Harrier 1m, Dunlin 140, Ringed Plover 36, Green Sandpiper 1, Common Sandpiper 2, Greenshank 12, Whimbrel 3, Common Gull 3, Mediterranean Gull 9, Kingfisher 1, Swift 1, Sand Martin 30, Swallow 50, Wheatear 1, Yellow Wagtail 2.

Spotted Sandpiper still present. Also, 1 Common Sand., and 1 Green Sand.

The missing materials for the Beesands hide refurbishment have arrived.  The work will start on Monday 15 August and will be completed the next day.  The hide will not be useable for those two days.

Good views of a marsh harrier yesterday morning flying along the flood bank between Isley marsh and HFM.main pond two grey heron,two little egret,one wigeon seven mallard ,and a kestrel on the owl box.

Another juv Yellow-legged Gull at Broadsands beach this morning with juv Herring Gulls around it..

A couple of comparison shots showing Great Black-backed and Lesser Black-backed juveniles below.

Female Marsh Harrier feeding in the fields halfway between the RSPB carpark and the bottom end of the reserve. Flew off towards the Turf Locks at 7.25 pm.

Female marsh harrier on lsley marsh and Home Farm marsh this morning.

Osprey watched hunting the taw river from crow point to fremington quay.Sat on a sand bank for a while before the weather turned and it flew off towards Barnstaple. Also hunting on Horsey island a Marsh Harrier .

While releasing a rehabilitated Buzzard near Harbourneford, South Brent this evening had a pleasant few minutes watching a Spotted Flycatcher using a field gate as a perch to hawk insects from. 

Five Buzzards seen in the area, three Greater Spotted Woodpeckers the land owner tells me that a pair of Kestrel have reared and fledged three young on his land this season.

Amazing afternoon watching an Osprey hunting the river Taw from Crow point to Fremington Quay. Before the weather turned. Also lucky to see a juvenile Marsh Harrier hunting briefly over Horsey Island  

Little Egrets

With wife and dog walked from Lympstone to Exmouth.  Thought I would take lighter wide lens and of course needed a better one.  House Martins feeding 2nd brood, one in a very unusual "house".  Also about 25 Little Egrets in a field at Exmouth end.  Sorry about quality of photos

A female Eurasian Eagle owl lost from Brixham in March of this year has been recovered today at Budleigh Salterton.

Afternoon walk along the edge of Frogmore creek, ending up in the hide at West Charlton. Cirl Buntings, 6 Greenshanks on the creek, 2 Dunlin also, plenty of Buzzards around. From the hide counted 70 Curlew on the mudflats, 1 Whimbrel, 4 Common Gulls, Redshanks a-plenty.

Just to add to earlier post seen from the hide over the high-tide a juvenile Ruff and a Common Tern on a buoy off Exton from viewing platform.

Viewed over the morning high-tide.

From the hide 2-Little Ringed Plovers, 3-Common Sandpipers, Spotted Redshank with the usual good numbers of waders.

From the viewing platform a Painted Lady butterfly along the footpath, 4-Common Sandpipers right of the platform with a few Long-tailed Tits and Willow Warblers around the hedgerows.

Despite the cold northerly wind some evidence of movement. Best bird was a 1st year Wood Warbler associating with Chiffchaffs (total around 25). 5 Willow Warblers, 12 Stonechat, 30 House Martin and 15 Swallows as well as the normally expected species. 

Walked around the point, on the sea close to shore was a single adult Common Scoter, 2 Kestrels, 1 Raven, 1 Wheatear, 1 Sanderling on Mattiscombe sand and a pair of Rock Pipits on the cliffs there.

High tide. 9 Greenshank, 47 Curlew, 5 Shelduck, 2 Swift, 2 Swallow, House martin, 4 Jay, 6 Little Egret, Stock Dove,  30+ Canada, numerous Black headed gulls. 2 Silver-washed frittilary.

A sanderling on the main beach at Wembury yesterday despite the crowds of holiday makers, feeding along the tideline and surprisingly easy to overlook or lose sight of due to its cryptic plumage patterning. Unfazed by nearby people and seen down to a few metres.

Sanderling on the beach

Despite the crowds of holiday makers on the main beach at Wembury this sanderling was busily feeding along the tide line oblivious to people nearby and seen down to a few metres. It was surprisingly easy to overlook it or lose sight of it against the pebbles and seaweed with its cryptic plumage patterning. 

Viewed over the morning high-tide.

From the hide Green Sandpiper, 3-Common Sandpipers, adult Mediterranean Gull, 2-Sandwich Terns (ad + juv) amongst the usual high numbers of other waders. Still a few Willow Warblers in the hedgerows along the road from the hide.

RSPB Goosemmor on the dropping tide Spotted Redshank showed well after being flushed by Buzzard which was stood on the fencing decided to fly off, c200-Redshank and 35-Greenshank.

Spotted Flycatcher on Morte Point this morning.

South Molton, Monday 8th Aug: 9 pm Four swifts flying, chasing and screaming

A first light visit to South Efford Marsh, Aveton Gifford this morning, on the way down to the village a male Yellow Hammer.

Little Egrets in good numbers at least 16, Heron 3, adult Shellduck with four juveniles, two juvenile Buzzards calling, Jay, several Curlew, a single Ringed Plover, Stock Dove 2, a single Teal, 65+ Mallard lifted off of the marsh at one point, Common Sandpiper in double figures the most I have seen at this location with birds on both the marsh and the river, 31+ Black Headed Gulls.

The high light being the reported Spotted Sandpiper, very distant and difficult to pick out but it showed periodically.

The marsh was alive with Wagtails mostly Pieds constantly in view and continuous movement during the visit with the odd Grey seen as well.

On the way out Swallows began to trickle over the marsh feeding with a single House Martin, three Wren and a single Kingfisher.

1130 - 1630 Well marked Spotted Sandpiper , probably first seen lower down the Avon estuary by Rodney Bone on the evening of 6.8.2016, located by me on the south end of the marsh at 1130hrs on 8.8.2016. Bird disappeared in various gullies for lengthy periods of time, reappearing to give good, but distant, views to several local experienced birders. Still present at 1630 hrs, when I left with more birders arriving. Sadly too distant for any photographs at that time.

Migrant counts of Wheatear, 21 Whitethroat, 4 Willow Warbler, 21 Swift, c.300 House Martin & 150 Swallow. Several Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries on wing.

The first Painted lady I have been able to photograph this year. I think I have caught sight of a few but this isn't a painted Lady summer so far.  This was seen at Bicton catching the sun on a wall.