Blog

30 October 2024

Snow Buntings

Spent some time yesterday over at Budliegh with the Snow Buntings, with kids and dogs running around they didnt seem to care.

Great to see them both, the last time I saw these was in Svalbard a few years ago so a nice catch up!

Nice to have some free time and the suns out. It would have been great if I had got there earlier and added a walk up the River Otter but as normal, life gets in the way.

20 October 2024

Lannacombe Beach

Managed to spend some time at Lannacombe Beach which is between Start Point and Prawle Point, its a bit of a pig to get to as the track to get there is full of pot holes and limited parking so you have to get there early.

Its a sandy beach that faces south which is why its popular with holiday makers but also with people like myself as it seems to trap plenty of goodies to see such as egg casings, this picture is only a quarter of what I found, Blonde, Spotted, Thornback, Small-eyed and Undulate Rays all found, large numbers of Cuttle Fish bones caught up in the large amount of seaweed that gets trapped here at high tide.

09 October 2024

River Exe

Totally different day today weather wise, started at the Hide at Bowling Green Marsh after a quick peek at Goosemoor, then down to the viewing platform. On the way home looked in at Powderham Church and around the Railway Bridge just up the cycle path by the river, then the River Kenn and the Outfall, Cockwood Harbour and the steps.

Had a good session and lots seen, at BGM plenty of ducks with Pintail, Mallard, Teal, Widgeon, Gadwall and Shoveler. Waders included Godwits, Curlew, Redshank Spotted Redshank, Greenshank and Dunlin, one was attacked, killed and eaten by the resident Lesser-black Backed Gull, down in one!

Other water birds included Grey Heron, Cattle and Little Egrets, Moorhens, Cormorant, Black Swans and Canada Geese.

Buzzard, Peregrine, Cettis Warbler, Wren, Robin, Blackbird and Pied Wagtail seen here.

Then off to the River Exe, plenty of Oystercatchers, Little Egrets, Gulls, Shelducks, Flock of about 40 Turnstones on the shoreline as well as 9 Great-crested Grebes on the water.

Quite a few humans about, all behaving themselves

08 October 2024

Dartmoor

In some appalling conditions I went up on Dartmoor to what was about, experience had shown me that plenty of birds are grounded and you can get some great views from the car. There had been reports of large flocks of Golden Plover on the moor so off I went, sadly no Waders of any sort found but plenty of other stuff seen.

Plenty of Rooks, Carrion Crow, Jackdaws and Ravens on the pastures digging up food in the soft soil, Gulls also.

Gangs of Magpies, Jays bouncing around the hedgerows and trees, several Buzzards sat on poles and fence posts, flocks of Chaffinch, Meadow Pipits, Skylarks, House Sparrows, Blackbirds, Song Thrush, Stonechat, Pied Wagtails, Robin, Mistle Thrushes, Dunnocks and Wren all seen.

Also popped into Yarner to see what was on the feeders, all the normal stuff, looks like the Marsh Tits had a good year as there was plenty around the feeders.

While the weather was crap, some good stuff seen while sat in the car with my trusty Flask!

07 October 2024

Stover

Inbetween rain showers I managed a visit to Stover in Newton Abbot.

There is a lot of work going on here to reclaim the lake after all the vegetation was polluted from run off from the A38 causing all the lillys etc to die off. So now they are De-Silting the lake, with the machinery in the lake obviously caused some disruption but still many Mallard, Mandarin and Tufted Ducks, Great-creasted Grebes, Mute Swans, Moorhens and Coots, not forgetting the Gulls on the water.

Around the edge and feeders are Great, Coal and Blue Tits, Nuthatch, Woodpigeons, Blackbird, Dunnock, Robin, Magpie and Jays.

Plenty of humans about enjoying the place and very few dogs about and none off the leads which is a first here!

06 October 2024

Out and about

Well its a start of a week off and it looks like its going to be raining? Why am I suprised? I was originally going away but because of work needed on the outside of my flat and £320 work need on my car I wont be traveling far!

Today managed to get out to the Exminster Marshes, only had a short time so parked up at the Fishermans Car Park and walked to the Turf and back.

The tide was wrong and between the high tide and rough water it was difficult to see much.

Plenty of Black-headed Gulls, Cormarants, Canada Geese everywhere plus 6 Greylags, Mute Swans, Little Egrets, Grey Heron, Coot, Moorhens, Mallards, Widgeons, Teal, Shoveler, Curlews, Godwits, Redshank.

A few Crows, Magpie and fly over Buzzard.

A few humans about, the birders as normal keping themselves aloof, the friendlest was a fisherman who had been there all night for no bites, he looked cold!

On the way back home I went via the back roads behind Kenton and Starcross and very little to see except Pheasants which was a suprise.

© Simon Thurgood 2024
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