Dartmoor

4 Winchat (3 f 1 m), 1m Bullfinch, 2 Cuckoo, several Lesser Redpoll, Willow Warblers, 3 Redstart,1 Spotted Flycatcher, and lots more making it a really worthwhile trip to the moor. Photos of very pale Buzzard and a male Whinchat attached. [Simon Thurgood]

Woodchat Shrike

A male Woodchat Shrike at Soar today, in the fields below the Farm. [Roy McCarthy]

Cuckoos

A couple of Cuckoo photos from Exmoor from B Palmer...


There were also two Cuckoos at Bursdon Moor today [Harvey Kendall]

Otterton

This Whinchat was photographed by Pete Adey at Otterton yesterday afternoon...

Lundy Update...

Have had this update from Derren Fox...

11th May - Golden Oriole pair still present

9th May – Red-backed Shrike at the Old Hospital

8th May – Short-toed Lark at quarter wall cottages. Spotted and photographed by Ian Serle

8th May – Richard’s Pipit still present on airfield by Ian Serle

Exminster Hobbies

Some great shots from Tim White of Hobbies over/on Exminster Marshes yesterday...

Slapton Ley

Casual walk from Slapton Bridge to Torcross this morning produced just 3 Whimbrel and 6 Wheatears.

Exmouth

Orcombe Point - 0530 - much quieter today but at 0540 a ring-necked parakeet shattered the peace as it shot out of some trees bordering the Bristol Schools Camp, landing briefly on top of an elm before heading in the direction of Exmouth. This is the first I've seen in Devon but it's anyone's guess where it's from, although interestingly, Portland had one earlier in the week. Also a singing lesser whitethroat apparently on territory (it has been singing there for 2 weeks now) in scrub along the coastal path, a singing garden warbler and 1 wheatear. Offshore still 3 eider and 9 sandwich tern.

Exminster marsh

Watched from 09:10 till 14:45 A beautiful morning on the marsh, but my first find of the day was a stunned & injured HOBBY by the lions rest industrial estate, a quick call and help arrived the bird has been checked over and it is hoped to make a full recovery thanks for your help John. All seemed quiet but the number of hobbies over the lagoon began to build and 4 of us had 16 birds in the air a fantastic sight coupled with 2 birds earlier that flew over topsham, 2 on post on marsh and the injured bird a total of at least 21+ birds a record for me in Devon. Also 4 gadwall, 3 tufted duck, whimbrel, 2 wigeon, 6 buzzard, a peregrine and sparrowhawk.

Velator

Ringing this morning produced a modest 18 birds:
3 Blackbirds
3 Blackcaps
6 Sedge Warblers
1 Reed Warbler
1Whitethroat
1 Blue Tit
1 Garden Warbler (first in spring at this site)
1 Chiffchaff and
1 Goldcrest

Also saw a brood of Moorhens new out of the nest.

Exmouth

Orcombe Point - 0545 and 1630 - 4 great northern diver, 14 swift, 30+ swallow, 1 lesser whitethroat, 1 garden warbler, 8 'greenland' wheatear (photo), 1 willow warbler, 16 house martin, 6 spotted flycatcher, 17 dunlin, 2 great crested grebe, 2 whinchat.
10/5 - 1 whinchat, 1 wheatear and 1 osprey NW @1715 (photo) - Orcombe Pt and 4 knot off Mudbank.
8/5 - Mudbank - 1 pale-bellied brent goose, 1 fs mediterranean gull, 74+ whimbrel, 2 great crested grebe and fs or 2s iceland gull roosting on sandbar.

Sharkham Point

Back to Sharkham then... Nice to see a Turtle dove had made it past the Cypriot shotguns and was feeding on a gravel path. The rest was standard fare with most of the common migrants on territory. It was a brief walk before tea, with not much else of note. Nice to be back though.

Cuckoo

Seen and heard cuckoo this morning near 'horse barton' between cockington and edginswell, Torquay. [Chris Noakes]

Rillage Point to Watermouth

06.30 – 09.15 Overcast, but dry (!), with very good visibility; cold and blustery onshore NW wind. Strong early passage of Swallows, presumably having left fairly local roosts, with 200 W before 07.00. Also 5 Swifts, but just 1 House Martin. Still Whimbrels about (14 yesterday evening, 5 this morning). Offshore: 101 Manx Shearwaters, 120 auks (majority Razorbills), 17 Kittiwakes, 2 Common Scoters W and 1 dark-phase Arctic Skua E, quite close in. 1 Lesser Whitethroat the only notable grounded passerine. The few Chiffs, Whitethroats and Blackcaps about seemed all to be 'resident' territory holders.

Exminster Marshes

I must have visited just after Keith had left. At 6.00 the 3 garganey were very obvious together with 4 teal, one shoveler and several mallard. There were hundreds of swifts, lots of swallows and fewer house martins and even fewer sand martins.
Scattered around the marsh were at least 7 hobbies, including 3 sitting together on a bush and another on the ground. When I had finished counting the hobbies I returned to view the first one only to find it missing. Within 10 minutes all the hobbies had vanished and so had the garganey when I walked back up the lane.
The only waders were 4 whimbrel calling noisily when they flew in from the estuary.

Exminster marsh

From 14:25 till 17:00 The 3 Garganey (2m,f) still on main scrape by middle car park 9+ hobbies were fantastic including a group of 4, lots of swift, swallows and a few house martins , sand martins, peregrine , 5+ sedge warbler, 2 cett's, 2 wheatear, 3+ reed warbler.

Berry Head

Murky conditions, overnight rain and strong - gale SSW wind seemed perfect for a mornings seawatching, in reality it was okay but could have been better!
0600hrs - 1330hrs:
Manx Shearwaters 1308, Storm Petrel 2, Puffin 14, Great Northern Diver 8, Common Tern 1,Sandwich Tern 2, Whimbrel 2, Sanderling 47 (several flocks), Dunlin 46+ (two flocks), Swifts 141, Swallows 51, House Martin 9, 1s Mediterranean Gull , Common Gull and  Harbour Porpoise 1.

Around the quarry 1 Short-eared Owl flushed from roadside as I walked down first thing this morning (see photos below), 3 Spotted Flycatchers, 1 Willow Warbler, 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap, 4 Whitethroat, Wheatear 2, Tree Pipit 1. While driving to BH this morning  I followed a buck Roe Deer along Berry Hd Road from Brixham breakwater for 400m before it eventually ran off into a garden.

exminster marsh

watched  14:40 till 16:50  lots of swifts, swallow, house martins and the drake and female GARGANEY by the s-bends on main scrape, best was this stunning HOBBY

Watched this particular individual for 30mins from 16:10 by the lions rest industrial estate fantastic views of it hunting then returning to this post.

After a quick visit home returned at 19:20 and watched till 20:30 when the heavy rain arrived and light became to bad along station road 3 HOBBY and the 2 GARGANEY. Then watched from road just before fishermans car park from 19:40 a fantastic summer plumage CURLEW SANDPIPER flew in at 19:50 with 20+ dunlin, 7 Knot including 2 cracking summer plumage birds, 2 grey plover, 1 black tailed godwit, 20+ bar tailed godwit, 83+ WHIMBREL ( more coming in when leaving) 7 wigeon(4m,3f) 2 shoveler, 65+ curlew and lots of swifts

The marsh just keeps producing stunning birds day after day at the moment just fantastic  

Exminster Marsh

A quick half hour visit before work this morning was very rewarding. At first glanse all seemed a bit quiet then I spotted a bar headed goose with the Canada geese, a pectoral sandpiper, curlew sandpiper and the Iceland gull. A good number of swallow, a few whimbrel and the usual suspects.. Shelduck, little egret etc. failed to spot the garganey though (which was what I went to see) all in all a good half hour!

Shoalstone ,Brixham

A short check from the car park during a gap in the rain around 12.00, not many seabirds passing but a summer plumaged Great Northern Diver and a Sandwich Tern flew south.