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Saturday, 4 June 2011

Churston Ferrers

Red Kite over my house at churston ferrers near brixham at about 1pm this afternoon, mobbed by gulls and then it returned before heading off west

[from Chris Noakes]

Wembury Odds and Sods

Unseasonal Sand Martin and Whimbrel this morning and a Grey Seal. A pod of about 10 BN Dolphin passed east this evening (2 medium sized calves).

Yesterday in Plymouth, 7 Bombus hypnorum around the University campus with 6 together in the evening.

Dartmoor

A Red Kite was lingering this afternoon around Leedon Tor, viewed from the B3212 between Dousland and Princetown it was still there when I left a couple of hours ago.
Not much else seen in the Burrator area just a couple of Cuckoos and Redstarts. We seem to have lost Wood Warbler and Tree Pipit here unless anyone knows better??

A Red Kite was seen yesterday by Graham Bools over the Mount Gould area of Plymouth. Get on Bosey!!!

Westward Ho! Haunted House to Cornborough Cliffs.

06:20 - 09:00

Being such a brilliant sunrise start to the day, I thought I can`t stay in bed and waste this and
a VERY slow one-way stroll produced:-

29 Common Whitethroat; 31 Jackdaw; 2 Great Tit; 12 Blackbird; 18 Linnet; 5 Goldfinch; 6 Chaffinch; 4 Red-legged Partridge; 31 Blue Tit; 2 Chiffchaff; 6 Stonechat; 1 Lesser Whitethroat; 2 Robin; 1 Pheasant; 1 Yellowhammer; 2 Skylark; 1 Rook; 17 Carrion Crow.
Very little over or on the sea:- 12 Herring Gull; 4 Cormorant and 1 Lesser black-back Gull.
The area was full of fledglings.

Also 1 female fox with a poodle cut brush sniffing around the bushes.

Exmouth

Belle Vue Road - 0850 - red-rumped swallow north over house and heading upriver. Also 1 peregrine, hobby (north 1238), 9+ red kite (all slow north 1225 and 1255, 3+ at 1630 and 4 at 1654), c20+ sandwich tern. All the kites have so far drifted down from Haldon, apparently hitting the river around the Powderham area before heading northwards.
Yesterday - adult mediterranean gull and grey wagtail.

Friday, 3 June 2011

Bystock Pools DWT reserve



One or two downy emerald dragonflies on the pool today, also several emperors.

Thurlestone Bay

No raptors over the Bay - but still some action

A Great Northern Diver on the sea before flying east at 10.15, 1 Sandwich Tern , 1 Whimbrel , 1 Sanderling flew through

Trumpeter Finch in N Devon - yesterday 2/6

Interesting report has just appeared on BirdForum this afternoon...

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=202205

Dartington - yesterday 2/6

Yesterday evening an adult Red Kite flew over Dartington CC from Totnes heading toward Staverton, accompanied by a few Crows and a Herring Gull.

[from Seb Loram]

Pallid Swift

Does anyone know anything about the possible Pallid Swift over the old Newton Abbot Hospital yesterday with 4 Common Swift?

Thursday, 2 June 2011

Mamhead etc

Two Red Kites over Mamhead Obelisk briefly at 13:45 today.

10+ Mandarins on the River Dart at Buckfastleigh this morning, viewed from the road bridge.

[from Will Salmon]

Paignton

A Red Kite over Waddeton (near Paignton) at 1545 slowly drifting northwards.

[from  Rob Brennan]

Buckfastleigh area

Mark Darlaston and myself had a Red Kite drift slowly SW at 1050hrs today

Thurlestone Bay

Surprisingly only the2nd record of the yr a Redshank on the rocks. Female Marsh Harrier over both marshes this aft - a scruffy looking bird different to the one earlier this month

Exmouth and Ideford Common




Mudbank - 0530 - slavonian grebe, 1 great crested grebe, c20+ sandwich tern, c200+black-headed gull but couldn't find the bonaparte's gull this morning. Also just 2 whimbrel and the brent goose still.

A late reed warbler was singing in scrub behind the house this morning

Ideford Common - 3+ redpoll, 3+ siskin and juvenile crossbill (photo). Noticeably more breeding tree pipits than on the East Devon Commons.

Wednesday, 1 June 2011

Arlington Court

Went up to the woods today to deal with the nest boxes. We ringed 49 Pied Flycatchers (five adults) 4 nearly fledged Nuthatch, and two broods of Redstarts, both with five young, best here for many years, and a third brood had fledged either today or yesterday. Sadly neither sight nor sound of Wood Warbler.

Thurlestone Bay

Quite a lot of fledged young around this am - Blackcap , Chiffchaff ( at least 3 groups) L T Tit ,Coal Tit . A Goldcrest in Mallards lane was a nice surprise ( none around in may )

On the Beach 16 Sanderling ( my first June Record ) a number in s plumage.

Late news from Tues - Bob B had a Cuckoo and Garden warbler at S Milton Ley

Exmouth

Mudbank - 1030 - fs bonaparte's gull with c100+ black-headed gulls.
Also slavonian grebe and 2 great crested grebe.
Yesterday - Seafront - 1 roseate tern with 6 common tern.
Bowling Green Marsh

The long staying Bonaparte's Gull showed well in front of the hide amongst the numerous Black-headed Gulls at the evening high tide roost. Also 80+ Black-tailed Godwit, 8 Whimbrel and 3 Mediterranean Gulls (two 1st summer and a summer plumaged adult).

Tuesday, 31 May 2011

Berry Head

A 1st Summer Mediterranean Gull was feeding off Berry Head this morning otherwise just two Manx Shearwaters on a stiff W breeze ( but I was fishing - 16 Mackerel!).

Clennon Valley
Monday 30th May; two (pair) siskin feeding in my garden - strange place and time of year as they don't breed locally, to my knowledge and I didn't see any in the garden during the whole of the winter!

Broadsands
Sunday 29th May; 1st Summer Med Gull in evening Gull roost with 17 Black-headed Gulls.