Lower Tamar Lake

At least 4 pairs of Great Crested Grebes, c.15 Goosander, 30 Snipe, 1 Pintail, and a good selection on the feeders, including a male Reed Bunting on the fat balls!

[Stewart Beer]

Also, some photos from Brian Palmer...

Marsh Tit

Interesting to compare the above photo with the following, taken at Lower Tamar Lake earlier this year...

Willow Tit - taken 7 Jan 2012

Velator reserve

Heard a few birds scolding something today, and a few moments searching high in the Macrocarpus, I found a Tawny Owl looking down at me. First there this year. Here's hoping it makes use of the Owl box I put up last year.....

Kingsbridge Estuary

Geese Quarries - Charleton Marsh, 10:30 - 13:00, low tide.

76 Brent Geese, 30 Teal ( marsh ), 17 Red-breasted Mergansers, 4 Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Greenshank, Black-tailed Godwit ( marsh ).

Seaton

This Iceland Gull flew into Seaton Marshes during the a.m. whilst searching for the 1w Caspian Gull.

It flew over to the Axe by the tram sheds and remained until just before midday.

During the early part of the p.m. the 1w Caspian Gull also appeared on the Axe by the tram sheds.

The Otter

Not a great deal of excitement today, but Shelduck numbers are starting to slowly increase with 9 birds today. However, of more interest was the fact that one of these birds was a returning bird - a yellow colour-ringed male "HV" This bird was first ringed on the Axe in March 2011 before it re-appeared on the Otter in April 2011 and this is the first time I have seen it since. SO if you are over this way, keep your eyes peeled and send any colour-ringed shelduck sightings to axeestuaryringing@gmail.com

Matford marsh and Riverside valley park

After bowling green marsh this morning decided to make my way over to the double locks wetland  pools  in the riverside valley park and watched from 12:45 till 13:30 the water level was a lot higher today on the pool nearest to double locks pub and the Green sandpipers were not as obliging as they have been over the last week but with a bit of patience finally found 5 in total feeding around the pool best viewed from the path by the river also 7 wigeon, 2 snipe and a little egret.
                                                     A couple of pics from this week

Then made my way around to matford marsh and watched from 13:50 till 14:35, the snipe are getting harder to find but i still managed to find 40+ again today also 90+ wigeon, 30+ lapwing, 2 tufted duck, 35+ shoveler

Exmouth

Seafront - late pm - 2w (I think) iceland gull on sandbar off seafront before relocating to Great Bull Hill viewable from Exmouth Docks. Also ad or nr ad yellow-legged gull off seafront. The iceland gull was discovered earlier in the afternoon by Mike Langman leading a group around the Exmouth area.
Maer Rocks - 0700 - 4 eider still.
Orcombe Point - 1 migrant chiffchaff
Mudbank - 60+ red-breasted merganser. At this time of year they flock and display. The last coule of years the flocks have reached 90+ and are quite a spectacle.
West Lodge - yesterday - yellow-browed warbler 1715 still and reportedly still present today.

Thurlestone Bay

A PURPLE SANDPIPER on rocks at Warren Pt was the first for a few weeks. A CURLEW flew west with 7 SANDERLING still on the beach.

A Walk around the Golf Course produced 4 pairs of STONECHAT plus 2 singing males .

Other singing birds were BLACKCAP, CHIFFCHAFF and CETTIS WARBLER

bowling green marsh

A bit more detail to this mornings post for bowling green marsh watched from the hide from 06:20 till 10:15 and was a good morning with the Spotted Redshank showing  well from 06:25 till just before i left

It spent most of the morning asleep and was not disturbed by 2  Peregrine attacks but unfortunately for one of the godwits the peregrine was successful on the second attack and it landed on the marsh and proceeded to eat its fill of the kill before flying off leaving the remains to the crows

The other highlight of the morning was a female sparrowhawk which flew past the hide window at head height and only about a foot outside.

       6 med gulls at rocks nose w.ho!10am.5fs+2s.

Seaton

1st-winter Caspian Gull still present on the Axe this afternoon, and at least one Iceland Gull was around earlier too.

Exminster Marsh

The drake American Wigeon still south of the lane viewed from the middle car parking area with 100-150 Wigeon in 5 seperate flocks, though typically it was in the furthest flock and the Water Pipit still showing well in the wet field there, just north of the lane. Nearby, a Green Sandpiper on Matford Pool.

Wembury

2 Slav Grebe off the point and a singing ChiffChaff (migrant?) were the best of it this morning.

Bowling green marsh

Spotted redshank from hide from 06:25 also 110+ bar tailed godwits, 10 avocets, 20+ Dunlin, 400+ black tailed godwits, 6 gadwall, 10 tufted duck, 3 pintail, peregrine, 1 cetti,s, 100+ wigeon

Garden Bird

The attached photo was sent to me by a gentleman who was surprised to see a Cirl Bunting coming to his bird feeder for the last week or so. This is the second person to report a Cirl Bunting in their garden recently although the other bird was feeding on the ground beneath the feeders.

Yarner Woods and Stover - yesterday 8/3

Yarner Woods - good numbers of birds on the feeders including Marsh Tits and Siskins, but no sign of Lesser-spotted Woodpeckers.

Stover Country Park - still a female Goosander.

[from Tony Brooking]

Wrafton Pond, Taw/Torridge

One Bittern flying NE from Sharpa Marshes & landing in the reed beds that fringe Wrafton Pond at 07.50 this morning.

(Rob Jutsum)

Exminster marsh

16:50 short eared owl hunting between station road and motorway bridge

Riverside valley country park

6 green sandpipers , 2 snipe,7 wigeon, 20+ meadow pipits on second pool on riverside path from bridge

Slapton Ley

08:10-14:00
Lots of birdsong but a chilly wind made it feel less springlike. Tufted Ducks fairly numerous, counted 102. Elsewhere just 5 Pochard, 7 Gadwall and a couple of male Goldeneye. A lone female Ruddy Duck was at Torcross. A fairly good grebe day with 29 Great Cresteds on the ley ( several displaying pairs ) and a furthur 11 in Start Bay. Also 3 Little Grebes, including one singing, and single Black-necked Grebe near Torcross and unusually a Red-necked Grebe in Ireland Bay. 2 Great Northern Divers offshore and also Black-throated Diver off the central car park but it was mobile and headed off south.
Lots of gulls offshore including good numbers of Common Gull and at least a couple hundred Lesser Black-backed seen - none of the many adults appeared dark enough to suggest intermedius birds. At least 2 Mediterranean Gulls offshore including one full summer adult.