SUN 31 MAY

A very cold and overcast morning to welcome the last day of May- brisk W wind F5+ .Heavy o/night rain with still showers until 10.30

Bird wise a very quiet end to the month - on South Huish Marsh  the male WIGEON , 2 BLACK TAILED GODWIT, 7 SHELDUCK, 20 + HOUSE MARTIN, a few SWALLOW ansd 1 SWIFT .

Offshore 7 GANNET and a FULMAR. Any waders on the beach would have been disturbed by a number of kite surfers

SAT 30 MAY

All todays reports  from Arthur , Alan D and Eric W

This morning Arthur had on the beach  10 SANDERLING, 1 DUNLIN.

On South Huish Marsh - the male WIGEON, 2 BLACK T GODWIT,

1 YELLOW WAGTAIL ( over ). Flying over the Ley , by the footbridge a HOBBY .

At Aveton Gifford Eric reports 1 LESSER WHITETHROAT in song , 1 BLACK T GODWIT, 2 DUNLIN , 1 WHIMBREL ( limps ! ). A RED KITE flew over the ridge towards Bantham

Last , but by no means least record of the day from Alan who had to visit Aymer Cove ( near Ringmore ) to check the lifebuoys- on the fences by the coast 3 BEE-EATERS., what a record .

Photos below of the BEE-EATERS at Aymer Cove 30 MAY  taken by Alan Doidge

FRI 29 MAY

Late start this morning so limited to a 2 hour sea watch from the car park - turned out quite interesting -

50 + GANNET, 4 FULMAR, 1 MANX SHEARWATER -E, 1 POMARINE SKUA flew east at 10.25, 3 BONXIE flew east at 10.55. 6 SWIFT east

THURS 28 MAY

Nothing worth posting for Wed, what a change a day makes .

Early morning heavy showers gave way to sunny periods with almost

100 % cloud cover by 12.00 . Light NW breeze

At South Huish Marsh during the showers a RINGED PLOVER flew through. Hirundines totalled-  30 HOUSE MARTIN, 20 SWALLOW ,

2 SAND MARTIN and 2 SWIFT .

Offshore only 5 GANNET .

With little activity on the coast decided to walk through Buckland Valley - can usually rely on picking up some woodland species - 6 BLACKCAP,

4 CHIFFCHAFF, 2 GOLDCREST., 5 GREAT Sp WOODY, BULLFINCH

7 SWIFT . At 12.15-12.30 looking up the valley found a HOBBY feeding over the meadow ( only the 2nd patch record of the year ) a few minutes later drifting south over the same meadow a RED KITE ( 4th patch record of the year and my first )

A very interesting morning on the patch .

 

 

 

TUES 26 MAY

 

Able to get back out and about this morning , apologies for no posts since Sat.

Graham Daw joined me this morning . Offshore / beaches -

2 WHIMBREL, 3 DUNLIN, 2 SANDERLING ( first record this month )

16 GANNET , 3 SHELDUCK.

On South Huish Marsh - Male WIGEON ,4 LITTLE EGRET , 6 SHELDUCK, 50 + SWALLOW , c20 HOUSE MARTIN , 3 SWIFT. IN bushes by one of the houses 2 SPOTTED FLYCATCHER. 

 

SAT 23 MAY

 

Another very quiet day on the patch , At South Milton Ley SEDGE WARBLER, REED WARBLER ., GROPPA , and a free flying RED L PARTRIDGE ( 161 )

At Piers Cottage flock of 8 young L T TIT and 3 young mMISTLE THRUSH

Water level on the front pool of T'stone Marsh still falling , at this rate it will have dried out in the next 7 days.

THURS 21 MAY

 

Another very quiet day on the patch - no sign of last nights TURTLE DOVE.

A 30 min Garden watch this morning produced 31 species, nothing unexpected

In the bay 2 GUILLEMOT on the sea , 7 Shelduck and the male WIGEON on the Marsh.

A walk round Buckland Valley came up with - 6 BLACKCAP , 5 CHIFFCHAFF,  2 GREAT Sp WOODY  20 species in total.

WED 20 MAY

Whilst I had a day off the patch Bob reported on T'stone front marsh a LITTLE RINGED PLOVER and a BLACK H GULL.Back marsh now completely dry. This is the latest Spring record for the patch.

Anne and I went over to Yarner Wood - plenty of activity - at least

10 PIED FLYCATCHER, 3 WOOD WARBLER. On the feeders MARSH TIT , SISKIN, NUTHATCH, Both GREAT and GREEN WOODY and a GREY WAGTAIL .

After lunch a quick visit to CHALLACOBE FARM produced  -SPOTTED FLY, TREE PIPIT, HOBBY  and lots of WILLOW WARBLER

Back on the patch in the morning

Late news rec'd from Andy and Dave ( our 2 roaming PC's ) of a TURTLE DOVE feeding in Bobs old carpark, still there around 21.00. Second patch record this year.

 

TUES 19 MAY

A morning of heavy showers and a strong NW wind - Offshore , 12 GANNET, 3 FULMAR, 1 KITTIWAKE, 4 RAZORBILL

Over at South Huish marsh - 50 + HOUSE MARTIN, 15 SWALLOW,

2 SAND MARTIN, 10 SWIFT . The male WIGEON still.First fledged STONECHAT  1 pair with 4 young

MON 18 MAY

A cloudy , very wet and windy morning. Wind started W F4/5 backed NW and increased to F7. Rain moved through by 10.30 and viz improved .

Turned out to be one of the best seawatch mornings this month -

70 + GANNET, 20 KITTIWAKE, 40 MANX SHEARWATER,  5 FULMAR,

5 ARCTIC SKUA - 3 flew east, 2 sat on the sea for nearly 2 hours,

2 POMARINE SKUA ( 160 ) flew around the Bay for more than 15 mins at times only 100 yds off- good views of them inc spoons . 1 GREAT N DIVER flew east. 10 AUKS , 6 SWIFT

The male WIGEON still on South Huish Marsh

SAT 16 & SUN 17 MAY

A very quiet w/end on the patch. At 10.25 on Sat Alan D had a RED KITE drifting SE and today apart from a few SWIFT the Male WIGEON was back on T stone Marsh

FRI 15 MAY 2015

 

A fine sunny day with a light breeze. Virtually no birds about - Offshore only 4 RAZORBILLand 3 BLACK HEADED GULL. On South Huish Marsh -

7 SHELDUCK, 1 DUNLIN,

14 SWIFT

Recent ringing at South Milton Ley - 1 French control SEDGE WARBLER and a GROPPA

WED 13 MAY

Just one of those days that we will be talking about for years to come - A MEGA  patch first SQUACCO HERON (159 ), found on a private pond in South Milton village at 12.30  watched for an hour before flying off east

( there is a report on RBA of one flying over the A 381 at 13.30 no more than 1 mile away. ).This is the 2nd record, first was 19 June 1983 when Chris Pearce photographed one up the valley from South Huish Marsh- from the oracle Bob !

 

Photos to follow , initial thoughts it is the Prawle Pt bird .

The rest of the morning pales into insignificance, not the anticipated sea passage expected with an E wind . Offshore 15 GANNET, 1 KITTIWAKE,

8 COMMON SCOTER , Waders flying in off the sea - 8 BAR T GODWIT,

9 WHIMBREL.

On South Huish Marsh the pair of WIGEON still and a DUNLIN

SWALLOW c 50 , 15 HOUSE MARTIN, 1 SAND MARTIN and 4 SWIFT.

TUES 12 MAY

A fine and sunny day with an increasing F3/4 W wind.

Nothing offshore , no small waders .On South Huish Marsh -

3 WHIMBREL ( over ), 2 WIGEON still, 2 SWIFT, 2 f WHEATEAR, 2prs of both SEDGE and REED WARBLER, 2 WHITETHROAT. Then at 13.00 Bob had a TURTLE DOVE  (157 ) near the Ocean View flats. First patch record for a few years .

I walked part of Buckland Valley and was rewarded with the first SPOTTED FLYCATCHER ( 158 ) of the year, also 7 BLACKCAP,

3 CHIFFCHAFF , 1 STARLING, 2 MISTLE THRUSH, 3 GOLDCREST and a GREAT Sp WOODY. 2 YELLOWHAMMER in the lanes

Bob also reports 2 MISTLE THRUSH at Piers Cottage

MON 11 MAY

Another morning spoilt by sea fog rolling in from 09.00 with viz down to 300 yds at times . Even with a brisk F5 WSW wind the fog did not clear until 13.00.

Plenty of eyes around today with Bob, Chris , Graham , Martin , Nick  & myself- we almost outnumbered the birds !

Offshore GANNETs moved thru in small numbers -total 50,

5 MANX S'WATER, 7 KITTIWAKE and 4 SANDWICH TERN

On South Huish Marsh - 1 LITTLE GREBE ( very unusual at this site )

2 WIGEON, 7 SHELDUCK, 30+ HOUSE MARTIN, 50+ SWALLOW, 5 SAND MARTIN 4 SWIFT

Alan 's totals for ringing were - 3 REED WARBLER, 1 SEDGE WARBLER , 2 BLACKCAP, 1 CHIFFCHAFF.

Last nights roost at T'stone Marsh were - 80 SWALLOW, 4 SWIFT

 

This afternoon Bob , Eric, Martin and myself paid a visit to Prawl Point where we had superb views of the SQUACCO HERON first reported on SAT, a stunning adult feeding amongst the rock pools ..

SUN 10 MAY.

 

With cloudy conditions , light drizzle and a F3/4 S wind things looked good for some expectation of sea passage - unfortunately not for the first time this year they did not arrise .

Offshore sightings were - 17 GANNET. 2 FULMAR, 1 GUILLEMOT (on sea )and one flock of 25 MANX SHEARWATER which flew west.

South Huish Marsh came up with - 8 WHIMBREL, 1m 1f WIGEON, 4 SHELDUCK, 2 WHITETHROAT. Hirundines were moving thru most of the morning totals were - 250+ SWALLOW, 25 SAND MARTIN, 30 HOUSE MARTIN and 16 SWIFT

At South Milton Ley 50 SWALLOW feeding, 1 GROPPA, CETTIS WARBLER.

Details of Alans ringing returns this morning will be posted later

FRI 1 MAY - SAT 9 MAY

 

During my time in Corfu some interesting records which included 3 new species for the year. I am waiting for some detailed notes from Nick T before posting a full report

Additions to the year list were - TUFTED DUCK ( 154 ) FREAL PIGEON (155) , REDSHANK (156 ).

BIRD RACE DAY  SAT 25 APR REPORT

 

After what seems several weeks of fine sunny days the weather started to break down on Friday, however forecasts for Saturday were for sunny periods up to 13.00 and a few light showers thereafter - which turned out to be completely incorrect.

Starting at 06.15 from my house with a 45 minute Garden Watch in