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 ).