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17 March 2024

Powderham marsh

Spent this morning at RSPB Powderham Marsh, very wet under foot and wellies very much needed, although in the sun nice and warm out of the breeze.

Spring very much in view with wild flowers in bloom, insects out and like London Buses, you don't see any for ages and 3 come at once! Not seen any Butterflies this year and then 3 around me, 2 Peacocks and 1 Brimstone that wouldn't settle. Also Bumble Bees, Honey Bees, Hoverflies, Flies, Beetles, Ladybirds and a Crane Fly all seen.

I found 2 eggs on the path that had been evicted from the nest of a Wood Pigeon in the tree above, you can see the nest and the Pigeons head.

Flock of Goldfinch, House Sparrow, Skylark, Blackbird, Robin, Dunnock, Wren, Stonechat, Great, Blue and Long-tailed Tits, I did see some LTTs carrying nesting material and many birds as pairs. Canada Geese, Mallard and Carrion Crows all seen.

I was the only human about so was a really chilled out couple of hours.I dont think many people know of this reserve and most go over the bridge to Exminster marshes instead.



15 March 2024

Frogspawn and Tadpoles for the Granddaughter!

As my Granddaughter has started to show an intrest in all stuff with nature, I got her some Frogspawn to "Borrow".

When they turn into Frogs I will return them to where they came, which I think is important.

I only took about 30 and they looked like they wont be long before they hatch into Tadpoles, I made sure they had some weed and all the water they needed from where they came.

Used a washing up bowl as their temp pond with some stones piled up for when the Frogs appear.

Let the fun begin!



10 March 2024

South Devon

Went down to South Devon today to put flowers on my mother's grave in Chillington as its Mother's Day. Wanted to have an early start but as always other stuff gets in the way, eventually made it for 9am and then onto Beesands Ley. Due to all the rain I was expecting the path to be flooded and the need for wellies but to my surprise was dry.

Made my way to the hide with singing Skylarks and Cettis Warblers on route, also Robin Blackbird, Wren and Dunnock. Also flock of Goldfinch in the field with singles of Magpie, Woodpigeon and Carrion Crow. From the hide there was a distinct lack of both Ducks and Gulls, on the far side a few Tufted, 2 Pochard and 2 Mallard, some Great-crested Grebes, Moorhen and Coot, good numbers of Mute Swan and a few noisy Canada Geese.

In front of the hide in the Reed Beds, there were plenty of birds looking for insects, mainly Blue Tits but also a pair of Chiffchaff and Long-tailed Tits.

I drove off to Start Point car park looking at the telephone lines and fences on the lookout for Martins which had been seen but unfortunately none seen by me.

Onto Slapton Ley and again lack of ducks and Gulls, a few Tufted and Mallard, some Black-headed, Herring and Great-black Backed Gulls but not the usual numbers, Grey Heron, Coot, Moorhen, Great crested Grebes was seen before it poured down with rain and I ventured home.

Plenty of people about going for walk with Mum, also the beaches were full of Fishermen, not sure if there was a competition?



05 March 2024

Yarner

Spent this morning at Yarner, beautiful morning and after yesterdays rain some deserved relief!

The woods were full of birds song, with Robin, Blackbird, Dunnock, Wren, Great, Blue, Coal and Marsh Tits, Song Thrush, Goldcrest, Nuthatch, Stonechat, Chaffinch, Bullfinch, Siskin and Redpoll all seen.

Fly over Woodpigeon, Raven, Carrion Crow and Buzzard.

Drumming Great and Lesser-spotted Woodpeckers with the Lesser being seen a couple of times in flight between trees, frustratingly going on the opposite side of the trees to drum so sadly no pics.

A few humans about, all quite chatty and friendly and with the rules about dogs having to be on leads all the time very few of them as well, happy days!



03 March 2024

Labrador Bay and Powderham Marsh

Spent this morning visiting a couple of local reserves which I hadn't visited in a while, RSPB Labrador Bay and Powderham Marshes.

Starting off early on a crisp but beautiful morning at Labrador Bay, when I got out of the car I knew it was going to be a good session when you could hear the bird song, especially the Skylarks in full swing singing over the fields on the other side of the field. It wasn't long before I could hear the Cirl Buntings which were stationed in the hedges along the walk, they appeared to be mostly Female and Juveniles with the odd male singing for position.

Also plenty of Chaffinch, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Carrion Crow and Herring Gulls around the hedges and fields. Also heard was the Green and Great-spotted Woodpeckers in the woodland close bye.

Off then to Powderham Marsh which was very wet and was only able to get to the first couple of fields, should have worn my wellies!

Did see and hear plenty of birds with Song Thrush, Blackbird, Robin, Dunnock, Wren, Reed Bunting, Great, Blue and Long-tailed Tits, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Jay, Chaffinch, Bullfinch and my first in a long time a single Greenfinch. In the fields Pheasant, Canada Geese and Mute Swans.

Couple of Raptors with Kestrel and Buzzard,several Bumblebees around the Willows but still sadly no Butterflies! Very few humans about today and had the place to myself.



27 February 2024

Dartmoor

Spent the day on Dartmoor, it's quite rare these days to get a day off and it's not raining so making the most of it!

Started off early at Yarner, parking on Trendlebere, as soon as I got out of the car the air was filled with Bird Song and Woodpeckers drumming. Walking into Yarner I realised its start of silly season here with people already staring into the trees looking for Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers, plenty of Great but no Lesser I was told!

So I moved on down the track and great to see Lesser Redpoll on the floor and Siskins in the trees, plenty of other birds about especially around the feeders with Great, Blue, Coal, Marsh and Long-tailed Tits, Nuthatch, Chaffinch, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Wren, Dunnock, Bullfinch and a Treecreeper, so a good start to the day.

Off into Dartmoor stopping off in several places as normal and compared to Yarner a bit quiet. Plenty of Corvids especially Rooks and Jackdaws on pasture looking for food, a few Carrion Crows, Ravens in the air, groups of Magpies and a single Jay.

Smaller birds included Chaffinch, Robin, Blackbird, Mistle Thrush, Meadow Pipit, also Woodpigeon and Stock Doves.

A couple of Buzzards were the only raptors seen and that was that!



16 February 2024

Aylesbere Common

Spent a fruitfull couple of hours here although sat in my car for a short period due to rain, the forcast was no rain but as normal never correct!

Saw a few Dartfords which was the reason for coming here, both male and female, plenty of chatter going on but didnt hear any song.

Did see see and hear plenty of other stuff such as Stonechat, Yellowhamer, Linnet, Great Tit, Dunnock, Wren, Robin, Raven, Woodpigeon and a flyover Kestrel.

A few humans about and all in good humour.



09 February 2024

Beachcoming

Spent a few hours on the beach by Langstone Cliff on the Dawlish side, this is the top end of a long beach and as i have said before, long shore drift pushes allsorts of stuff up here and it gets coaught by the cliff because it cant go any further.

Todays haul included Razor Shells, Muscles, Slipper and Common Limpets, Tellins, Otter Shells, Common and Rough Cockles, Common Oyster, Turban Top Shells, Whelks, Scallops and Cuttlefish.

Also found piece of spine which could of been off anything?

Good time spent even though soaked through!



05 February 2024

Out and About

Been all over the place fitting in some birdwatching and photography in between work, being a Granddad and bad weather.

Several trips to Dartmoor didn't bring any surprises, in fact it was very quiet, very few winter Thrushes and haven't seen a Redwing in weeks, so don't know what has happened to them or where they are?

A morning trip to RSPB Aylesbere has been the best part of these couple of weeks with several Dartford Warblers seen as well as Linnet and Yellow hammers seen and heard.

Around the back fields of Starcross, Kenton, Dawlish and Exminster plenty of game birds with Pheasant and Red-legged Partridge, large numbers of Corvids on cultivated fields, Buzzards and Woodpigeons in good numbers, singles of Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Green and Great-spotted Woodpeckers.

Quite quiet on the sea front of Dawlish with the odd Herring Gull, Rock Pipit and Cormorant.



19 January 2024

Norfolk and Suffolk

As Iam 65 on the 20th,I booked some days off to go to East Anglia, left work on Thursday and drove to stay at Premier Inn in Worcester for the night before an early start to drive East.

Started at 5am and surprised to see so much traffic on the M5 and M6, after a couple of hours traveling east into the sun as it was rising, the sky was clear and plenty of plane trails high up but lower down so many birds on the move, while still concentrating on driving the car, I still could see flocks of Gulls, Corvids, Woodpigeons, Waders and the odd Grey Heron crossing the motorway, great start to the weekend, further on the A14 Red Kites, Buzzards, Corvids everywhere and hunting Kestrels made the journey an interesting one.

Iam staying a few nights in Lowestoft, but wanted to visit a couple of places on route, first being Welney Wetland Centre. Like the last time I visited it was flooded, not surprised after all the rain, but this time only the main hide was open. Great to see Tree Sparrows in the car park, not seen any of these for a while. The water in front of the main hide was thick ice with 50+ ducks, Mallard, Teal, Wigeon and Pochard.

Mute and a few Whooper Swans with Greylag Geese on the bank and there was a flock flying around. After an hour left to look around the surrounding fields where there was 100s of Swans on the fields, mostly Whooper a few Mute but couldn't find any Bewick. Red-legged Partridge, Corvids, Lapwings, Blackbirds, Flock of Starlings, Woodpigeons, Great-spotted Woodpecker on a fence post, Fieldfare, Buzzards and Kestrels.

Then off to Lynford Arboretum, probably at the wrong time which was mid day, on my next visit it will be in the morning or evening when birds coming into roost.

Did see and hear a lot of birds, Siskins, Great, Blue and Coal Tits, Robin, Green Woodpecker, Chaffinch, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Crossbill and a Female Hawfinch which frustratingly couldn't get a picture because of others blocking me, got to see it with my bins beautiful bird.

So off to Lowestoft where iam staying again in a Premier Inn, Saturday saw me off to RSPB Minsmere for the day. Its about an hours drive from where I was staying and I arrived about 9am, the car park was already busy with a few coaches parked up, experience told me that the hides would be full but I also knew that Minsmere was a big place so I could "lose" myself. As I thought when I got to the Bittern Hide it was packed to the point I couldn't get in so off to the Island Mere Hide which was a lot different.

But before I got there it wasn't the birds that brought my attention but a couple of Muntjac Deer, smart looking animals but have always thought why they have been allowed to stay, like the Chinese Water Deer?

Anyway back to the birds, Mere hide had lots to see and the crowds hadn't made it that far yet, Water Rail x3, Water Pipit, Snipe and Bittern all close with some excellent views especially of the Bittern that just casually walked in front of the hide on the Ice.

Out of the hide to a path to an area known as the Rhodadren Tunnel where there was reported Mealy Redpols, there was a mixed flock of Redpolls, Siskin and Goldfinch but couldn't say if any where Mealy as they were at the top of the trees, so unsure if the pics I took where of them or not.

After having some food and drink in the café spent the afternoon around the East Scrape, plenty of Ducks here with Pintail, Mallard, Widgeon, Shoveler, Gadwall, Teal, Shelduck plus Gooseander, Mute Whooper and Bewick Swans with Marsh Harriers in the distance.

Saw plenty of other birds around the reserve with Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tits, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Green Woodpecker, Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, carrion Crow, Raven, Magpie, Jay, Wren, Buzzard, Lapwing, Great and Lesser-black Backed, Herring and Black-headed Gulls.

So an excellent day and met some great humans as well so happy on my journey back to Lowestoft.

Sunday saw me leaving Lowestoft and head for Kings Lynn again staying in Premier Inn for a couple of nights. Headed for Cromer and not much to see on route, but as soon as I got onto the coast road A149 it was a different matter. Stopped in lay-bys, pull ins Harbours and car-parks using my car as a hide as the weather starting to get windy with Storm Isha.

Plenty of Geese in the fields and flying overhead, Brent, Pink Footed, Greylag and Canada Geese, all in good numbers. Raptors out in force, especially Red Kites but Sparrowhawk, Kestrels, Buzzards and Marsh Harriers hunting over the fields. Around the Harbours and fields, Redshank, Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher, Lapwing and Little Egret, Teal, Mallard, Widgeon and Goosanders.

Lucky to see some Twite, also Blackbird, Pied Wagtail, Fieldfare, House Sparrow, Starling, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Black-headed and Herring Gulls and Pheasants.

Did see plenty of Muntjac Deer, some alive and sadly dead by the side of the road.

Monday was an early start and off to Holkham Beach to look for Shore Lark, this is a good place to see them as well as Snow Buntings. On route did see plenty of Red-footed Geese, Red Kites, Lapwings, Woodpigeons, Grey Pheasants and Hares.

Got to the beach and went to the roped off area where I have seen the Shore Larks regularly over the years, it was wind swept and not a bird in sight. Plenty of birds by the car parks with Widgeon, Teal, Shoveler, Mallard, Shelduck, Pink-footed and Greylag Geese, Redshank, Red Kite, Lapwing, Curlew, Blackbird, Wren and Robin. An hour and half after I left I noted on Birdguides that Shore Larks had been seen in the area but on further investigation they where further west to were I was.

I then spent a few hours around the fields further inland, hundreds of Geese, Pink-footed, Brent and Greylag Geese making an impressive sight! It was still quite windy so most birds on the ground, good numbers of Lapwing, Jackdaw and Gulls. In hedges while I was parked up lucky to see a small flock of Bullfinch, 7 in total, never seen that many in one place. Buzzard, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Robin and Great Tit. Also saw a couple of Cattle Egret at Thornham. Also popped into a few harbours saw all the usual things as well as several Gooseanders.

Off to Snettisham to see a Juv Black-throated Diver, parked up and as I was putting money in the car park machine two booms from a air cannon went off almost next to me and scared the shit out of me!!

Those of you have visited here before will know that before you get to the reserve there is several lakes fenced off that belong to the Angling Association, after talking to a laughing fisherman they have been having problems with Cormorants taking all the fish, well it put them up as well as the Diver, so while waving at it as it flew off I turned to the car and left, just past the entrance there was 4 Egyptian Geese in the field.

Off then to Titchwell to catch the Marsh Harriers going to roost. Was starting to get dark at 3pm when I arrived, all the usual stuff although not in great numbers, the best place was the East Hide where I was watching the Harriers, 7 in total. But also a couple of Snipe in front of the hide.

Again plenty of Muntjac Deer both alive and dead by the side of the road. Single Squirrel and several Hares sat in the fields.

The journey home wasnt as nice as the journey up, 6hrs of grey skies and rain!

( more text and pictures to follow )



© Simon Thurgood 2024
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