April 29, 2008
TURKEY 2008
Having just spent a week in the south west area of Turkey covering the mountains , scrub & coast these are a few of the photo`s that I managed to take .
April 16, 2008
RING-BILLED GULL . THE CLYST ESTUARY . TOPSHAM . DEVON . 16 / 4 / 2008
16th April . 2008
A quick look at the Exminster Marshes this morning got me a couple of CETTI`S WARBLER & this WREN but there was no sign of the Little Crake today .
I then went to the Otter Estuary at Budleigh Salterton where I saw numerous CHIFFCHAFF , 4 WILLOW WARBLER , 3 CETTI`S WARBLER , 2 BLACKCAP , a Male & Female WHEATEAR , 3 STOCK DOVE , 2 SWALLOW , 2 fly over RAVEN & a my first GRASSHOPPER WARBLER of the year was reeling but stayed out of sight despite me looking for it for a couple of hours , also seen were 2 Roe Deer & a Red Fox .
Late in the evening I got a call telling me that there was a 2nd summer RING-BILLED GULL on the Clyst Estuary so I shot off down there & found the bird very distant but managed to get these 2 shots of it in fading light !!
April 14, 2008
OSPREY
This morning I had an early morning call telling me that there was an OSPREY fishing on the Exe Estuary off of the Goats walk in Topsham so I shot down there & got good views of the bird as it caught a fish & took it off down river to eat it .
I then went over to the Exminster Marshes to see if the LITTLE CRAKE was still showing & ended up getting breathtaking views of it feeding right out in the open in the ditch right beside the road , what a superb little bird this is when you get good views of it in the sunlight .
April 10, 2008
Little Crake still on Exminster Marshes
Today the WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was still showing on the Matford Marshes on the edge of Exeter , I then went for another look at the Exminster Marshes & the LITTLE CRAKE was again showing very well in the ditch on the left hand side of the road , there was also WILLOW WARBLER & CETTI`S WARBLER in the area as well .
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE . THE MATFORD MARSHES . EXETER . DEVON . 10 / 4 / 2008
April 9, 2008
Little Crake for Devon
My mate Andy phoned me early this morning with the amazing news of a male LITTLE CRAKE over on the Exminster Marshes , so I got there as fast as I could from Topsham & was rewarded with stunning views of the bird right out in the open , I am not sure but I think its only the second time one of these has been seen in Devon with the other seen on Lundy Island !
Also seen on the marshes were 20+ SAND MARTIN , a WILLOW WARBLER , a CETTI`S WARBLER & a male REED BUNTING .
A look at the Matford Marshes on the way home got me a WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE in with some GREYLAG GOOSE & 3 GREEN SANDPIPER .
April 3, 2008
WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE
The highlight of today was a WHITE- FRONTED GOOSE that dropped into Bowling Green Marsh for just a few hours with some GREYLAG GOOSE , I managed to get a view of it but when I returned later to get a shot of it there was no sign of it anywhere , also seen were a couple of Male PINTAIL , a Male TUFTED DUCK & this GREY HERON .
And the CATTLE EGRET was still over on Exminster Marsh showing well .
GREY HERON . BOWLING GREEN MARSH . TOPSHAM . DEVON . 3 / 4 / 2008
April 2, 2008
Willow Warbler
An early morning look at Bowling Green Marsh only got a large mixed flock of SAND MARTIN & SWALLOW , so I went across to the Exminster Marshes where the CATTLE EGRET was flying around before landing in the field with the cows again , I also saw my first WILLOW WARBLER of the year & a CETTI`S WARBLER .
The next stop was at the Matford Marshes but all that I saw there was 6 FIELDFARE , a CHIFFCHAFF & a BLACKCAP .
