• Dragonflies at Darts

    Gareth Williams
     
    Now is a great time to visit the RSPB at Darts Farm, lots of fantastic Damsel & Dragonflies here around the ponds. There is an amazing array of different types, in colour, shape and size, as can been seen in these images.
     
    Scarce Chaser Copyright C. Hoppins
     
    Azure damselfly Copyright C.Hoppins
     Large red damselfly (male) copyright Brenda
     Huge numbers of Damselflies are on site at present, and this hasn…

  • Autumn arrives on the marshes

    AJ Bellamy
    Our first Exe Estuary osprey was seen at powderham park last Sunday and this week has seen a full summer plumage spotted redshank on Bowling green marsh 23erd 24th June
    Other migrant waders returning include Green Sandpipers at Exminster (1 on the 23erd and 24th) and two at BGM (24th). You will also see an increase in redshank on the high tide roost in coming weeks.
    The BGM High tide gull roost is quite a spectacle…

  • Radio Devon Exe Estuary Reserves update

    AJ Bellamy

    Follow the link bellow to hear the latest news from the marshes

    Part 1 starts at 1:10:20

    Part 2 starts at 1:30:15

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00893qz/The_Late_Show_17_06_2010/

    Highlights include Darts farm Oystercatchers - Red Kites and Red Footed Falcons - How to help swifts - good news for Albatrosses - news on up and coming events.

  • Fantastic Dragonflies

    AJ Bellamy

    The recent warm sunny weather has created a rush of good sightings including this fantastc Four-spotted Chaser.

    Also Hobby and Green Sandpiper on site this afternoon.

  • Red Kite

    AJ Bellamy

    A wing taged red kite flew low over the marsh this morning and then drifted over to Topsham 

  • Summer

    Gareth Williams
    Summer is a time of plenty, long days, hopefully nice weather and lots of wildlife. Not just out on the farm but in your back garden there are things to see and do. Butterflies are in good numbers as are day flying Moths, a huge range of colours and sizes are out there. One dry, windless, evening try attracting night dwelling Moths by shining a torch or light onto a large white sheet and sitting back to see what drops…

  • Red Footed Falcon

    AJ Bellamy

    A real treat for nigel our cirl bunting surveyer

    First for the reserve - 18th for Devon  

     

    Copyright Brian Heasman

     

    Copyright Martin Wolinski

  • Cygnets- now there are four

    Claire Hoppins

    Copyright C.Hoppins

    We started with 6 , at the weekend there were 5. This photo was taken today and there is only 4.

    Hopefully all these will survive.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Mute Swan has cygnets

    Claire Hoppins

    Five cygnets hatched sometime on saturday.  It was a lot of sitting for the female as incubation takes 36 days.  This picture was taken around the ponds where, hopefully they will stay  for a while so I can take some better pictures.

  • Green Veined White Butterfly

    Claire Hoppins

     

     Copyright  C.Hoppins

     Butterflies like the sunny weather so it is a good time to out and look for them.

    This one was taken at lunchtime on monday

     

  • Whinchat

    AJ Bellamy

    Two whinchat were seen on the powderham marshes midday circa 150m from the swans nest gate.

    Also hobby and perigrine on site with 100+ swift  

  • Weekend Highlights

    AJ Bellamy
    The weekend started early with a spoonbill at Exminster on Friday
    A drake Garganey stayed briefly on Saturday with up to three hobby over the marshes. A Lesser whitethroat was singing in the RSPB Exminster car park in the morning, also red kite and marsh harrier were reported over Topsham during the day.
    The Lesser whitethroat stayed in to Sunday with cuckoo the highlight of our dawn chorus guided walk. The first Wood…

  • Swifts and Swallows

    Gareth Williams

    The warmer days of early spring now seem long ago, as this cold spell continues. But all is not lost, around the farm now is a great time to see swifts, swallows, sand martins and house martins all feeding very close to the ground looking for insects.

    Out on the ponds and beyond, a pair of tufted ducks which we’re watching to see if they breed, a second brood of ducklings for the mallard, and the mute swan which is…

  • Afternoon water level monitering produced...

    AJ Bellamy
    Two hobbies hunting over the lagoon
    The grasshopper warbler still calling near the Exminster lagoon viewing platform
    50 swift and 30 sand martin over head  

  • whimbrel passage

    AJ Bellamy

    Good numbers of whimbrel are passing through the Exe Estuary at present with over 100 on Bowling Green Marsh at high tide over the weekend.

     Four hundred Black tailed Godwit were also on the roost which were also passage birds with only 70 or so on the high tide this morning.

    Thanks Colin for this fantastic photo

     

    Photo copyright Colin Scott

  • Lapwing nest studys

    AJ Bellamy

    Fantastic

    Four of the 8 data loggers were retrieved from their nests today with adults alarming at all the sites and egg fragments found in all the nests looks like they were all successful but we will analyse the data loggers to confirm.

    With another clutch halfway through hatching it’s a busy time on powderham marshes and well worth a visit :-)

    Cirl bunting singing in the platform field again today and the grasshopper…

  • Late evening hobbies ?

    AJ Bellamy
    Two hobby were hunting over the lagoon on Exminster marsh this evening until 8:30 and a grasshopper warbler was singing on the east side of the canal nr the new viewing platform.
    Earlier our first lapwing brood of four chicks were viewable from the Powderham marsh viewing platform. While over 30 whimbrel yet to reach there breeding grounds where pushed north on the rising tide.
    While first thing this morning a Lesser…

  • First and last ........

    AJ Bellamy
    Well spring is well and truly upon us so time to have a look in the note books
     
    How do your first and last dates for summer migrant compare to the reserves database ?
     
    Let me know if you have earlier or later dates from the reserve
     
    Vernacular                            Earliest                         Latest
    Garganey                               13-Mar                         21-Dec
    Black Kite                               08-Jun                           23-Jun
    Marsh Harrier                      04-Jan                           11-Nov
    Osprey                                   20-Mar                         18-Oct
    Hobby                                    11-Apr                          16-Oct
    Spotted Crake                       12-Aug                          24-Sep
    …

  • Sedge and Reed Warbler

    Gareth Williams

    This morning saw a dawn chorus event over the river at our Exminster marshes reserve. Lot's of sightings of Sedge and Reed warbler, also Cettis warbler was heard. Exminster is a fantastic place to visit in the spring and summer months; soon you should be able spot Hobby, a small falcon which feeds on dragonflies. In past years I’ve counted up to 5 in the air at once.

    Around the farm I’ve spotted more Butterflies…

  • Red kites and Ospreys

    Gareth Williams

    Lot's of sightings of Red kites around the Exe this week, these birds are being seen all along the south west coast, and are probably birds from Europe. An Osprey has been seen at Powderham, this may be the same bird that stayed here on the Exe last year. The best places to look for the bird are at Powderham or on the old boat in the river Clyst by our reserve Bowling Green Marsh.

    Lot's of birds on the feeders around…

  • Saturday nature walks

    Gareth Williams

    The saturday walk was really good, with sightings of a Wheatear and a Raven both firsts for me during the hour walk. Out on the fishing ponds a female Mallard has ducklings and the Mute Swan is on a nest. Small numbers of Swallows can now be seen around the farm and the song of a singing Skylark is always a good thing to hear.

    Wishing everyone a good week, more from me in a few days.

    Gareth.