For those who take an interest in this bi-annual event i thought i'd make a start on the passage and arrival of birds seen off and around Exmouth on there way north or to stay with us for the breeding season.
I'll try not to bore you with every bird! but hopefully once something different is seen in the south we could see how quickly the country is populated with different species i.e. Swallows, Martins, and Swifts. Some migrants will travel over night where they won't be seen until they drop in further north or first seen at their breeding grounds, which would be good to mention them to.
Some of our winter visitors have started to move on. Last week our Avocets numbered 200+ down from 600+ in January, yesterday an observer counted only 30+ so birds are on the move.
The first Sandwich Tern was seen fishing over the sandbars off of Exmouth yesterday morning.
If this is of interest to you and want a day by day account of what is arriving or moving then the Portland Bird Observatory and field centre Dorset may be worth a visit. http://portlandbirdobs.blogspot.co.uk/search they get some great birds passing through. They also trap Moths on the Bill which will be of interest to some of our bloggers. There is alway a good photo or two on this website to.
I'll do it just for fun!
Always interesting to see the overlap. Two years ago the early birds really got hit hard as the weather turned cold with no insects about. Sand Martins were starving and falling out the sky and Migrant Chiffchaffs were feeding around our feet. One Sand Martin was so weak it drop straight into the Exeter Canal very near a course fisherman who netted the bird and tried to revive it without success, hopefully the cold will stay away this spring, fingers x'ed.
20+ Sand Martins and 2 House Martins spotted this morning feeding over Wrafton Pond, Braunton North Devon. My first this Spring, and nice to see. 4 Chiffchaff around the pond singing their favourite song.
The first migrant Chiffchaff arrived on my patch exactly a week ago.It`s a bit early this year & is still on its ownsome. :-( It said hello & has refused to sing & show since then..Damn this wind,etc.etc. Lousy record shot -
p.s There`ll be loads in the graveyard next month.Their song may well be an elegy for me in the distant.......
First 6 Swallows seen at Bowling Green Marsh this morning with 200+ Sand Martins, 20+ Swallows and 4 House Martins reported seen there this evening. Martin Migration in full swing.
First confirmed Osprey seen at Berry Head South Devon travelling north tracked at Dawlish Warren, through the Exe Estuary and continued North.
The osprey sightings are really picking up now though there are still loads of birds yet to arrive who would normally be with us by now. Very relieved to see the safe arrival of EJ at Loch Garten - a mere 9 days later than last year!
Our herring gulls are red listed birds. Think about that the next time you hear some flaming idiot calling for a cull of them.
Great stuff the tweeters and texters were very busy following the bird off the see along the coast and into the estuary. It was also reported it caught a fish in the Estuary ate on a well know perch at Topsham, so a bird that knows the area well before heading north.
I wonder who it is? It's not LG's Odin as he arrived - unbelievably - at 1:26 this morning!
Chiffchaffs arrived in good numbers today.What a difference a (nice) day makes.
Hi Clare another Osprey came up the Exe Estuary this morning unsuccessful with a fish so climbed high and headed north.....