Other Places

Here are details of other sites I visit regularly or yearly. Please click on the site name for further information.

DEVON
Darts Farm
A small reserve which can produce the goods. Winter is my favourite time to visit as there’s a chance of Wildfowl, waders and large Finch and Bunting gatherings. My best bird here was a self found Little Bunting.

Dunsford
A woodland with some grassland and a stream. Good for White-throated Dipper, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and in the Summer, European Pied Flycatcher. Plus a host of good Butterfly species.

Otter Estuary
A great estuary site with some good surrounding farmland. Can be good all year round with Wildfowl, waders and Gulls in the Winter and Warblers like Lesser Whitethroat in the Summer. Notable birds I’ve seen include Glossy Ibis and Red Phalarope.

Otterton
Not actually in Otterton but I visit Stantyway Farm during the Winter as it’s good for large Finch and Bunting flocks. I also sea watch in Autumn from the coastal path near the water treatment plant. Which can produce good numbers of Shearwater species.

Black Hole Marsh
Another great estuary site, bolstered with an impressive hide in the middle of the saltmarsh. I’ve seen good species here with Least Sandpiper being one of the best. Also of note, Glossy Ibis. I went for a Little Crake a few years ago but missed out.

DORSET
Portland
What can I say about this magical place. It’s one of the most productive birding areas in the UK. It’s ideal location is a hotspot for migrants. It has a number of habitats and anything can turn up here. I’ve had a lot of lifers from trips here including, Thick-billed Murre, Black Guillemot, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Bluethroat, Hume’s Leaf Warbler, Barred Warbler, Subalpine Warbler and Greater Short-toed Lark. I was disappointed to miss out on the American Yellow Warbler though!

CORNWALL
Marizion
I like visiting hear for Loon activity in the bay. As there is a yearly Pacific Loon, it’s possible to get 4 of the 5 Loon species recorded in the UK. The only one letting the side down is Yellow-billed Loon.

Porthgwarra
One of (if not) the best sea watching site in the south west. I love visiting (but timing is everything) and witnessing 100’s of Shearwater passing by. With the right conditions, it’s possible to get Manx, Balearic, Sooty, Great and Cory’s in a matter of a few hours. Add to that some Skua and Storn Petrel species and you’ve had a great day out. It’s not all about sea watching though as the valley is notorious for rare migrants.