Northern Wheatear

Exton, Devon
I decided to see if there were any Northern Wheatear around the field near Exton station before work. I soon got on to a Male and was only there 20 minutes and had seen 3 Males. My first Northern Wheatear of the year and I always enjoy watching these birds bounce about.

 Northern Wheatear (Male) m

Northern Wheatear (Male)

Bowling Green Marsh, Topsham, Devon

I had an hour look after work. On arrival at the gate that leads to the viewing platform. I was greeted by a Male and Female Eurasian Bullfinch. The Male posed nicely but the Female didn’t want to play ball. In the field there were 2 Mistle Thrush that were rather showy. The other best birds of note were a solitary Common Snipe, 4 Northern Pintail and several Common Chiffchaff in the hedges.

Mistle Thrush 

Eurasian Bullfinch (Male)

Song Thrush  

Common Blackbird (Female)

Northern Shoveler (Female)

Ruff And Stuff

Bowling Green Marsh, Devon
A quick visit to see if the 2 Ruff were still around and my luck was in. They were either very active or obscured from view but did manage a record photo. Also of note was a Male Common Pochard, several Nothern Pintail, 3 Common Greenshank and 2 Little Grebe. Plenty of Northern Shoveler and Eurasian Teal, several Gadwall, 1 Greylag Goose, a few Tufted Duck, Black-tailed Godwit and Common Redshank.

Black-tailed Godwit

Ruff

Common Pochard (Male)

Northern Shoveler (Male)

Little Grebe

Northern Pintail (Male)

White-throated Dipper

Ludwell Valley, Exeter, Devon
A quick stop off after work at the Topsham road end got me quickly on to 2 White-throated Dipper in the brook. It never ceases to amaze me how the birds make a living in the city. It’s unfortunately not the cleanest of brooks but fair play they get on with it.

Bowling Green Marsh, Topsham, Devon 
Spent a bit of time around the Marsh. Lots of Eurasian Wigeon and Eurasian Teal. A few Tufted Ducks and Northern Shoveler. Standout birds were a single Common Pochard, 3 Common Snipe, numerous Northern Pintail and as I was leaving close to dusk a Eurasian Sparrowhawk hunting the hedges around the road near the hide.