Well yesterday Devon finally came up trumps - thanks to Dawlish Warren yet again!
For me it all started with an understandably excited and shocked Lee Collins on the other end of the phone, who had just had a Short-toed Eagle fly over his head....heading our way! I was at work, as was going to be here until 4:30pm, so not exactly ideal for me! Anyway, make the best of a bad situation as they say...
The back yard always gets forgotten, it should be a tidy and clean working area, so I decided to spend my afternoon sorting it out, along with checking all the health and safety signage.... yes I did look up now and then and my bins somehow found their way out of my car and around my neck!!
Now a Short-toed Eagle would have been an exceptional addition to my work list, but unfortunately it wasn't to be. But whoever clocked it passing Lyme Regis at 15:20 - thanks for the knife in the stomach! I think it must have passed us at sea, maybe high up and possibly a fair way out too.
It was interesting though, paying extra attention to the sky. A Merlin whizzed through east mid afternoon, and I also saw 10+ Buzzards and three Sparrowhawks. A few Siskins, Redpolls and Mipits also flew over.
This morning, I made my long overdue first trip of the year to Beer Stables to do a spot of vis migging. The conditions were far from ideal, and there wasn't much on the move so I got bored pretty quickly and moved on. Still, here are my totals for 07:40 - 08:20;
4 Swallow
15 alba Wagtail
13 Meadow Pipit
10 Greenfinch
8 Chaffinch
72 Goldfinch
5 Redpoll
19 Siskin
I then went to the Beer Cemetery Fields. The highlight here was a truly stunning adult male Merlin. I first clocked it distantly perched up, but it soon took flight and starting winging its way towards me! It passed me low to the grass literally 20 feet away from me - magic! It carried on SW and disappeared off in the distance towards to Beer Head. A stunning blue-backed beauty I can tell you. Just a pity it was too quick for a photo!
There wasn't much else here, just a couple of Stonechats, Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests, and 20+ Meadow Pipits.
I returned home, but was out again later at the farm gate. In all the Eagle madness yesterday I totally forgot about a Spotted Redshank that was reported on Colyford Marsh. Thankfully Ian Mc located it again this morning, and that is what I was twitching. It was distant - but still good to see this patch scarcity.
I must apologise for the lack of photos with this post - I promise my next post will be much more colourful...
For me it all started with an understandably excited and shocked Lee Collins on the other end of the phone, who had just had a Short-toed Eagle fly over his head....heading our way! I was at work, as was going to be here until 4:30pm, so not exactly ideal for me! Anyway, make the best of a bad situation as they say...
The back yard always gets forgotten, it should be a tidy and clean working area, so I decided to spend my afternoon sorting it out, along with checking all the health and safety signage.... yes I did look up now and then and my bins somehow found their way out of my car and around my neck!!
Now a Short-toed Eagle would have been an exceptional addition to my work list, but unfortunately it wasn't to be. But whoever clocked it passing Lyme Regis at 15:20 - thanks for the knife in the stomach! I think it must have passed us at sea, maybe high up and possibly a fair way out too.
It was interesting though, paying extra attention to the sky. A Merlin whizzed through east mid afternoon, and I also saw 10+ Buzzards and three Sparrowhawks. A few Siskins, Redpolls and Mipits also flew over.
This morning, I made my long overdue first trip of the year to Beer Stables to do a spot of vis migging. The conditions were far from ideal, and there wasn't much on the move so I got bored pretty quickly and moved on. Still, here are my totals for 07:40 - 08:20;
4 Swallow
15 alba Wagtail
13 Meadow Pipit
10 Greenfinch
8 Chaffinch
72 Goldfinch
5 Redpoll
19 Siskin
I then went to the Beer Cemetery Fields. The highlight here was a truly stunning adult male Merlin. I first clocked it distantly perched up, but it soon took flight and starting winging its way towards me! It passed me low to the grass literally 20 feet away from me - magic! It carried on SW and disappeared off in the distance towards to Beer Head. A stunning blue-backed beauty I can tell you. Just a pity it was too quick for a photo!
There wasn't much else here, just a couple of Stonechats, Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests, and 20+ Meadow Pipits.
I returned home, but was out again later at the farm gate. In all the Eagle madness yesterday I totally forgot about a Spotted Redshank that was reported on Colyford Marsh. Thankfully Ian Mc located it again this morning, and that is what I was twitching. It was distant - but still good to see this patch scarcity.
I must apologise for the lack of photos with this post - I promise my next post will be much more colourful...
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