Sightings Diary

December 2011

Winter Oak Leaf
Dartmoor - Steps Bridge, Dunsford, Fingle, Fingle Bridge

04.12.11 - 10 degrees, cloudy/sunny, light wind, 10am to 4pm

Birds - Treecreeper, Goldcrest, Green Woodpecker, Buzzards, Raven, Crows, Jay, Magpies, Pheasants, Woodpigeon, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Long-tailed Tits, Wren, Robin, Blackbirds, Song Thrush, Nuthatch



Nuthatch



Blue Tit

Other - Many different types of fungi - 25+ including Trooping Funnel, Honey Fungi Species, Chicken Run Funnel, Other Funnel Species, Fly Agarics, Wood Blewit, Milk Cap Species, Boletes Species, Birch Polypores, Yellow Stereum, Migrating Fish (Salmon?) Leaping Waterfalls



Fly Agaric



Lichen



Fungi

Exe Estuary

09.12.11 - 6 degrees, sun/cloud, light wind, 9am to 2pm. Low Tide 1pm

Birds - Red-breasted Mergansers, Slavonian Grebes, Green Woodpeckers, Pintail, Greenshank, Siskin, Linnets, Bar-tailed Godwits, Little Grebe, Kestrel, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Pheasants, Long-tailed Tits, Wood Pigeons, Raven, Dunnocks, Robins, Song Thrush, Rooks, Jackdaws, Redshank, Greater Black-backed Gulls, Curlew, Oystercatchers, Cormorants, Little Egrets, Heron, Mute Swans, Herring Gulls, Mallard Ducks, Black-headed Gulls, Goldfinches, Chaffinches, Greenshank, Dunlin, Blackbirds, Brent Geese, Canada Geese, Coot, Moorhen, Magpies, Starlings, Greenfinches, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Wigeon.



Greater Spotted Woodpecker



Wigeon



Brent Goose



Curlew



Mute Swan



Siskin



Red-breasted Merganser



Greater Black-backed Gull



Mute Swan

Other - Fallow Deer, Bramble blossom, Ragwort, Cats Ears, Gorse Blossom, Rose Hips, Hawthorn Berries, Armillaria Fungi species, Funnel Fungi species, Evening Primrose, Dumpy Centaury



Fallow Stag



Fallow Doe



Evening Primrose

Exeter Canal and Exminster Marsh

10.12.11, 11.12.11 - 6 degrees, sun/showers, light wind, 11am to 4pm. Low Tide 1.30pm

Birds - Female Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Goldcrest, Little Grebe, Peregrine Falcons, Bullfinches, Jack Snipe, Snipe , Fieldfares, Black-headed Gull in Summer plumage, Coots, Long-tailed Tits, Black-tailed Godwits, Linnets, Stonechats, Avocets, Reshank, Grey Plovers, Curlew, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Goldfinches, Crows, Cormorants, Magpies, Wood Pigeons, Blackbirds, Herons, Mallard Duck, Wrens, Redwings, Black-headed Gulls, Herring Gulls, Greater Black-backed Gulls, Dunnocks, Robins, Pied Wagtails, Jackdaws, Canada Geese, Mute Swans, Shoveler, Blue Tits, Song Thrush, Buzzards, Moorhen, Pheasants, Jays, Great Tits, Little Egret, Lapwings, Starlings, Wigeon, Chaffinches, House Sparrows, Black Swan, Greylag Geese.



Little Egret



Little Grebe



Canada Goose



Heron



Pied Wagtail



Pair of Mute Swans



Carrion Crow B&W



Lapwings



Mute Swan



Black-tailed Godwits

Other - Robust Bracket (Oak), Bush Vetch, Himalayan Balsam, Bramble Blossom, Rose Hips, Hawthorn Berries, Yarrow, Hogweed, Large Bind Weed, Tansy, Creeping Thistle, Dandelions, Red Campion, Rabbits.



Robust Bracket Fungi ?



Cloudscape



Hound Tor.. not a sighting, but I thought I'd add this and below just because..



And while I'm about this type of thing



Topsham Bowling Green Hide

16.12.11 - 5 degrees, sun/showers, light wind, 9am to 12.30pm. High Tide 10am

Birds - Avocets 250+, Tufted Duck, Sparrowhawk, Fox, Wigeon, Redshank, Little Egrets, Chaffinches, Robins, Redwings, Wrens, House Sparrows, Goldfinches, Dunnocks, Canada Geese, Brent Geese, Teal, Mallard Ducks, Moorhen, Black-tailed Godwits, Bar-tailed Godwits, Dunlin, Shoveler, Shelduck, Heron, Greylags, Coots, Curlew, Kingfisher, Pied Wagtails, Fieldfares, Song Thrush.



Avocet Flock


Black-tailed Godwits



Wigeon



Redshank

Haytor, Yarner, Hound Tor - Dartmoor

18.12.11 - 4 degrees, sun/showers, light wind, 9am to 3pm.

Birds - Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Bullfinches, Goldcrests, Ravens, Nuthatches, Chaffinches, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Coal Tits, Dunnocks, Wrens, Robins, Redwings, Long-tailed Tits, Jays, Magpies, Woodpigeons, Crows, House Sparrows, Blackbirds, Meadow Pipits.

Wild Flowers - Red Campion, Herb Robert, Dandelions

Others - Fox, Many different types of Fungi - 20+ including Sulphur Top, Bitter Oysterling, Yellow Stagshorn, Polypores, Common Eyelash, Yellow Brain, Hairy Curtain Crust. Hawthorn and Holly Berries though some trees are now stripped.



Yellow Stagshorn



Hairy Curtain Crust

Starcrosss, Powderham, Exminster Marsh, Matford Marsh, Topsham Bowling Green Marsh - Exe Estuary

22.12.11 - 13 degrees, grey, light wind, 9am to 4pm, high tide 4:30pm

Birds - Red-breasted Mergansers, Slavonian Grebes, Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Bullfinches, Linnets, Greenshank, Turnstone, Lapwings 2 large flocks each 200+, Kingfisher, Avocet 300+, Cetti's Warbler, Blackcap, Stonechat, Fieldfares, Redwings, Spotted Redshank, Grey Plover, Snipe, Shelduck, Buzzards, Long-tailed Tits, Song Thrush, Blue Tits, Greylag Geese, Great Tits, Moorhens, Coots, Canada Geese, Starlings, Pied Wagtails, Magpies, Cormorants, Greater Black-backed Gulls, Bar-tailed Godwits, Black-tailed Godwits, Dunlin, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Mute Swans, Goldfinches, Dunnocks, Magpies, Jackdaws, Brent Geese, Oystercatchers, Little Egrets, Wigeon, Teal, Wrens, Robins, Herons, Blackbirds, Pheasants, Rooks, Crows, Mallard Duck, Shoveler, Redshank, Curlew, Herring Gulls, Black-headed Gulls, Rock Pipit, Chaffinches



Lapwings - ISO 1250, Canon 7D!



Avocets - ISO 1250, Canon 7D!



Carrion Crow



Shoveler



Redshank



Greenshank



Great Tit



Wigeon - ISO 1250, Canon 7D!



Teal - ISO 1250, Canon 7D!



Black-tailed Godwits - ISO 1250, Canon 7D!



Turnstone


Other - Dandelion, Red Campion, Herb Robert, Fallow Deer, Fox, Rabbits



Fallow Stag B&W

Duryard and Belvidere Meadows - Exeter

24.12.11 - 8 degrees, cloudy, light wind, 9 to 11am

Birds - Nuthatches, Greater Spotted Woodpeckers, Goldcrests, Bullfinches, Crows, Magpies, Jackdaws, Great Tits, Blue Tits, Robins, Woodpigeons, Coal Tits, Blackbirds, Black-headed Gulls, Herring Gulls, Dunnocks, Wrens, Chaffinches, Redwings, Fieldfares, Pied Wagtail, Buzzard.


Nuthatch

Other - Badger Tracks, Fox Stink, Bumblebee, Lots Holly Berries, Herb Robert, Yarrow, Bramble Blossom, Squirrels.

Donkey Sanctuary, Salcombe Regis - East Devon

26.12.11 - 1 degrees, cloudy, light wind, 11am to 2.30pm, low tide during walk

Birds - Ravens, Nuthatches, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Kestrel, Common Scoters 200+, Robins, Blackbirds, Redwings, Wrens, Crows, Woodpigeons, Jackdaws, Long-tailed Tits, Great Tits, Blue Tits, Goldfinches, Buzzards, Pheasants, Greater Black-backed Gulls, Herring Gulls, Oystercatchers, Cormorants, Rock Pipits, Chaffinches, House Sparrows



Oystercatchers



Wren



Chaffinch



Goldfinch



Rock Pipit

Other - Hogweed, Cow Parsley, Red Campion, Herb Robert, Gorse Blossom, Bramble Blossom, Meadow Buttercup, Chamomile, Ground Ivy, Wild Carrot, Dandelion, Wood Avens, Winter Heliotrope, Great Mullein, Green Alkanet, Sow-thistle, Primrose (possible garden hybrid!), Fossils, Orange Iron Stained Quartz.



Primroses



Green Alkanet



Fossil Sea Urchin

Fingle Bridge Area - Dartmoor

27.12.11 - 11 degrees, cloudy, light wind, 11am to 2.30pm

Birds - Nuthatches, Goldcrests, , Song Thrush, Chaffinches, Blackbird, Great Tits, Crows, Robins, Blue Tits, Magpie.

Other - Weasel, Squirrels, 22 different types of fungi including Fly Agarics, Polypores, Blewits, Boletus, Yellow Brain, Milk Caps, Armillaria. 9 types of Lichen and 4 different Mosses.



Sulphur Tuft



Fungi - Still working on the ID :-)

Exminster Marsh

27.12.11 - 8 degrees, cloudy, light wind, 3.00pm to 5pm

Birds - Short-eared Owls - 2, Long-eared Owl (sighting by others), Kestrel, Lapwings, Godwits, Herring Gulls, Greater Black-backed Gulls, Black-headed Gulls, Crows, Woodpigeons, Blackbird, Dunnock.


Greater Black-backed Gull

Otterton, Ladram Bay, Budleigh, River Otter - East Devon

28.12.11 - 8 degrees, cloudy, windy, 11am to 2:30pm

Birds - Kingfisher, Dipper, Kestrel, Little Grebes, Lapwing, Great Crested Grebes, Skylarks, Shags, Common Scoters 30+, Robins, Herring Gulls, Magpies, Jackdaws, Wrens, Crows, Dunnocks, Woodpigeons, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Mallard Ducks, Buzzards, Pied Wagtail, Moorhen, Chaffinches, Redwings, Mute Swans, Little Egrets, Long-tailed Tits, Teal, Black-headed Gulls, Shelduck, Redshank, Curlew, Wigeon, Canada Geese, Blackbirds, Brent Geese, Cormorants, Rock Pipits.



Dipper



Lapwings

Other - Pair of Roe Deer (male's antlers growing and in velvet), Lesser Celandines!, White Dead-nettle, Bramble Blossom, Yarrow, Hogweed, Almost Ripe Ivy Berries, Dandelions, Herb Robert, Cow Parsley.



Lesser Celandine



White Dead-nettle

Topsham Bowling Green Marsh - Exe Estuary, Devon

31.12.11 - 13 degrees, grey, high tide 10:40am, 10am to 12:30pm

Birds - Avocets (400+), Peregrine Falcon, Knot, Wigeon, Black-tailed and Bar-tailed Godwits, Tufted Duck, Shelduck, Mallard, Teal, Lapwing, Canada Geese, Redshank, Dunlin, Curlew, Moorhen, Brent Geese, Woodpigeon, Magpies, Robins, Great Tits, Chaffinches, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Blue Tit, Wren, Dunnocks, Redwings, Shovelers, Cormorant, Crows, Herring Gulls, Buzzards, Ravens, Pied Wagtails, Greenfinches, Starlings, Goldfinches.



Canada Geese (piling in!)



Avocets



Black-tailed Godwit