Another black redstart and chiffchaffs in flight

Once the sun came out today on Seaton marshes there was no shortage of flies for our chiffchaffs who were certainly making the best of such a chance to feed.  It was lovely to see them like this rather than scrabbling around the ground frantically searching for anything edible.  They gave me a wonderful photo opportunity as you will see.

Meanwhile this beautiful black redstart has been present at Seaton bowls club now since yesterday

With a tasty morsel!   No wonder he stayed.

I do think the chiffchaff is such a pretty little thing

As you can see I took quite a few photos.  Just hope the sun continues for them.

What a difference the sun makes

I've watched the poor chiffchaffs struggling to find food all week both on the marshes and in my garden but at last this morning there was a bit of sun and some seemed able to catch a few flies.

Quite a few  stonechats about including this female on Colyford Common this morning

A very pale pipit on Seaton marshes

A wheatear on Beer head yesterday afternoon

  

and a female black redstart on Seaton Marsh on monday

A pair of pintails have been present on the scrape at Seaton marshes since monday though the male would not pose out in the open for photos

One of the many little ring plovers present on the Axe estuary wetlands at the moment

Todays highlights were an osprey and a male marsh harrier.  What follows are some poor quality distant photos of the marsh harrier but a couple clearly show green tags on its wings 

And finally photos of a a sandwich turn on the river on tuesday

Great birds rubbish light

So much to see today on and around the Axe, and thanks to Karen, the main highlight was an osprey moving on after a few passes up the river.  This afternoon there were 9 little ring plovers on Black Hole marsh and luckily 2 came quite close for not only was the light worse than this morning but it was also much colder. The female merganser remained on the river while Seaton marshes was full of chiffchaffs searching for food.  Probably wish they had not come back yet!   There were also plenty of meadow pipits,  2 very smart male wheatears, a few pied wagtails, 3 sand martins and a swallow.

Little ring plover

Red breasted merganser

Osprey

Chiffchaff 

Meadow pipit

Wheatear

Somerset beauties - Pied-billed and displaying great crested gebes

I had been longing to see Somersets pied-billed grebe so when the opportunity arose we set off on tuesday in the hope that we would get some nice close views.  We were in luck after only 20 to 30 minutes.  While listening to its monkey like call as it appeared to be answering the little grebes that were calling it suddenly popped up in a channel close by.  Not content with that shortly after it came and posed in front of us for a good 10 minutes or so much to the delight of all there.  I make no excuse for the high number of photos that follow!   Prior to this I had been to Chard and much to my delight the great crested grebes were displaying and dancing close by.   Naturally I could not resist a few photos of these either.

The male marsh harrier gave us some wonderful views though rather distant for my camera.