Another good few days

I'm so lucky to live across the road from such a wonderful area of wetlands although I didn't feel quite so lucky this morning when I got soaking wet in the rain.  Despite that there was plenty to see with the 2 little stints still being present, along with the ruff and the knot.  This afternoon Tim Wright found a turnstone so gave me a good excuse to return.  Not that I need much excuse.

Here are 3 favourites on Black Hole Marsh this afternoon.  A little ring plover and a little stint being dwarfed by a black tailed godwit.

The turnstone deserved a photo though its not particularly good

and the ruff spent a lot of time this morning in the company of 2 redshanks

Yesterday there was a lone greenshank on the Colyford Common scrape and 2 days ago on Seaton Marshes there were plenty of goldfinches along the path

Plenty of yellow wagtails

and this rather tame reed bunting on the footpath

The egrets have been squabbling regularly on the river

and here is a better picture of one of our magnificent black tailed godwits

And finally I have to say its great to see Steve (Axe Birding) having more time to get out and about and blogging again, and yes Steve your posts on gull id are interesting but they still either ALL look  different or all the same.  To me anyway.

So Many Wheatears

There were plenty of good birds to be seen today (well yesterday now) starting with Seaton Marshes.  On the way down to the hide were the usual linnets and goldfinches along with some young pied wagtails,  several wheatear and a whinchat.  There was nothing much from the hide itself but on the way back there where too many wheatears to count.  They were in the grass, all along the posts and flying over.  The whinchat didn't show again unfortunately but there were a few yellow wagtails with the cows, though they were never particularly close and difficult to pick out in the long grass.

Round the Borrow pit and there were 2 bright yellow willow warblers, a greater spotted woodpecker and a large flock of long tailed tits 

The swan family still seem to be doing well.

Over on Black Hole Marsh there were plenty of swallows

The little stint remains faithful to its small area of mud and as the waters start to fall slightly this afternoon a wood sandpiper has reappeared and the ruff was showing well for a short while.

Beavers And Back Hole Marsh

Earlier this week I was fortunate enough to see some of the River Otter beavers which was so exciting and I still can't believe how lucky I was.  Black Hole Marsh has had plenty to look at

 recently even after the least sandpiper, though the water levels are currently quite high at the moment with the high tides.

 Of the 2 little stints one in particular was very close last week on several occaisions  as you can see.

The ruff on the other hand never came particularly close and as for any curlew sands and the knot I've only seen them at scope distances.

There have been 2 regular wood sandpipers

Plenty of ring plovers

Lapwing

and plenty of common sandpipers

plus of course plenty of dunlin

Closer still!

I thought I was lucky yesterday with the least sandpiper giving such close views but today for a few of us it was unbelievably close.   As I'm not usually able to get quite so close with my camera set ups I couldn't resist a few more pictures of such a rarity to add to yesterdays posting.  Having given such wonderful views for some time it then proceeded to sleep just in front of us.  How privileged we were to be so near to this beautiful tiny little wader! It really is rather cute.

Least Sandpiper

Unlike a few of our intrepid birders who were over Black Hole Marsh for 5.30am I'm ashamed to say 7.30 seemed plenty early enough for me.   Actually it turned out it was for I was lucky enough to have some wonderful close views of this tiny sparrow size bird just as I was getting restless and ready to move on.  Unfortunately  as many of you know  I am not the most patient of people and sometimes wonder how it is I can be so lucky with what I do see.  Thanks to those who made the effort to identify it late last night and share it with the rest of us.