9th November

It was a cold but sunny start to the day so I took the bike out of the garage donned my gear and rode to Slapton. When I arrived there were several people looking out from the bridge. The egret had been seen flying in to the reeds close to the bridge. I didn't wait long before it rose out of the reeds again and flew to another area. Water rails were calling and one made its way out of the reeds for a short while before disappearing out of sight again.

8th November
A visit to Burrator today. It was a cold but dry morning. As we walked around the woods we heard crossbills making their way through the treetops catching short glimpses of them as they moved around. Also treecreeper, nuthatch, goldcrests, marsh, coal, long-tailed and blue tits. There were a good numbers of fieldfare and redwing. On the reservoir was three goosander.

28th October
The brown shrike was still on Staines Moor so Jenny and I decided to make the trip to see it. We arrived early at the site but there were birders already there. It had not been seen and it was gone 8 o'clock. It was very dull with a lot of cloud. We didn't have to wait much longer before it put in an appearance. It was very mobile but we had good views.
On our way home we stopped at Shapwick Heath. It was now a lovely warm afternoon as we walked around the reserve. We saw gadwall, wigeon, teal, mallard, water rail and shoveler. Watching a little egret at one of the pools I called out to Jenny I have a cattle egret with it then suddenly there was two more. Not a bad end to the day. 

26th October
A visit to Saltram cut short by the rain. Curlew, black-headed gulls, 2 lesser black-backed gulls were settled in front of the hide. Little egrets, redshank and greenshank moved around the edges.
Making my way through the woods I thought I heard a crest or two. On searching the trees I found a firecrest. That brightened up the morning.

25th October
East Soar. I don't think I have ever seen it this quiet during autumn. One redwing, a single ring ouzel and cirl bunting is all I could manage. Close encounters with peregrine, merlin and sparrowhawk made the morning. Several hundred larks were still moving around the fields. All in all a very quiet morning.

19th October

East Soar today was very quiet apart from the odd chiffchaff, 3 ring ouzel. 

18th October
I headed for Dartmoor today, Fernworthy to be precise. It was a calm start to the day. When I arrived the trees were buzzing with redwing. They must have exceeded 500 birds. Later in the morning over 200 fieldfare were also flying around.
6 crossbills flew in the tall firs along with 40 siskin. A peregrine patrolled the area, chasing just about everything that flew.

10th October
Very little in the way of migrants. So I made the effort to get up early and visit Rame for a seawatch. I wasn't expecting anything but it was better than walking around seeing nothing.
Phil and I arrived at 7.30am. The light was good enough to watch as we sat down to get ourselves comfortable. We could see this wasn't going to be a long session even gannets were few and far between. After 10 minutes we saw an Arctic skua then a few minutes later another. The sun was up now and blinding on the sea. We stayed for an hour or more and in that time saw a Balearic shearwater, common scoter and several auks. A peregrine flew close veering off at the last minute as he caught sight of us. 
Returning to the car we saw 2 wheatear, a few chiffchaffs and yellowhammer.

2nd October
A still calm morning at Wembury today very few dog walkers so little disturbance on the beach. The bar-tailed godwit were still there joined by another two, six in all. 8 curlew sat on the rocks with several oystercatchers and a lone little egret. 
Cirl buntings were feeding in the fields and all along the hedges stonechats sat watching. A kestrel floated by . Two grey wagtail flitted around the rocks on the beach along with rock and meadow pipits. 
Small birds flitted among the trees, blue, great and long-tailed tits. Also wren, 2 blackcaps, greenfinch, chaffinch and chiffchaffs.

September
This was a month of ospreys for me. The first on the Tavy then up until the 10th a least on the Plym where I managed to photograph it catching a fish. On the 6th I visited Davidstow to see a Baird's sandpiper. 
East Soar saw a few migrants, spotted flycatcher, redstarts, blackcaps and wheatear. Toward the end of the month I caught up with a dotterel at Bolberry a bird I hadn't seen in Devon before.

August
This was a very quiet start to the month for birds. The weather also changeable so I spent the time birdwatching locally. Kingsmill lake held a spotted redshank and whimbrel. Sandwich terns were passing along the coast,
Later in the month the weather was very windy so I put in some hours seawatching. I was rewarded with several Arctic and great skuas, Manx and sooty shearwaters and a single Balearic shearwater. the month ended as it had begun very quiet.

July
July seems to be a quiet month for migrants but a good time to see returning terns especially at Dawlish.
Stopping at Haldon on the way to look for the turtle doves, no luck! Although a little owl was there.  I stopped at Powderham for the osprey and at Cockwood for the long staying Slavonian grebe.
Arriving at Dawlish Warren it started  to rain, with no wet weather gear, it was July after all, I was rather wet when I reached the hide. A roseate terns was sat on a pole in front of the hide along with sandwich terns. Several common terns were flying around briefly perching on the posts before flying off again. Locally Blaxton held a pair of spotted flycatcher.

June
In June I always try to visit the Rumps to see puffins. This year was no exception. Corn bunting is an added bonus although every year the numbers seem to get less.  The puffins were already settled on the water, eleven in all. Not our highest count over the years but more may have been hidden from view. 
Several hundred Manx shearwater were passing along the coast. I believe these birds are feeding parties from the Welsh islands. Kittiwakes were feeding below us on the water as were guillemots and razorbills. Some of the gannets flew by very close.
Another visit to Blaxton Marsh produced reed warblers. Other birds in the area were red-legged partridge, common pheasant, blue tit, little egret, blackcap and garden warbler.

May
In May I visit Dartmoor often. There is always something of interest with breeding birds such as redstarts, whinchats, tree pipits, willow warblers, chiffchaffs, garden warbler, cuckoo and reed bunting you may be lucky to find redpoll. One of My favourite areas is Soussons. this year 2 male red-backed shrikes roamed the area in search of a female.
I had visit the family in Suffolk, so I put Lakenheath on my route. We were in luck as a golden oriole was found on a nest. Other birds at the reserve included sedge and reed warblers, red kite, hobby, marsh harriers and a bittern.
The collared flycatcher stayed around long enough for me to catch up with it. (a cracking little bird)! Little terns were seen at Ferrybridges.
Ford Park Cemetery held a woodchat shrike. 

April
A small influx of migrants was noted early in the month at Ernesettle, chiffchaff, willow warbler and blackcap. An osprey and little gull at Bowling Green Marsh, house martins flew across the reserve with swallows. Also from the hide 4 avocets, 2 wigeon, little egret, tufted duck, shoveler, redshank, bar and black-tailed godwits, blackcap and great spotted woodpecker.
A woodlark was seen at Exminster along with cirl bunting.  5 green sandpiper, 4 snipe, green sandpiper and gadwall were at Matford pools. Not a bad morning.

March
Early migrants this month were sandwich terns in the Sound and a Wheatear at Thurlestone. 
The long staying penduline tit was still at Paignton. I made several visits to view the bird. It was not always easy to get good views. 
Locally goshawks were showing well. A great grey shrike wintered in  Bellever forest although elusive at times.

February
Lesser spotted woodpecker was a target in February. We were lucky getting great views of two males at Steps Bridge. Locally an obliging water rail spent the winter at Saltram. 

January
We started the year with a trip to Cornwall. At Zennor there was a snowy owl so this is where we started the day. A hen harrier was a bonus as it drifted through the valley.
Our next stop Penzance. 14 purple sandpiper were at Jubilee Pool and a wintering swallow at the heliport where a peregrine was seen flying over. 
On to Helston where there was not one but two ring-billed gulls  on the boating lake. At the sewage works were several chiffchaffs among them at least 3 Siberian chiffchaffs. Also two firecrests in the area. At Loe pool we found little grebes, goldeneye and a long-tailed duck. 
Our second outing was a trip to Dorset. After a false  start we met some local birders who put us on the right track for whooper swans. It was on the fleet at Rodden Hive. We clocked up a good number of ducks. Gadwall, shoveler, shelduck, goldeneye, wigeon, pintail and red breasted merganser. Also two woodpeckers and fieldfare and redwing.
From here we visited Wyke Regis. A helpful local birdwatcher put us on to a short-eared owl. On this part of the Fleet we found dark and pale-bellied brent geese and two black brant. We stopped for lunch mid afternoon at Radipole RSPB reserve. 8 spoonbill put in surprise  visit flying over the reserve briefly. Although another single visited later in the day. We saw the ‘plastic’ duck hooded merganser which despite its dubious status was a nice looking duck. Arriving at the north hide a bittern showed itself also water rail. What an end to a great day.
A surf scoter wintered at Dawlish also in the bay were 6 red throated divers two Slavonian grebes and several common scoter. Two cattle egret with 20 little egret at Powderham was worthy of a visit. The hawfinch was in his usual bush at Ide.
At Bellever the elusive great grey shrike put in a brief appearance. Also flushed a  woodcock in the woods.
After overnight winds and rain I went to Mount Batten three adult little gulls and a 1st winter little gull and another 4 adult little gulls, fulmar, gannets and great crested grebes were in the Sound. 
At Broadsands black throated and great northern diver, common and velvet scoter, gannets, fulmar, eider and red-breasted merganser were all in evidence.
The penduline tit was at Clennon Valley, the weather was pretty poor but I did manage to see it.
A local run mid month produced tawny owl, sparrowhawk, fieldfare, redwing, red-legged partridge, shoveler, teal, wigeon and 65 avocet, dunlin, curlew, 18 great crested grebe, grey heron and shelduck. black-tailed godwits, greenshank, 3 spotted redshank and more interestingly two spoonbill one of which was ringed.