Dartmoor

Male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker.

 

An early trip up to Dartmoor this morning, before the rain set in. At least two Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers seen as well as several Siskin, two or three Marsh Tits and a Firecrest amongst other stuff.

Birding in Exmouth has been typically hard-going for this time of year. Four Goldeneye (2 males), 3 Redshank, 50+ Turnstone and 7 Red-breasted Merganser were the only things of note off Mudbank.

Yesterday I had a quick early morning look off Maer Rocks. Several good-sized flocks of Black-headed Gulls totalled an estimated 6/700+ birds, perhaps more. Otherwise just 1 adult Mediterranean Gull, 2 Common Scoter, 1 Red-throated Diver and a Great Crested Grebe.

 

 

Male and female Lesser Spotted Woodpecker surprisingly hard to pick out in young Birch trees. The male was very vocal and the pair were watched engaging in tumbling, fluttering courtship.

 

 

 

No problem locating Marsh Tits this morning but photographing them was a bit more problematic.