Bowling Green Marsh and Goosemoor

Bowling Green Marsh and Goosemoor

10^th August 2008.

A select group assembled at Topsham. It was cloudy. Rain threatened, but held off for once. It turned out a successful morning’s birding, and we saw over 40 species, though no Blackbird, Great Tits, Dunnocks nor Sparrows (for me!).

We started off going to Goosemoor. I had always wondered what happened under the stone bridge, now I know. John unpadlocked the gate, and we went through. We had to be quiet as the birds there are not used to people and are easily disturbed. They stayed put so we watched them on the salt marsh mud. We saw Sandpipers, both Common and Green, but they were not easy to see as they were hiding in the grass at the edge of the mud. I was pleased to see so many Greenshank. I suspect there are many more around, but they tend to get hidden by their bolder cousins the Redshanks. Here they were out on the mud, taller and more elegant that the Redshanks.

At Bowling Green itself it was a case of what can we see other than Canada Geese. There were two Bar-Headed Geese and some Greylags, several Lapwings, and a couple of Shovelers. On the far side were Godwits and a few Dabchicks, diving for long periods. There was a group of Mallards sitting in the mud doing not a lot, but were an easy marker for other things. A Heron flew in from where? For a large bird they are surprisingly easy to miss.

Then to the viewing platform. On the way we saw lots of Goldfinches. (There do seem to be a lot around this year). We saw a march past in line of about eight Shelduck, there were two Oystercatchers, a single Grey Plover in summer plumage looking like the stone it was near, and masses and masses of Gulls, nearly all Blackheaded, but no Terns.

Then to the Goat Walk. On the way I saw a raptor, which at first I thought was a Buzzard, but then saw it had rather a long squared tail; so what was it.? It was visible for a while as it flew over, and a debate ensued. I thought it was a Goshawk, more because of the size and tail than anything else and I knew they were around, John said probably and Richard said possibly, but he thought it might have been a large female Sparrowhawk, which is similar. There was never a conclusion to the debate and the bird had long gone. There was little of note for the rest of the walk, but we all enjoyed not getting wet for once.

Number of species seen: 42

Ann Crawford

Birds seen, in BOU order or alphabetic order

BOU order

Mute Swan

Greylag Goose

Canada Goose

Bar-headed Goose

Shelduck

Teal

Mallard

Shoveler

Little Grebe

Cormorant

Little Egret

Grey Heron

Goshawk (?)

Kestrel

Moorhen

Coot

Oystercatcher

Grey Plover

Lapwing

Black-tailed Godwit

Curlew

Redshank

Greenshank

Green Sandpiper

Common Sandpiper

Black-headed Gull

Herring Gull

Feral Pigeon

Wood Pigeon

Collared Dove

Swallow

House Martin

Pied Wagtail

Wren

Robin

Chiffchaff

Blue Tit

Carrion Crow

Starling

House Sparrow

Greenfinch

Goldfinch

Alphabetic order