Birdwatching Trip Report – 10th August 2025

Birdwatching Trip Report – 10th August 2025

Steve Waite

A beautiful, warm, still and sunny evening provided the best scenery for this two-hour special birdwatching trip.  Am pleased to report the birds delivered too!

After a couple of brief Kingfisher sightings, perched and in flight, on the way back south towards the end of the trip one finally performed well, showing perched for several minutes allowing all to enjoy prolonged views.  

Two of the three raptors seen during the trip showed well too, with a lovely low fly-over from a Sparrowhawk and a Buzzard perched on a nearby low bush.  Many of the smaller birds didn’t show too well, with most just heard calling in the undergrowth, although the male Stonechat perched up on track-side brambles was an exception to this. 

Two Whimbrel were the highlight of the wading birds, seen on the Estuary and then again with a large Curlewflock on Colyford Marsh.  On Black Hole Marsh Greenshank, Lapwing, Common Sandpiper and Dunlincould be seen amongst the larger numbers of Redshank and Black-tailed Godwits.  

Other wildlife seen during the trip included a Fox that crossed the track ahead of the tram, the usual showingfrom the local Rabbit population, a Southern Hawker dragonfly and four species of butterfly that were still on the wing thanks to the warmth of the evening sun.

In total 48 species of birds were recorded during the two-hour trip.