Bowling Green Marsh, 21st March 2026
Spring equinox treated us to a beautiful sunny morning as 21 of us gathered to explore what birdlife we might encounter in Topsham.
Heading from the car park and up Monmouth Street amongst other regular garden birds, we saw a couple of Long-tailed Tit and a Great Spotted Woodpecker, then turning into Bowling Green Road we had good views of a female Blackcap and a Wren. Moving on to the viewing area over the Goosemoor reedbeds there was less activity with just Little Egret, Wigeon and Mallard being present. So, onward we continued down the Bowling Green Road where we saw a male Blackcap and also a Snipe and Song Thrush as we looked across the marsh before going into Bowling Green hide.
From the hide, looking over Bowling Green Marsh there was a fair variety of ducks and waders: Dunlin, Redshank, Black-tailed Godwit, Wigeon, Teal, Tufted Duck and also Black and Mute Swan as well as Canada Geese, Cormorants and some Shelduck. In the distant reedbeds a few Reed Bunting were spotted. A Grey Heron fishing and a Little Egret with its breeding feather plumes looked particularly eyecatching in the sunlight as did the Teal and Wigeon.
Moving on down the lane we heard a Green Woodpecker with its distinctive yaffle call before arriving at the Goat Walk with the chance to look over the estuary with the tide now going out and the mudflats becoming available for Redshanks on our side and Curlew and other waders on the far shore.
We ended at the Quay where, looking up river, the final bonus was to see a Sparrowhawk in the distance.
A very pleasant and relaxing morning with a good opportunity to chat to each other and good variety and number of birds to see. Once again it was a real pleasure to welcome a number of first-time visitors on our walk and my thanks goes to our regular and experienced members for helping newcomers to identify the birds we encountered and for allowing them to view some of the more distant birds through their scopes. A final thank you also goes to Richard Farr for co-leading.
Steve Manktelow.
42 species identified (H – heard only)
Canada Goose, Black Swan, Mute Swan, Shelduck, Mallard, Teal, Wigeon, Tufted Duck, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Moorhen, Coot, Snipe, Curlew, Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank, Cormorant, Great Black Backed Gull, Herring Gull, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Sparrowhawk, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Robin, Wren, House Sparrow, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Starling, Reed Bunting, Stonechat, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker (H).