Bird Sightings

HOUSE MARTIN

Young still being fed in at least two nests

At last! 4 Black-tailed Godwits feeding strongly on the smaller of the two scrapes. Also present, a single Little Egret. Nearby in the reserve a flock of about 40 Goldfinch.

4 Great White Egret on the Taw estuary. Ceti’s Warbler calling at the salt pool. Glossy Ibis on the Pill. Med Gill  and Green Sandpiper on the estuary.kingfisher on the Pill sluice gates. A sorry looking Guillemot on the Taw estuary.

Lunchtime visit – 2 Cory’s Shearwaters lingering fairly close in. An arrival of Blackcaps -70+ and 2 Ring Ouzels in Pigs Nose valley.

A nice mix of birds today including (the?) juv Spoonbill again on Blaxton Meadow (before heading down the estuary), Great Crested Grebe, 2 Yellow Wagtails (with the cows) and a Sedge Warbler. Also, 6+ Siskins, 11 Greenshanks, 2 Common Sandpipers, Black-tailed godwit & Kingfisher.

615pm-715pm- 11 Storm Petrels  -18 Arctic Skuas all north – 55 Balearic Shears mostly north – 3 Manx -Med Gull- c50 kittiwakes

Osprey on the river Dart at 16.30.

Sea watch from 0940-1150. Lots of Kittiwakes & Balearic Shearwaters passing moment I started watching.  numbers started slowing at 1100, and it was pretty quiet by 1150 when left.

Totals

150 Balearic Shearwater

42 Skuas, most (if not all) were Arctic’s

8 Storm Petrel

6 Fulmar

Kittiwake – estimate of 1500+ based upon 5 minute counts

Gannet – 200+ based upon 5 minute counts

5 Commic Tern

Up to 30 goldfinch congregating in the top of the copper beech at the boundary of my rear garden yesterday 4pm. Two foxes at lunchtime today either side of of the A361 just north of the downstream Taw bridge. One had crossed to the Tarka trail side and the other looked to be trying to cross to join him/her.

Seawatch 0650-1200hrs:

66 Cory’s, 61 Great, 4 Sooty, 1042 Balearic, 114 Manx, 58 Large & 1 Scopoli’s Shearwater candidate, 56 Storm Petrel, 52 Arctic Skuas inc 10+ juvs, 1 Arctic, 1 Common & 5 Sandwich Terns 800+ Kittiwake, 12 Fulmar. 3 Tuna, 10+ Harbour Porpoises.

Predominantly westward (though variable) passage 0700-1000 until rain came in and passage tailed off:

• Manx/Balearic Shearwater – 600+
• Cory’s Shearwater – 221
• Great Shearwater – 1
• Sooty Shearwater – 3
• Arctic Skua – 5
• Pomarine Skua – 1
• Storm Petrel – 11
• Kittiwake – 15+
• Fulmar – 5+
• Common Scoter – 2

Good numbers of Gannet moving both east and west, mixed flocks of Herring Gull, Greater Black Backed Gull and Black-headed Gull, a few Shag and Rock Pipit.

One Cory’s shearwater, 142 Balearic shearwaters, five Arctic skuas and four storm petrels south between 08:25 – 09:45.

In between the rain showers 2 late Yellow Wagtails flew over the cow field (black & white cows) before perching in a tree. Also in the area 36 Greenfinch  in one flock, Little Grebe and 22 Grey Heron on Blaxton Meadow.

• 5 Greenshanks
• 1 Glossy Ibis
• 6 Bar-tailed Godwits
• 7 Swallows
• 1 Arctic Tern.

A cycle to Bowling Green Marsh for morning high tide. 2 Ruff (Juv & Ad), 3 Juv Curlew Sandpiper, 2 Spotted Redshank, 2 Knot, Whimbrel, 13 Barwit, 10 Lapwing, 3 Snipe, over 400 Blackwit (but many out of view) 230 Curlew, 205+ Redshank & 20 Greenshank.

200+ Teal, 48 Pintail & 6 Wigeon. 6+ Stock Dove & Kingfisher.

Challenging seawatch off Wembury Point this morning with most birds too far out to call but a few came in closer just out past The Mewstone – 2 Cory’s, 5 Manx and 4 Balearic Shearwater, 11 Arctic Skua and a Great Skua all logged along with the usual Gannet and Kittiwake.

Along the beach on the high tide were 4 Bar-tailed Godwit, a Knot, a Dunlin, a Ringed Plover, a Whimbrel, a Curlew, 6 Turnstone and Oystercatchers.

60+ Mediterranean Gulls roosting out on the rocks or sheltering in the stubble field, at least 10 first winters and 6 second winters amongst adult birds.

Among the commoner species over the high tide this morning were 3 Ruff, 3+ Curlew Sandpiper, 1 Spotted Redshank, 8+ Barwit, 3 Snipe, 1 Whimbrel, 1 Garganey, 80+ Pintail and 14 Gadwall.

Solitary Northern Wheatear sighted by the South Fort on Berry Head today.

Sadly unable to take a photo.