Bowling Green Marsh
An hour’s viewing this afternoon produced 1 Pochard, 5+ Tufted, 10 Greylags, 20+ Gadwall, 100+ Pintail, 400+ Avocets, 40 Redshanks, 25 Lapwings, 8 Dunlin, and 1 each of Grey Plover, Snipe and Sparrowhawk.
Back in Exeter, two Blackcaps separately come to roost in the garden around four-thirty, giving what Collins gives as the “schreh” call, but to me is a harsher, dismissive “schneer” which I only hear at this time. The usual wintering Water Rails and Stonechats are in the Trews Weir flood channel.
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Tarka path around the Pottington area
Yesterday lunchtime while walking along the Tarka path from Barnstaple to Ashford I spotted – dozens of Lapwing, Dunlin a few Black-tailed Godwit, two Grey Plover and numerous Redwing.
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Ilfracombe
Ilfracombe Pier. Cheyne rocks. Cattle Egret on the rocks behind Lantern hill a first for me from Combe.
Iceland Gull, 1st winter off the outer harbour showed up as it was getting dark then flew off toward Haggington gull roost.
2 Red-throated and 2 Great Northern Divers one of which seems present most days now. 4 Purple Sandpipers and male Black Redstart behind the Landmark and on the Pier.
Tamar Lakes
Lower Tamar Lake this morning.
5 Lesser Scaup 3m 2f, 32 Goosander 9m 23f, 3 Willow Tit, 1 Marsh Tit, 1 Nuthatch, 2 Tufted Duck 1m 1f, 1 Grey Heron, 4 Great Crested Grebe.
Upper Tamar Lake.
2 Willow Tit, 1 MarshTit.
Cholwichtown Pit, Dartmoor
Woodcock, female Goldeneye, 3 Marsh Tit, 2 Teal, 6 Tufted Duck and 5 Little Grebe.
Velator reserve
As I crossed the field to the reserve this morning the Redshank flew about and landed on a puddle in the middle of the track! In the reserve, fewer Finches than of late, but a ringed Chiffchaff and lots of Long-tailed Tits were busy. Along the South side of the reserve a female Marsh Harrier flew out of the reserve, while along the East side a male Sparrowhawk flew in! The Grey Wagtail that has been around for a few days now was again over the SWW building. A large Thrush atop a tree resolved into a fine Mistle Thrush – a very rare visitor here. On the scrape later on, the Redshank and a Greenshank! 33 Species recorded.
Fremington to Barnstaple along Tarka Trail Tuesday 5th December
2 Glossy Ibis; Greenshank; Redshank; 2 Snipe; Little Egret;Cattle Egret; Great White Egret; Black-Tailed Godwit; possible Grey Plover; Teal; Curlew; Grey Heron and Redwing
Plym Estuary & Saltram
A Great Crested Grebe new in and the Great Northern Diver still around plus 2 drake Teal (1 on the duck pond). Also, 5 Little Grebes, 5+ Goosanders (3+ redheads & 2 drakes), 3 Jack Snipe, 16 Snipe, Common Sandpiper, Black-tailed Godwit, Turnstone, 6 Greenshanks, 2+ Green Woodpeckers, 25 Siskins & 4 Roe Deer.
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Clennon Lakes – Paignton
Hume’s Warbler showing and calling regularly around mostly path side willows beside middle Lake.
Lower Tamar Lake
Lower Tamar Lake this morning (07:15)
5 Lesser Scaup 3m 2f, 1f Tufted Duck, 26 Goosander 9m 17f, 2 Grey Heron.
The Skern high tide today
The highlight was the huge flock, estimated 2,000, of Golden Plover which got airborne a couple of times and gave amazing displays overhead. We found a resting flock of 45 Grey Plover and about 100 Dunlin were scouring the wet mud for food. 100’s of Oystercatcher, Shelduck, Wigeon and Brent Geese were seen, along with a few Pintail and 2 Turnstone. A few Greenshank and Redshank were spread across the bay, mainly on grassy areas. There were two sleeping ducks, bills tucked well under wings, on the large freshwater pool which I think were male Tufted, but they were a long way off.
Firecrest higher Brixham
Firecrest looking for food in my back garden higher Brixham .
Lower Tamar Lake
Lower Tamar Lake this morning,
5 Lesser Scaup 3m 2f, 33 Goosander 8m 25f (08:15), 2 Grey Heron, 3 Marsh Tit, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 Wren, 2 Robin.
River Mole Valley
50 Herring Gull mostly juveniles and 15Pied Wagtails with the cattle feeding on stubble turnips.25 Meadow Pipits in the barley earsh. Best today was a mixed flock of Lesser Redpolls and Siskin in the orchard along with Marsh Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Bullfinch,Greenfinch , male Sparrowhawk, Treecreeper, 2 GSW,Goldcrest, Redwing feeding on holly berries and Fieldfare feasting on apples.Non avian included 4 Roe Deer and 4 Red Deer hinds.Tawny Owls
Ashford Strand & Pottington – North side of Taw Estuary
At Ashford Strand 3 sawbills again, 1m Goosander keeping a safe distance apart from a male Red breasted Merganser & female Goosander close together.
Cycled quickly along to Pottington area where there were 4 sawbills, 1m & 1f Goosander & 1 male Red breasted Merganser with a female Goosander.
Slapton
On the Sea: 1 Velvet Scoter straight out from memorial car park – by itself. Further out 60 + Common Scoter (one wing flapped 2x with head up but too far out to see if it had any white in the wing – or not!), 3 Red-throated Divers, 1 Great Northern Diver.
On the Ley: 2 Great White Egrets, 1 Little Egret, 3 Goldeneye (All females), 1 Pintail (drake – unusual at site), 3 Wigeon no sign of any Scaup sp. among the many Tufted Ducks at Torcross, middle Ley or Ireland Bay.
Beesands: Just 13 Tufted Ducks, 5 Mute Swans and 3 coot!
Wembury Point
Yesterday (4th), 24 gannets fishing close in to Wembury Point, with 3 (possibly four) guillemots nearby. Also of note – 25 turnstone, 16 curl bunting, 25 skylark, and a raven.
Broadsands
5 cirl buntings in with 20ish house sparrows edge of northern car park.GN diver with large fish being mobbed by gulls,eventually submerged to finish its snack
Haldon Forest
A single brambling amongst the Chaffinches, and Siskins at the feeders at Haldon Forest yesterday. Also 1 GS woodpecker and 1 Nuthatch.
Red Kite Lewdown
- Red kite flying at Lewdown near Stowford turning 13.10 today
