Avon Dam
Worth pointing out that the Ring Ouzels below the dam today were feeding on the ground in an area now ploughed up by an introduced herd of Tamworth pigs. Eight ouzels were feeding there in a loose flock at around 1630.
Berry Hd
Berry Hd: 0730-1700: c500 Great Shearwaters, (count of 461) interrupted by Pallid Swift lingering until dusk.
Northam Burrows and Skern
Late afternoon/early evening.
Three Snow Bunting at the end of Westward Ho! Pebble Ridge.
Also one juvenile Common Tern flew over the estuary and followed the Pebble Ridge towards Westward Ho!
avon dam
ring ouzel
avon dam
ring ouzel
Brixham breakwater
4 Purple Sandpiper on seaward side of breakwater at low tide
Cadover Bridge
2 Ring Ouzel in Brisworthy Burrows before flying towards clay pits at 17:00. 800+ Golden Plover swirling back and forth over Cadover Bridge/Brisworthy between 16:40 and 17:20. Also 500+ Fieldfare, c30 Redwing and 3 Mistle Thrush.
Dartmouth golf course
Odd season just now. Whilst playing golf, hundreds of fieldfare and redwing over while chiffchaff in song, a few violets in flower and a clouded yellow drifted past. Little grebe still on pond on 3rd hole where they bred this year.
Velator
One Godwit this morning before the shooters started blasting away down over the Marsh. Frightened the Cattle, the sheep and even all the Gulls on Wrafton Pond flew off. In the reserve a Raven was an unusual visitor – the local Crows weren’t happy. More Finches around of late. Later on there were again 2 female Marsh Harriers over the reed-beds.
South Hams
Lean pickings today, but, at Slapton Ley, 2 Firecrests, 16+ Swallows, 4 Chiffchaffs, 3 Mediterranean Gulls & a lone Wigeon. At Beesands Ley, 2 Pintails, 23 Gadwalls & 3 Mediterranean Gulls. Also, 10+ Swallows, a Fieldfare & a Skua sp (Arctic or Pom) at Start Point.
Exminster & Exeter
On the Marsh this morning were 2 Marsh Harriers, 2 Kestrels, 1 Cattle Egret, and 1 Greylag and 3 Egyptian Geese.
Matford ponds are expanding quickly and held 300+ ducks including 220+ Teal, 20+ Wigeon and 1 Tufted, plus 1 Green Sandpiper.
In the Trews Weir flood channel, the Little Grebe is now in its third week of residence.
Gunnislake weir
Kingfisher and Grey Heron.
Non- Bird news – European Hornet nest found
Lifton area
25/10/22 Approx 250+ Redwing & 50+ Fieldfare very flighty and also feeding on berry laden Hawthorns in the Lyd valley. Kingfisher and Grey Wagtail on the River Lyd.
Ring Ouzel at Avon Dam
A walk up to Avon Dam in dull and windy conditions was rewarded with about 20 Ring Ouzel feeding on grass on the slope to the right of the Dam. Otherwise about 30 Redwing and 4 aerobatic Ravens.
Saunton Sands
1 Snow Bunting on the strandline earlier this morning.
Berry Head
Seawatch 0730hrs- 0930hrs: 10 Great Shearwaters, 3 Balearic Shearwaters, 7 Arctic Skuas, 1 unidentified Skua (Arc/Pom), 1 Petrtel sp. 2 Great Skuas, 1 Arctic Tern, 11 Mediterranean Gulls, 631 Auks, 600+ Kittiwake, 5 Common Gull, 300+ Gannets, 5 Swallows, 10+ Common Dolphin, 1 Harbour Porpoise
In quarry: 3 Ring Ouzels, 1 Black Redstart
Mike Langman, Mark Darlaston, Bill Macdonald, Dave Dawe, Phil Bentley
Old Torrington Road, Barnstaple
Sat in my conservatory at OTR at 4.50 pm and looked up to see a great white egret fly over, or trying to, against the strong southerly wind.
Berry Head
08.45 – 10.30; 3+ Arctic Skua, 2 Balearic Shearwaters, 3+ Med Hills and good numbers of auks/kittiwakes. 4+ Ring Ouzel at bottom of quarry and 2 Black Redstarts.
+1 Photo
Emsworthy & Haytor
Fabulous hour in between heavy showers Tuesday afternoon. Flocks of 200+ fieldfares and redwings plus minimum 16 ring ouzels on Emsworthy. At times the ouzels split out and were feeding on the burnt gorse outside the reserve entrance. Also 2 separate flocks of golden plover, and flushed a single snipe.
East Soar
A quieter day but still 2 Ring Ouzel, Fieldfare 19 (13E 6W), Redwing 25E, Song Thrush 5 inc.2W, Stock Dove 43 (37E 6W), Woodpigeon 68 (27E 41W), Jackdaw 5E, Starling 42E, Goldfinch 27E, Siskin 20E, 2 migrant Great Spotted Woodpecker, Golden Plover, Cetti’s Warbler, 2 Blackcap, 150 Skylark & 6 Bullfinch.
Non-avian: Clouded Yellow & Speckled Wood.
