Wembury
A very cold and early start this morning paid off with 2 Purple Sandpipers found feeding amongst c.30 Turnstones on a big mass of seaweed along the beach below the horse field. 3 Knot were also roosting amongst the Oystercatchers on the rocks nearby but on my return walk there was no sign of any of them.
An adult Mediterranean Gull, 2 Chiffchaff, a male Blackcap, 5 Stock Dove (including 2 flying out to sea), a Grey Wagtail and 2 Roe Deer also of note.
Soar inc.Southdown Farm
Farmland Bird Count: Skylark 1030, Yellowhammer 136, Cirl Bunting 140. Also: Golden Plover 70, Snipe, Kestrel, Red-legged Partridge 3, Stock Dove 24, Meadow Pipit 17, Song Thrush 10, House Sparrow 120, Goldfinch 40, Linnet 40.
Sidmouth
Winter G N Diver off river mouth,close in going east.
+1 Photo
Broadsands Torbay
A Yellow-browed Warbler was in the ditch between the two car parks this morning with 2-3 Chiffchaffs and a Firecrest. at least 8 Cirl Buntings on seed in the 2nd car park.
Wednesday 29th: 1 Slavonian Grebe (perhaps a new one as the individual on 20th November was only present for a day) also 1 Black-throat Diver, 4 Red-throated Divers, 6 Great Northern Divers, 9 Great Crested Grebes and 7 Common Scoter.
Tuesday 28th: 1 1st w Black Guillemot, 4 Velvet Scoter, 4 Common Scoter, 2 Great Northern Divers, 1 Red-throated Diver.
Bideford east…
Black Redstart , a female competing for insects with the resident Piad Wagtail on the roof of the Royal Hotel , watched from Bideford station….
on the Southcott valley a Green and Common Sandpiper with 17 Teal and a Kingfisher on Northgate pond , all viewed from the road bridge on Manteo way . Another Common Sandpiper and a Snipe where the stream enters the Torridge at Ethelwynne brown close….
A Little grebe and 50 Lapwings from the iron bridge……
River Dart
Spitchwick Common: 6m 3f Mandarin, pr Goosander, c.50 Redwing & a Jay
1 Cormorant further downstream & 3 or 4 Dippers
Holne Bridge: female Goosander & 1 Grey Wagtail
+1 Photo
Ashford Strand & Taw Estuary, Pottington
Some very interesting bird behaviour on the north side of the Taw Estuary this aft which I have never seen before. At Ashford Strand there were 3 Sawbills, one male Goosander which was some distance from a male Red breasted Merganser & a female Goosander close together acting as though they were a pair. Even more unusual was this behaviour was repeated by 3 more Sawbills when I got down to Pottington & they were not the same 3 birds that were Ashford Strand. Another male Red breasted Merganser at Pottington which had paired with a female Goosander chased away a male Goosander! Maybe these 2 male Red breasted Mergansers think they are bonding with female Red breasted Mergansers, perhaps they cannot see the difference? What do you think.
Stover & Haldon Hill
Lunchtime visit to visit. Good selection of ducks. 14+ Tufted, 12 Shoveler, 6 Wigeon, male Teal and male Pochard. Otherwise 6 Mandarin, 95+ Coot, 25+ Moorhen, 2 Great Crested Grebe & a Little Grebe.
Around the lake 2 Marsh Tits & 50+ Siskin were the best.
At Haldon at bird feeders, 60+ Chaffinch & 10+ Siskin the best of numerous birds.
Dawlish Warren – Dawlish
A multi-stop walk along the seawall this morning produced 4+ G-n and 3+ R-t Divers, 3+ Guillemots, 2 Common Scoters and 30+ G-c Grebes. Bonus was a school of Dolphins heading SW, max. 8 seen at any one time, so probably 16+ in all.
Baggy Point
Late afternoon today, 4 Common Scoter, 3 Gannet, a Shag and a Red Throated Diver
Slapton
The very calm sea off Slapton today turned up two Velvet Scoter, c.50 Common Scoter, a Guillemot and 3 auks sp,, two Red-throated Divers and a Great Northern Diver.
A drake Pochard and a Great White Egret were on Slapton Ley itself.
Mouth of Taw & Torridge Estuary
A single Great Northern Diver on the north side of the mouth of the Taw & Torridge Estuary early this morning. Also a Red throated Diver flying south in Bideford & Barnstaple Bay.
Tamar Lakes
Late for Tuesday 28th.
Lower Tamar Lake.
1f Goldeneye, 1 Green SandPiper, 12 Goosander 1m 11f, 2 Willow Tit, 1 Marsh Tit, 1 Little Egret,16 Fieldfare, 4 Tufted Duck 1m 3f, 12 Snipe, 4 Cormorant, 7 Coot, 1 Grey Heron, 6 Teal, 1 Water Rail, 2 Nuthatch, c300 Mixed Gulls Black-headed/Great Black-backed and Lesser Black-backed/Herring Gulls, Poss: 2f Scaup.
Upper Lake
2 Willow Tit, 1 Marsh Tit.
Teign Estuary and Teignmouth Seafront
By the viewpoint laybay on the estuary, one Common Gull amongst the usual species and two Great Crested Grebes by Flow Point. There were four Red Breasted Mergansers on Sunday. Seafront – Ness, three Common Scoter, two Guillemot and a Great Northern Diver. Seafront – Yacht Club, Great Northern Diver off the Parson and Clerk, Unidentified Diver way offshore (not Red Throated) and five Brent Geese flew past.
Dawlish Warren
A lunch time look for Palla’s Warbler proved fruitless, however 20+ Long-tailed Tits over 2 flocks, 16+ Blue Tit, 4+ Goldcrest, 3+ Chiffchaff, make Bullfinch & a Sparrowhawk.
On the sea 27 Common Scoter, 45 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Great Northern Divers, Red-throated Diver, 4-5 Gannet 16 DB Brent Geese, & 2 Common Gull.
Start Bay
Off Torcross: 1 Red-throated Diver, 1 Great Northern Diver, flock of c.14 Common Scoter (way out). Off the monument: 1 Red-throated Diver, 1 Guillemot. No sign of any scaups in the Ireland Bay area of Slapton Ley.
Tarka trail .
- Drake Lesser Scaup on river
Torridge at Tapely with Wigeon.
3 Glossy Ibis on boggy field west of Saltpill pond , 9 Cattle Egrets on field south of Penhill. Large flock of Redwings and Fieldfare at Fremington.
+1 Photo
Skern, Taw & Torridge Estuary
The drake Lesser Scaup still present shortly before dusk this afternoon, feeding on the rising tide amongst 70 Wigeon and 165 Brent Geese. Also 800 Oystercatcher, 650 Dunlin, 10 Knot.
Taw River, Ashford Strand
Before the tide reached the lime kiln area this afternoon, three ducks were drift fishing down the current by the North shore;
A Goosander male & Female and a Red-breasted Meganser male was keeping them company. Record shot included for ID confirmation…as I’m never that sure! Note the male G has a fish 🙂
Roundham Head & Broadsands
A couple of hours visiting the two locations at lunchtime. 3 Imm/F Velvet Scoter, flew in and joined 4 Imm/F Common Scoter not far off Broadsands.
A distant Black-throated Diver, 2 Great Northern Diver, 15+ Gannet, 8+ Common Gull, Ad wint Mediterranean Gull, a single distant Kittiwake as well as 10+ Guillemots.
3 Cirl Bunting in the car park.
