ChiffChaff in my backyard.
ChiffChaff foraging at dusk 16:33 16/01/23 in my wildlife friendly back yard
Hooe Lake
A Great Northern Diver was present at high tide around midday. Also noted were two Common Gulls and a Greenshank.
Plym Estuary & Saltram
Around high tide today: 52 Wigeon, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers (drakes), 5 Goosanders (2 drakes), Little Grebe, Common Sandpiper, Red-crested Pochard (female), 8 Greenshanks, 3 Snipe, Peregrine, 2 Firecrests, Chiffchaff, 2 Siskins & a Grey Wagtail.
Also, yesterday, 2 Blackcaps, Grey Plover, 39+ Snipe & 2 adult Mediterranean Gulls; and on Friday (13th), 18 Siskins.
Lynmouth to Watersmeet
- 3 Chiffchaff, 1 Shag,6 Dippers, 3 Grey Wagtail, large numbers of Oystercatchers and Gulls at the river mouth.
Berrynarbor
Among the garden birds today ….6 Blackcaps, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Firecrest and Heron
Lower Tamar Lake
Lower Tamar Lake this morning
27 Goosander 10m 17f, 1 Grey Heron, 6 Coot, 12 Mallard, 1 Great Crested Grebe
Burrator
Opposite the car park to the Arboretum, 5+ Crossbill calling after flying from the tree’s, Buzzard, Heron, Raven and Long Tail Tits, all in sunshine, lovely.
Cockington Torbay
A first for Torbay for me today a Dipper in Torbay a great find by Steph Murphy. It was along the stream at Cockington from late morning to at least early afternoon.
Spoonbills – Taw Estuary
Photo of 4 Spoonbills.
North Gut – Taw Estuary
4 Spoonbills flew in & landed on the edge of the sand bank, none of them colour ringed. 3 of them started foraging in the North Gut once the tide had fallen far enough.
+1 Photo
Slapton
A brilliant way to kick of the 2023 Gull season with the second winter Laughing Gull down at Slapton Sands, yesterday (8th Jan) a life time tick and despite the awful weather fantastic to see.
Adult Mediterranean Gull with a white DARVIC ring 3PEO also showing well (ringed in Holland 19/08/2020 ~ seen in France 24/06/2021 ~ 03/04/2022 on a gravel pit in Bedfordshire ~ 30/07/2022 seen at Slapton by Perry Sanders).
More images of both birds on the DB’s FB page.
Slapton Ley
Aside from the Laughing Gull, adult Mediterranean Gull on the beach (ringed ‘3PE0’) and 4+ Goldeneyes, 3 Kingfishers and a Marsh Harrier on the Ley.
+1 Photo
Saltram
On the river near to Blaxton Meadow: Mallards, Little Grebe 1, Goosander 9 (3m and 6 redheads) Common Sandpiper 1. On Blaxton Meadow Dunlin, Redshank, Greenshank, Snipe, Turnstone, Curlew, Shelduck, Wigeon. In our Plympton back garden today no less than 8 Collared Doves and 2 Blackcap.
Goosanders, Combe Martin
New species for me in the village, 4 brown head Goosanders on small fishing lake this afternoon (15.40).
also interesting to note that the most regular bird feeder visitors in our garden are Blackcaps, both male and female seen daily.
Colyford Common
12:02-16:03
Isabelline Wheatear, 7 Buzzard, 2 Peregrine, 2 Water Pipit the highlights.
Aylesbeare Common
09:04-11:16
Dartford Warbler and Treecreeper the highlights.
Skern
Golden Plover, Oystercatcher, Lapwing, Curlew, Wigeon, Shelduck, Herring Gull, Black Headed Gull, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Stonechat, male and female Black Redstart and a Merlin.
Exminster marshes
Marsh harriers were active over the marsh (2 or 3 birds) putting up the waders and waterfowl. Waders on the estuary mudflats included avocet, oystercatcher, grey plover, dunlin and redshank, plus lots of gulls around the estuary generally including lots of common gulls.
Black Redstart
Female Black Redstart reappears at Preston Rocks after a couple of days missing. Also a Rock Pipit.
Plym Estuary & Saltram
On Blaxton Meadow just after high tide – 27+ Snipe, Turnstone, Mediterranean Gull (ad-w), drake Teal, 49 Wigeon & female Red-crested Pochard. Also, 3 Little Grebes, 3 Goosanders (1 drake), Common Sandpiper, c400 Dunlins, Raven & Grey Wagtail.
In my garden (Mount Gould, Plymouth), now 4 Blackcaps.
