Hawfinch Ide
Hawfinch seen at West Town Farm Ide at 0830hrs this morning
Plym Estuary & Saltram
On this morning’s frosty high tide: Grey Plover, 8 Greenshanks, 7 Snipe, Common Sandpiper, 15 Turnstones, 5 Goosanders (2 drakes), 2 drake Red-breasted Mergansers, 37 Wigeon, Grey Wagtail, Siskin (male) & a Great Spotted Woodpecker.
Escot Park – Goosanders
Yesterday morning 7 Goosanders (2 drakes) graced the lake in Escot Park. The redheads were still present at 1100hrs but the drakes were seen to depart.
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Water Rail and Spoonbill, Bowling Green Marsh, Topsham
Water Rail, Spoonbill and Snipe amongst other species at Bowling Green Marsh 06/02/2023 1.00pm
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Instow
Late afternoon on Instow Beach where there were small flocks of Linnets, Goldfinches and Oystercatchers a few Pied Wagtails, Turnstones and Wigeon, two Curlew, Great crested grebes & Little Egret and one Grey Plover and Rock pipit.
Water Rail, Fluxton, Ottery St Mary
A water rail showed briefly on the east bank of the Otter between OSM & Fluxton. First I have seen here in over 10 years. Also a goosander above the weir, and 2 kingfishers on the river. Still plenty of fieldfares and redwings around, a GSW drumming and 3 mistle thrushes on the cricket pitch capped a lovely early spring afternoon walk.
Heanton Court
2 Chiffchaffs.
Crow Point
A mid-afternoon walk from the white house to Crow Point, at low tide, was fairly quiet with 14 ringed plover, 1 dunlin, lots of oystercatchers on the opposite shore, several little egrets, 1 great crested grebe, a scattering of curlew, but finally a peregrine flew in and sat about 50 yards away on a large piece of driftwood. It posed for a while before swooping away low over the water and grabbing what I can only assume was a fish, as the water looked too deep at that point for small waders.
Ifracombe
A pair of Goldcrests in Runnymede Gardens, Black Redstart (Bath House area).
Plym Estuary & Saltram
In beautiful, sunny weather today: 2 Firecrests, a flock of 7 Bullfinches (3 males), Green Woodpecker, 9 Goosanders (4 drakes), 2 Red-breasted Mergansers (drakes), 30+ Wigeon, 2 Little Grebes, 49 Common Gulls, Common Sandpiper, 24 Turnstones & 10 Roe Deer.
Lower Tamar Lake
Good afternoon,
Lower Tamar Lake this morning.
3 Whooper Swans (flew out at 07:00), 21 Goosander 4m 17f at (07:25), 2 Great Crested Grebe, 30 Tufted ducks, 22m 8f, 7 Coot, 5 Willow Tit, 2 Marsh Tit, 3 Nuthatch, 4 Long-tailed Tit, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Tawney Owl calling.
Note: the car park and footpath are now open.
Two Dozen Teal, Brixton
Feeding on mud at head of creek at low tide, Brixton, near Plymouth, SX554510
Thornhillhead N.Devon
Late post from yesterday. Following slurry spreading, as the sun came up and moon went down 4 buzzards feeding in one of fields behind the house including 2 strikingly coloured cream individuals puffed up against the cold. These were soon harried out of it by carrion crows and then quite incredible views during the morning in terms of sheer number of birds. Gulls – black headed, herring and lesser black backed, very difficult to count as they swirled around field to field but perhaps 2000 – 3000 with starling murmarations in amonsgt them. Interestingly not a rook to be seen in amongst the corvids. In the afternoon the starlings moved to fields in front of the house stopping off in the trees, quite amazing sounds of singing and wings. On/under the feeders a smart male yellowhammer with the chaffinches and house sparrows and 5 tit species including 2 marsh tits and late on several long tailed tits that returned this morning. Counted 11 on the fat balls with just enough room for a single blue tit. Earlier in the week 1 possibly 2 noisy mistle thrushes in the garden.
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Exe Estuary cruise 5th February
A beautiful sunny day and another excellent Stuart Line cruise. The highlights included Great Northern Diver near Cockwood, Kingfisher on a wreck near Starcross, 100+ Pintail around the mouth of the Clyst, thousands of Black-headed Gulls, a dozen or more each of Great Crested Grebe and Red-breasted Merganser, and Spotted Redshank, Marsh Harrier and 1000+ each of Lapwing and Golden Plover at Topsham. The three young Harbour (Common) Seals were hauled out on a sandbank, minus the adult present in previous days.
Dave Smallshire
South Devon relief road
Merlin spotted on overhead wires over the South Devon relief road about 11.30 am today.
Skern, Northam Burrows.
- 20 Bar-tailed Godwit on the high tide roost including the full summer plumaged individual present since mid-December 2022.
Cadover area, Dartmoor
Over Big Pond at 07:45 2 male Goosander flying west.
Then around Cadover Bridge, 86+ Golden Plover over (Cadover and Wigford Down), six Cormorant and my first two Skylark of the year on the moor.
Wrafton
2 Spoonbills out on the scrape this morning with 10 Black-tailed Godwits and good numbers of Teal, having survived the depredations of the shooting season. In the reserve, 14 Canada Geese seem to have realised the season is over too.
Badgworthy, Devon side.
Over 30 Redwing.2 pairs of Dippers both around nesting sites from last year early courtship displays.2 Grey Wagtail and 1 Song Thrush singing.
Taw & Torridge Estuary
The single Great Northern Diver was diving for food just inside the mouth of the Taw & Torridge Estuary this morning.
