Bird Sightings

An injured male Short Eared Owl was reported at Beesands today..

At least a dozen Mandarin ducks relishing the rain and gloom.

A brief visit early afternoon coincided with the high tide. The wader roost around the new scrapes, viewed from the canal bank, held a good selection of waders including snipe (2), dunlin (c20) and 11 grey plover, unusual for the marshes, although they did not linger. Elsewhere wigeon numbers growing as are the flocks of Canada geese along with the usual assortment of odd geese including 2 Egyptian geese, one snow goose and one bar-headed goose.

Alongside the railway were two parties of tits both including goldcrests and chiffchaffs. Two other chiffchaffs were on the canal bank.

Two female-type Black Redstart in Highglen Drive/Compass Drive, Plympton. At least three in the estate in recent days with the male seen yesterday.

In continuous rain, Skuas included 2 Pomarine (1 with complete spoon), 3 Arctic & 3 unidentified. Also, Balearic & 3 Manx Shearwaters, Great Northern Diver, 11 Common Scoters, redhead Red-breasted Merganser, 5 each of Mediterranean Gulls & Fulmars, 7 Mute Swans south, 17 Siskins west, Harbour Porpoise, 3+ Common Dolphins & c4 Atlantic Bluefin Tunas. A flock of c1,200 Kittiwakes on arrival, gradually drifted south and plenty of Auks around (not counted).

Middle car park to Turf, Exminster. 2 Cattle Egret, 2 Marsh Harrier, 260 Pintail, 70 Wigeon, 20 Teal, 230 Lapwing, 100 Golden Plover, 200+ Curlew, 104 Avocet, 400+ Blackwit, 17+ Barwit, Peregrine, Sparrowhawk, 2 Kestrel, Water Rail & 70+ Linnet.

Yesterday on Exwick end of canal 6 Little Grebe. 

The Phalarope has been re-identified as a Red-necked Phalarope. Seen this morning again in the pond by thge barn across the river from Marstage Farm

The Grey Phalarope was filmed by Warwickshire birder Steve McAusland.

At Skern Lapwing, Redshank, Grey Plover, Dunlin, Oystercatcher, Wigeon, Shelduck, Mallard, Brent Geese, Linnet, Starling, Pied Wagtail, Herring Gull, Black Headed Gull, Magpie, Rook and a Black Redstart ( thanks to Sue)..

At Northern Burrows Starling Linnet, Pied Wagtail, Magpie, Goldfinch and 4 Snow Bunting but now maybe 3 after one was chased by a Sparrowhawk and we didn’t see the end result.

A Grey Phalarope was seen and filmed at Sherpa Marsh this afternoon. Sadly not by me.

Ringed another 48 birds today, including 5 in-bound Song Thrushes (but no Redwings), 2 Chiffs, and a Blackcap. 16 Greenfinch. Retraps included a Kingfisher, a Goldcrest and a Reed Warbler, which I ringed a couple of weeks back weighing in at a solid 14.5 grams. Today it weighed 17.4! Enough for a one-hop flight to Africa?

Seen today were: in the estuary, 4 newly-arrived G-c Grebes, 50+ Pintail and 300+ Golden Plover, in the fields around Turf, a Cattle Egret, 250+ Fieldfares and 50+ Redwings, and, on Exminster Marsh, 2 Marsh Harriers and 250+ Lapwings. Water re-appearing and bird numbers rising.

Early morning on Crownhill Down. Fieldfares, Redwings, GWP’s and GSW’s,Coal tits along the bridlepath. Ravens a Kestrel and Stonechats on the moor top. A Dunlin, 2 Ringed Plovers together with c. 30 Golden Plover on the edge of TWL.

Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Green Woody, Redwing, Jay, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Firecrest, Goldcrest, Mistle and Song Thrush, Blue, Great, Coal & Long Tailed Tit, Chiffchaff and a late Swallow. I’m also certain I heard a Black Redstart but not confident enough to mark it as a year tick there. Just giving fair warning there might be one around.

A rather unseasonal feel to the birds this afternoon with Whimbrel & Whinchat new in and the juv Curlew Sandpiper still around. Also, Cetti’s Warbler heard again, 2 Reed Buntings, Bullfinch, Stonechat, Green & 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Snipe, Common Sandpiper, 7 Greenshanks, 52 Dunlins, 9 Wigeon & 4 Roe Deer.

Still some movement inc.Woodpigeon 1100 (760E 340W), Stock Dove 48W, Meadow Pipit 60 (40W & 20 grounded), Mistle Thrush 5 (4N & one grounded), starling 105 (65W 20E 20 grounded), Chaffinch 112W & Siskin 21W. Also: 2 Pintail, 8 Teal, Green & Great Spotted Woodpecker, 370 Skylark, Grey Wagtail, 18 Song Thrush, 31 Blackbird, 6 Fieldfare, 105 goldfinch, 6 Bullfinch, 44 Yellowhammer, 41 Cirl Bunting & 2 Reed Bunting.

Spent a large part of the day at our field having a bonfire. Lots of jackdaws and rooks and a couple of ravens. Two buzzards floating over us, but the biggest surprise was the number of butterflies, red admirals and peacocks, singly and in pairs. Must have been over a dozen of each. Little other birdlife or calls save for a resident robin and two male pheasants.