Bird Sightings

At the Plym Estuary & Saltram this afternoon, the Whimbrel lingering, 11 Greenshanks, 217 Redshanks, 51 Curlews, 4 redhead Goosanders, 27 Wigeon, Kingfisher, 100+ Jackdaws & a Sparrowhawk.

Two Common Sandpipers in the Cattewater.

Earlier, incredibly, a Leach’s Petrel over my garden in Mount Gould, going NE. 

A couple of short visits today. Roundham Head, Paignton lunchtime. 6 GND, 1 RTD, 5 Common Scotor (4 M, F) as well as plenty of Gannets.

Ideford Common pm 70+ Chaffinch & 1+ Brambling. 

The highlights of a late morning walk from Bickington, along Fremington Pill to Saltpill Duck Pond were 6 cattle egrets in the fields of North Down Farm, and another 3 flying over the top end of the Pill. On Fremington Pill were 2 glossy ibis, 2 greenshank, lots of redshank, 6 black-tailed godwit. On the duck pond were 5 shoveler, numerous teal and a couple of little grebe. On the Taw opposite was a mixed flock of about 200 lapwing and 100 golden plover.

3 Purple Sandpipers working the waters edge off Capstone

0700-1600: 2 Great Shearwaters (incredibly late, but Devon record counts have tumbled in October so a few lingering into November is perhaps not surprising); other Shearwaters were 3 Sooty, single Balearic and 18 Manx. Skuas included  a smart pale juv Long-tailed (at 0825), also 15 Pomarine ((mostly juvs), 32 Arctics and 6 Bonxies (very rare this autumn). Also Great Northern Diver,  Puffin , 25+ Fulmars, Med Gulls and a late Swallow.

Non-avian: 20+ Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, 2+ Common Dolphin, & 10 Harbour Porpoise.

On this afternoon’s very high tide, at Blaxton Meradow: an adult Kittiwake looking ill / injured and unfortunately killed by a Carrion Crow; 3 Snipe, 10 Greenshanks, 127 Dunlins, 46 Curlews & a Kingfisher. Elsewhere, 2 Mandarin Ducks & 3 Shags., 

Glaucous gull remains on the quay. Was resting on the grass by the bridge with a flock of pigeons.

Glaucous gull still present, bizarrely in with the pigeons, geese amd swans being fed just above the foot bridge. Greater black backed gull and little grebe at Trews Wear.

Three Black Redstarts on rooftops in Compass Drive. One male and two female-types.

Didn’t see any Godwits when I arrived (about 10.15a.m). but was told that the 2 Spoonbills were on the scrape very early this morning. Weather hardly conducive to seeing much in the reserve, and as I left I looked up the Trail towards the scrape and saw a large flock of Godwits flying in small circuits around the scrape trying to evade the Buzzard chasing them. A Crow then started chasing the Buzzard!

Immature Great Northern diver spotted off Broadsands Beach. 

A mad 10 minutes this morning as I was cycling to work. 

First, a rather incongruous female Long-Tailed Duck on Goodrington Boating Lake, then a Snow Bunting on the promenade next to Goodrington Beach – last seen flying up onto the railway tracks near the cafe at the north end. 

Four Purple Sandpiper on rocks below harbour wall.

Unfortunately found the little fella dead on Oreston Quay Green, Plymstock, Plymouth.PL9 7LY Saturday 05/11/22.