Bird Sightings

Looks like the bulk of Woodpigeons went through yesterday (65,000 over Purbeck) with just 400E this morning at Soar. Also: 41 Stock Dove (20W 21E), 2 Pintail, 4 Teal, Fieldfare, Cetti’s Warbler, 250 Skylark grounded, Starling 83E, Jackdaw 3W, Chaffinch 33W & Goldfinch 7W. Siskins heard.

One of the Spoonbills was on the scrape again this morning, along with a Little Egret and a Grey Heron. About 50 Black-tailed Godwits – difficult to count as they have taken to feeding out on the grass and keep disappearing!

Walking around this morning, there were two ring ouzels feeding on hawthorn berries, then a sparrowhawk, flying close by, a jay feeding in a oak tree, four ravens and a buzzard calling,

Black Redstart on railings at Wildermouth Beach

Off to Dartmoor at last with Alan Craddock, hoping to catch any remaining Ring Ouzels.

Stopped off at Stover on the way and was amazed to see 30 or more Mandarin Ducks.

On the moor after frustrating glimpses we eventually had great views of 4 Ring Ouzels. Also 100 plus Golden Plover.

Before and between the showers, 1 Chiffchaff,  1 Firecrest , 4 Blackcaps, 1 Goldcrest among the usual garden birds this morning.

During a seawatch this morning, a Short-eared Owl which lingered over the sea for more than an hour before heading inland, 10 Little Gulls (7 adults & 3 1st cy), 4 Pomarine & 3 Arctic Skuas, Manx Shearwater, 3 Brent Geese (dark-bellied), 5 Mediterranean Gulls & hundreds of Kittiwakes. Also, 3 Black Redstarts on the rocks, 2 Fieldfares & c500 Woodpigeons over, 5 Common Dolphins, Harbour Porpoise & Atlantic Bluefin Tuna. 

Unusual combination for 1 November of male Brambling in 200+ mixed finch flock and a very late Whinchat on the dead sunflower heads. Latter hanging around with 4/5 Stonechat.

Female-type Black Redstart at base of Highglen Drive, Plympton. Initially on a wall metres away, then few onto roof tops in Bridle Close. Still present. 

Late for Lower Tamar Lake 31/10/22

1 Great White Egret, 3 Goosander 1m 2f, 1 Grey Heron, 2 Shoveler 1m 1f, 5 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Mute Swan, 2 Moorhen, 8 Cormorant.

A excellent day on the patch with a juv Spoonbill dropping onto Blaxton Meadow for a short period (thanks John & Liz), a Cattle Egret briefly nearby; and the site’s first ever Cetti’s Warbler (in scrub beside the cycle track south of Blagdon’s Meadow) – thanks Colin & Joyce. Also, the juv Curlew Sandpiper still on Blaxton Meadow with the Redshanks, Dunlins and 12 Greenshanks. Otherwise, 2 Teal, 16 Wigeon, 2 Little Grebes, Kingfisher, 18+ Turnstones, Jack Snipe, Bar-tailed Godwit, 2 Mediterranean Gulls (2 ad-w), Common Sandpiper, 2 Firecrests, Grey Wagtail, 30 Redwings, Siskin, Stonechat, Painted Lady & 2 Roe Deer.

A walk on the tip road and back via the middle road highlights were <270 Brent Geese on the falling tide line, <2,000 Golden Plover murmurating overhead,  two Snow Buntings one each M & F, on the short grass behind the pebble ridge in the far northwest of the Burrows where a single late staying Northern Wheatear was loitering on the pebbles. Also seen; many curlew, Oystercatcher and a single male Peregrine Falcon which caused havoc amongst the roosting waders! 

Very good vis mig this morning with 10,000 Woodpigeon moving east, Stock Dove 305 (230E 75W), Jackdaw 235 (191E 44W), Starling 150E, Alba Wagtail 10E, Fieldfare 80NW, Swallow 6E, Chaffinch 62E & Goldfinch 85 (77E 8W). Also 500 Herring Gull, 7 Lesser Black-backed Gull & 25 Great Black-backed Gull.

A single bird first seen flying over the Nelson Pub, Kingskerswell, 23 October, but seen and heard several times since then, favouring the tree lined corridor behind Broadgate Road and Rosehill Gardens. GB, 31.10.22

15 fieldfares arrived in the hamlet. Their alarming calls mixed with a calling chiffchaff and the call of a male yellowhammer. No sign of the 50+ flock of linnets which were present last weekend. None-Avian 2 Roe deer- down 2 from the 4 seen in the same field last week.