Plym Estuary & Saltram
A late afternoon visit in fine conditions, produced: Great Crested & Little Grebes, 2 Goosanders (1 drake), Red-breasted Merganser (drake), 29+ Wigeon, 16 Snipe, 27+ Turnstones, 471 Dunlins, Common Sandpiper, Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail, Chiffchaff & at least 1 Firecrest.
Exminster Marshes
Walk to Turf and back along Station Road and the canal this morning. Frozen fields and pools appear to have moved most of the wildfowl away from the site. Lapwing and Canada geese were the most abundant species with a few small flocks of teal and wigeon. A female marsh harrier was constantly quartering the ground near the lagoon and disturbed several snipe.
On the canal sides were at least 3 chiffchaffs, 2 Cettis warblers and 2 song thrushes. On the canal (not frozen) were a male tufted duck, and single coot and moorhen.
Slapton Sands & Beesands
No sign of the Laughing Gull but great day for divers: 7 Great Northern Divers, 2 Red-throated Divers, Black-throated Diver. Also: Great White Egret, c.70 Common Scoters, 4 Med Gulls, 17 Common Gulls, many Razorbills on sea.
Blackmore Gate and Croyde.
- Overhead at Blackmore Gate large flock of Golden Plovers. Checking out the Larks at Croyde and nice to see flock of about 50 in the corner of grass field top of Baggy.
Downend
3 Eider present approx 700 metres from observation point. Photo taken through telescope. No sign of the female Common Scoters.
Plympton
A Sparrowhawk with a kill in the early morning half light in our back garden.
Greencliff, N.Devon: Mediterranean Gull – 19/01/23- 1100
1 adult Med Gull with 16 BH Gulls in a field next to the cliff.
Had a broad metal ring. Jet Black hood almost complete.
Also 1 Grey Heron + 1 Cormorant +3 Little Egrets + 1 R0ck Pipit + usual waders and gulls in small numbers
Saltram and Plym Estuary
Just to add to Pete’s post, 4 Little Grebes (all off the amphitheatre), about a dozen Redwings on the ivy berries in the trees around the pools halfway down the main drive and 2 Chiffchaffs there. 2 Stonechats and 4 Meadow Pipits from the path leading through the fields towards the eastuary.
Beer Head
Single Golden Plover at Beer this afternoon.
Plym Estuary & Saltram
A good count of 440+ Dunlins on Blaxton Meadow tonight, plus another 22 on the estuary wall. Also, Great Crested & 2 Little Grebes, 40+ Wigeon, 5 Goosanders (2 drakes), Red-breasted Mergansers (drakes), Red-crested Pochard (female), 2 Kingfishers, c12 Turnstones & just 1 Snipe.
Grove Woods Brixham
Heard Woodpeckers drumming on my afternoon walk.
kingsbridge
A male and female blackcap in garden and 2 Egyptian geese on estuary
Cholwichtown Pit, Lee Moor
Female Goldeneye still on the pit with Tufteds, Little Grebe and Mallards. Marsh Tit along the bridleway to the pit (my first here).
Wembury Point 19 Jan 12:30
Firecrest in the maritime pines and a Grey Plover on the rocks by the sewerage outfall.
Clovelly Lakes and Lower Tamar lake
Clovelly Lakes this morning,
2 Goosander 1m 1f (07:30), 2 Grey Heron.
Lower Tamar Lake,
42 Goosander 9m 33f (10:50), 7 Coot, 3 Tufted Duck 2m 1f, 2 Grey Heron, 2 Moorhen.
Affaland near clawton.0920am
Single red kite flying south towards st gileson the heath mobbed by single raven.
Lower Tamar Lake
Lower Tamar Lake this morning.
17 Goosander 5m 12f, 1 Willow Tit, 4 Marsh Tit, 5 Redwing, 2 Long-tailed Tit, 6 Teal 2m 4f, 6 Coot, 1 Grey Heron, 2 Nuthatch.
+1 Photo
Plymouth, Greenbank, Chiffchaffs
Two Chiffchaffs in the garden this afternoon. 18/01/2023 at 2.30pm
Plympton
Flock of 60+ Golden Plover in cultivated fields to south of Boringdon Golf Course
Plym Estuary & Saltram
A cold afternoon’s visit produced: Great Crested & 4 Little Grebes, 8 Goosanders (4 drakes), 2 Red-breasted Mergansers (drakes), c50 Wigeon, Common Sandpiper, 10 Turnstones, 9 Snipe & 2 Grey Wagtails.
