Please take extra care when visiting Dawlish Warren. We have been informed that due to the recent bad weather there has been significant erosion from Groyne 10 eastwards. This means that access along the site, to and from Warren Point (and the bird hide) will be via the beach only, with a risk of being cut off for a period either side of high water! Signs have been put up to alert people to the hazards, but people need to be aware that access routes that they have become used to may not be available and they need to exercise extreme caution,  with the possibility of being cut off by the tide, and people are strongly urged not to try climbing the sand cliffs. Further information is available on the Teignbridge District Council website.

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Just to add to Mike's earlier posting; Red-necked Grebe in Elberry Cove again late am, out towards oyster beds in loose company with the Black-necked Grebe.

At 3.15pm on a walk along the coast path heading east from Yelland Quay we found a lone avocet on the rising tide.The last time we saw one anywhere near here was in March 2018 on the River Caen - again a singleton.

A single Mediterranean Gull in with a flock of 40 plus Black Headed Gulls at Marine Parade, Paignton this morning, also seen were 48 Turnstone, a Little Egret, five plus Oyster Catcher, GBBG, out on the sea four Common Scoter, a Great Crested Grebe, several Gannet and Cormorant.

Kate Bush sang December Will Be Magic Again, well it was certainly true of Occombe this morning:
From the bird hide: Dunnock, 3 Blue Tits, 5 Great Tits, 2 Robin, but the highlights were 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers on the tree immediately in front of the hide. I've never known any woodpecker to remain in one place as long as these two. Then a Sparrowhawk flew in, turned around mid flight right in front of me, what a fantastic sight that was displaying all it's flight feathers caught in the sunlight.

Elsewhere there were many more Great Tits and Blue Tits that I lost count, a sizable flock of Long-tailed Tits, a bird I haven;t encountered at Occombe since the March storms - a Goldcrest. For my 2nd consecutive visit a Treecreeper, Buzzard, 4 Song Thrushes, male Bullfinch, at least 3 Greenfinches, and a minimum of 5 Chaffinches, 6 Blackbirds, a further 3 Robins, a Wren, and 2 female and a male Pheasant.

The total Goosander count was 14 6m 8f, I think I put 16 in my blog.

The monthly dawn Goosander count.

14 Goosander 6m 8f present at 0730, all had flown by 0830.

Great Northern diver feeding in river mouth opposite the Ness this lunchtime.

Not the nicest of days but the garden feeders been busy, among the visitors a unusual Blackbird and in the Devon hedge at bottom of garden this White Goldfinch . Our garden backs on the Parkway at Eggbuckland unfortunately not great of pic of Goldfinch.

Blackbird                                                 Goldfinches                                 and another

A Male Black Redstart at 1300 on the east side of Mountwise above Richmond walk. 

At Stover before dawn (07:15) for a coordinated Goosander count: 4 present (1 drake). Also 5 Cormorants had roosted overnight in trees. Water Rail called, then Cetti's Warbler called near hide (good views later). Usual Siskins, Green and G S Woodpeckers, and Song Thrush getting into song. (I was surprised to hear two Goldcrests singing in Chudleigh yesterday, in less than lovely weather.) Also 18 Tufted Ducks and maybe 100 Mallard in total.

am. Female Black Redstart in the lighthouse compound. Crossing the meadow a male Merlin sped past at knee height.

Nineteen Goosanders All Female On The Lake This Morning, The Most I Have Seen At This Location.

Photo Shows Twelve With Another Seven Out Of Shot!!

Male Siskin in my garden this morning

3 female and 1 male Siskin on the feeders in my garden this morning.

This afternoon's Stuart Line cruise again witnessed spectacular numbers of birds, especially in the upper part of the estuary. The Great Northern Diver was still present between Cockwood and Starcross, as were the usual Slavonian Grebe, 2 Little Grebes and 2 immature drake Eiders. The Eiders seemed to be feeding successfully on mussels. A dozen or more Great Crested Grebes and about 20 Red-breasted Mergansers were scattered throughout, but large numbers of Brent Geese and Wigeon were concentrated around Shutterton Creek and off Lympstone, with a hundred or more Pintail at the latter. Over 100 Mallard, c50 Teal and maybe 200 Shelduck completed the ducks. A Harbour (Common) Seal was hauled out on a sandbank off Lympstone Barracks. c100 Common and 2 Lesser Blacked Gulls were amongst large numbers of gulls on the intertidal flats.

The mudbanks at the northern end were covered in hundreds each of Avocets, Black-tailed Godwits, Dunlin and Redshank. There were perhaps 1000 Lapwings and 500 Golden Plover there too, with about 50 Knot and smaller numbers of Grey Plovers and Bar-tailed Godwits and occasional Greenshank and Ringed Plover. A Sanderling back at Bull Hill sandbank completed a 'full set' of waders!

First Blackcap of the winter - male on the feeders this afternoon. A Mistle Thrush has taken up residence in our Rowan tree and is busy defending the berries against the local Blackbirds.

Yellow-Browed Warbler still mid morning at Broadsands in back right hand corner of first car park favouring ivy tree , plus 1 Chiffchaff 

I've had a male and a female Siskin on the feeders in my garden on and off since 9.30 this morning.

This evening about 7pm we saw TWO Barn Owls in the headlights. Both were sat on posts adjacent to the road close to the thatched linnay. They remained undisturbed as we passed though we were carefully watched by both of them. Very encouraging to see two! 

Dunlin 175, Black-tailed Godwit 4, Redshank 128, Greenshank 7, Curlew 56, Goosander redhead, Wigeon 17, Little Grebe 7 & Oystercatcher 9.

Large numbers of birds present in the run-up to high tide this afternoon, the pick being 2 Ruffs, 2 Spoonbills and 65 Pintails.

Perfect conditions for the RSPB Avocet Cruise down the River Exe from Topsham.

Highlight was the Grey Heron with a Big Breakfast Eel.

Also Great views of Avocets, Godwits (Black Tailed & Bar Tailed), Mergansers, Turnstone,  Common Gull, Cormorants, Little Egret, Brent Geese, Dunlin, Lapwing, Curlew, Oystercatcher, Teal, Canada Geese, Mute swan.

Distant Views of Grey Plover, Golden Plover

Very Distant view of Peregrine

  
Grey Heron and Eel                    Red-breasted Merganser                              Common Gull

Drake Ring-necked Duck in Ireland Bay, Black-necked Grebe at Torcross, 4 Goldeneyes & a Kingfisher.

Single Pochard on Beesands.

Holne Bridge, Ashburton a pair of Goosander roosting on a rock below the bridge.

Nr Babeny a female Kestrel (one of three seen) and a couple of Stonechat.

Buzzards dotted about all feeding on the ground or sat on low posts.

The only location found with an abundance of birds was the road leading down to Prince hall near Yelverton, at least six Brambling in with the large flock of Chaffinch feeding on Beech mast, some 30 plus Starling and seven Meadow Pips feeding in a sheep field, a large mixed flock of Redwing and Fieldfare flew in, one GSWP, a Kestrel and two Jay.

Lower side of Soussons flock of 10 Reed Bunting.

At Dartmeet the usual run of the mill birds around the feed station (the car park is now pay and display, £2 for the day).

Near Widdicombe a Sparrowhawk and another followed by a third Kestrel near Dean Prior.

From the Car Park saw 17 Common Scoter but could have been more, arrived from the south but flew off out to sea. 

Common Scoter

Very dull afternoon's veiwing from the hide brightened by sight of a male Sparrowhawk that was watching the feeding ducks before it flew-off down the estuary

  
Sparrowhawk

7 Black-tailed Godwits out on the scrape while I was ringing again this morning.

Only 31 birds ringed today, but that included 4 Chiffchaffs.

No sign of hoped-for winter raptors but some respectable counts: 6 Buzzard, Red-legged Partridge, 4 Lapwing, 30 Stock Dove, 940 Skylark, 24 Meadow Pipit, 24 Dunnock, 41 Blackbird, 38 Song Thrush, Chiffchaff, 21 Magpie, 320 Starling, 30 Goldfinch, 60 Linnet, 76 Yellowhammer, 16 Cirl Bunting and one Reed Bunting.

2 water rail, 1grey wagtail, 1dipper,1treecreeper,4nuthatch,4 goldcrest, coal tit, marsh tit, long tailed tit g s Woodpecker mistle thrush, thrush and all the locals looking fine, primroses in the woodland today. 

At low tide this morning there was a group of at least 19 little grebes on Radford Lake. 

Fifteen Wigeon, Goosander (redhead), 5 Little Grebes, 2 Kingfishers, 18 Turnstones, 3 Shags, 54 Curlews, 2 Black-tailed Godwits, 9 Oystercatchers, 7 Greenshanks & 2 Ring-necked Parakeets.

Wet, windy and a day for ducks at West Charleton Marsh today! Over 150 on the scrape alone. c100 Teal, c50 Wigeon, 6 Mallard, 2 Shelduck and a lone Pintail. Also Cormorant, 2 Greylag geese, 1 Dark Bellied Goose, 4 Little Egret, Heron, Curlew and a Pheasant. Elsewhere a flock of c40 Golden Plover flew over a neighbouring field towards the Estuary . By the feeders a Water Rail showed well. On the rough estuary most of the birds were sheltering, but another 6 D/B Brent Geese were braving the waves and a flock of 23 Oystercatchers and a few more Curlew and Shelduck were sheltering behind rocks. Over 30 species recorded.

Water Rail - West Charleton Marsh - 03-12-2018

Very brief visit produced highlights of two Great Northern Diver off Broadsands beach, Red-necked Grebe in Elberry Cove and usual flock of Cirls Bunting in the car park by the feeding spot.

Black Guillemot  (in moult: white face & nape; black crown & upper parts; reared  up once to show black belly roughly circled with thick white band) on water towards Berry Head. Only other birds of note: a Gt Skua, >S to land in mouth of Torbay; diver sp > S (sorry too far to ID).

A red necked grebe on Slapton Ley just off the pond dipping platform on the way around to Ireland bay

 
Red-necked Grebe

A piece in the on-line Guardian news paper on the 01-12-18, about the Black Redstart in Ford Park Cemetery. If anyone wishes to view this please follow the link. https://www.theguardian.com/environme…/…/country-diary+birds

Half-a-dozen Cormorants included a sinensis, 4 Shags, redhead Goosander, 5 Little Grebes, 152 Redshanks, 153 Dunlins, 6 Greenshanks, 53 Curlews, 3 Black-tailed Godwits, 8 Oystercatchers, 30 Shelducks, 17 Wigeon, 2+ Ring-necked Parakets & a Chiffchaff.