Happy New Year

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Seawatch 2.30-4pm produced little in the way of birds: 25 gannets feeding offshore and a couple of kittiwakes and fulmars. However two porpoises were close off the rocks and a seal in the cove to the north.

A rare visit to Budleigh Salterton in hope of some gulls this a.m. produced this 1st winter Yellow-legged Gull. Very distant and fairly unco-operative, but a smart and distinctive bird nonetheless.

Yellow-legged Gull 1W - Otter Estuary 14/12/2013

No Scoters at Downend this morning but 13 females at Baggy Point plus 1 Eider.

On leaving Baggy Point the gusts of wind were so strong I almost joined the seabirds with my first & what would have been my last flying lesson!

Just received a report from Arthur Livett of flushing a Great White Egret from the reeds at South Milton Ley around 9.20 this morning  near Bob's ringing area.  It circled around for some time, settled in a field for a while and then was last seen by him down by the little bridge.  Arthur's not sure whether it settled again or it may have gone further...

190 Dark-bellied Brent off Penhill Marsh; c3000 Golden Plover and c800 Dunlin mid-river; c3500 Lapwing.

3 Black-tailed Godwit; 3 Grey Plover on Ashford sewage works foreshore and 7 Goosander (all redheads) diving and feeding mid-river.

A few sightings from this afternoon.

Decoy Lake; drake Scaup still present, a Gadwall and 24 Tufted Duck.

Passage House Inn near high tide; 77 Redshank, single Greenshank, Common Sandpiper, and 30 Snipe which took off from reeds.4 Little Grebe .

Lower estuary from roadside car park; 10 Red-breasted Merganser.

The usual fare this lunchtime until about 1.50, with the Long-tailed Duck and female Red-breasted Merganser still from the hide. Good numbers of waders, with most from the viewing platform, including the Spotted Redshank, although it will probably have headed toward the hide as the tide gets higher. Also around 10 other Red-breasted Mergansers from the platform.

The Yellow-browed Warbler showing in usual place 200m W of YMCA (please do not park in the YMCA car park during the week) in sallows above stream. Also 1 Chiffchaff, 7 Goldcrest, 4 Snipe, 1 Kingfisher 2 Water Rail 2 Little Grebes, 6 Tufted Duck 2 Teal and 2 Shoveler. 

Yesterday

Berry Head: 10+ Common Dolphins fairly close in to the headland, also 5 Harbour Porpoise (including one calf).

Brixham breakwater: 23 Purple Sandpipers, 13 Turnstones

A quick look at the lake this morning, noticed less female Goosanders today than normal.

8 Tufted Duck 4m 4f, 15 Goosander 12m 3f, 1 Gadwall, 11 Mallard, c50 Teal, 2 Raven, 1 Snipe, 1 Water Rail, 2 Coot.

3 Siberian Chiffchaffs one quite buffy brown bird the other two showing yellow in the supercilium and paler overall, also 3 (collybita) Chiffchaffs present in the marsh and 3 Goldcrests.

Photo of one of the Siberian Chiffchaffs with yellow in supercilium in sunlight and in shade.

The Yellow-browed Warbler showed again at Clennon Valley this afternoon (D. Land)

2 Female type Marsh Harriers seen from the Toll Road to Crow Point this afternoon.

Also a female Merlin in the Burrows near the point.

[Steve Mawby]

Very good numbers of waders from the hide today until about 1.45 particularly Avocets and both Black-tailed and Bar-tailed Godwits. Also 1 Spotted Redshank and just 1 Golden Plover today. The Long-tailed Duck was up and down as usual and the female Red-breasted Merganser was sat on the near bank showing very well. Also 1 male Pintail.

Surveying on private land c.4km NW of Bradworthy yesterday; a female or juvenile Marsh Harrier flew NE just before midday. Also a Peregrine, 53 Teal and several Willow Tits.

Broadsands:On sea: 1 Black-throated Diver ,3 Great Northern Divers, 2 Black-necked Grebes 5 Great Crested Grebes

In marsh: 3 Siberian Chiffchaffs & 3 Collybita Chiffchaffs 1 Water Rail. 9 Cirl Buntings on seed in 2nd car park. 

Clennon Valley: the Yellow-browed Warbler and 1 Siberian Chiffchaff 200m w of YMCA this afternoon

Bowling Green - In addition to Nick's post 1 Spotted Redshank and the Long-tailed Duck still viewable from the hide late morning

Exmouth Seafront - Long-tailed Duck close in-shore just off Maer Rocks mid afternoon

Otterton Sewage Works - at least 2 RT Divers and 2 GN Divers plus 15+ Fulmar and 40+ Common Scoter

The eider was on rocks in the quarry on the north side this afternoon.

Eider, Hope's Nose Quarry

Good numbers of waders over a high tide at lunchtime today until about 1.50. In amongst the Lapwings were 17 Golden Plovers. Good numbers of Avocet, but not enough time to count them! Most unexpected was a female Red-breasted Merganser resting on the bank with the wader flock to the right of the hide. Not a bird I can remember seeing from the hide here. Also 3 male and 1 female Pintails.

Driving over the new bridge this morning, I saw 4 Goosanders fly upstream.

50+ Red-throated Divers feeding in the race between Hartland Point to Hartland Quay (probably more as sea choppy), also good numbers of auks a few Kittiwakes and Harbour Porpoise.

On Bursdon Moor single ringtail Hen Harrier and Merlin.

An enjoyable few hours this morning to reconnoitre the EAST Branch fieldtrip around the Escot Estate this Wednesday.  (Please note that reservations for the Christmas lunch are now closed).  Walk starts at 0930 and those attending for 'lunch only' should meet at 1230.  I would like to dedicate this walk in memory of the late Paul Stubbs, whose sudden death was announced recently.  I will miss you Paul.

Plenty of birds around with 4 very approachable Buzzards, 74 Lapwing in fields, Bullfinch, Raven, 12 Fieldfare, 45 Mallard, c50 Linnet and a probable Jacksnipe (disturbed but immediately went to ground in the 'spash pools' below the car park. 

May I take this early opportunity to wish all Devon Birds members a very Happy Christmas and great birding for 2014. 

3 Grey Plover and 27 Dunlin on the White House foreshore.

Horsey Island and Ramshorn Pond(Tarka the Otter)

12 Greenshank; 23 Teal; 5 Little Grebe; 5 Redshank; 2 Little Egret; c500 lapwing on Horsey fields and 1 Buzzard. No sign of Harriers. 

A wonderfull walk on a sun filled day. Good numbers of Curlew,Lapwing and Golden plover. A Female Marsh harrier was hunting over the whole area. 3 Greenshank 6 Little grebe 2 Great crested grebe 50+ Redshank 2 Stonechat. On Isley marsh 4 Spoonbill.

a quick visit to bowling green marsh this afternoon.

plenty of avocet and dunlin,highlight was two peregrine sending all the birds up,one of the peregrines had taken a wigeon and dropped it,which was quickly claimed by a buzzard,good view of female kingfisher from viewing platform,two male pintail(as picture) showing quite nicely.

Pintail

No surprises but a good day included 7 little grebe, 10 great crested grebe, 20 cormorant, 20 shag, 27 little egret, 80 brent goose, 2 Egyptian goose, 98 shelduck,780 wigeon, 110 teal, 12 pintail, 14 red-breasted merganser, 138 oystercatcher, 3 grey plov er, 90 lapwing, 380 dunlin, 2 black-tailed godwit, 15 bar-tailed godwit, 180 curlew, 89 redshank, 2 greenshank, 40 common gull & 2 kingfisher. 

Black-throated Diver, Great-northern Diver, and Red-throated Diver all present. 2 Black-necked Grebes also. In the marsh 2 tristis type Chiffchaff 

The Yellow-browed Warbler showed well by stream 200m w of YMCA this afternoon.

A single Jack Snipe, 2 Snipes, 3 Dunlins, a Common Sandpiper and a buck Roe Deer. 

Morning boat trip from Paignton harbour along the coast to Berry Head and back. 3 great northern divers (2 of them calling to each other off Elberry Cove), 1 black throated diver (Churston Point), 8 great crested grebes, 1 black necked grebe (Broadsands), 21 common scoter (Preston), 500 guillemot (Brerry Head), 1 purple sandpiper and 3 grey seals (Brixham harbour), and a few porpoise off Berry Head.

Next trip Sunday 15th December at 9am from Paignton Harbour. To book phone Nigel Smallbones on 07866 202576

Common scoter flock, Preston

Black throated diver, Churston Point

Great northern diver, off Brixham

14:00-15:45.

A little improvement on recent visits. Little Grebe, 3 Mute Swan, 7 Gadwall, Pintail, 4 Teal and 8 Mallard. Out at sea a Red-throated Diver off the cellers. Picked up a flock of about 80 Wigeon way out on the sea that eventually came in and out of my sight to land presumably on Slapton Ley or furthur inland towards Kingsbridge Estuary.

10:00-13:30.

2 Great Crested Grebe, 17 Little Grebe, Black-necked Grebe ( Ireland Bay ), 123 Canada Geese, 220 Wigeon, 133 Gadwall ( can't be far short of a record count for Devon ? ), 15 Teal, 7 Shoveler, 259 Tufted Duck, 2 Scaup ( male and female from Stokeley hide ), 76 Pochard, Red-crested Pochard X Tufted Duck hybrid, Goosander ( redhead Stokeley Bay ), 397 Coot, 50+ Moorhen, c 200 Common Gull and 3 Mediterranean Gulls ( first winter, second winter and adult ). Quiet on the sea apart from 2 Great Northern Divers.                                                                                                                                          

Selected sightings from today: 

Decoy Lake - drake Scaup still, 34 Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Green Woodpecker

Wetland south of Bishopsteignton - Teal, Water Rail, Chiffchaff, 5 Song Thrush, c.15 Meadow Pipit

Lower estuary (high tide) - 11 Turnstone, 9 Red-breasted Merganser

Upper estuary (falling tide) - 98 Redshank, 13 Greenshank, 20 Lapwing, 5 Dunlin, 2 Common Sandpiper, 10+ Snipe, 5 Little Grebe, 3 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 3 Grey Wagtail

On sea: 1 Black-throated Diver, 3 Great Northern Divers, 2 Black-necked Grebes, 1 Slavonian Grebe, 5 Great Crested Grebes.

In Marsh: 1 Siberian Chiffchaff, 2 'collybita' Chiffchaffs, 1 Goldcrest - up to 9 Cirl Buntings on seed early morning.