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Mixed flock of Redwing and Fieldfare in field opposite entrance to brewery off Humber Lane,  near Bishopsteignton. Also skylark

South of Ottery St Mary, along the River Otter, hampered by the heavy rain, I managed close views of an expected Dipper and Grey Wagtail and a redhead Goosander was a welcome surprise. Also Little Egret, Cormorant, Goldcrest. Redwings made up the numbers. I need to go and dry off now ready for tomorrow's soaking. 

Dipper

Goosander

Black Redstart in Bath Place area; Kestrel flying along cliffs on Granville Road; Cormorant, Rock Pipit, pair of Greater Black-backed and numerous Oystercatcher off Capstone

Dodged some heavy rain to see: Great Crested Grebe (my first here for over a year), Little Grebe, 4 Red-breasted Mergansers (3 drakes), 2 Goosanders (1 drake), 33 Wigeon, Black-tailed Godwit, 7 Greenshanks, Firecrest & 10+ Siskins. 

Polish-ringed adult Mediterranean Gull (PHAU) on Tothill Playing Fields.

Met Andy Lansdell at the Skern this morning at about 8.30. Gave the birds a good scanning and here are some estimations of what we saw: 700+ Dunlin - constantly on the move, occasionally disturbed by dog walkers. 40 Redshank, 3 Greenshank, 12 Turnstone, 3/4 hundred Oystercatchers, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 2 Knot, 3 Ringed Plover, 30 Curlew, (including 2 colour ringed birds,60+ Pintail. a smattering of Wigeon and Shelduck. A marked lack of Gulls. (3 Common the best) One Great Northern Diver out towards Crow Point. At Westward Ho! one Purple Sandpiper braving the massive surf. We ended up at Heanton Court hoping for the Goldeneye, but no  luck. Then the rain really started!

Clennon Playing Fields: Glossy Ibis still present

Broadsands: 11 Cirl Buntings on seed in 2nd car park. On the sea 1 Velvet Scoter (female or 1st w male), 1 Black-throated Diver & 3 Great Northern Divers.

Each morning, more and more Redwings are arriving on the Holsworthy football pitch. Fifty-plus at 10am today. So far only a smattering of Fieldfare with them - four today. Two Mistle Thrushes appear daily at about 9.30, along with the regular Starlings, Jackdaws and Carrion Crows. They're all happy birds after the "Magpies" have had a game and churned up the ground...the Holsworthy football team, that is.

09:06 - 12:41

Highlights for me from the local RSPB group walk were Marsh Harrier; Pink-footed Goose (with Canada Goose flock from discovery area screen); Glossy Ibis in field next to railway path.

After several rather brief / obscured views during the morning, the American Buff-bellied Pipit finally showed very well gorging on flies, around midday, near the slipway on Maelcombe Beach. Also 50+ Rock & a Water Pipit.

Later, at Slapton Ley, a female Lesser Scaup and 2 Black-necked Grebes in Ireland Bay and 4 Red-throated Divers on the sea. 

American Buff-bellied Pipit

American Buff-bellied Pipit

4 goosanders, 2m,2f. Grey heron, 5 mallard

Highlights during the first few hours of light, before getting rained off:  Mediterranean Gull (ad-w), 4 Red-breasted Mergansers (3 drakes), 2 Goosanders (1 drake), 33 Wigeon, Red-crested Pochard (female), Teal (drake), 2+ Little Grebes, Black-tailed Godwit, 7 Greenshanks & a Sparrowhawk. 

Surprised and pleased to find two Tundra Bean Geese grazing with a couple Canada Geese and a pack of Wigeon at West Charleton Marsh this afternoon. Watched for a good while before they took wing and headed off high SW over the estuary at about 2.45pm. 

Lower Tamar this morning.

39 Goosander 14m 25f (07:52), 6 Whooper Swan 2adults 4 juv (flew out  07:35), 1 Little Egret, 1 Cormorant, 3 Willow Tit, 2 MarshTit, 2 Grey Heron, 1 Peregrine Falcon, 1 Bullfinch, 1 Redwing, 2 Nuthatch, 2m Tufted Duck, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Mute Swan.

4 Purple Sandpipers

Purple Sandpiper

Torbay this am:

2 Black-throated Divers

3 Great Northern Divers

25 Common Dolphins

Black-throated Diver

Common Dolphins

First-year Glaucous Gull again in gull roost this evening. Also c.170 Herring Gull, 19+ Lesser BB Gull, Common Gull 6,  160 Black-headed Gull. One Black-necked Grebe and female Goldeneye still present. Also 8+ Teal, 27 Mallard, 2 Little Grebe, 1 female Goosander, 10 Pied Wagtail.

2 Purple Sandpiper on the rocks closest to the sea, along with a Rock Pipit and 3 Oystercatcher. 

Nice distant view of a Gannet flying low over the sea picked up nicely by the sunlight. 

An unusual bird call alerted me from outside the bedroom window. It had rained all night and was still raining heavily on the single story extension below the window, To my surprise there was a very active resplendent grey wagtail feeding in the large wind-swept puddle and probably a 1st winter female showing a striking buffy orange breast. Made a welcome change to the magpies and wood-pigeons who are regulars.

First 2022 farmland bird count: 1000 Skylark, 137 Yellowhammer, 61 Cirl Bunting, 108 House Sparrow, 85 Goldfinch & 25 Linnet; Also: 10 Stock Dove, 26 Meadow Pipit, 31 Blackbird, 16 Song Thrush inc.first in song, Grey Wagtail, 18 Teal & 100 Jackdaw.

Non-avian: 16 Roe Deer inc.stag in velvet; 7 Sika inc.5 stags.

On way home: Kingfisher at Bowcombe Creek.

Tuesday 4th Jan: The Buff-bellied Pipit showed well also on beach also present 1 Water Pipit, many Rock Pipits, Meadow Pipit, Grey and Pied Wagtail. Sketch and photo of the Buff-bellied Pipit below.

Female Goldeneye on huge pit at top of the down. Seven Golden Plover on the down.

A pair of Dippers near the back of home in Plympton.

A couple of hours at the pond were these photos were taken. Also saw and photographed the Chiffchaff that I last week and three Snipe on the far side of the pond.  In addition a Bullfinch and a number of Black-tailed Godwits and Teal.

Gadwall x Wigeon

female Shoveler

Good variety of ducks again at Stover this morning, 4 Gadwall were the highlight, plus 2 Pochard, 6+ Shoveler, 4 Wigeon. Good numbers of Tufted Duck & Coot. 1 Little Grebe.

On a short visit this afternoon: Jack Snipe, Mediterranean Gull (ad-w), 2 Red-breasted Mergansers (1 drake), c20 Redwings & 8 Roe Deer.

Whilst listing for the new year, missed the long-staying Snow Bunting at Slapton this afternoon, after spending an hour or two catching up with the reported regulars at Slapton Ley, as well as a number of birding friends. However as I was driving away a pleasant young birder from Plymouth kindly waved me back, to where he had just seen the bunting fly back in. Gave good views, albeit often difficult to spot in the shingle just south of the Memorial car park..  

Snow Bunting - Slapton

While watching the immature Spoonbill off Mudbank Lane around 1 pm, some disturbance among the other birds drew my attention to an Otter running across the mud and disappearing into one of the creeks. Later it ran across the mud again and sat for a while next to a traffic cone(!), probably with prey. After then swimming downstream, it caught a flatfish, which it then swam back towards us with. It brought it right up to the railway bridge and ate it underneath, completely unconcerned about a few surprised humans watching it from the roadside!

Otter and immature Spoonbill

Single Goldeneye still present at Ashford Strand this morning.

the black redstart still showing well at the Skern, not far from the bridge near the entrance

Black Redstart

GND's 3, GBBG's BHG's Fulmar, Gannets, Cormorants, Shags,Oystercatchers. Slapton Ley: Tufted Ducks, Mallards,Coots, Moorhens, G.C.Grebes, Goldeneye (2m, 2f) Beesands Ley: Tufted Ducks, Mute Swans, Black Swan, R.N.Duck 1,

R.N.Duck

Great Northern Diver

6 Glossy Ibis seen flying over Mansands at 1045am heading in a north west direction.

At the Skern amongst the usual were c.30 Skylark on the grass edge. After a long search we finally caught up with the Snow Bunting, and then saw the Black Redstart on leaving the site. 

At Velator whilst looking for the Whooper Swans (we were unsuccessful in finding them) we were pleasantly surprised to see a Barn Owl in flight, was interesting to see the Kestrel seeing off the Barn Owl at one point. Unfortunately, we too encountered the hooligan hunters who stopped us from going any further on the reserve claiming that we were on private land (which we weren't). Not a good end to what would have been a good day's birding.

A cycle round this afternoon produced: Water Rail, 30 Wigeon, 16 Goosanders (4 drakes), 2 Red-breasted Mergansers (1 drake), 25 Mandarin Ducks, Red-crested Pochard (female), Little Grebe, 61 Curlews, 7 Greenshanks, Black-tailed Godwit, Stonechat (male), Grey Wagtail & 11 Roe Deer.

Many thanks for the earlier post of the great northern diver at Instow. We managed to catch up with it mid-afternoon at the quay, opposite the deli.

Great Northern Diver

Great Northern Diver

Got up early enough to see the 3 Spoonbills this morning. Then to Fremington where 2 Greenshank and the Spotted Redshank present along with 5 Glossy Ibis. The Black Redstart showed ridiculously close-up at the Skern entrance. Took quite some time to track down the Snow Bunting, about 200m west of the memorial seat. Met Norman Briden who has see one Purple Sandpiper at the open - air pool. When we got there there was a large swimmer sat by the pool. = no sandpipers! Finished off by visiting the reserve but left when the hooligan shooters arrived and started blasting away right outside the reserve.

0910-1300 :

41 Curlew, 30 Wigeon (19m, 11f), 7 Goosander (2m, 5f), 4 Red Breasted Merganser (3m, 1f), 36 Common gull, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Little Grebe, 1 Greenshank, 20 Mandarin and the female Red Crested Pochard on the duck pond. 10+ Siskin in the Alders, 4 Ring necked Parakeet overhead. 

Out in Torbay: 3 Black-throated Divers, 11 Great Northern Divers, 4 Red-throated Divers,3 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Pomarine Skua (seen several times harassing Kittiwakes), 7 Wigeon, 2 Brent Geese, 2 Razorbills several Guillemots.

In the car parks: 1 Firecrest, 1 Chiffchaff, 13 Cirl Buntings, 1 Kestrel 

Clennon playing fields: 1 Glossy Ibis.

Great mornings birding at Slapton. 3 Cattle Egrets roosting Ireland Bay. Also there the 2 Black-necked Grebes joined by the 2 Lesser Scaups and the White-fronted Goose. Also three Brent Geese flew over and 3 Mediterranean Gulls loafing. At 10:20, six Glossy Ibis flew over heading north ( presumably the Hatch Bridge birds ) Seen not long after at Brixham Breakwater by Richie Moore and then back at Slapton passing through by Jo King at 12:20.

Checked the Marshes for Whoopers twice this morning through the scope from the road (up to 1/2 mile away) & ended up with 9, two of which were juveniles / first winter birds. Also Marsh Harrier & Kestrel present.

Andy had 3 Spoonbills & the Black tailed Godwits on Wrafton scrape this morning.

Buff-bellied Pipit showing well this morning at Maelcombe Beach just as I arrived but then disappeared into the rocks with hordes of Rock Pipits.

At Beesands: male Ring-necked Duck & male Pochard.

Great Northern Diver again on "pool" created by diverted stream. Close views form pavement!

A single male Snow Bunting at 9.45am, fidgeting around by the memorial seat on the Pebble Ridge.

Highlights this afternoon included the 2 Black-necked Grebes between Cockwood and Starcross, very distant Spoonbill feeding off Mudbank Lane (Exmouth), 500+ Avocets between Turf and Topsham, and the Spotted Redshank at Topsham. Also c20 Great Crested Grebes, c25 Shag, many Brent Geese, 2 Egyptian Geese in flight at Powderham Church, up to 200 Pintail between Powderham Corner and the Clyst, and large flocks of Black-tailed Godwits, Lapwing, Golden Plover around Turf. Only c10 Mergansers.

Dipper,Grey Wagtail and 3 Old Nogs by the  river as well as the carcasses of 3 spent salmon which must be encouraging.Finches in the bird mix field being harassed by 3 Sparrowhawks but did manage to count 20 plus Bullfinch during a lull in attacks.Highlight today was a female /juvenile Hen Harrier flying south presumably en route from Exmoor to Dartmoor.Other sightings included Greenfinch,Mistlethrush, Marsh Tit 10 Stock Dove and a Collared Dove.2 very vocal Buzzard feeding on a Grey Squirrel carcass.

After walking once again to the estuary this morning with Andy Lansdell, he went out along the Marsh road and found several Whooper Swans. He said 5 but when I went out there a little Later, I thought there could possibly be more. They were back in the same field as a couple of weeks ago, but a good deal closer. 

Later still I couldn't find any Purple Sandpipers at Ilfracombe in rough weather.

A 1st year Glaucous Gull in the roost this evening with c.220 Herring Gull, 10 Lesser BB Gull, 5 Common Gull, and c.200 Black-headed Gull. Also Black-necked Grebe still, 1 female Goldeneye, 3 Goosander, 3 Heron, and around 40 Pied Wagtail roosting. A bit of a purple patch, usually there is very little to see.

A first light visit to Exminster. 2 1st wint Marsh Harriers, Ruff, 280+ Curlew, 350+ Lapwing, 180+ Blackwit, 70+ Redshank, 500+ Wigeon, 300+ Teal, 45+ Shoveler & 9 Pintail & 15 Greylag. Off Turf 5 Sanderling, 25 Ringed Plover & 200+ Brent Geese.

Never saw the Geese or Ibis but all reported later in day. All in the great field near Turf, just weren’t there when I was. 

Lesser Scaup at Village outflow end, White-fronted Goose in field above Ley.

0910hrs 2nd Jan 2022 , Four Pink-footed Geese on meadow by Hatch Bridge, as geese flew out six Glossy Ibis flew in. 

Good to see the birders and the birds at Torcross/Slapton Ley yesterday. Today, off the seafront the highlights were 3 Great Northern Divers, a 1st winter Razorbill and also a first winter Guillemot.

White fronted and pink footed geese were in field near the Turf amongst cananda geese and curlew. Large numbers of golden plover and lapwing putting on a great show under double rainbows too!

Highlights: Glossy Ibis still at Clennon Valley.

Berry Head: Adult Pomarine Skua south at 1020, then same/another north at 1045. 20+ Common Dolphins showing incredibly well and Black Redstart (f type) in the quarry.

Broadsands: Black-throated Diver, Red-throated Diver and Great Northern Diver.

Glossy Ibis

Now have TWO males & a female (?) Blackcaps on the peanut fat cake in our Braunton garden :)

The black redstart is still around the bridge at skern

Black Redstart

6 Glossy Ibis showing well by Hatch Bridge this morning.

For some 5 days now there has been a white egret walking around a field in South Brent, Devon.  My husband has seen two on one day.  Not seen them before in the 11 years I've lived here.  Wonderful!

Kicked off the New Year with 59 species including: Dipper, Green Woodpecker, Sparrowhawk, Common Sandpiper, Black-tailed Godwit, Greenshank (6), Siskin (c25), Stonechat (m), Goosander (6 incl 2 drakes), Red-crested Pochard (f) & 3 Little Grebes. 

Glossy ibis spotted at clennon lakes 

These are the photos of the Stonechat and the distant Red-Breasted Meganser.

Stonechat

Red-breasted Merganser

A morning visit to Wrafton pond where among the usual suspects were three Jays, a male Tufted, a female Pochard, a male Shoveler, a couple of Gadwall, a Little Grebe and a Chiffchaff.  Moving on along the west bank of the river Cean to Sherpa Marsh where a ringed Stonechat flew across the path and perched on a twig for a short photo shoot, From the path I got a distant shot of the Red-Breasted Meganser. 

Jay

Chiffchaff

Early afternoon,Fremington Pill a Glossy Ibis ,Spotted Redshank also a Greenshank Little Egrets and numerous Redshank,Teal and Black tailed Godwits.Later at Yelland looking towards Isley Marsh 2 Spoonbill amongst the numerous Shelduck and Lapwings.

An impressive 59 Snipe flushed from Crownhill Down. Previous max since 2017 just single figures. Also 5 Reed Bunting, plus the usuals.

Along the canal bank, song from 6/7 Cetti's and squeals from 2 Water Rails.

On Exminster Marsh, failed like others to find the P-f Goose, but saw the Ibis and the Ruff, plus 3 Marsh Harriers, and 400+ Lapwings spooked by one of them.

In the estuary above Turf were the regular Golden Plover flock and several hundred Avocets, while from there down to the Kenn were 100+ Pintail, 20+ Mergansers, 400+ Dunlin, 30+ Grey Plovers, 20+ Barwits and, surprisingly, 4 Sanderlings.

In Powderham Park were 9 Gadwall. There are certainly far more around this Winter than for the previous two.

The last birds I heard in 2021 were the local Tawny Owl pair. As I type, they are out there again, making 70 spp. for the day; I joined the Young Ornithologists Club in January 1972, so that makes a good total to start a 51st year of birding.

A respectable 80 species notched up on foot from Budleigh Salterton today with the highlights being 3 Red-throated Divers (2 off Budleigh seafront and 1 off Chiselbury Bay), 50+ Common Scoter Chilsebury Bay, Green Sandpiper and Black-tailed Godwit in the LORP area north of S Farm Road, 4 Goosanders at Blackhill Quarry and Woodcock above Squabmoor Reservoir. It appears the flock of 34 White-fronted Geese have finally departed, despite being seen yesterday.

Black-necked Grebe 1, Goldeneye 1 female, Goosander 2 female, Sparrowhawk 1, Black-headed Gull c70, Common Gull 4, Lesser BB Gull 5, Greater BB Gull 1, Herring Gull c70, Little Grebe 2, Marsh Tit 1, Siskin 40, Crossbill 5

A good start t the year with the Black Redstart but the Snow Buntings were hiding - no doubt because of the many people out enjoying the mild weather. Finished the day watching 5 glossy ibis joining the cattle and light egrets.

Black Redstart Skern

On my way through the village to Wrafton I looked in the river at Caen St School. There just upstream of the bridge was Dipper. Arrived at the scrape just after the 2 Spoonbill had been flushed by some noisy walkers.5 Black-tailed Godwits, plus Tufty and Pochard still on Wrafton pond and a few Snipe in the reeds. Best of a short visit to the reserve were 2 Jays, male GSW, and a Goldcrest. Down the East bank of the Caen to the Estuary: Stonechat, Skylark, a few Waders (mostly Redshank, but only 1 Dunlin) Then 100's of Lapwing and many more Golden Plover flushed several times but I didn't see the culprit. Caught up with the drake Red-breasted Merganser on Sherpa Marsh on the return leg. Later at Fremington Pill a few Little Egrets and a couple of Cattle Egrets earlyish but then I was alerted to something down by the sluice so after we had watched the 5 Glossy Ibis arrive, I went down the Pill and saw the Common Sandpiper too!  On my way back to the car saw more Egrets arriving - mostly Cattle but didn't get an accurate count.

Watched between 11:00 and 14:00 along the seafront between the lifeboat station car park and the Lido 18 Great Northern Diver ( 13 on sea with 7 south of pier around mouth of estuary and 6 north of pier plus 5 flying south) 2 Red Throated Diver on sea and 3 flying south also I Brent Goose on the sea and small numbers of guillemots and gannets a nice start to the New Year on new Patch 

A total of 74 birds ticked off over the day mostly from around the Exe.

High light was the Whooper Swan at Clyst St Mary at first light.

RSPB BGM ~ 23 Greylag Geese, 2 Egyptian Geese, 7 Pochard, a single Avocet and a Spotted Redshank.

Exminster marsh ~ good views of certainly 2 possibly 3 Marsh Harriers, good numbers of Lapwing and Curlew, on the estuary Golden and Grey Plover, good numbers of Dunlin, Black Tailed Godwit and Avocet.

From the Goat Walk a small flock of Bar Tailed Godwit, 2 distant Black swan.

Haldon Forest ~ 4 flyover Crossbill.

Whooper Swan

Whooper Swan

Great Northern Diver, Guillemot and a Mediterranean Gull along with the usual suspects.

9 Goosander (3 male, 6 redheads) and 30 Mandarin (17 male, 13 female) at 11.30

Lots of birds and birders around today. The 2 Lesser Scaups showing well at the far southern end, the White-fronted Goose in its regular field south of the bridge, the 2 Black-necked Grebes in Ireland Bay, 7 Goldeneye, 2 Cattle Egret, GN Diver on the sea off Torcross and the Snow Bunting near the Memorial car park. The Goose was a special bird for me today being my 200th species for Slapton (the L. Scaup 201st !). 

Happy New Year 

On a grey morning: 65 Black tailed Godwit, 58 Shelduck, 55 Avocet, 14 Great crested Grebe, 1 Common gull and a pair of Bullfinch in the bushes. First thing at Ernesettle creek: 123 Snipe among seaweed and leaves, 58 Teal and a male Great spotted Woodpecker. 

Delighted to have a female (or 1st winter male?) Blackcap join our male at the peanut fat cake feeder In our Braunton garden  this morning and has been a regular visitor ever since. 

Male Blackcap

Female, or 1st winter male, Blackcap

Effort to start the new year well paid off. Glossy ibis showed well close to cycle track mid way between Turf and car park at 1.00pm. In the northern part of the marsh a marsh harrier, buzzard and peregrine were probably why there were so few birds there apart from a chiffchaff or two on the canal bank. Failed to locate the pink-footed goose (reported to have flown over the railway) but lots of brents, wigeon and teal. A single reed bunting at Turf was the first I have seen for some time.

Resident glossy ibis spotted at clennon lakes