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Pete's Sinensis, in fact 2 of them I think..

Can eds confirm?

Def Sinensis

Poss Sinensis?

The 3 Spoonbills at Wrafton this morning.

The Knot still around this afternoon; also, 7 Goosanders (1 drake), 24 Mandarin Ducks, Red-crested Pochard (female), 60 shelducks & a Sparrowhawk. 

With a showery start, the sun shone for most of the cruise today with a Rainbow to finish a memorable ending. It was a slow around Dawlish Warren with DB Brent Geese near the mouth and Turnstones near the old Oyster cages. A good look for the Black-Neck Grebes along the Starcross Straight failed to find them. Greenshank showed near the River Kenn confluence with a few Great Crested Grebe showing off Lympstone. 50+ Pintail were off Exton up towards the Clyst confluence. Grey Plover and a few Widgeon were seen near the Cycle/Railway Bridge along with a nice flock of Shelduck. A nice surprise and a bonus for the visitors were two Spoonbill feeding in the mouth of the Clyst confluence. 20+ Ringed Plover were seen on the right mudbank heading towards Turf Locks with plenty of Curlew in the same area. 300+ DB Brent Geese were seen at close quarters on the bend at Turf Lock with plenty of Dunlin on both mudbanks. As we headed towards Topsham 600+ Golden Plover were roosting on the left mudbank. Good numbers of Common Gulls were seen on the right of the Channel with at least 5 Sanderling in their striking white winter plumage scurrying along the waters edge. Red Breasted Mergansers were seen throughout the estuary with at least 25+ seen. As we approached Topsham Avocets were in abundance with at least 600+ birds throughout this stretch to Topsham Quay. Great views of mixed flocks of Black-Tailed Godwits, Bar-Tailed Godwits and Knot also along this stretch. As we were about to turn the Spotted Redshank was seen at the Quay were everyone had great views of this long stayer. Great flying displays were had on the home run with Avocets, the mixed flocks of Godwits and Knot, Dunlin, and Golden Plover, these were probably Spooked by a Bird of Prey but nothing seen. These close aerial displays were spectacular for the visitors so close to the Pride of Exmouth. The cruise ended with a dry trip home back to the Marina! 

Avocets off Topsham

Spoonbill Clyst Confluence

Nothing much here either apart from a Kingfisher at the drainage channel outlet at Mudbanks. 

Firecrest in North Wood, Cadover, with Goldcrests and tits.

4+ Skylark singing at Trowlesworthy. 

Lower Tamar Lake this morning.

31 Goosander 7m 24f, 2 Willow Tit 2 Marsh Tit both at the hide, 3 Teal 2m 1f, 4 Cormorant, 4 Tufted Duck 3m 1f, 1 Redwing, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Grey Heron.

Arrived at the scrape to find the 3 Spoonbills were there again, and they were still there when I left the reserve at mid-day, participating in a bit of mutual preening. 2 Little Egrets nearby and a Grey Heron hiding from the strong wind. 22 Black-tailed Godwits. 2 Jays and several Redwings in the reserve.

Four Goosanders (all redheads) present on the lake this morning. Also a couple of Stock Doves about. 

Goosander

Stock Dove

Nothing outstanding in this afternoon's WeBS count apart from 185 Snipe in Cord Grass saltmarsh at Dawlish Warren. This will be the fifth winter  in a row with no Jack Snipe record if I don't see one next month. Only 2 Greenshanks roosted there, but later there 13 roosting in the flooded field just north of Starcross. Couldn't find the Black-necked Grebes between Starcoss and Dawlish Warren, but there were 6 G C Grebes and 14 Mergansers.

On Saturday 12 Feb, the last synchronised Goosander roost count of the winter targetted Dartmoor, where the six reservoirs and five clay pit sites visited at dawn produced a total of 47 (17 adult males). The highest counts were 16 at Avon Dam and 15 at Venford, with smaller numbers at Burrator, Fernworthy, Meldon, Cholwichtown and Whitehill Yeo. Counts on the same morning away from Dartmoor included 25 at Tamar Lakes, 15 at Blackhill Quarry, 13 at Wistlandpound, 11 on the Taw Est and 3 at Blue Waters. The Dartmoor count was only a little lower than in January and in other recent Februaries, but considerably lower than the 80+ totals of 10 years ago, which included one count of 51 at Burrator alone. Thanks to all who contributed, including the zeros!

From East the Water along the Tarka Trail to Instow in the rain this morning: 4 Bullfinches (1M, 3F), 26 Teal (13 each M&F), 8 Mallards (4 each M&F), 7 Shelducks, 7 Oystercatchers, 6 Curlew, at least 11 Redshanks A Little Egret was hunched up looking thoroughly cheesed off in the field just after Tapeley park gates (2 of the Shelduck and 2 of the Redshanks in the estuary flood water in the same field)

Arrived in the light rain to find the three Spoonbills out on the scrape, along with 27 Black-tailed Godwits, a Little Egret and 40+ Black-headed Gulls. In the reserve were singing Song Thrush and Blackbird, plus: a couple of Redwings, 2 Jays 16 Gadwall, and a heard only Cetti's Warbler.

A very rainy and windswept Clennon produced 3 Mute Swan, c. 40 Mallard, 3 Gadwall (2m+f), 4 Wigeon (2m+2f), 2 Shoveler (m+f), 4 Teal (2m+2f), 4 Tufted Duck (3m+f), 2 Little Grebe, 3 Coot, numerous Moorhen, 2 Grey Heron, Black-Headed Gull and Herring Gull.

Highest numbers to date this morning, 3 male and 3 female Blackcaps on the fatcake feeder and they all seem to be getting on well now with no aggressive behaviour witnessed at all. 

Town Parks, Paignton five soaring Buzzards over the valley.

Broadsands ~ around the car parks 10 plus Cirl Bunting, 2 Song Thrush in full song, male Bullfinch, Chaffinch, Dunnock, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, 7 Meadow Pipit, Raven overhead and a soaring female Sparrowhawk seen off by 2 very vocal Carrion Crow.

On the sea a spectacle of 80 plus Cormorant feeding in a long raft before all lifting off and flying towards Brixham, I don’t think I have ever seen that many together, surprisingly very few gull’s feeding with them possibly due to the disturbance around the Broadsands gull roost by dogs and cold water swimmers.

Back home at South Brent ~ 15 Pied Wagtails and 10 Redwings in the stubble field alongside the house, male Bullfinch and a Nuthatch around the feeders.

Cormorant

Song Thrush

A pair of goosander and a little grebe just below the Salmonpool footbridge.

How could I forget 26 Mandarins as well!

A pre-dawn start at Stover for roosting Goosanders, but none present. Compensation in the form of 12 Shoveler (one tame pair seem habituated to visitors!), 4 Gadwall, 5 Wigeon, 26 Tufted, drake Pochard, Greylag Goose (a site tick for me!), Water Rail, Firecrest, Green and G S Woodpeckers, 3 Stock Doves, Kingfisher, 6 Nuthatch and 14 Siskin, but worryingly no Marsh Tit. The cob Mute Swan has got last year's large brood down to three, which he pursued relentlessly; the young eventually took over, circled a few times and disappeared ... only to return after 5 minutes and land by the unsympathetic pen. He'll keep trying, until the pair can settle down to breed ... alone!

Early am yesterday & this morning.

Baggy point - 2 Red throated Divers (yesterday morning)

Tarka trail this morning - (Taw Estuary - Chivenor to Barnstaple)  -

1 f Goldeneye at Ashford Strand.

11 Goosanders.

Apart from the confusing Pied Wagtail flock, the Snow Bunting is still easy to see just to the south of the Memorial Car Park at Slapton. Amazing camouflage though, set against the shingle background.

Snow Bunting- Monument Car Park

An afternoon at the lake produced a good variety of wildfowl; about 20-30 tufted duck, 1 drake pochard, 7 shoveller, 5 wigeon, 3 goosander, 5+ mandarin, a cormorant and hundreds of black headed gulls. Great spooted woodpeckers were actively drumming in the woods, also 2 nuthatch at the feeders.

A late afternoon visit found two distant Spoonbills, lounging about, doing very little apart from a bit of preening.

Spoonbill

Only thing of note from the canal bank was how few Wigeon there were.

From Turf to the cycle bridge, highlights from multiple scans were the usual 6-800 Golden Plovers on the West mud, 3-400 Avocets strung out along the Exe, 3 Spoonbills and 100+ Pintail at the Exe/Clyst confluence, and 10+ Ringed and 75+ Grey Plovers, and 50+ Knot on the mud in between.

From Turf to Starcross there were 25+ Mergansers, the most I have seen this Winter, but no G-c Grebes

Back in Exeter, the first returning LBB Gull was on Trews Weir, taking the day's list past 70, and suggesting, along with the Wigeon and Grebes, that the season has turned. 

On a Spring-like morning and into afternoon (8.45am-2.15pm) best birds were: Ring-necked duck (ad male) showing by the viewing hide; three male Goldeneyes displaying and singing (Collins app 'alt song') with two females; male snow bunting showing by memorial first thing and on the beach a bit further south last thing; 8 cattle egrets in the reeds on the inland side of the ley - later flew up into trees; as per earlier post some great crested grebes in breeding plumage; three GNDivers in a group offshore and another single.

Otherwise birds included guillemots and razorbills offshore; numerous shags showing breeding plumage well; cormorants; gadwalls; tufted ducks; wigeons; cetti's warbler singing and glimpsed; greenfinches; stonechats; rock pipit; meadow pipits and a blackbird singing lustily if briefly at the side of the ley.

Black-throated diver 2, GN diver 2 , Red- throated diver 4 , Common Scoter 50+ very distant. Snow bunting in usual area. On the Ley 1 Ring-necked duck, 8 Cattle Egrets.

Single Barnacle Goose and white faced Canada amongst flock of Canada’s on the Ley this morning. Two pairs of Great Crested Grebe with one pair completing full courtship display including ‘weed dance’. Fantastic. Unfortunately no camera to hand.

Further to Chris E.'s sightings from yesterday. The 2 Shelduck and female Goldeneye showing well and feeding together. Around 100 Golden Plover on the Down together with Skylarks and Meadow Pipits. A Snipe disturbed om the bridle path.

Shelduck and female Goldeneye

Golden Plover

Very much the usual suspects: Great, Blue and Coal Tits; Chaffinch; Siskin; Yellowhammers and Great Spotted Woodpeckers; no Brambling. Singing Song Thrush, along with about 50 Siskins feeding in fir trees.

Canada Geese, Brent Geese, W/F Goose 1, Spoonbills 2, Little Egrets, Herons, Wigeon, Teal, Moorhen, Shoveler, Pintail, Mallards, Buzzard, Chiffchaffs, Avocets, Redshank, Ruff 1, Curlew, Lapwings, Golden Plover, Blackwits, Peregrine with Golden Plover kill over the Exe near Turf.

Pergrine and Golden Plovers

Avocet

Pics from previous report

Siskin

Yellowhammer

A lot of activity round the feeding station but very little elsewhere. Siskins, Yellowhammers, Blue, Great, Coal, L.T Tits, Chaffinches, Goldfinches, Bramblings, Nuthatches, GSW's, Song Thrushes, and a solitary Crossbill.

Three Firecrests in the zoo grounds: one in the Cassowary enclosure and two by the main car park.

Male Black Redstart, 2 Greenshank The Skern, 1 Purple Sand Westward Ho!, on rocks 800 yards west of swimming pool, Whooper Swan Braunton Marsh with Mutes, 1 Spot Shank, 11 Cattle Egrets & 5 Glossy Ibis to roost Fremington Pill.

A pair of Dippers gathering nest material, and the 'resident' pair of Goosanders enjoying the sunshine. 3 buzzards soaring, GS Woodpecker and an otter showed well at Fluxton.

Purple Sandpipers still working the rocks below Capstone Hill; Black-backed Gulls resting among juvenile Herring Gull

1 Spoonbill at Bowling Green Marsh this morning.

Later, 2 Spoonbills still at Exminster Marshes, so these probably made the 3 that I saw yesterday. Also the White-fronted Goose was with Canada Geese near the lagoon.

Late for Wednesday.

Upper Tamar Lake.

3 Tundra Bean Geese, c100 Canada Geese 4 Cormorant, 5 Great Crested Grebe.

Lower Tamar Lake.

26 Goosander 6m 20f (09:40), 2 Willow Tit, 2 Marsh Tit, 1 Little Grebe.

On a visit this lunchtime, a Marsh Harrier was causing mayhem, also a Kestrel and Buzzard. Two Spoonbills were disturbed and were joined by a third bird, circling over the marsh.

My first Brimstones and Red Admirals seen on the wing in warm sunshine this morning. 

Female Goldeneye, 2 Shelduck, 56 Herring Gull and 2 LBB Gull on the pit at the top of the down.

A firecrest heard singing this afternoon in ivy-covered trees above the start of Bishops Walk (the coast path running towards Hope's Nose), about 15 metres from the road.

09:08 - 10:37

8+ Yellowhammer were the highlight of a walk around the Common.

First Firecrest of the year today.

Snow Bunting showing very well on the beach just south of northern car park. 2 Great Northern Diver very close to the shore. As well as a Guillemot, juvenile Common Scoter and several Shag. Other divers further off shore but not seen well unfortunately.

Red Kite spotted over Harford Moor heading towards Harford.

Oystercatcher, Cormorant, Rock Pipit,3 Purple Sandpipers,Pied Wagtail,

Pair of Goosanders on the Otter this evening.

In and around the estuary were 3 Snipe, 2 Little Grebes and a Water Rail, with song from Cetti's Warbler and Reed Bunting.

On the sea and along the cliffs from Brandy Head to Ladram were 40+ Common Scoters, 10 Fulmars, 3 Razorbills and a Red-throated Diver. Also present was a group of Dolphins, my first here. The most I could see simultaneously was four, so I guess there were eight or so.

In the fields and hedges behind the cliffs were a Red-legged Partridge and a 40+ Redwing/Fieldfare flock, split perhaps 3:1.

Highlight today was a Woodcock; also, Snipe, Knot, 6 Greenshanks, 30 Wigeon, 6+ Goosanders (3+ drakes), 2 Red-breasted Mergansers (drakes), 16 Mandarin Ducks, Mediterranean Gull (ad-w), 2 Treecreepers, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Grey Wagtail, 2 Stonechats (pair), 5 Mistle Thrushes, 25+ Redwings & 3 Roe Deer. 

Quick visit mid afternoon, walked to canal bank and back. A peregrine was sitting on top of one of the pylons. The white-fronted goose was with Canada geese alongside Station Road. Two spoonbills were asleep next to the cormorant roost in the middle of the marsh and a marsh harrier was atop its favourite tree next to the lagoon. Otherwise quiet with most waders out on the estuary.

River Tavy by the main car park three 1st year Med Gulls showing very well, scrounging food of the humans

6 Purple Sandpipers spread around the rocks of Haldon Pier, high tide this morning.

Slapton - Snow Bunting still showing well in usual area south of Memorial car park. Med Gull (1) and Goldeneye (8) on Ley. Red-throated Diver (5), Great Northern Diver (2) and Black-throated Diver (3) just offshore. Common Scoter (~20) far offshore. 

Beesands - Ring-necked Duck still on main pond with Tufteds. Male Pochard (1) and male Black Swan (1) too. Barnacale Goose (1) with Canada Geese grazing on neighbouring field. 

15 Goosander (2 males) at first light on South lake all departed by 8.00am

also Mallards, Tufted ducks, Canada geese, 1 Little grebe and 1 Raven over.