Arrived at Dawlish Warren just after 7:oo this morning with a cool northerly wind started to walk out towards the dunes to do a bit of vis mig hopefully and was not to be disappointed with from the word go large groups of Woodpigeon with 8000 + in the first hour they were coming from exmouth area then turning and heading west / north west over the warren. There were good numbers of chaffinch and skylarks heading east with two groups of redpoll ( 6 & 7) with 12 siskin and at laest 50+ redwing. Then just after 8 a SNOW BUNTING flew low overhead moving northwest calling the first year tick of the day.
The birds kept coming with 2 Peregrines attacking one of the groups of woodpigeon flying over.
Lee collins picked out a Jack snipe flying in of the sea and heading north my second year tick a sparrowhak flew east along the beach. Then headed over to the hide to try and see the AMERICAN WIGEON and Lee found it quickly in with the masses of wigeon not bad views and my third year tick and a devon tick. The female Scaup was showing very well with a Red breasted merganser also 5+ bar tailed godwit and good numbers of knot and dunlin.
On the walk back to the station had a group of 30+ Golden plover heading high north, and several smaller groups of woodpigeon still moving west/ north west with a final total of 14000+ in 5 hours. Along the back path had a group of 6+ lesser redpoll, 15+ siskin, 5+ goldcrests and 2 male bullfich and a female blackcap and 20+ long tailed tits
A cracking 5 hours of birding thanks Lee for your help this morning.
