Axe and Exe

Eight Ruff and two Golden Plover on Bridge Marsh this afternoon were the best the Axe had to offer today.

Over on the Exe, the Red-breasted Goose was seen on the Estuary near Topsham, and later at Dart's Farm.

Brixham breakwater

Late afternoon - 10 Purple Sandpipers and a Great Northern Diver

Fremington Quay

12:30 A single Spoonbill in a shallow pool off the quay - it was quite a way off but this heavy crop confirms  it is our old friend FJ9. Nothing else of note on the quay or in the pill.

Thurlestone Bay

Only the Glossy Ibis and a female Black Redstart worthy of listing

Prawle

Lots of Shags around again today, 100+ along the near coastline including a group of 85+ together off Langerstone Rocks, where 2 Purple Sandpiper and a Grey Plover were feeding. Not much at sea but a few Razorbills passing. On land 46 Teal,1 Egyptian Goose, Kingfisher, 2 Chiffchaff. At Horseley beach 1 , probably 2 , Water Pipit and a Grey Plover. A leucistic-looking pale House Sparrow near the village green gave a momentary surprise. West of the Airfield a large flock of waders was visible circling, dropped in on a ploughed field opposite Meadow Barn west of the radio mast;counted 600+ Golden Plover and 166 Lapwing.
On return called in at Slapton quarry where a Firecrest was visible mid afternoon , but a half hour wait did not reveal the Yellow-browed Warbler.

That Wigeon

Here's a rather blurred photo I took of it .... not that's it's of much help.

Seaton Area

Slavonian Grebe off Branscombe, also 8+ Bottle-nosed Dolphins slowly east this morning.

An 'interesting' pale female Wigeon sp. on Bridge Marsh (E of Colyford by A3052) and a Ruff on the Axe.

The one at the back, with its head up

Bursdon Moor - yesterday 5/2

1 Short-eared Owl around 2pm.    [Hilary and David Phillips]

Otter Estuary

The adult Caspian Gull was again present on the estuary until at least 1300hrs. At this time all the gulls were disturbed and they flew around a bit. They all seemed to settle back down again, but I was unable to relocate the bird in the time I had left!

PAIGNTON

1 x male Black Redstart on the wall of the car park in Cliff Road(Behind the harbour)

Broadsands

Wader-tastic at Broadsands today, 3 Sanderling and a Knot. Also in the bay 75+ Great Crested Grebe and 7 Black-necked Grebe. Quite a few Cirls around the seed and at least 5 Reed Bunting difficult to count thanks to the multitude of Dog walkers. A couple of Colybita Chiffs in the marsh. On a side note, the decision to abolish free parking on the road was made by the community partnership, a meeting attended by probably no more than 20 persons, cheers for that. Hopefully the extra revenue generated for the council will be used to manage the marsh..but probably not.

Hallsands/Slapton

N Hallsands
Black redstart- around boulder area, r/h side of beach, also chiff
Torcross

YB Warbler - above and at the back of, the 'Quarry' Ireland Bay though very elusive (2-3 brief views over 1-1.5hrs) AFD EW.  Also Firecrest (pic), 2 Goldcrest, Blackcap.

Bowling green marsh

Watched from hide from 14:00 till 16:15

Numbers have increased over last couple of days with 500+ wigeon, 53+ shoveler my best count for the marsh and interesting watching them feeding in large circular group of 30+ birds spining around in the same area for most of the afternoon, 3 pintail( 2m & 1f), 2 gadwall(1m & 1f), 3 pochard(1m & 2f), 5 tufted duck (2m & 3f), 100+ teal, 4+ snipe, 2 meadow pipit, 1 redshank, 20+ curlew, 80+ lapwing.

Topsham recreation ground 12:00 till 12:30

3 snipe, 2 red breasted mergansers(1m & 1f), 3 common gull

Goat walk 12:45 till 13:50

350+ avocet, 200+ black tailed godwit, 4 red breasted mergansers, 200+ Brent geese flew in from darts farm direction.

Prawle

The cold weather elsewhere has certainly brought a few birds in since last week. Highlight was the first drake Goosander for Prawle, briefly off Langerstone Point this morning, and again late afternoon. As this bird flew off east, 2 drake Red-breasted Mergansers flew west. Shag numbers sometimes build up offshore in late winter, and this year is looking like a good one, with 117 counted today, the first 3-figure count since 2002. While counting these, 3 Red-throated Divers flew west. Waders were represented by 4 Knot, and single Sanderling and Dunlin along with the usual Grey Plover. 3 Med Gulls and the Water Pipit were in Horseley Cove, and a Reed Bunting and Firecrest were around the Reserve. Earlier a seawatch (J.Lambert) produced 2 Brent Geese and a probable Black-throated Diver.

(accompanied today by 'the Brent Birders')

Exe Estuary area

Today's Stuart Line Cruise was a good one, with much milder conditions and better light than yesterday. 3 Black-necked Grebes off Dawlish Warren ('scoped to confirm), Slavonian Grebe (Cockwood as usual), good numbers of Great Crested Grebes (maybe more than a dozen in the estuary), c40 Shags, only a single Little Egret, Herons at nests (Powderham), Red-breasted Goose (with Brents near Turf), 5 Goldeneye, maybe 80 Mergansers, Peregrine on the mud near Turf, good numbers of Avocets (500 perhaps?), c30 Lapwings (Turf), 2 Greenshank (Powderham), Sanderling (Pole Sands), a few Knot, adult Med Gull (Lympstone - also seen yesterday), Razorbill (Warren), Kingfisher (Ken outlet), several Rooks on the sandbank off Powderham Church, and 2 Ravens keeping the Crows at bay at a bird corpse (gull?) off Exmouth. A Harbour (Common) Seal was seen briefly.

Yesterday we also had a second Razorbill right next to the boat at Exmouth Quay, a Shoveler at Turf, good numbers of Mallard and Teal (presumably because inland waters were frozen), 2 sepearate Tufted Duck drakes in the Turf-Topsham area and 2 Gadwall flying over the middle of the estuary.

Kingsbridge Estuary

Geese Quarries - Charleton Marsh, 11:40-14:20, rising tide.

95 Brent Geese, 2 Egyptian Geese, 5 Pintail, Tufted Duck, 27 Red-breasted Merganser, Goosander ( male ), 4 Great Crested Grebe, 11 Little Grebe, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, 3 Rock Pipit, 2 Chiffchaffs ( sewage works ).

Axe Estuary

Iceland Gull on the estuary at midday [Roy Williams]

Otter and Exmouth

Otter Estuary - c1510 - 1615 - caspian gull - presumed female again present this afternoon.

West Lodge - 0840 - yellow-browed warbler still. Also 10 goldeneye including 4 displaying drakes.

Maer Rocks - 0800 - 2 dunlin, 2 knot, 1 ringed plover, 4 turnstone and 4 eider.

Friday - 3/2 - 2 purple sandpiper on Maer Rocks and the yellow-browed warbler again in the Holm Oak copse at West Lodge.
Very educational watching the caspian this afternoon. It looked a different beast to last Sunday when it kept its head low. Note how tiny the head is in relation to the body which, combined with the long slender bill gives it a unique profile. The best way to pick this bird out is to look for the darker neutral grey upperparts lacking any bluish tones. In flight look for a big white tip to p10 and large mirror on p9.

Broadsands

The run of easterly winds and freezing conditions have certainly shaken things up a bit with 133 Great Crested Grebes (just 15 just before the easterly winds), 3 Black-necked Grebes, 1 Avocet (only my 2nd ever in Torbay) it didn't stay too long with so many dogs on the beach but did sit on the sea for some time with the black headed gulls, 1 Dunlin. 15 Cirl Buntings, 3 Reed Buntings at back of 2nd car park, 2 collybita Chiffchaffs in Marsh.
The local authority have decided to make the whole of the road at Broadsands no parking, even in the winter. The winter charges in the car park are £1 for 40mins - not long enough to check the area well! There is free on road parking elsewhere but its a bit of a hike.  

Thurlestone Marsh

The Glossy Ibis back feeding on the marsh at 08.15