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Saturday, 4 September 2010

Dawlish Warren today

Within 550+ Dunlin & 360 Ringed Plover were 7 juvenile Curlew Sandpipers & 2 Little Stints, finding them not always easy at it would appear. Offshore 1 juvenile Arctic Tern showed well if beliefly this afternoon. Lee

SOAR, SOAR MILL

walk about today produced a few bits and bobs but nothing of note (for me anyway) a few of the Plymouth lads were out as well so may have done better?
Redstart 2 Whinchat 2, Spot Fly 3 Yellow wag 10+ White wag 12 N Wheatear 5 Chiffchaff 10+ willow warb 4+ (6+ Clouded Yellow)

Slapton Ley

Walked from Slapton Bridge down the line to Torcross and back this afternoon. Very quiet, saw the usual female Marsh Harrier but apart from that just 5 Sandwich Terns and 2 Wheatears.

Beer Cemetery Fields

Today - 14.00 - 14.30- 2 Spotted Flycatchers, 1 Redstart (m)

Yesterday -3rd sept - 12.00-12.30- 3 Spotted Flycatchers, 4 Whitethroats, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Blackcaps, 1 Whinchat.

Also a Hobby on sept 1st.

Clyst Estuary


Four juvenile Curlew Sandpipers on the Clyst this afternoon, along with 13 Avocets and the Osprey, which caught a fish very quickly after leaving the derrick and was soon back devouring it.


Bowling Green Marsh held 35 Little Egrets, 15 Greenshank and about 10 Pintail, but very few waders on a neap high tide.


The cliffs near Otterton were quiet, just a couple of Wheatears and 4 Yellow Wagtails.

Kingsbridge Estuary

Charleton Marsh / Bay, 07:00-09:00, low tide.

2 Egyptian Geese, 6 Teal, 50 Ringed Plover, 28 Dunlin, Turnstone, Greenshank, Med Gull, 2 Common Tern, Kingfisher.

Dawlish Warren 3 Sept

Over high tide in afternoon, 1 Little Stint & 3 Curlew Sandpipers

Friday, 3 September 2010

Nightjar in Plymouth


I received a phone call earlier in the week and when I called at the house I discovered the bird that had died hitting their patio doors the night before was a male Nightjar. The house concerned was the last house on the Woolwell Estate and actually backing onto Cann Wood.

Yelverton - Wryneck on 31 August




Tony John received a message to say a couple had found a Wryneck trapped in their porch. Fortunately they thought to take these photos before releasing the bird which appeared unharmed.


Black Hole Marsh & Colyford Common

3 Curlew Sandpipers and 1 Little Stint still present, with a few Dunlin and Ringed Plovers, plus 1 Greenshank.

2 Lesser Whitethroats on Coly Common, one carrying 2 unsightly ticks (photo)

Kingsbridge Estuary

4 Med Gulls ( 3 adults, second winter ) off Embankment Road Pumping Station, Kingsbridge this evening.

Taw Estuary


Great Black-backed Gull

Fremington Quay at 14:00 hrs,high water - No sign of the Great White Egret. Only note worthies were 6 Common Tern and a Great Black-backed Gull tucking into a flounder.

Isley Marsh -  30 Knot and 100 Oystercatcher at the outfall high tide roost. Also a single Cormorant in the outfall pond ( not seen many in there
 
Knot

Common Tern

Berry Head


10:30-13:00: steady passage of Gannets (165), Great Skua, 2 Arctic Skuas, 2 Manx Shearwaters, Balearic Shearwater (photo). Highlight was 10+ Common Dolphins heading south fairly close in (fairly rare sighting here!).

Thurlestone

O7.30 Thurlestone Marsh - 5 Chiffchaffs, 3 Willow Wblr, 3 Blackcap, 1 Cettis Wblr, 1 Garden Wblr, 10 Teal, 2 L Grebe, 3 Black T Godwit.
9.15 - 12.45 Thurlestone Bay - 3 Turnstone, 1 Whimbrel, 29 Ringed Plover, 14 Sanderling, 1 Knot, 5 Dunlin , 1 Redshank ,1 Wheatear, 5 Yellow Wags

[from Mike Passman]

Taw News (GW Egret still)

Great White Egret still at Fremington Quay this morning + 21 Little Egrets

1 Ruff and 3 Black-tailed Godwits beneath Taw Bridge @ 07:45

Also c.100 Redshanks + 1 Greenshank at Fremington Pill

[from Maurice Clements]

Thursday, 2 September 2010

Plaster Down, Tavistock

Three juv Ringed Plover feeding on edge of Dartmoor. Present since at least Sunday evening. Still there this afternoon happily feeding despite a family playing cricket very close by. Viewable from the road.
(Tony John)

Fremington Quay - Great White Egret

Malcolm Shakespeare found this bird this afternoon. Present at 16.00 (still there when I left at 17:30). Pictures are hugh crops taken with stacked converters from afar so poor quality.




Axe Estuary And Beer Head

Beer Head was very quiet this morning; 46+ Yellow Wagtails, with singles of Ringed Plover and Grey Wagtail over.

Black Hole Marsh then produced three Curlew Sandpipers and a Little Stint amongst the Dunlin and Ringed Plovers.

On the Axe Estuary a juvenile Goosander, eight Black-tailed and one Bar-tailed Godwit.

Wednesday, 1 September 2010

Black Hole Marsh

2 Curlew sand at Blackhole marsh tonight also juv Little Stint 31 Dunlin ,12 Ringed plover and 2 Barn owls

[From Phil Abbott]

Kingsbridge Estuary

Charleton Marsh / Bay, 17:30-19:30, rising tide.

Osprey ( in bay briefly at 18:10 then flew into Frogmore Creek ), Great Crested Grebe, 24 Ringed Plovers, 44 Dunlins, 2 Sanderlings, 2 Sandwich Terns and a Kingfisher.