The Colyton WTW [Eastern?] Yellow Wagtail

A couple of photos from Simon Thurgood today, showing long hindclaw.

Topsham

8 Brambling in garden between recreational playing field and M5 (up from 4 last weekend). Steady movement of Redwing overhead this morning.

[from Martin Elcoate]

Bideford Waxwing

Today i saw the Waxwing in Bideford at 8.30am in a garden ash tree only for 5+ mins. At Eastridge behind Chudliegh Fort area, Bideford East. I only got a few pictures from my pocket camera through my swarovski bins, please find the enclosed photo.

[from Shaun Barnes]

Prawle

A good day, the highlight being 2 Goosanders (redheads), feeding in Horseley Cove, but later flying off west. This is only the second record for the site. Also present today; Shoveler, 4 Med Gulls, 127 Lapwing, (Golden Plover heard, but none seen), 2 Redshank, 3 Sanderling, 17 Snipe, 2 Woodcock, Green Woodpecker, 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 Mistle Thrush, 40 Song Thrush, 25 Redwing, 76 Skylark, 2 Grey Wagtail, Water Pipit (still in Horseley Cove), 2 Brambling (in flock of 100+ Chaffinches), Blackcap and 4 Goldcrest.

Kingsbridge Estuary

Curlew Drive - Charleton Marsh, 13:45-16:15, low tide.

26 Brent Geese ( all adults, low count so hopefully a lot more elsewhere on estuary ), 3 Shoveler, 25 Pintail, 12 Tufted Duck ( good record ), 5 Goldeneye, 3 Great Northern Divers ( 2 off Curlew Drive, 1 near Saltstone, the latter slid its way up onto the mudflats a couple times ), 5 Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Greenshank, 4 Bar-tailed Godwits and a Kingfisher. Good numbers of Dunlin not counted but may have been getting near a thousand.

Torbay Hospital

Four Waxwings in main carpark of Torbay Hospital (Charles Tyler found 3 at the site yesterday)

Thou shalt always Bird - Gyr Crakes

Thou shalt always Bird - Gyr Crakes

River Teign, Passage House

1 Greenshank, 2 dunlin, a few little egrets

Mansands

A stroll down from the Brixham side this morning threw up at least half a dozen Goldcrests and 3 Firecrests in a small copse which I guess is good news considering the recent cold weather. There are only 3 conifers in the copse as well!! Really nice to know I can watch these beauties 5 mins walk from home!!.The usual suspects were on the marsh but a lot fewer Snipe than last week and no sign of the Jack. Out to sea there were 4 GC Grebes

[from Tim Clyburn]

Bideford

Waxwing - one seen in trees at east ridge view bideford east.

[from Dave Churchill]

Plym Estuary

Unusual for Plym is Wigeon male, Goldeneye and two Gadwall. Also Red-breasted Merganser male, Greenshank 5 and a Common Sand. Eider still in Cattewater too.

[from Steve Cox]

Exminster Marshes

A walk to the canal revealed that most of the pools remain frozen. The canal and lagoon are partially frozen and most ditches are ice free. On the canal, in a relatively small area free of ice, just south of Topsham Cottage were 89 Gadwell, 3 Pochard and 16 Tufted Duck. An impressive sight. Elsewhere the lack of thrushes was striking, I saw only 30 in total - 10 each of Fieldfare, Redwing and Blackbird. About 20 Meadow Pipits and a probable Water Pipit were close to the lane as were over 1000 Wigeon.

PS to the previous posting - A Firecrest was in my garden minutes after posting the earlier message.

Torbay Hospital

4 Waxwings in main carpark. Still present at last light when I managed a few ropey pictures.

Topsham -BGM and Darts Farm

A dull morning at BGM but all the various birds were back now that the frost and ice have gone.

The fields at Darts' Farm had hundreds of Brent geese including two Red-breasted geese, one with a ring.

Photos - Buzzard and Black-tailed Godwit

R. Taw. 09:30 - 12:30

An excellent morning out on the Estuary; not as cold as of late and barely a breath of wind.

Isley Marsh:
Spoonbill 9 as usual
Reed Bunting 7 (2m, 5f)

Yelland:
Great Northern Diver 1 - drifted past on the outgoing tide.
Great Crested Grebe 2
Knot 91
Grey Plover 84
Bar-tailed Godwit 17
Lapwing 126
Dunlin 171
Greenshank 5

Instow:
Velvet Scoter 1 - eventually flew off towards open sea.
Eider 1 female
Great Crested Grebe 1
Sanderling 8

Exminster village

At 09.45 this morning a Glossy Ibis flew east low over the village heading towards Exminster Marshes. A good garden tick. The number of Bramblings visiting the garden rose to at least 5 a few days ago with a couple present today. Overhead a noticeable movement of Fieldfares and Wood pigeons earlier today.

Bursden Moor

After a run of a few years of very few Hen Harriers at the roost site, it is good to see increased activity there. Today there were 4, possibly 5 ringyails and one male between 3.30 and 4.30pm.

R. Caen & Horsey Island 12:30 - 15:30

Shoveler 2
Gadwall 13
Wigeon 78
Teal 88
Curlew 77
Snipe 21
Bar-tailed Godwit 1
Lapwing 93
Golden Plover 26
Greenshank 3
Redshank 34
Dunlin 39
Peregrine 1
Water Rail 1
Moorhen 12
Cetti's Warbler 1
Stonechat 2
and a pair of Moorhen's legs & feet on the footpath with not a single feather in the vicinity.

Thurlestone Bay

Still some ice preventing the duck showing on the marshes- 6 Shoveler, 5 Wigeon,5 Teal., 2 Golden Plover on T'stone Marsh.

In the Bay this am - 7 Gadwall, 5 Teal, on the sea, 9 Dunlin., 11 Ringed Plover,1 Turnstone.A Kingfisher feeding from the rocks, a Chiffchaff feeding on seaweedon the beach..

South Milton Ley- 9 Chiffchaff, 8 Water Rail, 3 Teal, 57 Fieldfare, 20 Redwing 1 Brambling.

Increase in Reed Bunting on my feeders to4 this lunchtime . 1m Blackcap in a local garden

Preston seafront

Quick look revealed Long-tailed Duck still present associating with the Common Scoter