Possible Black Kite

A possible Black Kite (and the description really is quite good) flew west over Yelverton cricket club at 7pm yesterday. It came from the direction on Cadover Bridge.

Bowling Green Marsh - 10/08/11

Sorry for the delay in putting this up, but here's what Tim Stripp saw on Bowling Green Marsh on 10/08/11...

"An evening at bowling green produced 50+black headed gulls, a green sandpiper, a ringed plover, 3 greylag geese, 4 canada geese, 8 bar tailed and 30+ black tailed godwits, 10 greenshank, 40+ redshank, 40+ curlew, 3 whimbrel, 2 herring gulls, a dabchick, 2 wood pigeons, 1 willow warbler, 3 mute swans (2 cygnets), swallows and house martins, 1 magpie, 2 carrion crows and 2 buzzards."

Axe Estuary

This morning there's a Little Stint on Black Hole Marsh, with a Hobby south over, at least six Wood Sandpipers (last seen landing on Colyford Marsh) and 8+ Green Sands.

Attached are some cracking photos from Simon Thurgood of a couple of the Wood Sands taken yesterday afternoon....

Beesands Ley

Reasonable numbers of waterbirds for August on the ley this afternoon which included 51 Gadwall, 15 Tufted Duck, 4 Pochard and 96 Coot.
Re Alans Juv Marsh Harrier the bird i saw there on Wednesday was distant so i was guilty of assuming it was the normal bird seen on and off for many years locally. Whilst it does make random appearances on the marsh more likely i would think that only one bird is hanging around the vicinity so i probably saw the same bird as Al.

3 Wood sands still at Blackhole marsh this evening plus 13 Dunlin,9 Ringed plover,8 Common sands and 6 blackwits.

Thurlestone Bay

Only a few waders in the bay this am- 10 Ringed Plover , 2 Dunlin , 1 Turnstone

At 18.00 8 Swift over Thurlestone marsh

Kingsbridge Estuary

juv. Marsh Harrier W Charleton Marsh area (as seen 8/8) adW Med Gull, Ham sandwich and a bottle of orange with bits in' a proper Boatyard Lunch.

There were three Wood Sandpipers on Black Hole Marsh this morning. Other waders present were two Green Sandpiper, five Common Sabdpiper and four Dunlin.

Upottery Airfield, Smeatharpe

A quick look this morning saw a hint of migration with single Wheatear and Hobby, 5 Chiffchaffs, 2 Willow warblers and a Whitethroat. A Sparrowhawk caused chaos amongst the many finches and starlings. A young Brown Hare was a pleasant surprise. Plenty of gatekeepers, meadow browns and common blues on the wing plus the odd small heath.

Thurlestone Bay

Apologies - no report today - Doug & I went to Porthgwarra- he was desparate to pick up Cory's- after 3 previous visits success including a relatively close in sighting, also Great S', Balearic & Sooties, Bonxies & Arctic Skuas, Stormies. Very good views of Turtle Dove at Drift but dipped the Black Kite

Back on the patch Friday

Prawle - again!

Seawatching from 15.30 - 20.00; 136 Gannets, 27 Fulmars, 900 Manx Shearwaters, 10 Balearic Shearwaters, Storm Petrel, Curlew, 57 Lesser Black-backed Gulls. (Gives day totals of 1800 Manx and 16 Balearics).

Slapton Ley

Had a quick look at the ley from Torcross and then the central car park this evening. Would say there were minimum counts of 1000 Sand Martins, 500 Swallows, 250 House Martins and 20 Swifts. No terns and few gulls on the ley. Out in Start Bay several hundred Kittiwakes suffering no hassle from any skuas.

Prawle seawatch

Frank was present from 6.30 am and had 200+ Manx, I was present from 8.00-14.00 and logged 700 further Manx, 6 Balearic, 1 Sooty Shearwater (11.20, so different bird from Start) also 1 Eider, 2 Sandwich Tern, 12 Ringed Plover, 2 Whimbrel. Strangely we did not get the heavy rain belt which happened at Start! which may be why the Great Shearwater was not seen .

Prawle Point

Good numbers of Manx Shearwaters past Prawle Point this morning along with 3 Balearic Shearwaters and 28 Common Scoters.

[Chris Gibbard]

Start Point

Seawatch 0600-1500: MD, ML & BMc

Great Shearwater (at 12:50), Sooty Shearwater (14:20), 2 Puffin, 16 Balearic Shearwater, 1270 Manx Shearwaters, 2 Bonxie, 15 Common Scoter, 6 Common Tern, 2 Sandwich Tern, 7 Auks, 3-5 juv Yellow-legged Gulls, 728 Gannet. juv Mediterranean Gull, 10 Kittiwakes (including 3 juvs) and Whimbrel.

Left: from top, juv Herring, Yellow-legged & Great Black-backed gulls, just a shame one of the many juv Lesser Black-backed Gulls also present didn't land on the rock too.

West Charleton Marsh

Presumed usual female Marsh Harrier present at 13:30 hrs. today

Berry Hd

Some great pictures sent to me from Nigel Smallbones -taken by Paul Holmes on 2nd August on top of Berry Hd headland! 1 Sunfish and then a couple of Bonxies which were having a go at the local Herring Gulls.

There was a Juv Wood Sandpiper on the scrape at Colyford Common this morning. Other waders present were 64 Curlew, 2 Greenshank, 4 Green Sandpiper and a Common Sandpiper.

09/08/11- English Chanel 20nm S of Start Point

Around the fishing boat yesterday 09/08/11: one Bonxie, 10 European Storm-petrels. Again one light phase Fulmar in with the numerous double lights.



Light phase left and double light right - its sublte!

Bearded Tits

Still at least two Bearded Tits mid evening at Bowling Green Marsh RSPB from the hide. One Green Sandpiper but no sign of the Wood Sandpiper

Thurlestone Marsh/South Milton Ley

A quiet ringing morning - only 8 Sedge & 2 Willow.

Green Sandpiper -2 S H Msh, 1 Tstn Msh.

In the bay 4 L B B Gull , 1ad + 1juv Yellow L Gull, 1juv Med Gull. 16 Ringed Plover..

At Upton Cross ( near South Milton ) 12.00 - 32 Swift- feeding high, 10 House martin .

Over Thurlestone marsh at 18.00- 20 Sand Martin & 2 Swift

Velator reserve

I can't compete with the ringing totals at S Milton/Thurlestone, but did catch some migrants today:
3 Swallows, 6 Reed Warblers, 3 Sedge Warblers, 2 Chiffchaffs, 1 Willow Warbler, 3 Goldcrests, and a Cetti's Warbler (not strictly a migrant I know, but worth a mention).

Bowling Green Marsh

The Wood Sandpiper was still present at the back of the main pool until 1930hrs at least this evening. Low tide meant nothing more than a couple of Green Sandpipers and a lone Greenshank could be found on the main pool.

Thurlestone Bay

WNW f5/6 brought a few interesting birds into the Bay this am-first juv Kittiwake , Common Gull, 2 Manx S'water followed by a Sooty S'water moving west at 11.10. A Little Tern flew thru at 11.25 (first of the year ).

Waders on the Beach- 1 Whimbrel, 8 Ringed Plover, 3 Sanderling, 2 Dunlin. Roger managed to trap one of the Ringed Plovers,.

Warblers ringed this am - 36 Sedge, 9 Reed, 3 Blackcap, 8 Willow & 1 Chiffchaff.

Taw Bridge, Barnstaple

08:00
Sandbar next to the "Deerhurst."

10 Mediterranean Gulls, incl Polish ringed bird "PAH4" last seen at Skern on 01/08/2011.
Also 35 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 3 Common Gulls and 1 Little Egret.

Berry Head

16:00 - 20:00. 116 Manx, 6 Balearic, 1 Bonxie, 1 Arctic Skua, 1 C Tern, 2 S Tern, 1 auk sp, 1 Redshank, 1 Oyc.

2 Harbour Porpoise. 1 Ocean Sunfish - c.1.5 metre diameter; so close in, first picked it up by hearing its dorsal fin splashing. Basked for 5 mins before descending back into the inky gloom.

Start Point

Seawatch 12:30-18:30: Cory's Shearwater (at 15:25), Sooty Shearwater, Balearic Shearwater, 569 Manx Shearwaters, 13 Common Scoter, 2 Sandwich Terns and Yellow-legged Gull (juv).

Thurlestone Bay

No movement thru the Bay this morning to compare with Porthgwarra- a max oe 10 Gannet !

5 Sandwich Tern in the Bay ( 1 juv ), 1juv Med Gull, 2 Common Gull, 5 Ringed Plover, 3 Dunlin & 1jv Wheatear.

Due to the high wind only 1 small net put up , still caught 12 Sedge.