Countess Wear Old Sludge Beds

Close but fairly brief views of a pale grey probable Siberian Chiffchaff today. Its constant straight monosyllabic "Bullfinch-like" call made me fairly sure it was tristis rather than abietinus. Only one collybita Chiffchaff here. For such a great bit of habitat wonder why this place is almost birdless?!

Seaton

The two Snow Buntings still present along beach between Yacht Club and rivermouth this afternoon. Also a Wheatear of the common-or-garden variety, maybe not rare, but still nice this late :o)

Also a Black Redstart about 4 houses along Harbour Road from the Yacht Club [Phil Abbott]

Beesands Ley

November WeBS count, nothing exciting like Paul had doing his at Man Sands.
Teal, 8 Shoveler, 36 Mallard, 27 Gadwall, 18 Tufted Duck, Water Rail and Cetti's Warbler. Black Swan still present.
re Matt's comment about peoples fickle attitude towards the Red-breasted Goose i was certainly in the escape camp for the last bird, it being an adult a big negative for me, surely adult wildfowl are less prone to this type of vagrancy than most birds and there are undeniably shedloads in captivity. I did go and see this one, mainly because i had to give someone a lift to Teignmouth and had a few hours to spare so had a look around the Exe, might not have bothered else. Personally i would not be anything other than 50/50 with this one being wild or not. Now feel thoroughly ashamed. Like Mr. Doidge said, i'll be going into photoshop and airbrushing the wing tag off the Great Bustard photos next !

exminster marshes

Watched the marshes from 08:00 till 11:00

29 golden plover, 3 knot, 2 dunlin, 300+ lapwing , 2 shoveler, 7 reed bunting, Good to hear 4 cetti's warbler calling from 4 locations around the marsh, 800+ wigeon amongst the canada geese, 600+ black tailed godwits, 2 snipe, 5 fieldfare, 30+ redwing, 2 great spotted woodpeckers .

Between 9 and 10 watched the estuary from turf

1 Water Pipit was a nice find in with a group of meadow pipits, 3 red breasted merganser and  1 avocet close in and 20+ distant lots more avocet were  over on the clyst but too distant to count, 2500+ dunlin , 30+ grey plover.

East Devon Commons - Uphams & Crooks Plantations

Saturday midday: Hen Harrier - ringtail - flying over south eastwards from Colaton Raleigh Common. Magnificent flock of 20+ Yellowhammers very active over the open heathland and preening in trees.

Exmouth

Mudbank - 0800 - 61 turnstone, c150+ dunlin, 1 bar-tailed godwit, 3 grey plover, c50+ redshank, 3 greenshank, female scaup, 2 goldeneye, 11 teal, 5 pale-bellied brent goose, 10+ great crested grebe and 2 peregrine.
Exmouth Docks - fem/juv black redstart.
Maer Rocks - 2 purple sandpiper and 10+ turnstone.
Yesterday - Exmouth Seafront - c30+ common scoter, 2 female eider, 1 great northern diver, c40+ kittiwake and 1 merlin making slow progress across Dawlish Bay towards Orcombe Point.
I have to say I'm astonished at the number of people who 'slammed' the 2009 red-breasted goose as an escape, going to see this one. Can't see much difference in timing and behaviour of the two. To say the 2009 bird didn't turn up with brents is just speculation, as is ticking the current bird on the assumption it came from Russia!

Lower Tamar Lake

A pleasant walk at Lower Tamar Lake from late morning onwards.  Warm, bright sunshine - more like April than Nov.  Very muddy conditions underfoot, but a pleasing array of birds:-

 

52 Coot; 49 Teal; 76 Wigeon; 7 Shoveler including 3 males; 11+ Gadwall; 1 female Pintail; 27 Mallard; 24 Tufted Ducks;  12 Moorhens; 10 Mute Swans; 227 Herring Gulls; 46 Black headed Gulls; I Grey Heron; 25 Canada Geese; 1 Jay; 1 Grey Wagtail;  5 Snipe. 2 Buzzards indulging in almost display-like aerobatics; 1 male Bullfinch and 1 Willow Tit heard.   Several Blue and Great Tits at the feeding station.

 

[Harvey Kendall.]

R.Taw off Pottington Ind Est and Ashford Sewage Works

13:40 - 14:25

Juvenile Goosander just off Bradiford Reserve and 9 Greylag Geese in mid river. The geese finally came ashore at 14:15; just off Ashford Sewage Works.

Desert Wheatear & Red Breasted Goose

Mansands

The Desert Wheatear was showing really well on the coastgaurd cottages down at Mansands, about 9:00-10:00.

Darts Farm

The Red breasted goose was also showing fairly well close to the hide at Darts farm with about 150+ brent geese.

Sharkham Area

2 Firecrest in scrub in field at rear of St Marys Bay. 1 very close but manged to run my battery out at Mansands!

Mansands

Desert Wheatear still showing very well on coastguard cottages up until midday at least. Also Black Redstart
The bird was showing as close as 20 ft at times from the public footpath which gives no reason for persons to enter the private gardens to photograph and disturb the bird where it was spending time feeding.

Plymouth

Probably nothing, but I had a brief glimpse from the bus this morning of a Jackdaw on Cattedown roundabout with a pale hood and very obvious white patches around the collar (mostly toward the front). Probably just at the extreme end of what juv British Jackdaw can show but way beyond anything I have seen before. Looking at pics on the internet there seem to be monedula with much less striking patches....... The bird was not dissimilar to the top pic here but I only saw it for a couple of seconds. Might be worth a look if anyone is passing.

Desert Wheatear (again!)

A fantastic bird. Hopefully it will stick around and get the audience it deserves!

Darts Farm

The Red-breasted Goose present midday with c150 Brent Geese.

Seaton

The two Snow Buntings were still on the beach this morning. There was also a Water Pipit in the stubble field next to the sewage works at Colyford. No sign though of the Temminck's Stint but a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper at Blagdon more than made up for that dip. Roger

Otter Estuary / Budleigh

Sadly, nothing as exciting as a Desert Wheater today, but the 2 Snow Buntings remain faithful to the beach. Wigeon numbers are at around 150+, Common Scoter flock off Otter Head is at least 120+ birds but too far out and choppy to give them the attention they deserve.
Yesterday - Following news of the 3 Pink-footed Geese at nearby Otterton, I optimistically had a very late look at the scrapes yesterday evening which produced 1 European White-fronted Goose and another bird roosting (probably the same species) but the light was terrible as it was 16.55hrs! Wish I got there earlier! No sign first thing or last thing today.
Also belated news from the weekend when a group of 9 Grey Partridge were in fields between Otter Head and Brandy Head. Not sure of their origins and the first time I have seen them here.

Broadsands and Mansands

Just a Slavonian Grebe (photo) and 4 Great Crested Grebes off Broadsands.

However, a note on my car window had me heading to Mansands to see this cracking Desert Wheatear found by Paul while doing his WeBS count! A few photos, showing the nice black tail etc. At times the wheatear was chasing or being chased by a Black Redstart (photo).

Thurlestone Bay

F5/6 SSE wind with cery clear conditions - Bay watched 09.30-12.30 produced :-

2 Common Scoter , 5 Razorbill, 6 razormotts, 14 Kittiwake, Great N Diver east and Red T Diver on sea , At 10.40 a single Manx Shearwater flew east .

No afternoon report went to see the very nice Desert Wheatear at Mansands

Turf Lock

Found this solitary Red Breasted Merganser tucking into the fish menu on the Exe this morning

This morning I was doing my WeBS count, (don't get weekends off) when I saw a flash of a Wheatear from a distant on the coastguard cottages, it looked abit unusual. So went to have a closer look, which I thought was a Black-eared Wheatear, so took some photos, and when I could, phoned Mike Langman, who came down and said it was a DESERT WHEATEAR. We (Mike, Bill McDonald and myself) had some great views of it as it flew around the rook of the cottages.

Mansands

Male Desert Wheatear found by Paul Albrechtsen late morning on roof of coastguard buildings - photos to follow from finder etc!

Baggy Point

85 Common Scoter and a drake Eider off Baggy Point yesterday lunchtime.

[Rob Jutsum]

Otterton

3 Pink-footed Geese in stubble fields at Otterton this afternoon - photos from Pete Adey

Froward Point

Short-eared Owl this morning - About 08.00 over Brownstone car park, near Froward Point, Kingswear.

[Andrew Hanlon]

English Channel 20nm SE of Start Point

Yesterday out on a fishing boat: 12+ Great Skuas, 1 Pomarine Skua (juv), 30+ Kittiwakes, Little Gull (1w), Mediterranean Gull (2w), several groups of Common Dolphin. Also a single Bottlenose Dolphin in the mouth of the Dart estuary off Kingswear.

Exe Estuary area

Spent most of this lovely day checking around the Estuary. Scans from Exmouth, Exton and Turf revealed: 8 Great Crested Grebes, 74+ Shelduck, 78+ Pintail, 51 Mergansers, 350 Lapwings, 23 Golden Plover, 800+ Black-tailed Godwits, 1400+ Dunlin, 240+ Avocets and 150+ Common Gulls. And loads of Brents.

The Red-breasted Goose was at Bowling Green Marsh with 1 Barnacle and 2 Greylags, 2 Little Grebes, 1 Green Sandpiper and a Sparrowhawk. And loads of Canadas!

A walk to Turf along the Canal yielded 8 Greylags, 20 Gadwall (lagoon), Kingfisher, Chiffchaff and 4 Cetti's Warblers (1 singing by the car park). During 16:00-16:30 small groups of Greenfinches kept arriving from the north - at least 193 counted. Some landed in canalside willows, so presumably were intending to roost in the area.

Finished with a 'Woodcock watch' from the edge of Haldon near Chudleigh: only one flew out (at 17:00), 3-4 being more usual here in winter.

Thurlestone Bay

Brisk SSW wind, sunny day .

At 0715- the female Marsh harrier quartering Thurlestone marsh - she put 100 Teal up as well as Lapwing & Blk T Godwit & 3 Snipe. . Female Black Redstarton my house roof, .

In the bay - Great N Diver, a Red T Diver flew east., 10 Common Scoter, 11 Razormotts, 34 Kittiwake, 2 Red B Merganser flew west, 50 Teal on the sea. An ad & 1st w Med Gull on the sea

The ringing team managed to catch 2 male Bearded Tit with a further 4/5 birds calling at South Milton Ley with 3 Chiffchaff at the sewage works.

Northam Burrows CP

14:00 Two Snow Buntings on the burrows this afternoon - not sure if they are new birds or the same ones as were there two or three weeks ago. These birds are so photogenic I could not resist a few more snaps of them although I suspect everyone is getting bored with them by now!!!!
No sign of any Wheatears today so maybe they have gone at last.

Venford Reservoir, Dartmoor

2 cracking male goosanders early pm.

Also: 2 little grebe, 2 snipe.

Exbourne Cranes

To confirm 24 Common Crane circling over Exbourne, harassed by Corvus, at 10 am. Then formed flight pattern and flew off in a easterly direction.

[Ron Sutton]

Longdown, near Exeter

At least 1 Hawfinch seen leaving traditional roost site on private estate at Longdown near Exeter (probable group of 4) also 4 Crossbill and 12 Bullfinch

[Roy Adams]

Temminck's Stint - Colyford Marsh

A surprising turn-up for mid-November was this Temminck's Stint on the scrape on Colyford Marsh. View from hide at Coyford Common.

Exmouth Purple Sandpipers

Actually, following on from Matt's post below, I quickly browsed though my old records, and yes, it was about 20 years ago when I last saw any birds hanging around within the actual Exmouth parish boundary. Again Maer Rocks was the favoured locality, but previous to that I have seen them on rocks at Orcombe Point. The most recent record I have was of a single bird flying close in past Orcombe Point on 9 May 2005!

Hopes Nose

Photo of Common Scoters at Hopes Nose today from Joe Martin

Matford marsh

On the walk home this afternoon looked in at matford marsh 50+ wigeon 30+ teal 5 shoveler 15 lapwing 18 black tailed godwit.

From the viewing points along the cannal just down from the swing bridge at countess wear on the pools were 6 snipe and 1 snipe overhead, 1 kingfisher, 16+ teal,along the cannal path 2 chiffchaffs, 11 long tailed tits, 2 goldcrests, 5 redwing, 20+ Siskin.

Exmouth

5+ purple sandpiper on Maer Rocks this evening. Torrential rain and rapidly fading light meant the above photo was the best I could manage. This is the first time I've seen purple sandpipers in the Exmouth area but I think they occurred more regularly a few years ago. Apparently the last ones Terry Smith saw were 20 years ago!

Around the Exe

Early afternoon around the Exe had on Exminster Marsh 1 Greenland White Fronted Goose,3 White-Fronted Goose,1 Barnacle Goose,250 Canada goose, 1 Cettis Warbler, 30 Lapwing, 250+ Wigeon,and best of all a Ringtail Hen Harrier flew through, onto Bowling Green Marsh and no sign of any Pink Footed Goose,but 2 Brents,6 Grey lags and 200 Canada Goose,also a few Shoveller and Tufted Duck,onto Clyst Marshes no sign of Red Breasted Goose, but about 100 Brents.

Thurlestone Bay

Very light winds this am and 100% cloud ,considerable less birds- 3 Shelduck flying west was the best sea movement ! On land a late jv Wheatear at South Huish Marsh- the copse area produced 2 Chichaff and a Goldcrest.

Ad Med Gull and 9 Turnstone on the rocks.

Goldeneye still on Thurlestone marsh main pool

Around the Axe

There were three flocks of geese in the valley this morning - each flock being of different species; 70+ Canada, 12 Brent and 7 Greylag!

On the beach the two Snow Buntings were still showing very well, just a pity the light was so pants...


Lots of thrush movement going on at the moment too, last night Redwings and Fieldfares were streaming over!

Berry Hd

Above: woodpigeons

Vis migration quite good this morning: 320+ Redwing, 2 Fieldfare, 1600 Wood pigeons, 2 Stock Dove,  200+ Chaffinch, 3 Brambling, 5 Bullfinch, 35 Goldfinch. Around headland; 9 Goldcrest, 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap and 2 Harbour Porpoise off end of headland.
ML, BMc

Recent News from Plymouth Sound

Glossy Ibis leaving Drakes Island egret roost at 07.05am on 12th; 07.12am on 13th and 07.15am on 15th Nov, before heading up the Tamar on the Cornish side of the river.

Spoonbill passing Western Kings/ Devils Pt area and heading up the Tamar at approx 07.20am on 13th and also at 07.25am on 14th. Looked unringed. On the 14th it was watched for about 5mins heading up the Tamar & was lost from view at least 1.5miles away still heading up the Tamar and was probably near Devonport Royal Dockyards or possibly, by then, was even further away. 

 

Looks to me like the Little Egret numbers on Drakes Island have escalated very recently and I counted at least 51 leaving the roost at dawn on the 14th with a v minimum 49 this morning. Today two probable Whitefronted geese sp flew in close together from Plymouth Sound past Devils Pt, before dropping into the St Johns Lake area. Also today I was surprised to find one extremely lively & frenetic Swallow hawking around Devils Pt for several minutes. 

 

[Robert Hurrell]

Hope's Nose

Seawatch 13:50 to 15:50 in strong ESE wind. Very little passage south, just 2 kittiwakes and 10 auks. A 1st winter little gull tried to fly south round the point but turned back north. On the water 1 great crested grebe, 27+ common scoter (just beyond Flat Rock and hard to count in the swell). 1 purple sandpiper on the rocks.

Seaton

Started the day by the Yacht Club where there was a first year male Black Redstart. I then walked along the beach towards the river mouth but could only find the female Snow Bunting. My next stop was Colyford Common where there was the first Water Pipit of the autumn, five Scandinavian Rock Pipits and the Spotted Redshank.

Goose day around the exe

Not a bad afternoon 14:30 till 16:00

Exminster marshes
3 White fronted geese(albifrons) 1 greenland White fronted goose(flavirostri)

Bowling green marsh
3 pink footed geese, 1 barnacle goose
Lots of Canada geese and 20+ Brent geese, 1 pintail, 6+ shoveler good numbers of wigeon and teal

Darts farm
1st winter red breasted goose in with Brent geese and 1 possible pale bellied brent

good numbers of juv Brent geese

At work this morning at devon hotel had 1 merlin over mobbed by crows, 1 sparrowhawk and 4 buzzard

Thanks to Brian and Bob for there help this afternoon.

Thurlestone Bay

Another fruitful day with a brisk easerly wind.

On Thulestone marsh - Goldeneye & 6 Gadwall still present, a F Shoveler and 2 F Pintail ,20 Wigeon were new arrivals.

Movement through the Bay, watched from 9.00- 16.30 Bob B and I -

2 Great N Diver, 4 F Red B Merganser, 210 Wigeon flew up the valley, 27 Teal , 7 Gadwall , 8 Dunlin, 14 Turnstone Ad Med Gull.

Just to prove summer visitors are still around - a Swallow and a Sandwich Tern at 12.30.

Raptor picked up coming in off the sea turned out to be a 1cy Marsh Harrier- 3rd different bird this month .

Bob had 3 Chiffchaff at South Milton Ley.

SE winds are forecast for Wed- most of the action took place between 11.oo & 13.00

East Soar

Ringtail hen harrier around the airfield.
Also 47 skylark, 40 chaffinch.

Think autumn might be over!!

Berry Hd

A look around the woodland produced; 3 Firecrest, 6 Goldcrest, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap.

Broadsands: 3 Cirl Buntings on seed in back of 2nd carpark

Dartford Warblers - Good News

4+ Dartford Warblers have returned to an East Devon Common that isn't called Aylesbeare. Couple of photos taken today by Pete Adey...

The patch and beyond

Spent a few hours out soon after dawn this morning on patch, spending most of the time in the Beer Cemetery fields. There was very little grounded with most the action above, including 17,600 Wood Pigeons...

Unusually all were flying east, which is a first for me! I guess this is to do with the wind direction. Also overhead I noted 20 Redwing, 2 Fieldfare, 1 Mistle Thrush and 1 Brambling.

A quick look at the river valley showed 12 Brent Geese still, but nothing else of note.

I then headed west (with Kev), to have a look at the Red-breasted Goose at Dart's Farm. A fine bird it is indeed...

(according to the pager there was a pale-bellied Brent in the flock too...we saw a slightly paler-looking juv dark-bellied - ever the cynic!)

We then dipped on the reported Pink-feet at Bowling Green, but at Exminster Marshes were surprised to see three White-fronts. The light was awful, they were distant and surprisingly elusive, so no chance to see the bill colour - but on structure my money's on 1 flavirostris and 2 albifrons.

Exminster Marshes

There are now 3 white-fronted geese on the main marsh, to the north of the lagoon. I could not see if one of the 3 was the Greenland bird. Elsewhere hundreds of thrushes moving through, including a few song thrushes and blackbirds. On the canal bank a pair of bullfinches, 8 greenfinches and several small flocks of chaffinches. Lots of waders roosting including c300 lapwing and 3 golden plovers. A flock of 11 gadwall flew over going north then changed direction and headed towards Bowling Green Marsh. There were a few gadwall still on the lagoon. Also one kingfisher and one grey wagtail at Turf.

The red-breasted goose was reported to be with a flock of Canada geese but I failed to locate it.

South Hams

c 50 Redwings at Torr Quarry ( 2Km north of Kingsbridge ) this morning and later 30 at Westonfields, Totnes.

Torre Abbey Beach, Torquay

Dark bellied Brent Goose 32 (20 juvs) on sea at lunch time.

Also distant Black-necked or Slavonian Grebe (but only had binoculars so too far to be sure which)

Thurlestone Bay

Went back to the Bay at 15.20 ,left at 16.45 as a result missed the Starling roost.

The 6 Avocet were still on the sea until 16.30. Joined by a Black T Diver which stayed for 5 mins before flying east. 42 Wigeon on the sea .

Wader movement still continued 3 Bar T Godwit, 19 Dunlin, 1 Grey Plover 1 Ringed Plover. The Turnstone flock on the rocks increased to 16

Clennon Valley

6 Chiffchaff (almost average number for time of year despite very poor October for them), 4 Goldcrest, 3 Shoveler, 1 Pintail were most interesting birds around the ponds.

Exminster Marshes

Grey, dismal and light drizzle but I still thought a quick visit at lunch-time might be interesting. Almost immediately located the Greenland white-fronted goose amongst c250 Canada geese close to the canal. (the red-breasted goose was reported to be at Pickfresh, Topsham). Lots of teal and wigeon scattered over the fields. A merlin was seen very briefly before it sat on a distant gate post - just a dot in the distance. Overhead fieldfares and redwings (c300) were flying NE. Also a few snipe flying around including one group of 5 and another of 4 but some overlap was suspected.

On the lagoon 18 gadwall was the highest count so far this autumn. Cettis called from the canal bank.

Thurlestone Bay

Brisk ESE wind again bringing some good birds into the Bay.

A group of 6 Avocet flew around the bay from 11.45 and twice landed on the sea to rest- only the second record in the last 7 years.

Waders flying in off the sea and continuing up the valley 9 Bar Tailed Godwit, 10 Golden Plover, 7 Dunlin, 7 Turnstone.

Another (or same ) female Eider flew east, 3 Teal (on sea ) 38 Common Scoter east.

Thurlestone marsh has 6 Gadwall , the female Goldeneye still on the front pool .

Black Redsart - on flats by Bob's car park and also still on my house

Hope's Nose yesterday

Brambling on path beside quarry 10:15-10:40, fleww off into scrub towards pines. Seawatch 11:00 to 15:05 produced 2 black throated divers, 1 manx shearwater, 3 red breasted mergansers, 10 common scoter, 2 mediterranean gulls.

Glossy Ibis - Plymouth

Glossy Ibis still present at Drake Island, Plymouth.
Departing from roost for Tamar at 07:22 today
[Tom Forster]

Plymouth - Glossy Ibis

The Glossy Ibis passed by Devil's Point, low over the water towards Drake's Island, again at 16:25 tonight.
[Chris Marcol]

Westward Ho!

Small group (7) of Dark Bellied Brent Geese in the sea directly in front of sandymere.
In the edge of the Dunes by the 7th Tee boxes 3 Snow Buntings.
[Mark Humfrey]

Prawle

Mud wrestling!

Seawatch 07.15 - 09.15, hampered by hazy sun. Single Great Northern and Red-throated Divers, 5 Brent Geese, Common Scoter, Red-breasted Merganser, 61 Kittiwakes, small numbers of Gannets, Razorbills and Guillemots, and 2 groups of ducks that were probably Pintail (3) and Teal (8).

Highlights of the walkabout were 3 Lapwings over, 65 Stock Doves, 150+ Skylarks, c3000 Starlings, Ring Ouzel (Pig's Nose Valley), 4 Chiffchaffs, 4 Goldcrests and a Firecrest. Also, given the mild weather, not suprised to see 3 species of butterfly today, namely Red Admiral, Speckled Wood and Peacock.

Plym estuary, Plymouth.

A second winter Yellow legged Gull was on the Plym this morning with around six hundred Herring Gulls.
One of the Herring Gulls was ringed but was just a little to far away to read. If only I had a camera!
P.S. If anyone finds a third winter Y.L.Gull I'll happily stand corrected!

Thurlestone Bay

Another fine day , plenty of good viz although a stiff E 5/6 breeze which resulted in some good numbers of Duck.

On Thurlestone marsh at 8.30 am a female Goldeneye ( only my 2nd record in the last 7 years ), 75 Teal, 2 shoveler, lapwing, black T Godwit. Female marsh harriercame in to roost .
Although the Starling roost was around 2000 they did include a sub adult Rose -coloured Starling, it came in with a late flock at 16.15 and went over the marsh ouitside my garden 3 times. The jv Black Redstart on the roof of the house again at 13.00. Female Pintail and 40 Wigeon late pm .

Duck in the bay included 380 Wigeon - several flocks flying through up the valley with others resting on the sea, first good flocks of Common Scoter- 20 F & Jv landed on the sea before flying east, another 10 also flew east. A female Eider also flew east close inshore ( second record this year )

Waders also moving through - 24 Ringed Plover, 1 Golden Plover, 5 Lapwing. 6 Turnstone. Whilst duck watching at Beacon Pt there were 2 Black Redstart on the House.

South H marsh held the first Gadwall of the Autumn - 1m 2f, & 2 Shoveler.

To round off another great weekend there were sightings of a ringtail Hen Harrier, 4 Bearded Tit and the ringing had a very late Reed Warbler.on Sat
At Sat Starling roost aMerlin & 2 Peregrine provided the entertainment


O

Exminster Marshes

Red-breasted goose still with Canada geese and five greylag geese late afternoon.

Staddon Heights

Leaving home (Mount Gould, Plymouth) I had a flock of 16 Redwings fly over the house, so hoped for a bit of vis mig at Staddon. But nothing!

Blackcap and 2 Goldcrests was the best I could muster. Let's hope the winds forecast this week mean it's not the end of autumn just yet....

Exminster marshes

Day started well with 2 kestrels and a merlin hunting over the fields by the swans nest pub on station road on the fist scrape were 34 golden plover, 1 grey plover, 1 snipe, 2 spotted redshanks,250+ lapwing, 42 bar tailed godwit, 600+ black tailed , 2 knot, 5 Dunlin, 2 shoveler 140+ wigeon. In with the Canada geese was 1 barnacle goose but no sign of the red breasted goose, 1 cetti's warbler calling and 1 peregrine flew over causing panic amongst the waders also 6 reed bunting

Up at turf on the mud as the tide dropped 250+ avocet, 1200+ Dunlin, 37 grey plover

On the walk back along the canal to Exeter 25+ Siskin, 2 chiffchaff, 2 cetti's warbler, 3 reed bunting, 2 redpoll, 5 redwing, 2 groups of long tailed tit and several goldcrests

The black swan is still at the quay in Exeter and by the mill on the exe pub 2 grey wagtails and still 1 dipper showing well

Not a bad morning

Had a txt from Gary Clayfen he had a black redstart and a wheatear by the anchor house at the goatwalk in topsham this morning thanks Gary

Home address, Barnstaple.

An amusing incident involving a female Sparrowhawk happened in my back garden this morning at 10:25.
She swooped in over the fence and tried to attack and take a small ceramic/resin Kingfisher I have mounted on the roof of one of my birdtables. The look on it`s face in astonishment! It sat on top the hedge for five minutes in puzzlement and scrutinised the Kingfisher before it flew off.
Must have been a young bird?

Isley Marsh and Foreshore to Fuel Jetty

07:40 - 09:45

11 Spoonbill; 12 Greenshank; 12 Little Egret on Isley plus a late Wheatear on the ashbeds.

23 Grey Plover; 3 Bar-tail Godwit; c120 Dunlin; 25 Turnstone plus the usual on the jetty roost.

Exe Estuary (yesterday)

Highlights from yesterday afternoon's Stuart Lines Cruise: 1 female Eider (off Exmouth), 2 Great Crested Grebes (there were 8 on the 10th), c50 Shags, 50+ Pintail, 1 Goldeneye, c30 Mergansers, 2 Peregrines (sitting on Bull Hill), 250+ Lapwings, 200+ Avocets, 6 Sanderlings, hundreds of Black-tailed Godwits and Dunlin, 100+ Common Gulls, 6 Lesser Black-backs.

Seaton

2 Snow Buntings still on the beach near river mouth, and a Spotted Redshank, Knot, 4 Bar-tailed Godwits and 12 Brents on the estuary and marshes.

Glossy Ibis - Plymouth

Some late news for yesterday 12/11...

'I was at Rusty Anchor, West Hoe this evening at 16:25 when the Glossy Ibis flew in low over the water past Devil's Point.  It flew the full length of the island before being turned back by the gulls, I lost it against the trees in the failing light and didn't see it go to roost.'

[Chris Marcol]