Yelverton - First Blackcap of the winter

Our first Blackcap of the winter (female) arrived this morning c09:30 and settled down to feed as if she'd never been away!
I see on Charlie Fleming's Blog http://parrotletsuk.typepad.com/wldlife_in_a_suburban_gar/ that his first winter Blackcap (female) was seen around midday today.

Start Point

Seawatching 10:30-13:30: pretty quiet, a few feeding Kittiwakes and Gannets and a single Arctic Skua (pale phase). Also a late Wheatear on the wall.

Clennon Valley etc

The Yellow-browed Warbler was still at Clennon Valley Lakes this morning at 09.15, in willows and trees about 150 yards west of the YMCA building.

No sign of the 1w Glaucous Gull at Slapton Ley between 11.00 and 13.00.

[from Will Salmon]

Yelland Jetty Roost and Isley Marsh RSPB Reserve

10:40 Jetty Roost.
A bright sunny morning with a rising tide.
Grey Plover c50
Dunlin c100
Lapwing c160 with another c60 overhead.
Redshank c35
Oystercatcher c40. Not the usual 200-300 normally here at high tide.
Little Egret 3
Knot c10
Turnstone 9
Curlew 53
Cormorant 4
Teal 6
A single Kingfisher flew along the shoreline from the main jetty, over the bank and into the overflow pond where there were 4 Little Grebe, a few Teal and Mallard, 3 Moorhen and calls of a Water Rail.

11:50 Isley Marsh
Spoonbill 8
Greenshank 8
Great Crested Grebe 2 in the channel just off the reserve.
Plenty of O/Catcher, Wigeon, Teal, Redshank, Curlew, Lapwing and 2 Little Egret.

Severn Sands.
It is now beginning to look like a load of holes held together with rusty metal.

Beer Head

1+ Ring Ouzel first thing this morning, in the sheepwalk. 6 Siskin over. Little else moving, though 1 Reed Bunting heard

Berry Hd & Torbay

A serious shower got me to divert to Paignton at first light where I could sit in the car and look out to sea: 1 Long-tailed Duck with an ad male Common Scoter also 1 Great Crested Grebe.

Below: left - wood pigeons and Jackdaws Right -there must be a golden 'mega' in that bush!

Berry Head had a bit going overhead: 200+ Wood Pigeons and 115 Jackdaws >W, the highlight was a Yellow Wagtail that nearly landed at the head - very late bird. Around the headland: 2 Firecrest (usual place nr Berry Hd Hotel) 2 Goldcrest, 1 Chiffchaff, 36 Long tailed Tits in 3 groups.

Broadsands: 8 Cirl Buntings on seed in back of 2nd car park, 1 Reed Bunting, 1 Black Redstart and 6-7 Bottle-nosed Dolphins leaping around off Elberry Headland then moved of N.

Berry Head again!

Same Glaucous Gull. Another juv Pom later in the day. Also an Arctic Tern, presumed adult moulting into winter plumage (hence black bill and white forehead).

Berry Head

Seawatching today was interesting but it was birding by attrition that got the birds!
07.45-17:30hrs: 1 Short-eared owl, 1 Glaucous Gull, 16 Pomarine Skuas (all juvs), 8 Arctic Skuas (mostly ads or imms only 2 juvs), 6 Great Skuas, 3 Manx Shearwaters, 3 Balearic Shearwaters, 1 Great Northern Diver, 1 Red-throated Diver, 2 Brent Geese, 3 Mute Swans, 2 Grey Plover, 893 Kittiwakes (incl. 146 juvs), 957 Gannets, c200 Auks (mostly Razorbills), Arctic Tern (ad moulting into winter plumage) and Little Egret. Also a Grey Seal and 6 Harbour Porpoise (incl. 4 youngsters).

Above : Left juv Glaucous gull and right juv Pomarine Skua
Below: Left Mute Swans patch Tick! Trawler 'draging' in Gulls and Gannets

Axe Estuary

I was expecting more from a whistle stop tour of the Estuary and marshes early afternoon today. Three adult Med Gulls and the Whooper Swan were the best I could come up with. Hope for better tomorrow...

Exmouth this morning

Seawatch 820-1010am from seafront

great northern diver 2, kittiwake 19+, common scoter 1, wader sp 1, juv pomarine skua 1, auk sp 5, great skua 1, great crested grebe 1, db brent goose 6, gannet c2/300+

Mudbank
scaup 3 (see lower photo), long-tailed duck (fem type), mute swan 10, [black swan 1], goldeneye 1, grt crstd grebe 3+, pale-bellied brent goose 1.

Seawatch disappointing in strong S wind. Good numbers of pintail, wigeon and dark-bellied brent still off Mudbank. The numbers will drop as many of the birds move to wet fields at the north end of the estuary in the next month.

Torbay

Preston Seafront - 87 Oystercatchers, 18 Turnstones

Broadsands - 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Kestrel, 1 Sparrowhawk, 8 Long-tailed-tit, 22 Goldfinch, 4 Greenfinch, 4 Skylark, 3 Goldcrest. 1 Chiffchaff (seen very briefly and not re-located)

Nothing of note seen in the bay due to rough conditions

Slapton Ley

Lots of gulls sheltering from the strong winds on the ley including a first winter Glaucous Gull opposite the toilet block in the central car park. Presumably the bird found by Eric yesterday.

Start Point

Did a seawatch from 08:00-10:00 in the strong Southerly wind. Very dissapointing, Gannets and Kittiwakes south @ c400 and 90 per hour respectivly. Nothing at all out of the ordinary.

Bolberry- Soar Mill Cove.- Thurs am

100% cloud cover & brisk wind resulted in no viz mig. Bushes did produce reasonable numbers.

1 Firecrest, 5 Goldcrest, 21 L T Tit, 25+ Blue Tit, 2 Great Tit. 5 Chaffinch ,8 Blackbird , 4 Song Thrush. 2m Ring Ouzel, 5 Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcap ,1 m Bullfinch and a single flock of 12 Cirl Bunting.

This eve Thurlestone Marsh-90 + TEal, 90 Wigeon . 2 Lapwing ,1 Blk T Godwit.

Berry Hd

Winds too strong from the SW for any real overhead movement today but among commoner finches: 3 Brambling, 1 Yellowhammer, 4 Bullfinch and 4 Siskin.

Around Headland: 2 Firecrest (in lane from Wardens Bungalow to Berry Hd Hotel) 9 Goldcrest, 4 Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap, 3 Stonechat and a total 25 Long-tailed Tits in two flocks.

Skern, Northam Burrows.

Between 07:55 and 09:15.

c140 Dark-bellied Brent. No sign of any Pale-bellied.
c150 Wigeon.
2 Bar-tailed Godwit.
6 Pintail.
2 Knot.
1 and only 1 Dunlin.
1 Turnstone.
4 Grey Plover.
1 Common Gull.
c270 O/Catcher
plus the usual Curlew, Redshank, Little Egret, Black-headed,Herring and Black-backed Gulls.
No. of dogs and dog walkers - Too many. Unbelievable nos.!

Glossy Ibis - Exminster Marshes

Showing well between 1300hrs and 1400hrs along ditch about 70 yards from gate at parking area by the bends, also 2 Golden Plover with 28 Lapwing on pools.

[from Andy Bond]

Budleigh Salterton

A brief visit to the lower Otter reaches, to cheer myself up after a gruelling trip to the dentist, revealed the Glossy Ibis still present mid afternoon, frequenting the field next to the cricket pitch. It flew from the west side over to the scrape behind the 'new' hide. Also a Black-tailed Godwit in the same field and a Kingfisher showing very well by the ditch.

Thurlestone Bay

Wed 9.30-13.00- Another cracking day for the Bay . Good visability 20% cloud cover wind west f3.

Some o/head mig- 100+ Meadow Pipit, 15 Skylark , 30 Siskin,6 Greenfinch.

Seawatching - 1 G.C.Grebe 1 Gannet, then at 11.05a jv Sabines Gull flew east c 300 yds off Beacon point good views thru scope, 1 ad Little Gull also flew east

At 12.30 on sea off the cafe 2 Grey Phalarope feeding on floating seaweed only 30 yards offshore.

Later learnt these had been seen by Eric at 11am.

R. Taw 27th October

Isley Marsh 0845.
An immature Gannet out in mid-channel. Spoonbill 8 as usual, Greenshank 2, Reed Bunting 2.

Yelland 0930.
Bar-tailed Godwit 11, Black-tailed Godwit 1, Knot 5, Dunlin 51, Turnstone 28, Grey Plover 42, Sanderling 1, Lapwing 176 plus the usual Redshank, Curlew and Oystercatcher.

Yelland Pond.
Water Rail & Cetti's Warbler calling

Instow Barton Marsh
Reed Bunting 2

Instow 1020.
Ringed Plover 46, Sanderling 2, Common Gull 19.