Bere Ferrers Area

Tamar, opposite Cargreen (around SX 440635)

Spotted Redshank (1)
Avocet (1)
Greenshank (3)
Widgeon (35)
Shellduck (40)
Teal (23)

Tavy near Lopwell Dam

Little Grebe (11)
Goldeneye (2)
Shellduck (28)
Teal (9)

[from Tom Forster]

Prawle this morning

Striking buzzard hanging around the car-park today


















Very 'samey' at the moment, but good birding nonetheless. 2 hour seawatch produced 2 each of Great Northern and Red-throated Divers, (+ 1 unidentified), 462 Gannets, 6 Fulmars, Shelduck, 4 Wigeon, 4 Common Scoter, 6 Common Gull, 33 Kittiwakes and 1015 Auks (advantage with Razorbills today). The Goosanders put in another appearance, with 3 redheads flying east before returning west a little later. Shag count now up to 66, while regular winter residents remain as follows; Knot, Grey Plover, Ringed Plover, Redshank, 3 Med Gulls, 52 Fieldfare, 25 Redwing, Water Pipit (Horseley) and Black Redstart (female on Point).

Isley Marsh and R.Taw foreshore to fuel jetty.

12:50 - 14:45

Isley Marsh.
Spoonbill 5
Plus the usual nos of Wigeon, Teal, Shelduck, Grey Plover, Redshank, Dunlin and 1 Little Egret.

Foreshore including the jetty roost.
Knot 103
Wigeon 57
Grey Plover 62
Dunlin c200
Teal 39
Sanderling 2
Kingfisher 1
Turnstone 35
Golden Plover c100 overhead.

Thurlestone Bay

Very raw day even though the wind abated.

Both the Slavonian Grebe & Pink-footed Goose still present. Evidence of some cold weather movement with 5 Golden Plover , 55 Fieldfare & 35 Redwing in the cafe field.

Thurlestone Marsh had 60 Wigeon, 20 Teal, 10 Shoveler, 8 Gadwall, 10 Snipe .
Between 13.00-15.00 groups of Snipe moving up the valley of upto 30 birds ,eventually totalling 120 +.

Staring roost tonight largest so far - at least 150k . good flying display when both Sparrowhawk and Peregrine decided to investigate,.

Record no of Reed Bunting at my feeders this pm -17 (none with rings - 10 were ringed during the week ). The South Milton Ley team have ringed27 this month- the wintering population at both sites at least 60 birds

Wembury

2 Water Pipit at the Point this PM. One a classic bird straight out of the field guide, the other much more subtle. Last weekend 3 Great Crested Grebe.

Northam Burrows

Looking unsuccessfully for Jack Snipe this afternoon, 2 Short-eared Owls were found over the rough area between Appledore Gate and Sandymere Gate.

2 Purple Sandpipers were again seen at Westward Ho!

Hawfinch at Ide

Recent sighting of hawfinch last weekend

Axe Estuary

Two 'Scandinavian' Herring Gulls L. a. argentatus this afternoon - one big, one not so. Here's the smaller of them (the darker bird in the middle)...

Stoke Gabriel

A photo from Terry Lakeman, taken this afternoon at Stoke Gabriel. The Cormorant did finally swallow this enormous meal, but then couldn't fly - it swam to a log to digest it.

I cannot identify the oddly shaped fish though. Any suggestions?

Steps Bridge

Six Goosander were on River Teign above the bridge this afternoon, and a Dipper singing.

Yelland

A total of 102 Knot on the Yelland foreshore at lunchtime today

Double Locks Wetland - beloved of Bitterns

Further to Andrew's post on Wednesday I received an informative email from Martin Davies today - most of it is quoted here:

Good news about the Bittern.

Just to say, those pools are actually called Double Locks Wetland

Btw – did you know that we’d recently excavated another pool / scrape in the adjacent field to the North of those pools?   We’ve taken a slightly different approach with the new one in that quite a lot of the scrape should develop as wet grassland rather than standing water.

Regards

Martin Davies.

Countryside Project Officer
Exeter City Council
01392 265337

Averton Gifford etc...

Averton Gifford: (on rising tide)

3 greenshank
8 redshank
1 common sandpiper

West Charelton Marsh, kinsgbridge estruary (high tide)
75 dark bellied brent geese
1 little grebe
10 red breasted merganser
5 goldeneye
4 scaup
4 tufted duck
27 grey plover
2 curlew
7 oystercatcher
250 dunlin
65 widgeon
2 great crested grebe

Frogmore Creek, Kingsbridge estruary (falling tide)
5 little grebe
3 dark bellied brent geese
47 shellduck
129 widgeon
35 teal
27 mallard
6 tufted duck
2 shoveller
10 redshank
4 greenshank
1 Avocet
15 curlew
9 oystercatcher

[from Tom Forster]

Thurlestone Bay

Waders in and around the Bay/marsh were--1 Purple Sandpiper, 3 Ringed Plover , 3 Dunlin, 1 Golden Plover, 2 lapwing, 45 Snipe.

At least 10 Song Thrush in the area ,usually no more than 2.

Slavonian Grebe still in the Bay.

Staring roost at 5pm well in excess of 100k

The Exe

Yesterday 580 avocets were counted at Topsham and 203 black-tailed godwits at Bolling Green Marsh. The number of avocets is good and suggests that few, if any, have moved away from the estuary however the number of godwits is less than a quarter of the expected total, (counts provided by Sally Mills RSPB). Today it was cold and bleak on the Exminster marshes but there were almost 2.000 wigeon, 7 pintail and 4 black-tailed godwits.

There have been recent reports of 2 bitterns on the pools between the Double Locks and the ring road and further sightings on the Exminster marshes. Are these the same birds? There is speculation that there may be at least 5 bitterns between Exeter and the Turf. I am considering attempting to collate records to see if there is overlap or a pattern of distribution emerging. Please if you have seen a bittern in this area (Exeter to Turf) since November 2010 would you send the record to me, ideally with the date, time and location. My email is john.waldon@eclipse.co.uk or give me a call on 01392 833310.

Countess Wear (Riverside Valley Park)

One Bittern seen briefly in flight at Countess Wear pools from the second viewing screen away from the main road. Also a Sparrowhawk, a Little Egret and a Buzzard but not much else.

Dawlish Warren - afternoon

The male Black redstart was hanging around the visitor centre area for much of the afternoon today, sometimes flying a little way into Grenland Lake. Nearby, 7 redwing and a green woodpecker (towards the car park). Off the beach, about 30 common scoter, 2 red breasted merganser, 5 great crested grebe, 2 slavonian grebe, 1 distant flyby diver sp, and 4 brent goose flying into the estuary. In the morning a the surf and velvet scoters and a red necked grebe were also off the beach (info Dave Hopkin).

Thurlestone Bay

Generally overcast with an increasing nne wind.

On Thurlestone Marsh this am - 110 Teal, 50 Wigeon,10 Shoveler,10 Gadwall, Snipe20, 12 Reed Buntings coming to feeding station.

South Huish Marsh- 100+ Teal, 50 Wigeon, 60+ Snipe, 2 Jack Snipe ( very good in flight views),6 gadwall.

In the Bay-1 Slavonian Grebe , 1 G. C. Grebe. 2 Turnstone, 1 G. N. Diver , 3 Brent Goose landed briefly on yhe sea before continuing east

Aylesbeare Common

A ringtail Hen Harrier was quartering the heath to the west of the track to Woolcombs Farm at 1240hrs, near the broken pine. Also 3 Woodcocks in the 'usual place'. Again, no sign of any Dartfords...............

Berry Head

Warden, Nigel Smallbones informed me that an amazing 1228 Guillemots are roosting on the cliffs at Berry Head at the moment.

Also a working party at Broadsands yesterday saw 7 Waxwings near to the car park.