Cockwood and Dawlish

Cockwood.....Slav Grebe, plus at least 8 x Goldeneye....
Dawlish Warren, seen from sea wall, Black Redstart, Red Throated Diver, Surf Scoter.

[Trevor Leaman]

Bursdon Moor and Lower Tamar Lake

Started the day at Bursdon Moor where at 08.20 got 3 hen harriers - 2 at the north end and 1 south/top end. On to Lower Tamar lake where on arrival a flypast first of lapwings numbering 200+ then sizeable flock of redwings and fieldfares. In the hide a 'swimpast' of 9 goosander (5 males) resplendent in the morning sunlight.
Then a kingfisher perched on a reedmace head 20metres out. A jay at the feeding station with nuthatch, great spotted wood and the reliable willow tit... A female sparrowhawk swooped in but failed to capture any of the 7 common snipe feeding on one of the newly formed miniature islands in front of the hide.
Numbers of teal, mallard, little grebe, a great crested grebe and a pochard or two. All the while serenaded by songthrushes. Fabulous!

[Stewart Beer]

Drake Goosander by Brian Palmer

Exminster marshes and matford marsh

Another excellent day on the marshes startted  at matford marsh at 10:30 the snipe were still giving good views and at least 35 showed well, 400+ lapwing, 100+ wigeon , 1 little grebe, 12+ shoveler, 3 common gulls, 50+ teal

Then walked out to exminster marshes between the motorway bridge and the main car park 3 reed bunting, 2 stonecaht, 2 cetti's warblers, buzzard and the water pipit was in the field just before the car park. From the viewing paltform 5 pochard, 15+ gadwall, 300+ wigeon, 2 tufted duck, 1 merlin over the back of the marsh. Then walked down station road looking at the scapes on the left produced 12+ shoveler and in the distance a large group of wigeon 1500+ and plenty of teal and a couple of pintail then as i came to the bends in the road the Glossy Ibis was showing down to a few meters in the field on the left hand side by the gate it was feeding with a group of wigeon and giving fantastic views . I finished of the day watching 2 short eared owls and a kestrel over fields towards the motorway bridge 

  

Prawle

Seawatching (08.00 - 10.30) was dominated by a heavy passage of Auks, with 2460 logged moving west, and 210 east. Most were Razorbills, but numbers of Guillemots are on the up. 'Back-up' birds weren't bad, with single Balearic Shearwater and Great Northern Diver, 12 Red-throated Divers, 138 Gannets, Common Scoter, 8 Common Gulls and 114 Kittiwakes.

On the land, 2 Egyptian Geese still on the Airfields, and the Green Sandpiper put in another appearance. At Horseley Cove, the Water Pipit still, and a Med Gull. Elsewhere, at least 9 Purple Sandpipers, Water Rail, 16 Redwings, Black Redstart (Point), Chiffchaff and Goldcrest.

Thurlestone Bay

Nice Water Pipit on the back marsh this morning feeing with the Wigeon which had increased to 76, teal still 35, 3m 1f Shoveler, 15 lapwing

AJL had sight of 2 Bearded Tit from the footbridge, this morning.

On Kingsbridge Estury - off Castle Pt Salcombe a 1cy male Eider shows very well in calm water only 30yds off

Isley Marsh

Just got back from a walk down Braunton Pill to the end of Chivenor runway from where I could see 9 Spoonbill over at Isley as the tide reached it's high point. On the way back a large (2000?) flock of Golden Plover were spooked by something over the Chivenor airfield.

Exeminster and Dawlish Warren

The Glossy Ibis was feeding up to 4-5 metres on the left side of the lane at the second car park.
Also the single Water pipit was showing well on the opposite side of the lane to the ibis.

At Dawlish Warren the Surf Scoter was off shore aswell as a Red throated diver 3-4 common scoter and a female eider.

Otter Estuary and beach

A Great Northern Diver was feeding just off the river mouth at Budleigh, close in to the beach late morning. 4 Common Scoter flew west. Adult Mediterranean Gull on estuary from lower viewing platform. Water Rail showing well on river's edge reedbed opposite the upper viewing platform. A Kingfisher was in the ditch behind the new hide and 3 Stonechats were in the vicinity of the cricket pitch and Lime Kilns car park. No sign of Snow Bunting, although I see that it's been reported on Birdguides. Anyone have precise details as to where it is being seen?

At Exmouth late this afternoon, my first Blackcap of this winter, a male, showed in the valley opposite Greenfingers garden centre entrance and below Scott Drive.

As an aside, referring to Rupert's post below, there were 3 Goldeneyes (one drake) in the same spot off Shelly Beach about one week before Christmas and I had 5 there Jan 1st.

Exmouth - Bull Hill Banks

10a.m. on the low tide, there were 5 Goldeneye (2 males, 3 females) diving on the edge of the mussel beds off Shelley Beach & Bull Hill Banks. Recorded previously off D/Warren but first time I've managed to see them off Exmouth in their normal feeding spot - very late arriving this winter.

Berry Hd

Seawatch between 0930-1030hrs: 1 pomarine skua, 2-3 Great Skuas, 1 Balearic Shearwater, 1 Great Northern Diver, 2 Red-throated Divers and masses of Auks (mostly Razorbills), Kittiwakes and about 500+ Gannets in a huge feeding fenzy just off headland that gradually moved out into Lyme Bay.

Chris Smallbones reported a Glaucous Gull while watching off the top of the headland this morning.

Common Crane reported flying over Broadsands at 10am ish.

Budleigh / The Otter / Ladrum Bay

A Snow Bunting on the beach which I thought was long gone, was a pleasant surprise and a very obliging drake Red-breasted Merganser remains on the Otter. Numbers of Wigeon and Teal seem very low in number.

A look on the sea with DC off Otterton sewage works produced 4 RT Divers (23+ here on 2nd January) a lone Common Scoter.

Exminster Marshes

The Glossy Ibis was showing well down to a few feet this afternoon, just past Lions Rest Estate, either side of the lane towards the 'bends'. A Pale-bellied Brent Goose was with other geese, just in front of the canal path viewing platform. A Short-eared Owl showed fairly distantly from the lane looking towards the M5. A male Kingfisher showed well on the canal, 300m up front Turf.

Beer.

Quite a few big Gulls on Beer Beach this afternoon including a 3cy Yellow Legged Gull, unfortunatly none of the Gulls hung around for long due to every man & his dog also being there.

After this a look around the set aside field near Beer Quarry turned up 50+ Yellowhammers, 15 Skylark & 4 Reed Bunting.

Yarner Woods

Sightings today from Yarner Woods: 6 marsh tits, 7 nuthatches, 2 goldcrest, great spotted woodpecker, 2 ravens, 4 jays, 2 treecreepers, a firecrest and in a nearby private site, 2 willow tits.

[Sam Marles]

Exminster Marshes - yesterday 5/1

A couple of shots of the Glossy Ibis - taken yesterday by Martin Cox

Bursdon Moor - yesterday 5/1

Yesterday evening about 4.20pm 2 Hen Harriers - a male and a ringtail. [Harvey Kendall]

Salcombe

Lanner Falcon with jess and radio tag this afternoon at the entrance to:
Snapes Pt Car Park, Batson at 13:46hrs
ring blue: /267233854?

Velator

First opportunity to put up some nets after all the stormy weather of late. Rewarded with a hatful of Finches (mostly Green) and the first Chiffchaff and Blackcap of the year. Later on caught another of each which were ringed late last year. Unfortunately the female Sparrowhawk got out of the net before I got to it, and there was no sign of the Green Woodpecker that was chasing me around the reserve for a couple of hours yesterday!
At one point a female Kestrel sat in a tree a few yards from the ringing base, but also avoided all the nets!
The totals for last year were 1655 birds ringed of 42 species.

Torridgeside 10:30 - 12:00

Weare Giffard: Whooper Swan still present in field with a couple of Mute's although a long way from the road.
Sandymere: 2 Snow buntings on the edge of the mere.
Nr Goosey Pool: Adult Med Gull showing well

Kenwith nature reserve Bideford

At least 4 Chiffchaff, 2 Water rail,2 Teal, Great spotted woodpecker, Jay,