Spotted Redshank

Having escaped detection at the end of 2024, presumably the same Spotted Redshank is back for its fourth winter and today roosted at Flow Point during the morning high tide, although true to form it remained too distant for a photo. Five Ringed Plovers and a half a dozen Turnstones were on the sea wall and 25 Teal flew out of the saltmarsh. 

Elsewhere Hackney Marshes and Passage House were pretty quiet in the freezing conditions but provided a few year ticks including Reed Bunting, Raven and Bullfinch. Farmland east of Bishopsteignton still held 15+ Cirl Buntings, c.100 Skylarks and a few Linnets and Meadow Pipits.

Bullfinch

Cirl Bunting

New Year's Day

Rain for most of the day and strong winds for the first half offered less than ideal conditions to start the year list, but 71 species were still recorded with highlights including Avocet, Firecrest, Green Sandpiper and Mediterranean Gull.

Kicking things off with an hour's seawatch from Teignmouth yacht club, pulses of Kittiwakes, Gannets and auks were moving south - most of the latter that were sufficiently close to ID were Guillemots, although two Razorbills passed relatively near. Six Red-breasted Mergansers, two Curlew and singles of Fulmar and Great Crested Grebe were also noted, but strangely no divers.

The tide was getting fairly low by the time Passage House was covered but Avocet (four), Kingfisher, Little Grebe and Wigeon were among the species added; a later visit produced 27 Snipe. Singles of Mediterranean and Lesser Black-backed Gull, and three Common Gulls made it a rare seven gull species day on patch. At Arch Brook, three Greenshanks were foraging and 15 Red-breasted Mergansers were close to the water's edge.

Decoy Country Park provided some shelter from the elements and a range of woodland species including Firecrest, with Coot, Moorhen and Tufted Duck on the lake.  Recent tree clearance at Teigngrace has opened up visibility to the flooded fields north of Newton Abbot hospital, where a Green Sandpiper, six Teal and 11 Little Egrets were foraging.

The wind and rain had eased after lunch, but not before dropping a selection of soggy-looking thrushes onto the racecourse including four Mistle Thrushes and five Fieldfares. The two Lapwings from the end of 2024 were still present, along with a Stonechat, a Buzzard and a Green Woodpecker. A couple of Grey Wagtails and a male Peregrine flew low overhead.

Lastly a quick circuit around Rackerhayes in the fading light added Greenfinch, Siskin, Grey Heron, Great Spotted Woodpecker and two Chiffchaffs to the list, with a further 22 Tufted Ducks spread out on the ponds. 

Mistle Thrushes and Fieldfare

Avocets

A near-full day on patch on Monday failed to add anything new to the year list but neverthess provided a good mix of species. A thorough check of the River Lemon in Newton Abbot early doors produced four Grey Wagtails but unfortunately no Dippers. Fields east of Bishopsteignton held two Peregrines (later seen attempting to take what looked like a Great Crested Grebe at Flow Point), 15 Cirl Buntings and c.100 Skylarks. From Salcombe Dip 23 Red-breasted Mergansers and four Great Crested Grebes were on the estuary, and off Teignmouth four Great Northern Divers and 10 Guillemots. Another Great Northern Diver was well up the estuary off Passage House, where 10 Avocets were roosting and two Firecrests were below the sewage works. Finally a Green Sandpiper was on one of the pools at Teigngrace. 

Twenty Tufted Ducks, four Great Crested Grebes, two Firecrests and a/the Bar-headed Goose were at Rackerhayes last Thursday.

WeBS

Today's core count priority date was scheduled with high tide over two hours before sunrise, which probably contributed to some disappointing numbers recorded for certain species. Totals included 286 Oystercatchers, 57 Turnstones, c.50 Curlew, 35 Redshanks, nine Greenshanks, 10 Dunlin, three Common Sandpipers, 18 Shelducks, 17 Red-breasted Mergansers, eight Mute Swans, seven Little Grebes, two Wigeon, one Great Crested Grebe and one Great Northern Diver (below Salcombe Dip layby). Elsewhere a Black Redstart was by the New Quay Inn at Teignmouth, a Kestrel was at Netherton and two Lapwings were on the racecourse.

A few bits from last Monday included a Peregrine and a Firecrest in Kingsteignton and this adult Mediterranean Gull at Passage House. 

On Monday 16th, two Black Redstart were around Bitton Avenue, just above Teignmouth docks. 

Neap tide reward

The Salty wasn't covered on today's low high tide so 218 Oystercatcher were able to roost here rather than their usual location of Flow Point, with single Curlew and Little Egret also present. However feeding actively throughout were single Dunlin and Sanderling, the latter only the eight Teign record in the last 10 years and the first in winter. 

Woodpigs, Redpoll

The top of Bundle Head provided an excellent vantage point to observe Woodpigeon migration on Sunday morning, with birds visible overhead, offshore and a mile or two inland (and over Little Haldon). In just 75 minutes from 07:00 - 08:15 a total of 34,300 flew south or south-west, with some flocks of over 2,000; if I'd been able to stay longer the total may well have exceeded 50,000. There wasn't a great deal else on the move but among the trickle of Meadow Pipits, Chaffinches, Goldfinches and Siskins was a single Redpoll.

One of the smaller Woodpigeon flocks

Black Redstart

This morning's Black Redstart made a brief appearance at the regular haunt of Teignmouth Port before being chased off by a Robin. Also present a Chiffchaff, a Grey Wagtail, and two Firecrests that looked a bit lost in a solitary rose bush beside the railway. 

WeBS

Another very high tide and some good counts of certain species on the estuary on Saturday morning, but nothing special to write home about. Totals included 305 Oystercatchers, 54 Redshanks, 47 Curlew, 41 Turnstones, nine Greenshanks, five Common Sandpipers, three Ringed Plovers, 14 Shags, nine Cormorants, 48 Little Egrets, 15 Mute Swans, 28 Mallards, 12 Teal, two Shelducks and singles of Little Grebe, Kingfisher and Mediterranean Gull. Nearby at least four Firecrests were at The Ness and the northern fringes of Shaldon golf course.

'Just outside the area...'

A Yellow-browed Warbler was a great find in Eastcliff Park, Teignmouth, a few hundred metres north of the patch.

At Passage House an evening roost of over 200 Pied Wagtail attracted the interest of two Sparrowhawk, with single Kingfisher and Common Sandpiper also present.

Pom Skua

A dark Pomarine Skua was the highlight of a busy seawatch at Teignmouth yacht club from 07:30 - 09:00 on Sunday morning. It came at the end of a sustained period of southbound gull passage in the first 45 minutes, with over 200 each of Kittiwake and Black-headed Gull and seven Mediterranean Gulls moving through. Eight Arctic Skuas included three or four lingering birds hassling the Kittiwakes, and 24 Balearic Shearwaters was a good count this late in the season. Also noted 38 Sandwich Terns, 195 Gannets, 17 Common Scoters and c.50 Oystercatchers - the latter probably moving between the Teign and the Exe.

Away from the coast there has been a welcome increase in Kestrel sightings, with birds noted at Passage House and Bishopsteignton in recent days.