Red Kite

Thanks to the local Ravens I was alerted to the presence of a Red Kite heading south-west over Kingsteignton at midday. September records are unusual as Red Kite is almost exclusively a spring bird around the Teign, but this is likely to change as the breeding population edges ever closer.

A dark terminal band to the tail is visible, which helps mark this bird as a juvenile

Whinchat

A smart juvenile Whinchat was the pick of the birds on the racecourse this morning, but was always rather distant. Also two Grey Wagtails, a Snipe and a Stonechat present.

Racecourse

It's been a quiet start to the month around the patch, with regular ongoing disturbance disrupting high tide roosts on the estuary. The racecourse held an eclectic mix of species this morning, with one Wheatear, one Stonechat, one Grey Wagtail, two White Wagtails, c.40 Pied Wagtails, seven Little Egrets, one Grey Heron, two Mallards and three Roe Deer noted. On Thursday there were 22 Ringed Plovers at Flow Point.

Grey Heron