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. 

WeBS, Knot, Green Sand

Due to the height of the tide most waders roosted in the vicinity of Flow Point on Saturday morning, including the first patch Knot for a couple of years and a brief but vocal Green Sandpiper. Unusually high numbers of Shag were in the estuary, with at least 28 between Ringmore and Passage House, and 62 Mallards was also a big count. Other totals from the estuary included 326 Oystercatchers, 55 Curlew, 30 Turnstones, 12 Greenshanks, eight Ringed Plovers, seven Dunlin, three Kingfishers, 20 Mute Swans, four Teal, 39 Little Egrets and singles of Redshank, Whimbrel, Common Sandpiper and Great Crested Grebe. A Great White Egret was reported separately from Red Rock.

Shags

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

Firecrests

This summer I've been tracking a territorial male Firecrest and have had occasional glimpses of a female. Breeding was strongly suspected but frustratingly not confirmed, so it may be 2025 before a nesting attempt can be verified for the patch.

Very little change at Passage House on Monday compared with the previous week's WeBS count, with 51 Curlew, 12 Greenshanks, 35 Little Egrets and an adult Mediterranean Gull of note.