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.
Teign Birds
Sunday, 10 November 2024
Monday, 28 October 2024
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 |
Saturday, 26 October 2024
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.
Monday, 21 October 2024
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.
Monday, 14 October 2024
'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.
Monday, 30 September 2024
Pom Skua
Monday, 23 September 2024
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 |
Tuesday, 17 September 2024
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 |
Sunday, 15 September 2024
Whinchat
Sunday, 8 September 2024
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 |