Evening Seawatch

An evening look at the sea turned into an unexpectedly good 45 minute seawatch till the light was lost. There were around 20 Gannet, 20 Kittiwake, two Sandwich Tern and at least one Common Dolphin feeding actively offshore with a few birds also passing, especially further out where feeding flocks were visible across the horizon.

The millpond like sea conditions enabled a Phalarope, presumably Grey, to be easily picked out as it jagged its way south, also passing at least 11 Balearic Shearwater and a juvenile Arctic Skua, with over 20 distant shearwater and two skua sp. Towards dusk, Kittiwake passage picked up as birds headed to roost in Torbay with c200 south.

White Stork, WeBS

A busy morning with a vocal White Stork south over the estuary at 10:45 the standout bird, even though it is almost certainly a released individual. Passers-by mentioned that it had roosted overnight on the roof of the Passage House hotel. The recent good run of Osprey sightings continued with one catching a fish off Passage House, before disappearing towards Haldon. Less glamorous but also noteworthy was a party of five Jays flying east.

On the estuary itself good numbers and variety of waders - 302 Oystercatchers, 59 Curlews, 27 Turnstones, 23 Dunlins, 19 Ringed Plovers, 16 Greenshanks, four Redshanks, six Common Sandpipers and one Whimbrel. Other totals included 32 Little Egrets, three Sandwich Terns, 42 Mallards, 23 Mute Swans, five Cormorants, five Shags and singles of Teal, Little Grebe and Kingfisher.

White Stork

Huge Common Tern passage

Seawatching from Teignmouth between 07:00 and 08:40 this morning produced an incredible southbound movement of Common Terns, with birds streaming past almost constantly and often very close to shore. A total of 1,158 were counted, but having arrived around half an hour after sunrise, I suspect hundreds more had already moved through. It was hard to keep tabs on numbers of other species but an estimated 100 Sandwich Terns, 500 Kittiwakes,10 Mediterranean Gulls and several hundred Gannets joined the passage. Also heading south c.100 Manx Shearwaters, c.20 Balearic Shearwaters, four Arctic Skuas, one Pomarine Skua, one Common Scoter and one juvenile Common Gull.

A quick half hour scan after lunch revealed birds still passing but much further out, including another three Arctic Skuas and two Balearic Shearwaters. Elsewhere the clay pit along Stover Canal Trail finally delivered some waders with single Snipe and Common Sandpiper present this afternoon.

Last week was good for Ospreys with at least two birds present on the estuary at times, and there was an increase in migrant waders with 37 Ringed Plovers and 28 Dunlins on the evening of the 22nd. 

WeBS

An adult Spoonbill east of Passage House was the highlight of this morning's count. This is now the second consecutive year that at least three birds have graced the estuary, following two in late December / early January and three last October. 

Totals from around the estuary this weekend included 285 Oystercatchers, c.30 Curlews (probably more but disturbance to roosts was high), 13 Greenshanks, nine Turnstones, five Common Sandpipers, four Dunlins, three Ringed Plovers, two Whimbrels, one Black-tailed Godwit, 40 Little Egrets, 20 Mallards, 19 Mute Swans, one Shelduck, 400 Black-headed Gulls, one Mediterranean Gull and one Kingfisher.

This evening Kev had a couple of Balearic Shearwaters south past Teignmouth.

Spoonbill

Mediterranean Gull

Shark!

A fairly run-of-the-mill morning in the Passage House area was interrupted by the wholly unexpected sighting of a shark swimming on the far side of the estuary! After sharing a short video via WhatsApp groups, thoughts on identification included a type of Smooth-Hound and even Basking Shark, but it seems most likely to have been a Tope Shark. What it was doing 5km up the estuary was a mystery, however it appeared to be swimming freely so perhaps it followed prey in. 

Birds were very much secondary but did include 11 Greenshanks and six Whimbrels.

Marsh Tit

Having drawn a blank on Marsh Tit at Rackerhayes over the past year, it was equally surprising and pleasing to hear one along the nearby section of the Stover Canal trail this morning. The adjacent clay pit held a/the Bar-headed Goose, c.300 Canada Geese, 10+ Mallards, a Cormorant, a Kingfisher, two Grey Herons, a Lesser Black-backed Gull and a Great Black-backed Gull. 

Late news for 30 July: 14 Dunlins at Passage House.

WeBS

Three Little Ringed Plovers at Passage House this morning, including a juvenile, suggested that breeding may once more have occurred in the vast and inaccessible clay pits complex north-west of Kingsteignton (or that's the theory anyway). Mediterranean Gulls were again lacking with just a single 2cy bird noted; it's been a poor summer so far for them on the upper estuary. Other totals included 135 Oystercatchers, 46 Curlew, three Whimbrels, 10 Greenshanks, 11 Redshanks, six Common Sandpipers, one Dunlin, 200 Canada Geese, 38 Mallards, 29 Mute Swans, 18 Little Egrets and nine Cormorants. 

Juvenile Canada Goose

Red Kites

Two ragged-looking Red Kites flew low north over Kingsteignton yesterday evening. Earlier on a Black-tailed Godwit was at Passage House during high tide.

Little Ringed Plover

Waders continue to trickle through Passage House with a Little Ringed Plover on Friday morning the pick of recent days. On Saturday there were four Greenshanks, and yesterday two Whimbrels had joined the Curlew flock which stood at 43. 

'Autumn' begins

Returning/migrant waders are now starting to appear on the estuary, with four Common Sandpipers and a Greenshank at Passage House on Sunday morning. Several Mallard and Shelduck family parties and a whopping 335 Canada Geese were also in the area. No Mediterranean Gulls but Kev had 15 on The Salty last Wednesday.