Dolphins

On a quick look off Teignmouth this afternoon, I failed to find the Velvet Scoter, but was rewarded for my efforts with amazing sustained views of a pod of at least ten Bottlenose Dolphins. As they moved off very slowly to the north, I watched them playfully splashing about, with around a dozen breaches seen.

The only birds of note were a Great Northern Diver and a Great Crested Grebe.

Velvet remains

The Water Pipit remains at Flow Point showing well this afternoon, also there a Common Sandpiper and a smart Scandinavian (littoralis) Rock Pipit which was starting to show the blue cast of summer plumage.

Elsewhere a late look off Teignmouth Yacht club saw the reappearance of the drake Velvet Scoter. It was sat alone close inshore rather than with the raft of 20+ Common Scoter further out. Also offshore single Great Northern and Red-throated Diver but it was othrsise very quiet offshore.

More Firecrests

Two Firecrests were seen from my house today, both giving lovely close views. Tufted Duck numbers are dropping off now on Decoy, with eight seen a week ago and three today. Another Firecrest was also reported there yesterday.

Missing Velvet

There was no sign of the Velvet Scoter off Teignmouth in a quick look late afternoon but two Great Northern Diver and a single male Common Scoter were present. An even quicker look at the other end of the estuary saw very little at Passage House on the low tide but an albino Herring Gull was of interest, a potential Iceland Gull pitfall and a smaller individual to the one that wintered in previous years.

Velvet Scoter

A male Velvet Scoter was present distantly off Teignmouth seafront late afternoon; this is likely to be the same bird seen off Dawlish Warren earlier this month. Also a Great Northern Diver.

WeBS

Had to do the WeBS a week earlier than scheduled, and this coincided with a very high tide that completely covered Flow Point (allowing a trio of gits in kayaks to paddle straight across it and flush all the birds roosting up against the railway). The Water Pipit was still in the area however. Counts were generally lower than average, perhaps due to the tide, but included a Great Northern Diver (just upriver from the Shaldon Bridge), a Great Crested Grebe, five Little Grebes, 28 Red-breasted Mergansers, two Teal, 35 Shelducks, 283 Oystercatchers, two Avocets, four Common Sandpipers, 56 Redshanks, a Greenshank and a Ringed Plover.

Elsewhere on patch a Chiffchaff was calling from the reeds at Town Quay, and several Fieldfares were amongst a flock of c.100 Redwings at Lower Netherton.

Scaup still

The male Scaup was back on Decoy Lake this afternoon, though it stayed elusive on the far side with a group of Tufted Ducks. Also the male Gadwall.