Sandwich Terns galore

A scan out to sea from Teignmouth yacht club early evening yesterday revealed at least 23 Sandwich Terns, around a dozen of which were fishing by the pier before moving south. Nothing else of note offshore.

Sand Martins

At least five Sand Martins were visible from the entrance to Rackerhayes behind Tesco this afternoon; there were probably more over the main lake but the gate was locked. A Greenshank in summer plumage was in the channel at Passage House and, after 87 days, I finally added the notoriously shy and elusive Collared Dove to my patch year list.

Migrants...

...three Sandwich Tern on the Salty this evening take the prize as first summer migrants of the year on patch (if you overlook the Chiffchaffs and Lesser Black-backed Gulls that have arrived over the last couple of weeks). Also present at least six Red-breasted Merganser still and 19 Shelduck.

Migrantless

Despite three visits to Decoy, the racecourse and Passage House, and a single visit to Bundle Head over the past week, I still haven't managed to see a single migrant.

The Gadwall remains on Decoy along with 10 Tufted Duck and two Great Crested Grebes. My first singing Chiffchaff was in the woods.

Two Common Sandpipers were at Passage House with a pair of Red-breasted Merganser and a Kingfisher.

One of two Kestrels at Bundle Head

Bundle Head

WeBS

A good morning around the estuary in glorious sunshine, with counts between Passage House and Salcombe Dip including 209 Oystercatchers, 76 Curlew, 74 Redshanks, a Greenshank, five Ringed Plovers, four Common Sandpipers, two Turnstones, 18 Red-breasted Mergansers, seven Little Grebes, a Great Crested Grebe, 58 Shelducks, eight Little Egrets, 575 Black-headed Gulls, 10 Common Gulls and a Lesser Black-backed Gull. Also of note two Lesser Redpolls in scrub beneath the sewage works at Buckland.