Midsummer Kites

Two recent Red Kite over the patch - one flying east over Bishopsteignton at 5pm on 21st June with a second bird NE over Newton Abbot the next day - the latter at least in heavy wing moult.

Waderless WeBS

No waders whatsoever seen on yesterday's WeBS count. Other birds included 18 Little Egret, 24 Shelduck, 11 Cormorant, five Grey Heron, 26 Mute Swan and six Black-headed Gull.

10 minute Seawatch

A very quick look offshore before 8pm saw a single Storm Petrel and 27 Manx Shearwater head south, along with a drake Mallard -  a rare bird at the eastern end of the patch the last couple of years.

Evening Storm Petrel(s)

Seawatching from 18:45 to 20:30 was productive in strong southerly winds. Manx Shearwater passage (totalling 115+) remained steady for the whole watch, with the majority passing very close for Teignmouth standards. This boded well for my chances of seeing Storm Petrels, and sure enough, at 19:10, one flew south giving fairly good views. At 19:45, it or another flew quickly north at a much closer range, and hence I only managed to follow it for a few seconds. A flock of four Pomarine Skuas took off from the sea at 19:50, and remained in the area chasing Kittiwakes for the following 30 minutes. A small skua sp. also flew south along with 20+ Fulmar and 20+ Kittiwakes.

Robin Shute watched from 07:40 to 12:05 and counted 16 Common Scoter, 250 Gannet and 266 Manx Shearwater, bringing the day's total for this species up to 381+; a record count for Teignmouth.

Orchids

With the only birds of note at Passage House over at high tide being a brood of 10 newly fledged Shelduck, I thought I'd continue the recent theme of orchids, with these Bee and Pyramidal Orchids at Aller Brook LNR.