Hobby and Redstart

Despite reports from elsewhere in Devon indicating a fall of migrants, it never really felt that busy on the coast by Shaldon first thing this morning. The bushes and hedges around the golf course and Bundle Head held only c.10 Blackcap, one Whitethroat and a Willow Warbler, however, the highlight came when a Hobby flew purposely through at 7am, giving great close views.

Walking back to the car along the lanes above the golf course, a female Redstart flashed past my shoulder, disappearing into a hedgerow. Over head were 15+ Swallow and a Swift.

A look over the racecource revealed five Wheatear feeding on the recently cut areas. Two Sedge Warblers were singing from the marshes, the first of spring having been seen yesterday by Will, with five Common Sandpipers also recorded at Passage House on the evening tide.

Hobby

Wheatear

Migrants

The first two Swifts for the patch flew over Teigngrace together yesterday. Will had five singing Reed Warblers at Hackney Marshes on Sunday, and a small flock of House Martin were over Newton Abbot on the 20th. A good passage of Manx Shearwaters was off Teignmouth on the 15th, with Kev also having an immature Iceland Gull on The Salty on the 13th, and a Red Kite over on the 8th.

WeBS

A fog-affected survey on Saturday afternoon was pretty disappointing both in terms of numbers and variety, with a lack of migrants particularly evident. Totals included 71 Oystercatchers, 46 Shelducks, eight Curlew, six Mute Swans, four Lesser Black-backed Gulls (including an intermedius bird), two Red-breasted Mergansers and singles of Redshank and Common Sandpiper.