A couple of patch scarcities from the past few days: on Tuesday Kev had a Little Ringed Plover at Passage House, and yesterday a Red Kite went south over Kingsteignton at 10:35 in the company of four Buzzards.
House Martins are back over the centre of Kingsteignton but no sign of any Swifts yet this morning around the church. Greenfinch numbers seem to be up slightly this year; hopefully the start of a recovery from their recent decline.
The Spotted Redshank remains on the estuary and is moulting rapidly into breeding plumage. Its favoured area has seemingly been finally pinned down with it feeding on the north shore between Loxton's Steps and Passage House.
A Red-legged Partridge at Netherton was a scarce patch bird although no doubt released; at least the Golden & Lady Amhurst's Pheasants had the presence of mind to escape!
Elsewhere Whitethroat and House Martin were at Coombe Cellars and a Great Northern Diver was off Teignmouth with at least 48 Manx Shearwater.
Totals from Passage House, Flow Point and Teignmouth on a disturbance-affected Sunday morning count included 31 Turnstones, 12 Oystercatchers, five Greenshanks, four Redshanks, two Common Sandpipers, two Whimbrel, one Curlew, four Sandwich Terns, eight Little Egrets, 24 Shelducks, 24 Mute Swans and three Red-breasted Mergansers.
On Thursday a fine male Wheatear was around the car park at Passage House.
.JPG) |
| Grey Wagtail |
An Osprey put up all the gulls on The Salty as it flew up the estuary past Teignmouth mid morning, disrupting a Teams call, almost simultaneously a Black Redstart popped up on a neighbouring roof top.
On Saturday the first Sandwich Tern of the year was off the Back Beach, Teignmouth and last Tuesday a Coot was a scarce nocturnal migrant over Teignmouth.
