Spotted Flycatchers

At least three, possibly as many as five Spotted Flycatchers were at Bundle Head this morning; birds kept dipping in and out of hedgerows making it difficult to confirm numbers. Also two Stonechats, two Blackcaps, c.10 Chiffchaffs and a Goldcrest, with three Grey Wagtails, 40+ Swallows and small numbers of Linnets, Goldfinches, Chaffinches and Meadow Pipits moving overhead.

At Flow Point the 40-strong small wader flock looked promising but turned out to comprise just Dunlin (26) and Ringed Plover (14). The immature male Eider was still present. Three Black Swans were an unusual sight at Passage House.

WeBS, Great White Egret

The recent mini-purple patch continued on Tuesday morning with a Great White Egret east of Passage House the highlight of a belated WeBS count of the upper and middle estuary. Unfortunately it remained distant and didn't linger, and was last seen flying towards Coombe Cellars at 7.50am. A good number and variety of waders were present, with 408 Oystercatchers, 60 Curlew, 16 Greenshanks, 12 Dunlin, 10 Common Sandpipers, nine Redshanks, eight Ringed Plovers and singles of Knot, Avocet and Bar-tailed Godwit all noted. The immature male Eider was still at Flow Point, along with a couple of early Teal, a Wheatear and a Kingfisher. Other totals included 45 Little Egrets, 34 Mallards, 16 Mute Swans, two Little Grebes and two Shelducks. On Sunday morning there were 21 Turnstones at Teignmouth.

The tide is high

A quick stop at Passage House on the rising tide initially appeared quiet with just two Common Sandpiper amongst 168 Canada Geese, until a shout announced the presence of an Osprey (and Pete Stevens)! The Osprey, a juvenile, made a failed fishing attempt and then was lost to view behind the reedbed, reappearing a short while later. 

Previously hidden waders were then revealed by the rising tide and over the next half hour two Curlew Sandpiper, the first since 2014, 11 Dunlin, two Green Sandpiper, a Knot, a Black-tailed Godwit and a high count of 22 Greenshank flew down the estuary to search out new roost sites. 

Also present at least three Water Rail, a Kingfisher and a Bar-headed Goose. 

On the Salty, a first winter Yellow-legged Gull and a juvenile Common Gull. 

Seawatch

Watching from Teignmouth yacht club from 06:30 - 09:15 yesterday morning was initially massively disappointing, with little except a steady stream of Gannets for the first hour or so (205 logged between 06:30 - 08:00 when they started doubling back). Eventually things began to improve, with six Balearic Shearwaters, five Manx Shearwaters, four unidentified small shearwaters, two Arctic Skuas, three Common Terns, 16 Sandwich Terns, nine 'commic' terns, seven Kittiwakes, six Fulmars and two Mediterranean Gulls making the notebook (all heading south); not bad but better was expected given the conditions and time of year.

On Saturday a single Sooty Shearwater flew south just after 4pm with 10 Balearic Shearwater between 3-5pm. Monday morning saw a Bar-tailed Godwit on the Salty with 262 Oystercatcher.