Pomarine Skua

A short Teignmouth seawatch from 16:40 - 17:40 on Friday after the worst of the rain had cleared was productive, with a dark Pomarine Skua at 17:35 the highlight. There were also four Arctic Skuas, three of which were hassling Kittiwakes, and a flock of c.40 Common Scoters on the sea. Heading south were 29 Manx Shearwaters, six Sandwich Terns, a juvenile Common Tern, four Mediterranean Gulls, a Great Black-backed Gull and a Fulmar.

This evening a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull on the Salty, with it or another also around the estuary mouth on Thursday. 

WeBS, Med Gull influx

July is the best month for Mediterranean Gulls on the Teign Estuary as birds disperse from breeding colonies, and a total of 14 at Passage House over high tide this morning was a good count although there were no juveniles amongst them. There was a reasonable mix of waders on the estuary including 42 Curlew, 29 Oystercatchers, three Greenshanks, three Common Sandpipers, one Black-tailed Godwit and one Whimbrel. Other totals included 132 Canada Geese, 40 Mute Swans, 30 Mallards, four adult Shelducks plus four recently fledged young, 31 Little Egrets, three Grey Herons, 240 Black-headed Gulls (five juveniles) and five Cormorants.

Two adult Mediterranean Gulls and a second-summer bird among Black-headed Gulls