WeBS

Today's core count priority date was scheduled with high tide over two hours before sunrise, which probably contributed to some disappointing numbers recorded for certain species. Totals included 286 Oystercatchers, 57 Turnstones, c.50 Curlew, 35 Redshanks, nine Greenshanks, 10 Dunlin, three Common Sandpipers, 18 Shelducks, 17 Red-breasted Mergansers, eight Mute Swans, seven Little Grebes, two Wigeon, one Great Crested Grebe and one Great Northern Diver (below Salcombe Dip layby). Elsewhere a Black Redstart was by the New Quay Inn at Teignmouth, a Kestrel was at Netherton and two Lapwings were on the racecourse.

A few bits from last Monday included a Peregrine and a Firecrest in Kingsteignton and this adult Mediterranean Gull at Passage House. 

On Monday 16th, two Black Redstart were around Bitton Avenue, just above Teignmouth docks. 

Neap tide reward

The Salty wasn't covered on today's low high tide so 218 Oystercatcher were able to roost here rather than their usual location of Flow Point, with single Curlew and Little Egret also present. However feeding actively throughout were single Dunlin and Sanderling, the latter only the eight Teign record in the last 10 years and the first in winter. 

Woodpigs, Redpoll

The top of Bundle Head provided an excellent vantage point to observe Woodpigeon migration on Sunday morning, with birds visible overhead, offshore and a mile or two inland (and over Little Haldon). In just 75 minutes from 07:00 - 08:15 a total of 34,300 flew south or south-west, with some flocks of over 2,000; if I'd been able to stay longer the total may well have exceeded 50,000. There wasn't a great deal else on the move but among the trickle of Meadow Pipits, Chaffinches, Goldfinches and Siskins was a single Redpoll.

One of the smaller Woodpigeon flocks

Black Redstart

This morning's Black Redstart made a brief appearance at the regular haunt of Teignmouth Port before being chased off by a Robin. Also present a Chiffchaff, a Grey Wagtail, and two Firecrests that looked a bit lost in a solitary rose bush beside the railway. 

WeBS

Another very high tide and some good counts of certain species on the estuary on Saturday morning, but nothing special to write home about. Totals included 305 Oystercatchers, 54 Redshanks, 47 Curlew, 41 Turnstones, nine Greenshanks, five Common Sandpipers, three Ringed Plovers, 14 Shags, nine Cormorants, 48 Little Egrets, 15 Mute Swans, 28 Mallards, 12 Teal, two Shelducks and singles of Little Grebe, Kingfisher and Mediterranean Gull. Nearby at least four Firecrests were at The Ness and the northern fringes of Shaldon golf course.

'Just outside the area...'

A Yellow-browed Warbler was a great find in Eastcliff Park, Teignmouth, a few hundred metres north of the patch.

At Passage House an evening roost of over 200 Pied Wagtail attracted the interest of two Sparrowhawk, with single Kingfisher and Common Sandpiper also present.

Pom Skua

A dark Pomarine Skua was the highlight of a busy seawatch at Teignmouth yacht club from 07:30 - 09:00 on Sunday morning. It came at the end of a sustained period of southbound gull passage in the first 45 minutes, with over 200 each of Kittiwake and Black-headed Gull and seven Mediterranean Gulls moving through. Eight Arctic Skuas included three or four lingering birds hassling the Kittiwakes, and 24 Balearic Shearwaters was a good count this late in the season. Also noted 38 Sandwich Terns, 195 Gannets, 17 Common Scoters and c.50 Oystercatchers - the latter probably moving between the Teign and the Exe.

Away from the coast there has been a welcome increase in Kestrel sightings, with birds noted at Passage House and Bishopsteignton in recent days. 

WeBS, Knot, Green Sand

Due to the height of the tide most waders roosted in the vicinity of Flow Point on Saturday morning, including the first patch Knot for a couple of years and a brief but vocal Green Sandpiper. Unusually high numbers of Shag were in the estuary, with at least 28 between Ringmore and Passage House, and 62 Mallards was also a big count. Other totals from the estuary included 326 Oystercatchers, 55 Curlew, 30 Turnstones, 12 Greenshanks, eight Ringed Plovers, seven Dunlin, three Kingfishers, 20 Mute Swans, four Teal, 39 Little Egrets and singles of Redshank, Whimbrel, Common Sandpiper and Great Crested Grebe. A Great White Egret was reported separately from Red Rock.

Shags

Red Kite

Thanks to the local Ravens I was alerted to the presence of a Red Kite heading south-west over Kingsteignton at midday. September records are unusual as Red Kite is almost exclusively a spring bird around the Teign, but this is likely to change as the breeding population edges ever closer.

A dark terminal band to the tail is visible, which helps mark this bird as a juvenile

Whinchat

A smart juvenile Whinchat was the pick of the birds on the racecourse this morning, but was always rather distant. Also two Grey Wagtails, a Snipe and a Stonechat present.

Racecourse

It's been a quiet start to the month around the patch, with regular ongoing disturbance disrupting high tide roosts on the estuary. The racecourse held an eclectic mix of species this morning, with one Wheatear, one Stonechat, one Grey Wagtail, two White Wagtails, c.40 Pied Wagtails, seven Little Egrets, one Grey Heron, two Mallards and three Roe Deer noted. On Thursday there were 22 Ringed Plovers at Flow Point.

Grey Heron

Firecrests

This summer I've been tracking a territorial male Firecrest and have had occasional glimpses of a female. Breeding was strongly suspected but frustratingly not confirmed, so it may be 2025 before a nesting attempt can be verified for the patch.

Very little change at Passage House on Monday compared with the previous week's WeBS count, with 51 Curlew, 12 Greenshanks, 35 Little Egrets and an adult Mediterranean Gull of note.

WeBS, Balearics

The annual summer build up of Canada Geese reached new heights on Sunday, with a total of 304 loafing in the Passage House area. Also 310 Oystercatchers, 55 Curlew, 12 Greenshanks, two Redshanks, six Ringed Plovers, five Common Sandpipers, one Dunlin, one Whimbrel, 36 Little Egrets, 48 Mute Swans, 25 Mallards, six Cormorants and a Kingfisher noted around the estuary. 

A quick 20-minute seawatch off Teignmouth in the evening was relatively productive, with three Balearic Shearwaters, four Common Scoters, good numbers of Gannets and two skua species noted although all were quite distant (well beyond the line of the passing Dawlish to Shaldon rowing race).  

Great White Egret

Many hours have been spent looking at Newton Abbot racecourse over the years with rarely anything better than a Wheatear to show for the effort, so today's Great White Egret was a pleasant surprise. It was present from 08:20 - 09:00 at least and spent most of its time foraging in or alongside a distant ditch with three Little Egrets and a Grey Heron for company. Nearby at Passage House a smart juvenile Mediterranean Gull was on the spit as the tide dropped.

Great White Egret

Raven

Mediterranean Gull

WeBS

Nothing exciting on the estuary this morning but some reasonable numbers and variety. Totals included 113 Oystercatchers, 45 Curlew, eight Greenshanks, six Whimbrels, five Common Sandpipers, 29 Little Egrets, four Grey Herons, two juvenile Water Rails, six Cormorants, 10 Sandwich Terns, 465 Black-headed Gulls, only one Mediterranean Gull, 140 Canada Geese, 63 Mute Swans, 20 Mallards and a Mandarin. Zero Shelducks was also noteworthy, perhaps indicating a lack of breeding success this year.

Sandwich Terns

Passage House

In drizzly conditions this morning at least two Mediterranean Gulls, four Black-tailed Godwits, four Common Sandpipers and three Dunlin from the Passage House car park. Also two juvenile Black-headed Gulls among a hundred or so adults.

Mediterranean Gull (centre)

WeBS, Night Heron

A quiet June count last Sunday produced 147 Canada Geese, 27 Mute Swans, 19 Shelducks, 22 Little Egrets, seven Oystercatchers, three Curlew, 300+ Herring Gulls, 15 Black-headed Gulls, two Great Black-backed Gulls, two Cormorants and one Shag. Late news for 6 June - Kev had a great house tick in the form of a Night Heron heard flying over Teignmouth at night.

Turnstones

It might be approaching the end of May but some of the Teignmouth Turnstones appear to be in no rush to reach their Arctic or Scandinavian breeding grounds. Or, the 15 birds present off the Back Beach this afternoon comprise passage birds that don't form part of the usual wintering population.  

Little else of note over the past week bar a handful of Red Kites over Kingsteignton on the 13th and 15th.

WeBS

Totals from around the estuary on Sunday morning included 47 Oystercatchers, 17 Turnstones, five Whimbrels, two Common Sandpipers, 14 Little Egrets, 30 Mute Swans, 10 Shelducks, six Cormorants, 100 Herring Gulls, three Great Black-backed Gulls and one Lesser Black-backed Gull. Later in the day a Red Kite flew over Kingsteignton at 17:45. 

Sparrowhawk

Male Sparrowhawk with sparrow lunch in my garden today

Arctic Skua

A fairly productive seawatch (by Teignmouth spring standards) from 07:30 - 08:30 this morning, although there was a sense that a lot more was passing just beyond view. Auks were constantly streaming south in loose flocks, with around 250 recorded in total; those close enough to identify were all Guillemots. Kittiwakes also just about made three figures, with a couple being harassed by a dark phase Arctic Skua. Also noted 50+ Gannets, 21 Manx Shearwaters, five Great Northern Divers, four Red-throated Divers, four diver sp., nine Fulmars, five Common Scoters and three Whimbrel. 

Birds of prey

Bundle Head was largely devoid of passage migrants on Saturday morning, but four species of raptor were noted including Sparrowhawk, Buzzard and this male Kestrel; also c.15 Linnets, a Willow Warbler, a Green Woodpecker and a Stock Dove. Not much at Passage House either with high tide approaching but six Common Sandpipers were on the spit. Later in the afternoon a Red Kite flew low over my house in Kingsteignton, the first of the year and making it a rare five-raptor day on patch.

WeBS

Totals from around the estuary this morning included 105 Oystercatchers, 45 Turnstones, 11 Redshanks, two Greenshanks, two Common Sandpipers, one Black-tailed Godwit, just one Curlew, 22 Shelducks, 10 Mute Swans, seven Red-breasted Mergansers, one Great Crested Grebe, eight Little Egrets, 10 Great Black-backed Gulls and three Lesser Black-backed Gulls. The blustery conditions encouraged Sandwich Terns into the estuary, with at least eight noted including two as far up as Passage House. A couple of Swallows and Sand Martins were also seen battling the headwind up river.

Elsewhere a 45-minute seawatch from Teignmouth produced seven Fulmars (probable local breeders), two Great Northern Divers (one in full summer plumage), one Red-throated Diver, five Common Scoters, five Guillemots, three Sandwich Terns, one Great Crested Grebe and a couple of dozen Gannets and Kittiwakes. There had clearly been a bit of a fall of Willow Warblers at Rackerhayes with seven singing birds present, and at last a Wheatear (a male) was on the racecourse.

Turnstones (Alan Ford)

Spotted Redshank lingers

I figured the racecourse would be a good bet for a Wheatear on Saturday morning, but half an hour scanning revealed just two Stonechats and two Reed Buntings. Onto Passage House where the Spotted Redshank finally did the decent thing and allowed good views from the car park, in the company of four Redshanks and not a lot else. Rackerhayes was also quiet but three pairs of Great Crested Grebes, two Willow Warblers and a leucistic Greenfinch were noted. Lastly a scan of the estuary from Flow Point produced another Great Crested Grebe and at least six Red-breasted Mergansers still.

Redshank (l), Spotted Redshank (r)

Rackerhayes

Showery weather attracted good numbers of Sand Martins to Rackerhayes over the weekend, with c.50 on Saturday and 30+ on Sunday. Single Willow Warblers were present both days but likely to be different individuals, alongside 5+ Chiffchaffs and 3+ Blackcaps. One of the two pairs of Great Crested Grebes already has three fledged young, which seems rather early; there are a further two non-paired adults so six in total. Other waterfowl included just a single Tufted Duck and the Bar-headed Goose still.

Willow Warbler

Chiffchaff

Great Crested Grebes

WeBS

The tide was so high on Sunday morning that a couple of Shags were able to dive over a flooded Flow Point. The one stretch of vegetation that hadn't been submerged was crowded with waders, with 71 Oystercatchers, 45 Dunlin, 33 Curlew, 15 Redshanks, 11 Turnstones, two Greenshanks, a Grey Plover and the Spotted Redshank jostling for space. Another 65 Oystercatchers and 18 Dunlin were roosting on the railway wall, and a further 45 Turnstones were at Teignmouth. Other totals from the wider estuary included 38 Shelducks, 21 Red-breasted Mergansers, 10 Mute Swans, two Mandarins (between Passage House and Netherton), six Little Egrets, 45 Common Gulls, two Kingfishers and single Little Grebe and Snipe. A scan from the top of Teignmouth yacht club revealed at least eight Great Northern Divers on the sea between Holcombe and Shaldon.

Siberian Chiffchaff

Rackerhayes delivered this morning with a Siberian Chiffchaff that showed extremely well by the main pond. Also three Blackcaps (one in song), six Tufted Ducks, five Great Crested Grebes and the Bar-headed Goose.

Spot Red pinned down

Since its arrival the wintering Spotted Redshank has proved difficult to catch up with, making sporadic appearances at Passage House and Flow Point at high tide only. Its favoured foraging areas had remained a mystery, but earlier this month it was seen between Coombe Cellars and Shaldon, feeding around the old oyster beds. On Saturday Mark Bailey located it on the south side of the estuary east of Arch Brook, where it showed well (both photos below are Mark's). It has been known to roost just west of Arch Brook Bridge from time to time, so this is likely the best area to try and see it as the tide rises or falls (there's a small car park at SX909720).

WeBS, Mergansers, Egyptian Geese

With the ongoing decline on the Exe Estuary, the Teign Estuary is now probably the most important wintering site for Red-breasted Mergansers in Devon, with numbers relatively stable and peaking in the high 20s in recent years. At least 28 continued to grace the estuary on Sunday morning, with 26 fishing together off Flow Point and two near Passage House. Gull numbers are beginning to rise with at least 43 Common Gulls and and six Lesser Black-backed Gulls on the upper estuary a sure sign that spring is on its way. Numbers of other species were generally disappointing, perhaps attributable to the mild weather: 271 Oystercatchers, 41 Turnstones, 28 Curlew, 25+ Redshanks, 20 Dunlin, five Greenshanks, three Ringed Plovers, two Avocets, one Common Sandpiper, 51 Shelducks, 17 Mallards, seven Teal, six Mute Swans, two Wigeon, two Little Grebes, eight Cormorants, four Shags, seven Little Egrets, five Grey Herons, one Kingfisher and one Great Northern Diver.

A brief wander round Rackerhayes revealed a/the Bar-headed Goose in with the Canadas, and a massive female Peregrine flew low overhead.

Late news for 1 February - two Egyptian Geese were at Passage House.

Greenshank

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Bar-headed Goose

WeBS

Plenty to see on the estuary this morning, aided by a very high spring tide shortly after sunrise. The wintering Spotted Redshank popped up on Flow Point but only allowed brief views while foraging around the fringes of the the submerged saltmarsh. The flock of Avocets, now up to 24 birds, roosting at Passage House was a welcome sight after no records at the tail end of 2023, and Turnstones continue to increase with 56 at Teignmouth, six on Flow Point and one at Passage House. Oystercatcher numbers were down (249) but this was probably due to them vacating their usual roost location on the estuary wall. Other totals included 69 Curlew, 40+ Redshanks, 11 Greenshanks, 41 Dunlin, five Ringed Plovers, two Black-tailed Godwits, one Common Sandpiper, 14 Little Egrets, 34 Shelducks, 29 Red-breasted Mergansers, 20 Mallards, 12 Mute Swans, six Teal, two Wigeon, two Little Grebes, one Kingfisher and one Great Northern Diver (by Shaldon bridge).

A brief check of the sea off Teignmouth revealed a party of five Red-throated Divers, three Great Northern Divers and at least eight Fulmars on the cliffs towards Holcombe.

Newton pit-stops

 A visit to Newton on Monday 8th allowed for quick checks of Decoy and Passage House. At Decoy, pairs of Shoveler and Teal were notable, as for the opposite reason, were just three Coot and two Tufted Duck. A flock of 20 Avocet were unexpected at Passage House.

Back east, up to six Great Northern Diver have been in the estuary off Teignmouth.

Cirl Buntings

A late morning visit to RSPB land east of Bishopsteignton under a cloudless sky produced c.20 Cirl Buntings, 30+ Skylarks and 20+ Linnets on the winter stubbles, with four Buzzards, two Peregrines and two Ravens overhead enjoying the conditions. Earlier in Kingsteignton a Firecrest had given incredibly close views near the entrance to Hackney Marshes.

New Year's Day

A respectable 74 species to start the year despite the arrival of yet more rain by midday. First stop was Rackerhayes where the woodland delivered Marsh Tit, Chiffchaff, Treecreeper, Stock Dove, Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers although the standout sighting was a Weasel by the boardwalk. The ponds themselves held 10 Tufted Ducks and four Great Crested Grebes, and back in Kingsteignton a male Blackcap was near the church. Switching to the estuary, a Rock Pipit was on Flow Point and 29 Red-breased Mergansers and 21 Dunlin were in the vicinity of Arch Brook. Poor visibility hampered a brief lunchtime seawatch off Teignmouth although single Kittiwake, Gannet and Great Northern Diver were noted, two Ravens flew over and a party of Turnstones was on the Salty. Water Rail, Little Grebe and Lapwing were later added at Passage House and a pair of Stonechats was on the racecourse. 

Rock Pipit

Marsh Tit