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.