A group of eight juvenile Goosanders on the estuary just east of Passage House this afternoon was unexpected and by far the largest number I've recorded on patch. Perhaps they are all siblings that fledged on the upper reaches of the Teign this summer. Also in the Passage House area 10 Greenshanks, nine Whimbrels, four Common Sandpipers, two Green Sandpipers (flushed below the car park), two juvenile Shelducks and an adult Mediterranean Gull.
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| Goosanders |
A pair of Black Swans at Passage House added a touch of antipodean exoticism to yesterday's count, which was otherwise unremarkable. Totals included 74 Oystercatchers, 41 Curlew, eight Greenshanks, six Common Sandpipers, one Whimbrel, one Black-tailed Godwit, 23 Little Egrets, 221 Canada Geese, 60 Mute Swans, 40 Mallards, two Shags, two Mediterranean Gulls (juveniles), one Sandwich Tern and one Kingfisher.
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| Black Swans |
A loose flock of c.200 Manx Shearwaters was circling back and forth off Teignmouth between 07:45 and 08:15 this morning, frequently alighting on the sea and then taking flight en masse. Also four adult Mediterranean Gulls flew south, and two Arctic Skuas were together harassing an unfortunate Kittiwake. Yesterday Kev had at least one juvenile Yellow-legged Gull on the Salty.
