Huge Common Tern passage

Seawatching from Teignmouth between 07:00 and 08:40 this morning produced an incredible southbound movement of Common Terns, with birds streaming past almost constantly and often very close to shore. A total of 1,158 were counted, but having arrived around half an hour after sunrise, I suspect hundreds more had already moved through. It was hard to keep tabs on numbers of other species but an estimated 100 Sandwich Terns, 500 Kittiwakes,10 Mediterranean Gulls and several hundred Gannets joined the passage. Also heading south c.100 Manx Shearwaters, c.20 Balearic Shearwaters, four Arctic Skuas, one Pomarine Skua, one Common Scoter and one juvenile Common Gull.

A quick half hour scan after lunch revealed birds still passing but much further out, including another three Arctic Skuas and two Balearic Shearwaters. Elsewhere the clay pit along Stover Canal Trail finally delivered some waders with single Snipe and Common Sandpiper present this afternoon.

Last week was good for Ospreys with at least two birds present on the estuary at times, and there was an increase in migrant waders with 37 Ringed Plovers and 28 Dunlins on the evening of the 22nd.