Whimbrel & Dunlin

The change overnight to cooler and clearer conditions didn't do much for the migrant situation, with only a Wheatear of note on the racecourse this morning. I bumped into Laurie and expressed my wish for a patch Red Kite - although not for several hours after I'd left, which is when one was seen over Hackney Marshes! There was some small consolation off Passage House this evening, with 3 Whimbrel and 3 Dunlin foraging out on the mud, plus 2 Common Sandpipers.

Grey Plover

Off Passage House at high tide this afternoon were a summer-plumaged Dunlin and a winter-plumaged Grey Plover; the latter presumably the same bird Laurie saw on Saturday. Also a Great Crested Grebe.

WeBS Count - Lower Estuary

As Laurie said, we did our count today. I recorded just 89 Oystercatcher, 13 Turnstone, ten Shelduck, two Red-Breasted Merganser, a single Little Egret, a couple of Mute Swan and Mallard, and two Sandwich Tern.

WeBS Count - Passage House

We did our WeBS count today over the not so high, high tide. This meant that the birds were spread out over the estuary. At my end (Passage House), there wasn't that much to be seen, but I did get two new patch year ticks!

Numbers of wintering birds are really dropping off now, with only four Redshank, no Greenshank, 28 Oystercatcher, and only three Curlew (I expect there were more further down the estuary though).

There was a tiny little bit of wader passage, with two Whimbrel and a Grey Plover, the two year ticks. They were both way away (through heat haze) on the other side of the estuary so no photos I'm afraid. It's the first Grey Plover I've seen all winter. We could easily go a year without seeing one. Back at the end of January this year there was a big flock of 280+ Lapwing on the estuary, in which I was hoping to find Grey and Golden Plovers, but annoyingly there were none, so good to get one of the species out the way now at least.

Little Egret numbers are climbing now with 18 between Passage House and Coombe Cellars, and probably a few more down Dale's end. This one was showing off some nice fluffy breeding plumage.

First Reed Warbler

Around Hackney Marshes & the racecourse this morning: one Reed Warbler, 2 Sedge Warblers, 4 Blackcaps, 4 Chiffchaffs, a Willow Warbler and a male Wheatear, with 10+ Swallows and 5+ House Martins overhead.

Four Sandwich Terns were fishing off Teignmouth seafront late afternoon.

Quick Update

I saw my first Sedge Warbler yesterday at Hackney Marshes. Good to see (and hear) them back. Also there yesterday were two Whitethroat (1m,1f). It seems like Wheatear numbers have dropped off now with five seen yesterday, and none seen today.

I had an late evening visit to the marsh today on the off chance that I'd hear a Grasshopper Warbler. I don't know how late you have to wait to start hearing them sing, or whether I'll have better luck early in the morning? I did however see my first two patch House Matins of the year and a flock of c.60 Sand Martins flying over the marshes.

Black Kite??? And Many Wheatears!

I had a look along the racecourse, hoping for a Hoopoe to pop its head up (seem like good habitat for them) but saw lots of Wheatear instead - a good count of 17. One of the males had a very strong orangey pink chest, so possibly a Greenland, but who knows! (Edit: Looking at pictures of them on the internet, it seems like they have bolder superciliums then Northern Wheatears - and the one I saw really did have a very striking supercilium.)

When I got to Passage House, a man sitting in his car called me over and told me he had seen a Black Kite earlier while driving over the motorway bridge! He said that it flew low down, over the bridge and towards Newton Abbot/Kingsteignton. I'm not sure whether he did actually see one or whether he was having me on! I asked him if it was "definitely a Black Kite and not a Red Kite or a Marsh Harrier," and the answer was, "no, I'm sure it was a Black Kite." "And not a Buzzard?" "No!" He then went on to tell me that he sees Black Kites most years in England and that they're relatively common. He even said that he thought they were breeding. Now I'm pretty sure they do not breed in England, unless everyone keeps it a massive secret! Anyway, make of it what you will.

On my way back I thought I heard a Sedge Warbler, but it only sang for a short while and it was very distant, so I'm not sure whether it was one. There was also a Water Rail at Hackney Marshes.

NEWS JUST IN: Robin Shute counted 60 Wheatear on the racecourse late this afternoon. I expect there must be at least one Greenland in there. I only had bins on me so must have missed a lot. That or they all decided to arrive after I left!

Sylvia in Song

A look at Passage House this morning didn't give much. Redshank numbers have dropped to eight, and Common Sandpipers have increased to three or four, giving good views along the river near Aller Brook. I think it's called Newton Channel. One even flew right under me while I was standing on the bridge. Hirundine numbers have increased - c20 Swallow and c10 Sand Martin, some around Passage House, but most were over the racecourse.

I saw two Willow Warblers at Hackney Marshes but didn't hear any sing. As always, the Cetti's were being very vocal, as well as four Blackcaps now all in full song. The highlight of the morning came when I was walking back along the racecourse and heard a hurried scratchy warble coming from the brambles in between the path and the railway. I raised my bins and saw my first Whitethroat of the year. They seem to be quite late this year. Not many have been reported so far.

News from Kev yesterday: There were nine Turnstone, a Sandwich Tern and a Wheatear on the Salty, and offshore there were eight Common Scoter and four Shoveler which are new for the year. Shoveler are pretty rare on the estuary so it's nice to get some offshore.

Migrants trickling in

At least five Willow Warblers were at Hackney Marshes this evening, one of which was singing. Over the racecourse three Swallows were hawking for insects, and a further group of least a dozen hirundines was circling distantly over towards Rackerhayes; most appeared to be Sand Martins.

Broken Beak

A Red-breasted Merganser has been on the river at Aller Brook for a while now, but unfortunately the end of its lower mandible has been broken off.

This photo has been up on the notice board for a while now - not sure if its related?

On the estuary there were two Snipe, two Common Sandpiper, 14 Common Gull and c40 Curlew. Another birder reported that a Merlin had been seen at Netherton Point, but after a good look, there was no sign. I did hear a Green Woodpecker and see my first three Swallows of the year over the estuary though.