Spring at last...

Four Sandwich Tern on the Salty were the first recorded migrants on patch this year, although Wheatear and Sand Martin must have been on the racecourse and over Decoy or Rackerhayes respectively.

An hour's dipping

A look from Salcombe Dip layby this evening showed four Black-tailed Godwit on the estuary with 40+ Common Gull on the mudflats, but none of the hoped for Ring-billed. Mid March in the mid/late 1990's used to see a good spring passage of this species with up to seven birds on a couple of dates.

BHG from Germany

A Black-headed Gull that I saw last year on the 20th July at Passage House was ringed at Zwillbrocker Venn - a nature reserve in north west Germany. It was ringed as a chick in 2006 and has been seen at the same site during the breeding period pretty much every year since. My sighting is it's first away from the breeding grounds.

Black-headed Gull - black A3S3

Estuary WeBS count

A full estuary count today (from various locations including Passage House, Flow Point and Polly Steps) revealed nothing unexpected with three Black-tailed Godwit, a Teal and one of the wintering Common Sandpiper the highlights.Other wildfowl and wader counts included 48 Shelduck, 23 Red-breasted Merganser, 360 Oystercatcher, 97 Redshank, 86 Curlew, 26 Lapwing, 10 Greenshank and 10 Ringed Plover. 

Elsewhere the Scaup remains at Decoy after a gap of a couple weeks and several failed attempts the Firecrest was seen again in Teignmouth at Milford Park pumping station, Bitton Park Road. This time however there were two birds. 

Black-headed Gull recoveries

I've had emails back for all four ringed Black-headed Gulls I saw on patch around Christmas time last year.

The first was white J1P4 seen at Decoy on the 19th December. This bird was ringed near Oslo, Norway on the 17th April 2011 as an adult. It was first seen at Decoy in the winter of 2012, when it was then seen back in Oslo in April. It has repeated this pattern up to my sighting.

Black-headed Gull White J1P4

I also saw a metal ringed bird on the same day which I was able to read after several minutes of skirting around to get different angles. This bird ( EL00862) was ringed at Poole Park on the 19th February 2007 as an adult. My sighting was it's first.

The third (White 22P7) was seen on the 24th December also at Decoy. It was ringed as a chick at a breeding site at Lee Farm GP on the 15th June 2014 and my sighting was also it's first. This it the second ringed gull I've seen from this breeding site.

Black-headed Gull White 22P7

The fourth (Yellow 2DKL) was seen at Passage House on the same date as the above. It was ringed at Pitsea Landfill in Essex in the 30th August 2014 as an adult and my sighting is it's first.

Black-headed Gull Yellow 2DKL

Weekly round up

In addition to the long staying male Black Redstart by Teignmouth Rugby club, the female was seen again at Gloucester Rd, Teignmouth during the week. Based on recent sightings there are at least three probably as many as five wintering around the town this January.

Another good wintering passerine  in Teignmouth is a Firecrest which has been present at the South West Water pumping works at Milford Park pumping station, Bitton Park Rd since Friday.

Elsewhere the drake Scaup was still at Decoy on Thursday with a Kingfisher at the Back Beach, Teignmouth.

Diver triple bill

Half an hour from the yacht club revealed plenty of activity offshore the highlight being a single Black-throated Diver, along with four Great Northern and at least three Red-throated Diver, getting all three divers is a rare event on patch.  Also present five Common Scoter and 50+ auks, mostly Razorbill but also the first Guillemot of the year. 

Elsewhere in Teignmouth a female type Black Redstart was on the roof of the Thornhill Hotel on Maer Road with the male still in gardens near the rugby club.

Late news from the western end of the patch includes the continuing presence of the Scaup at Decoy with a Firecrest in the surrounding woodland last Friday. 

Big Garden Birdwatch Recce

The tac tac of a Blackcap drew my attention to the garden over breakfast. At least three birds were again present chasing each other around neighbouring gardens. However the star bird kept out of the affray - a Black Redstart - this one a smart male, so a second bird in just four days and perhaps a returning individual. 

A brief Passage of time

Twenty minutes on a rising tide at Passage House late afternoon showed two wintering Common Sandpiper, a Greenshank, 50+ Redshank, with five Oystercatcher and a couple of Lapwing and Curlew. 

Teignmouth Garden Birding

Saturday morning the resident male Blackcap was being particularly vocal, watching over the next half hour it was defending the Torbay Palm from two other Blackcap (male & female). It also chased off a surprise fem/imm Black Redstart on a couple of occasions, although ignored the Song Thrush feeding on the berries.