It's been many years since there was last a double-figure fall of Wheatears on patch, so today's arrival of at least 11 on the racecourse was most welcome. The majority of birds were on the northern side (visible from Leisure Lounge cafe), wisely avoiding the area being used by model aeroplane enthusiasts. Unsurprisingly not a lot else noted there but two Whimbrels and five Common Sandpipers were at Passage House later in the afternoon.
After a promising start to spring it's been a poor month so far for migrants, and it was left to three male Mandarins looking somewhat out of place on the Teigngrace pools to provide some value this morning. Reed Warblers are now back at Hackney Marshes and Jetty Marsh, with a male Reed Bunting at the former and a couple of Willow Warblers singing at the latter.
Last week Robin had a Barnacle Goose among Canada Geese on the clay pit between Rackerhayes and the Stover Canal, but there was no sign of it today.
 |
| Reed Bunting |
Sunday's count provided a couple of spring migrant year ticks with two Whimbrels on Flow Point (later at Passage House) and two Sandwich Terns, but there wasn't a lot else about, perhaps due to the preceding long spell of settled sunny weather. Totals included 40 Turnstones, 25 Oystercatchers, four Greenshanks, two Common Sandpipers, 12 Little Egrets, four Grey Herons, seven Cormorants, four Shags, 18 Shelducks, six Mute Swans, two Teal and a lone Red-breasted Merganser.
 |
| Distant Whimbrels |
 |
| Wren (6 April) |
Rounding off a pretty good month for birding around the Teign, a Great White Egret was seen in flight from the A380 bridge over Passage House at about 2.40pm yesterday. It appeared to drop down on the Newton Abbot side, but there was no further sign of it despite a couple of checks this afternoon. Over at Decoy at least one Mandarin persists on the lake.
Last good bird of the month, at least by Teignmouth standards, a Coot calling over the town just after 9pm.
A couple of late afternoon stops at either end of the patch recorded six Great Northern and a summer plumaged Red-throated Diver on the sea off Teignmouth and the Little Ringed Plover and a White Wagtail still on the floods nr Newton Abbot hospital. The first Willow Warbler of the year sang briefly from neighbouring Jetty Marsh.
The Teigngrace pools again proved worth a look this morning with a Little Ringed Plover, two Green Sandpipers, two White Wagtails and eight Teal still. The area can be viewed from the cleared ground adjacent to the hospital access road (telescope needed). At the adjacent Jetty Marsh a Water Rail was calling, a Grey Heron dropped in and a Roe Deer was flushed.
Elsewhere a short seawatch from Teignmouth from 06:30 - 07:00 was unsurprisingly quiet given the relative lack of wind but did produce four Common Scoters, two Red-throated Divers, a Great Crested Grebe and half a dozen Guillemots. Other bits and pieces this morning included six Fieldfares on the racecourse, c.10 Sand Martins at Rackerhayes and two Mandarins which flew upriver at Passage House.
 |
| Grey Heron |
The pools north of Newton Abbot hospital held one Green Sandpiper, eight Teal and a Little Egret this morning, with a further eight Little Egrets in nearby fields and three Stock Doves, two Stonechats, a handful of Redwings and the year's first Sand Martin also noted. A quick pit stop at Rackerhayes revealed a party of four Shovelers on Dores pond.
Yesterday morning felt bitterly cold, with sub-zero overnight temperatures and a keen north-easterly breeze tempering any warmth from the sun. Nevertheless, reduced totals of many species on the estuary reflected the advancing spring, and included 128 Oystercatchers, 36 Turnstones, 25 Curlew, 25 Redshanks, five Greenshanks, 28 Shelducks, 20 Mallards, 14 Red-breasted Mergansers, 12 Canada Geese, eight Mute Swans, three Little Grebes, 26 Little Egrets, three Grey Herons, five Cormorants, two Shags and a Mediterranean Gull.
In somewhat milder conditions last Thursday, there was lots of activity at Rackerhayes with three singing Chiffchaffs, one singing Blackcap, a Mute Swan on eggs, six Great Crested Grebes (with at least two paired up), two Green Woodpeckers, two Firecrests and the Bar-headed Goose. Lingering winter visitors included six Tufted Ducks, two Teal and a Redwing. Six Tufted Ducks were also on Decoy Lake, although there was no sign of the pair of Mandarins Alan had there on Monday.
The Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation have confirmed that the White-tailed Eagle on 1st March was a male with the leg ring code G603, released as a juvenile on the Isle of Wight in 2024.
 |
| Mandarins (Alan Ford) |
Not a great deal to report over the last week. Rackerhayes held a male Shoveler on the 19th, and a male Blackcap was by the entrance gates there this morning. The Bar-headed Goose continues to associate with the Canada Geese, but Tufted Duck numbers have declined with just six present today. Many of the resident woodland species are now approaching full song, with one Song Thrush doing an excellent impression of a Willow Tit as part of its repertoire (the latter's cousin the Marsh Tit continues to be conspicuous by its absence).
