Reed Warblers return

Three Reed Warblers were back singing at Hackney Marshes this morning. Other warblers included 4 Blackcaps and 7 Chiffchaffs.

Jetty Marsh Pool

On a wonderfully bright, crisp spring morning there was once again very little of note around Newton Abbot Racecourse and Hackney Marshes, so I spent more time exploring an area just to the north of nearby Jetty Marsh, behind the hospital. Largely inaccessible and obscured by vegetation is a pool of water, possibly a former clay pit, surrounded by wet woodland and reedbeds that doesn't appear to have a title on any maps, so I named it Jetty Marsh Pool. Apart from a pair of Coots, 2 Mute Swans and 3 Teal there was little to see today but it does have potential for warblers and other waterfowl.

Jetty Marsh Pool

Seawatching from Teignmouth from 16:45-17:45 this afternoon was reasonably productive with two Sandwich Terns, a Red-throated Diver, a Great Crested Grebe, 5 Razorbills, 8 Guillemots and the first 7 Manx Shearwaters of the year.

Light scattering of migrants

An early morning visit to Decoy Country Park produced five Chiffchaffs and two Blackcaps in song around the lake, a male Sparrowhawk by the visitor centre and a Swallow overhead. Seventeen Tufted Ducks were still present, the male Scaup now long gone, along with a pair of Great Crested Grebes.

I anticipated my first Wheatear of the year on the racecourse, but there was almost nothing to be seen there where preparations were underway for a race meeting. Rackerhayes provided some consolation with half a dozen Sand Martins and a Greylag Goose; the latter looked like a different individual to the one that regularly associates with the local hybrids, and was presumed to be a naturalised bird.

On the estuary two Sandwich Terns were on buoys at the Passage House end and 15 Red-breasted Mergansers were actively displaying and flying about, suggesting they won't be around for much longer.

First Swallow of spring

I got back to Devon this afternoon after my trip to Australia and SE Asia, and whilst I was stuck in traffic entering Kingsteignton a lone Swallow flew north. Hopefully a sign of things to come this Easter weekend.

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.