Bold Brent Goose

No luck with finding a Black Redstart around Teignmouth port this morning, but a juvenile Dark-bellied Brent Goose foraging around the foot of the slipway was a belated first for the year. Initially it appeared to be hanging its right wing slightly, suggesting an injury, but after waddling up to the Polly Steps car park it readily took flight and landed randomly in a park on the opposite side of the railway. After almost being attacked by a dog it clearly thought better of it and flew back to the estuary, where it was still present on the Salty this afternoon. Also around Polly Steps today 10 Turnstones and a Firecrest in the scrub by the railway.

 A couple of shots I forgot to post from Passage House last weekend, in between the downpours

WeBS

In between the torrential showers counts from the estuary over the weekend included 269 Oystercatchers, 74 Curlew, 51 Redshanks, 10 Greenshanks, eight Ringed Plovers, seven Dunlin, six Lapwings, four Common Sandpipers, 36 Mallards, 30 Mute Swans, 23 Shags, 19 Red-breasted Mergansers, six Little Grebes and a Kingfisher.

Elsewhere the floods at Teigngrace held 12 Little Egrets, three Teal, 95 Canada Geese and 500+ Black-headed Gulls on Sunday morning. No Cattle Egrets in the cattle fields - yet.

Velveteign

A quick afternoon look from Teignmouth Yacht Club showed a raft of 34 Common Scoter and two Great Northern Diver. More unexpected though were three immature Velvet Scoter, the first of the year, they kept separate from the scoter flock being closer in off Sprey Point.

Roost reward

The timing of the dropping tide and sunset was ideal for checking gulls pre-roost on the Salty, especially with the windy conditions. The wind meant no birds were roosting offshore so numbers where much higher than normal. I had intended to count the roost but my second scan through the birds scuppered this plan.

The distraction was a smart first winter Caspian Gull, only my second on the estuary. Almost as soon as I found it all the birds were flushed by a helicopter, but they soon settled back down and the bird was easily picked up a second time. although distinctive, refinding was helped but it coming closer and roosting separately from the majority of other larger gulls.

Also on the Salty seven Turnstone and the white-headed Oystercatcher.

Late news for Thursday - an immature Eider was off Teignmouth per Devon Sea Safaris

Returning waterfowl

In a bitterly cold northerly wind this morning, the sheltered southern side of the Ness still held two Firecrests but the bushes between there and Bundle Head were blown out and very little was moving overhead bar a few finches. A scan of the estuary towards Flow Point from Salcombe Dip layby at high tide produced four female Red-breasted Mergansers, four Wigeon and 23 Shelducks - all recent arrivals - plus at least 274 Oystercatchers and 31 Redshanks roosting up against the railway.

Yellow-browed Warbler

A Yellow-browed Warbler was around the fringes of Shaldon golf course this morning, initially heard in the hedge by the road before moving to sycamores on the north side where it showed well on and off. Also at least 5,000 Woodpigeons flew south though no doubt I missed more whilst tracking the YBW.

WeBS, Firecrests and Spoonbill

An early morning visit to the Ness today produced at least two Firecrests on the south side with a couple of Blackcaps and Goldcrests.

Some respectable counts from the estuary this morning although Oystercatchers were again conspicuous by their near-absence. Totals between Passage House and Salcombe Dip included 17 Little Egrets, 10 Shags, four Cormorants, 25 Mute Swans, 38 Mallards, five Little Grebes, 78 Curlew, 21 Oystercatchers, 39 Redshanks, 11 Greenshanks, eight Ringed Plovers, eight Dunlin, three Black-tailed Godwits, two Common Sandpipers and singles of Wigeon, Snipe and Kingfisher. At Flow Point, two Rock Pipits had returned and there was a light northbound passage of Swallows and Meadow Pipits.

Elsewhere yesterday seven Turnstones were on the lower estuary and a Spoonbill was seen at Rackerhayes; unfortunately this is an area with no public access so hopefully it will relocate to the estuary. Finally a Green Sandpiper appeared on the floods at Teigngrace on Friday afternoon.

Decoy Country Park

A mid-morning wander around Decoy yesterday produced seven Tufted Ducks, three Swallows, a Great Crested Grebe, a Grey Heron and a Sparrowhawk. The expected woodland species showed well including several each of Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch and Jay. A possible Firecrest was heard among a loose group of Goldcrests and Long-tailed Tits.

WeBS

Totals between Passage House and Salcombe Dip this morning included 55 Canada Geese, 22 Mute Swans, 21 Mallards, four immature Shelducks, five Little Grebes, 10 Shags, 27 Little Egrets, 61 Curlew, six Greenshanks, six Common Sandpipers, five Ringed Plovers, three Dunlin, three Redshanks and singles of Whimbrel and Bar-tailed Godwit. Only 78 Oystercatchers were noted; presumably the rest had chosen to roost elsewhere, possible due to disturbance or the very high tide.

Yesterday morning a juvenile Whinchat was on the central barriers on the racecourse.

Osprey

Bundle Head was pretty quiet this morning; 10+ Blackcaps, 7+ Chiffchaffs and a couple of Whitethroats in the hedges, two vocal Kestrels and two Grey Wagtails south. On the way back I stopped at Passage House and noted 25 Little Egrets, and a check of Birdguides revealed an Osprey reported between Wear Farm and Coombe Cellars. I got round to the latter at 10:45 where there were a couple of other birders searching but after half an hour there was no further sign, possibly because most of the estuary was now covered by dinghies, jet skis and other watercraft. Ten Wigeon circling overhead were evidently struggling to find somewhere quiet to land.