Razorbill in estuary

Great Northern Diver was the most abundant species off Teignmouth mid-morning today, even though numbers were down compared with New Year's Day, with seven present along with five Guillemots, a Razorbill and a male Common Scoter. From Polly Steps a huddle of Turnstones on the port quay numbered at least 41 birds, a particularly high count, but more unusual was a Razorbill diving just a few metres away from the quay. Finally a check of the railway wall between Flow Point and Salcombe Dip revealed the roost of the estuary's tiny wintering population of Ringed Plover and Dunlin, with six and five present respectively.

New Year's Day

A four hour (10:30 - 14:30), 10km walk from home in Kingsteignton produced a below-par 57 species, although the late start and low tide conditions combined with the absurdly mild weather did not help the total. Hackney Marshes was pretty quiet bird-wise although it was nice to hear two Song Thrushes in full voice and a Nuthatch showed well. Passage House produced three Lapwings, two Wigeon, a Kingfisher, a Common Sandpiper and a distant group of Red-breasted Mergansers. Waterfowl at Rackerhayes included singles of Gadwall and Shoveler, four Great Crested Grebes but just 10 Tufted Ducks, and the surrounding woodland held Chiffchaff, Redwing, Jay and Great Spotted Woodpecker.

At the other end of the patch, Keith Birchall recorded an impressive 18 Great Northern Divers off Teignmouth along with two Red-throated Divers, a single Brent Goose and small numbers of Gannets, Guillemots and Common Gulls.

Great Northern Diver (Alan Ford)

WeBS

A delayed survey this month, with the lower estuary counted on Sunday and the middle and upper estuary counted yesterday. Totals included 259 Oystercatchers, 61 Curlew, 50 Redshanks, 27 Turnstones, three Greenshanks, three Black-tailed Godwits, 12 Dunlin, six Ringed Plovers, two Common Sandpipers, 12 Little Egrets, nine Cormorants, six Shags, 30 Shelducks, 29 Red-breasted Mergansers, 23 Mute Swans, 10 Wigeon, a Teal and a Kingfisher. 

Otter!

Feeling a bit under the weather following a Covid booster jab, I managed a short walk around Hackney Marshes yesterday morning and was stopped in my tracks when an Otter lumbered across the path near the screen. It then proceeded to fish in the channel between the railway and the racecourse for about ten minutes, swimming right up to the edge of the cycle path and giving memorable views just a few metres away. I cursed the fact that I didn't have my proper camera with me, although not trying to get the perfect shot allowed me to enjoy the experience more. There was no sign this morning unfortunately, although a couple of passers-by commented that they had seen recently an Otter in the same area.

Cattle Egrets, Spoonbill, WeBS

After no patch records at all so far this year, the sudden appearance of 14 Cattle Egrets at Passage House this morning was something of a surprise; see video here. There was no sign of them there or at Teigngrace at lunchtime, although a Goosander on the estuary was the first in almost exactly four years. 

On Sunday the Spoonbill was still present east of Passage House, joining a group of Little Egrets and Cormorants foraging along the falling tide; estuary-wide counts of the latter were 35 and 16 respectively. Other WeBS totals comprised 330 Oystercatchers, 71 Redshanks, seven Greenshanks, just 37 Curlew, 23 Turnstones, six Dunlin, five Ringed Plovers, two Common Sandpipers, 300 Black-headed Gulls, 120 Herring Gulls, 34 Greater Black-backed Gulls, 16 Cormorants, 23 Mallards, 19 Shelducks, 17 Mute Swans, 12 Red-breasted Mergansers, four Little Grebes, two Wigeon, two Kingfishers and singles of Lapwing, Teal, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Common Gull and Canada Goose.

Spoonbill (Laurie Allnatt)

Spoonbill (fourth from right) with Little Egrets (Laurie Allnatt)

Like buses...

A first-winter Spoonbill was a surprise find this morning stood on The Salty with gulls on the rising tide, and actively feeding at times. This is presumably the bird reported at Passage House on 27th October. 

Spoonbill mid channel from Shaldon bridge 10.45. pic.twitter.com/is364nudPn

— Chris Gladman (@AnchorBirder) November 11, 2021

After no House/Garden ticks since May 2020, now three this month!

Snow...

..of sorts. A sign of the changing seasons with a Snow Bunting west over Teignmouth this afternoon, a great patch, let alone garden, bird. Hopefully it has pitched down somewhere around the estuary...

Late news includes the first Red-breasted Merganser of the winter on 20 Oct when two Balearic Shearwater and two Arctic Skua flew south off Teignmouth, two Mediterranean Gull were on The Salty and a Golden Plover flew over calling at 23.20pm. 

Woodpigeons, Brambling

Woodpigeon passage really got going today, with 23,500 counted from Bundle Head between 07:45 - 09:15. While around half of the birds flew south overhead, just inland or west over Teignmouth/Little Haldon, half were seen crossing Lyme Bay/Babbacombe Bay in a broad arc, with several flocks numbering over a thousand birds picked up distantly over towards Hope's Nose. Much closer was a Brambling which called loudly overhead then turned back around north. Also on the move 168 Goldfinches, 119 Meadow Pipits, 67 Linnets, 34 alba Wagtails, 30 Chaffinches, 26 Siskins, 14 Greenfinches, five Skylarks, two Grey Wagtails, two Mistle Thrushes, two Jays and a Swallow.

More vis mig

 Another hour watching migration over Bundle Head from 07:40 - 08:40 this morning. Going south: 139 Meadow Pipits, 102 Linnets, 63 alba Wagtails, 37 Goldfinches, 32 Siskins, 21 Chaffinches and 10 Greenfinches. Small flocks of Jackdaws and Woodpigeons were also on the move just inland but weren't counted. A Firecrest was heard briefly by the road.

Great White Egret, WeBS

 A busy autumn day started with an hour of vis mig at the top of Bundle Head from 07:30 - 08:30. Overall numbers were lower than last week but there was greater variety, with 29 Stock Doves probably the best count; also 66 Goldfinches, 42 Meadow Pipits, 35 Linnets, 19 alba Wagtails, 16 Chaffinches, 10 Greenfinches, five Skylarks, three Swallows, three Bullfinches, a Jay, a Grey Wagtail and a Great Spotted Woodpecker. 

The WeBS count from 08:00 until late morning produced 349 Oystercatchers, 78 Curlew, 28 Turnstones, 11 Ringed Plovers, 11 Redshanks, eight Dunlin, three Common Sandpipers, three Greenshanks, two Bar-tailed Godwits, 49 Little Egrets, 16 Cormorants, 88 Canada Geese, 37 Mute Swans, 20 Mallards, four Shelducks, two Kingfishers and a Wigeon. Gulls included single Mediterranean Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull.

At around 12:45 a Great White Egret was discovered in one of the channels south-east of Passage House (found by Paul Darlington; thanks for the text Mark Bailey); this is believed to be the first confirmed record for the Teign. It was still present from 5pm until dusk and gave excellent views at times, including side-by-side with some of the local Little Egrets.

Great White Egret by Laurie Allnatt

Turnstones by Alan Ford