Siberian Chiffchaff

After giving me the run-around earlier this month, I finally got prolonged views of a Siberian Chiffchaff at Hackney Marshes on Wednesday afternoon. It is a strikingly pale bird, with almost white underparts and no warm brown or olive colouration except in the wings. Although it doesn't display warm buff hues around the ear coverts or supercilium, it appears to show many of the other characteristics of tristis (thanks Kev and Laurie for your thoughts). It spent most of the time silent but briefly uttered a slightly downward 'piiiiuu'. The bird seems to favour the vegetation by the stream behind Winners gym, viewable from the cycle path.

WeBS

Another disappointing count in terms of wader numbers, with species such as Redshank and Oystercatcher apparently deserting their usual high tide roosts. Just 135 Oystercatchers were huddled against the wind on Flow Point alongside 68 Curlew, 52 Shelducks and two Black-tailed Godwits, with four Ringed Plovers distantly towards Salcombe Dip. At Teignmouth, 44 Turnstones were roosting with 27 by New Quay Inn and 17 by Shaldon Bridge. Passage House was quiet but 54 Common Gulls and 10 Lesser Black-backed Gulls indicated that late winter/early spring gull passage is underway.

Yesterday afternoon a brief flurry of raptor activity in Bishopsteignton included Sparrowhawk, Buzzard and a Kestrel, the latter increasingly scarce on patch, perched by the road opposite Jack's Patch. Last Wednesday the Tufted Duck party at Rackerhayes had reached 30 birds.

Turnstones (Alan Ford)

Fool's Gold

Two male Golden Pheasant just outside Netherton were unexpected, escapes or illegal releases doubt they'll last long. Also there nine Fieldfare and a couple of Redwing. 

At Decoy Great-spotted Woodpecker were drumming in the woodland with seven Tufted Duck, three Great-crested and a Little Grebe but just the one Coot on the lake.

Blackcaps

Pushed off by a very high spring tide, there were few waders at Passage House yesterday morning although singles of Dunlin and Common Sandpiper were on the spit and a Greenshank was heard. A scan of the racecourse produced two Stonechats, a Snipe, 17+ Pheasants, small numbers of Skylarks and Meadow Pipits and a couple of Foxes, with two female Blackcaps in some nearby scrub. There was a bit more waterfowl diversity at Rackerhayes with four Great Crested Grebes, four Teal, two Gadwall and a Shoveler with 12 Tufted Ducks still, and the nearby rugby pitches held c.150 Redwings and two Mistle Thrushes.

Signs of spring

With the mornings now just light enough to fit in a bit of birding before work, a visit to Rackerhayes yesterday morning yielded several vocal Nuthatches and a singing Treecreeper in the woods along with a drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker and couple of cooing Stock Doves. On the main lake a pair of Great Crested Grebes were displaying but waterfowl numbers were still below par with just 12 Tufted Ducks and a Shoveler of note. Overhead a couple of Siskins and newly Red-listed Greenfinches were heard.

Back in Black

The overdue first Black Redstart of the winter, a smart male, was on roofs around the Point carpark and pier in Teignmouth. 

Male Black Redstart high up on roofs between point car park and pier at Teignmouth 4.40pm. pic.twitter.com/GVvvlhjx0S

— Chris Gladman (@AnchorBirder) January 27, 2022

WeBS

 A somewhat frustrating count yesterday with many birds scattered about the estuary and not in the usual high tide roosts - perhaps a sign of disturbance the previous day. Nevertheless, totals included 260 Oystercatchers, 73 Curlew, 20 Redshanks (almost certainly an undercount), 10 Greenshanks (on south side east of Coombe Cellars), 17 Turnstones, two Common Sandpipers, 62 Shelducks, 18 Red-breasted Mergansers, 10 Mallards, eight Mute Swans, five Little Grebes, four Wigeon, eight Cormorants, four Shags and singles of Avocet, Kingfisher and Great Crested Grebe.

Weekend Summary

An afternoon visit to Passage House saw the regular Common Sandpiper and Kingfisher with four Greenshank, three Wigeon and most surprisingly two female Pintail, a rare visitor to the estuary. 

A look at Decoy Lake saw a pair of Mandarin outcompeting the Mallard for bread but no Tufted Duck or grebes. 

On Saturday the immature Spoonbill around Teignmouth with all three regular divers off the mouth of the estuary and a Firecrest at Shaldon. On Friday a Cattle Egret was reported in Bishopsteignton, with 23 Avocet, Common Sandpiper, c30 Curlew, 10+ Snipe, c10 Redshank and a Kingfisher were at Passage House on the afternoon high tide. 

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)