WeBS, Great White Egret

The recent mini-purple patch continued on Tuesday morning with a Great White Egret east of Passage House the highlight of a belated WeBS count of the upper and middle estuary. Unfortunately it remained distant and didn't linger, and was last seen flying towards Coombe Cellars at 7.50am. A good number and variety of waders were present, with 408 Oystercatchers, 60 Curlew, 16 Greenshanks, 12 Dunlin, 10 Common Sandpipers, nine Redshanks, eight Ringed Plovers and singles of Knot, Avocet and Bar-tailed Godwit all noted. The immature male Eider was still at Flow Point, along with a couple of early Teal, a Wheatear and a Kingfisher. Other totals included 45 Little Egrets, 34 Mallards, 16 Mute Swans, two Little Grebes and two Shelducks. On Sunday morning there were 21 Turnstones at Teignmouth.

The tide is high

A quick stop at Passage House on the rising tide initially appeared quiet with just two Common Sandpiper amongst 168 Canada Geese, until a shout announced the presence of an Osprey (and Pete Stevens)! The Osprey, a juvenile, made a failed fishing attempt and then was lost to view behind the reedbed, reappearing a short while later. 

Previously hidden waders were then revealed by the rising tide and over the next half hour two Curlew Sandpiper, the first since 2014, 11 Dunlin, two Green Sandpiper, a Knot, a Black-tailed Godwit and a high count of 22 Greenshank flew down the estuary to search out new roost sites. 

Also present at least three Water Rail, a Kingfisher and a Bar-headed Goose. 

On the Salty, a first winter Yellow-legged Gull and a juvenile Common Gull. 

Seawatch

Watching from Teignmouth yacht club from 06:30 - 09:15 yesterday morning was initially massively disappointing, with little except a steady stream of Gannets for the first hour or so (205 logged between 06:30 - 08:00 when they started doubling back). Eventually things began to improve, with six Balearic Shearwaters, five Manx Shearwaters, four unidentified small shearwaters, two Arctic Skuas, three Common Terns, 16 Sandwich Terns, nine 'commic' terns, seven Kittiwakes, six Fulmars and two Mediterranean Gulls making the notebook (all heading south); not bad but better was expected given the conditions and time of year.

On Saturday a single Sooty Shearwater flew south just after 4pm with 10 Balearic Shearwater between 3-5pm. Monday morning saw a Bar-tailed Godwit on the Salty with 262 Oystercatcher.

It's the Little things

An increase in variety during the week as autumn arrived, the clear highlight an adult Little Tern at Passage House on the Saturday (20th) morning high tide. A very rare species on patch, mostly offshore, this may even be the first Passage House record.  Unfortunately there was no sign later in the day, but a juvenile Black-tailed Godwit was present.

The highlight at the east end of the estuary was a breeding plumage Cattle Egret, roosting with gulls, on the Salty early Wednesday morning (24th), whilst nocturnal migrants over Teignmouth included Green Sandpiper on the 21st & 27th and Black-tailed Godwit and Whimbrel on 22nd. A first winter Yellow-legged Gull feeding offshore on 22nd was an overdue first for the year.

Mid estuary the immature male Eider remained off Flow Pont throughout. 

Imm male Eider, Flow Point, Teign Estuary, 7pm. @ShiphayBirder @markrabailey @DevonBirder pic.twitter.com/YW56SVWn5a

— Chris Gladman (@AnchorBirder) August 22, 2022

A hint of autumn

The welcome change in weather provided some overnight movement with single Green Sandpiper and Little Ringed Plover calling over Teignmouth. Otherwise quiet, still waiting for the first autumn Yellow-legged Gull...

WeBS, Eider

It was nice to catch up with the juvenile/first-winter male Eider on Sunday morning, loafing with gulls off Flow Point. It has been present on the estuary for at least a month (photo on Devon Birds here). Good numbers of waders and other waterbirds were present despite the inevitable throngs of paddleboarders causing disturbance to roosts; totals included 263 Oystercatchers, 86 Curlew, 21 Ringed Plovers, 15 Common Sandpipers, 12 Greenshanks, four Whimbrels, eight Cormorants, six Shags, two Sandwich Terns, 31 Little Egrets, 67 Canada Geese, 29 Mallards, 21 Mute Swans, and singles of Redshank, Dunlin, Turnstone, Water Rail and Kingfisher.

WeBS

On the estuary this morning before the heat kicked in: 76 Oystercatchers, 42 Curlews, 10 Whimbrels, nine Common Sandpipers, seven Greenshanks, three Dunlin, 600+ Herring Gulls, 350 Black-headed Gulls, four Mediterranean Gulls (three juveniles and a first-summer), a Great Black-backed Gull, four Sandwich Terns, 107 Canada Geese, one Bar-headed Goose, 28 Mute Swans, 27 Mallards, 38 Little Egrets, four Cormorants and the female Red-breasted Merganser still. 

Ring-necked Parakeet

A Ring-necked Parakeet flew south over my garden in Kingsteignton at 8.00pm last night. Possibly a wandering bird from the small Exmouth population, it was first picked up on call and it provided an unexpected midsummer house and patch tick. 

Summer RB Merganser

This female Red-breasted Merganser has been present on the upper estuary since at least May. It seems healthy enough with no apparent signs of injury. Red-breasted Mergansers are rare in summer in Devon, although breeding is not unheard of and was last confirmed in 2003. 

WeBS, more kites

Quiet on the estuary on Sunday morning, with second-year Mediterranean Gull at Passage House the only bird of note. Totals included 34 Mute Swans, 20 Shelducks (no juveniles seen), eight Mallards, four Cormorants, 14 Little Egrets, 52 Herring Gulls, four Black-headed Gulls, two Great Black-backed Gulls, 24 Oystercatchers, two Turnstones and singles of  Red-breasted Merganser (female, possibly an injured bird) and Whimbrel. There was also a small movement of Red Kites noted from mid-morning, with four west over Kingsteignton from 09:30 - 09:45.

On Friday a White Stork was circling over Kingsteignton (details here although unclear as to whether it was ringed or not). Last Wednesday a Wheatear was on the racecourse and a Bar-headed Goose was associating with the Canadas at Rackerhayes.