Review of the Year 2016
Since starting my more detailed monthly recording statistics in 2011 an achievement this year I began to think would not be attained, reaching a year’s total of 202 species.
Outstanding bird of the year has got to be the 1st W. DESERT WHEATEAR which I found on the roof of my house on 8th November. The bird is still showing well on Leasfoot Beach as I write these notes on 27th December. Hopefully it will cope with both the colder weather and possible disturbance from people visiting the beach and remain on site until 1st January. Only the 7th Devon Record and most definitely the longest stayer.
More detailed monthly reviews are elsewhere on the web site so in this review I am only going to concentrate on those species which are in the scarce category or special days of sea watching.
When I started the website 3 years ago I did not expect the number of visitors who would log on to it, so far this year over 82,500 have logged on.
WHOOPER SWAN – 1 briefly on South Huish Marsh on 12th March (Andy Smith)
WHITE FRONTED GOOSE – 2 briefly on South Efford Marsh on 11th December (E. Wotton)
BARNACLE GOOSE – 10 on South Huish Marsh on 27th November. Coincided with an arrival of birds along the south coast. First wild birds for around 15 years
BRENT GOOSE – LB - 4 on the sea off Warren Point on 6th September, a very early arrival date also coincided with flocks recorded along the south coast.
GARGANEY – 4 records this year – 3 m 1f on 22nd March, 1m 14th April, 1m 13th May, 1m 1f on sea on 17th August.
GOLDENEYE – 3m on sea on 28th February. Only second record of a male in 14 years and first record of more than a singleton.
EIDER – 2m 2f flew east on 31st October.
VELVET SCOTER - 1 reported on the sea on 8th December the 200th specie for the year. Also a male flew east on 28th December..
RED BREASTED MERGANSER – A female on the sea on 24th November.
CORYS SHEARWATER – 1 flew east off Warren Point on 27th July.
GREAT SHEARWATER – 1 flew east after a night of strong winds on 29th September only the second patch record.
BITTERN – 1 flew up the Valley by my house at 7.30 a.m. on 14th December.
PURPLE HERON – An adult watched landing on South Huish Marsh on 23rd April, two together from 24th, last sighting 28th. Second patch record, first Devon Record of 2 birds together.
GREAT WHITE EGRET – 1 on South Huish Marsh on 16th May (G.Daw), 1 on Thurlestone Marsh on 1st November (J.King)
GLOSSY IBIS – 1 on Thurlestone Marsh on 5th January, present at South Huish Marsh until 13th January
SLAVONIAN GREBE – Only record 1 on the sea on 7th November.
RED KITE – Only record of 1 near South Milton on 6th October.
OSPREY – Recorded along the River Avon at Aveton Gifford on 29th August, 5th and 7th September and 9th and 16th October.
WOODCHAT SHRIKE – A Juv on South Efford Marsh on 24th September and 3rd and 5th October.
WADERS – a total of 29 species recorded – a patch record.
KNOT – 1 flew in off the sea with a flock of BARTAILED GODWIT on 15th March, 4 on South Efford Marsh on 4th September.
LITTLE STINT – Singles on South Efford Marsh on 4th, 5th and 23rd September. One flew over South Huish Marsh on 21st September.
WOODCOCK – 1 flew down Thurlestone Marsh on 1st November and 2 on South Efford Marsh on 27th.
WOOD SANDPIPER – Only 1 record this year a single on South Huish Marsh on 23rd April first year no autumn records.
SPOTTED SANDPIPER – An adult still in summer plumage on South Efford Marsh from 6th to 14th August.
PECTORAL SANDPIPER – 1 recorded on South Efford Marsh from 14th to 24th September.
GREY PHALAROPE – 1 flew across the rocks close in shore on 8th January.
POMARINE SKUA – A flock of 5 flew east on 2nd May and an adult on South Huish Marsh from 18th – 22nd May.
SABINES GULL – A 1st W flew east on 9th November.
LITTLE GULL – 1 adult on South Huish Marsh on19th January (N.Townsend) and a 1st S close inshore on 14th June.
ICELAND GULL – A 2nd W on the sea off Leasfoot Beach on 6th April.
LITTLE AUK – 1 on the sea off Leasfoot Beach on 6th January (AJL)
LITTLE TERN – 2 flew east on 10th April, 1 in the Bay on 10th May and 1 on 20th August.
BLACK TERN – 1 flew east on 5th October.
LITTLE OWL – 1 at South Milton Ley on 19th October and 1 calling in Aveton Gifford in December.
SHORT EARED OWL – 1 watched flying in off the sea on 28th February.
WRYNECK – At South Efford Marsh 1 from 5th to 7th with 2 on 8th September.
MARSH TIT – 1 in Mallards Lane on 10th Marsh – a very scares patch record.
DARTFORD WARBLER – A visiting birder found one near West Buckland on 28th August.
YELLOW BROWED WARBLER – The largest influx this year resulted in at least 9 being recorded on the patch, 3 ringed at South Milton Ley in November . 1 in a South Milton garden and 5 around Aveton Gifford.
RING OUZEL – 1 at South Milton Ley on19th October (A Pomroy).
PIED FLYCATCHER – 2 records this year – a female in the copse at South Huish Marsh on 3rd May and a Juv male ringed at South Milton Ley on 25th August.
BLUE HEADED WAGTAIL – Males on South Huish Marsh 17th and 22nd April and 5th May.
BRAMBLING – Only 2 records – a male flew over my garden on 25th October and 1 M 3F in Aveton Gifford on 11th November.
CROSSBILL – 6 landed in nearby trees at Thurlestone Village on 30th October.
ORTOLAN BUNTING – 1 on the Golf Course on 10th October.
WOODLARK – 1 flew South over my garden on 1st October. 1 at Huxton Cross on 29th December.
SEAWATCHING
Nothing better than having an eye glued to a scope for several hours particularly when spring passage in full flow
In April Thurlestone Bay can be extremely good particularly with strong SE winds, birds on passage have difficulty heading E up the channel and very often Waders, Divers and Skuas will fly in off the sea and proceed up the Valley – they use this route to fly over land to Lyme Bay. This year there were 4 memorable days –
Sunday 10th April – Cloudy with a SSE gale F8.
Started watching at 09.00am. from “Bob’s” car park through till 13.00 and returned for a further 2 hours from 15.00 – 17.00.
A total of 6 hours produced.
GANNET - 140 |
FULMAR - 20 |
MANX SHEARWATER - 1 |
PINTAIL - 1M. |
COMMON SCOTER - 385 |
TEAL - 3 |
ARCTIC SKUA - 1 DP |
MED GULL - 2AD |
ACTIC TERN - 30 |
COMMON TERN - 9 |
SANDWICH TERN - 19 |
LITTLE TERN - 2 |
Monday 11th April with a very light E wind and a flat sea 4 hours from 08.00 produced
GANNET - 45 |
MANX SHEARWATER - 225 |
COMMON SCOTER – 93 |
SHELDUCK - 9 |
BRENT GOOSE - 2 |
TUFTED DUCK - 2M 1F |
GREAT NORTHER DIVER - 1 |
BONXIE - 1 |
SANDWICH TERN - 19 |
COMMON TERN - 3 |
Wednesday 20th April – Cloudy E F6
Seawatching from 08.55 for 3 hours produced.
GANNET - 35 |
MANX SHEARWATER - 2 |
FULMAR - 8 |
COMMON SCOTER - 1 |
SHOVELER - 8 |
CURLEW - 2 |
WHIMBREL - 25 |
BAR-TAILED GODWIT – 1 |
GREY PLOVER - 3 |
|
I returned at 17.00 and stayed until 18.40
SANDWICH TERN - 5 |
BAR-TAILED GODWIT - 225 (flocks of 60 and 55) |
WHIMBREL - 43 |
COMMON SCOTER - 2 |
GREY PLOVER - 12 (single flock) |
|
The day total of 15 GREY PLOVER is a site record
Monday 2nd May WSW F5 Cloudy poor viz
This produced the best days SKUA passage of the Spring in3 hours from 09.15
SANDWICH TERN - 12 |
COMMON TERN - 1 |
MANX SHEARWATER - 7 |
GREAT SKUA - 7 |
POMARINE SKUA - 5 |
ARCTIC SKUA - 3 |
Hopefully this brief review of 2016 provides some indication of how rewarding local patch watching can be. A number of these scarce birds were recorded during my visible migration watch from either my garden or at the back of the Golf Course.
Hope those reading this will have enjoyed some great birding moments on their own local patch.
Within a few days the 1st January will herald in another year 2017, something scarce or even a BB rarity will probably turn up now that’s something to look forward to.
Mike Passman
thurlestonebaybirds.co.uk
December 2016