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 1^st W. DESERT WHEATEAR which I found on the roof of my house on 8^th November.  The bird is still showing well on Leasfoot Beach as I write these notes on 27^th December. Hopefully it will cope with both the colder weather and possible disturbance from people visiting the beach and remain on site until 1^st January. Only the 7^th 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 12^th March (Andy Smith)

WHITE FRONTED GOOSE – 2 briefly on South Efford Marsh on 11^th December (E. Wotton)

BARNACLE GOOSE – 10 on South Huish Marsh on 27^th 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 6^th September, a very early arrival date also coincided with flocks recorded along the south coast.

GARGANEY – 4 records this year – 3 m 1f on 22^nd March, 1m 14^th April, 1m 13^th May, 1m 1f on sea on 17^th August.

GOLDENEYE – 3m on sea on 28^th February.   Only second record of a male in 14 years and first record of more than a singleton.

EIDER – 2m 2f flew east on 31^st October.

VELVET SCOTER  - 1 reported on the sea on 8^th December the 200^th specie for the year. Also a male flew east on 28^th December..

RED BREASTED MERGANSER – A female on the sea on 24^th November.

CORYS SHEARWATER – 1 flew east off Warren Point on 27^th July.

GREAT SHEARWATER – 1 flew east after a night of strong winds on 29^th September only the second patch record.

BITTERN – 1 flew up the Valley by my house at 7.30 a.m. on 14^th December.

PURPLE HERON – An adult watched landing on South Huish Marsh on 23^rd April, two together from 24^th, last sighting 28^th.  Second patch record, first Devon Record of 2 birds together.

GREAT WHITE EGRET – 1 on South Huish Marsh on 16^th May (G.Daw), 1 on Thurlestone Marsh on 1^st November (J.King)

GLOSSY IBIS – 1 on Thurlestone Marsh on 5^th January, present at South Huish Marsh until 13^th January

SLAVONIAN GREBE – Only record 1 on the sea on 7^th November.

RED KITE – Only record of 1 near South Milton on 6^th October.

OSPREY – Recorded along the River Avon at Aveton Gifford on 29^th August, 5^th and 7^th September and 9^th and 16^th October.

WOODCHAT SHRIKE – A Juv on South Efford Marsh on 24^th September and 3^rd and 5^th 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 15^th March, 4 on South Efford Marsh on 4^th September.

LITTLE STINT – Singles on South Efford Marsh on 4^th, 5^th and 23^rd September. One flew over South Huish Marsh on 21^st September.

WOODCOCK – 1 flew down Thurlestone Marsh on 1^st November and 2 on South Efford Marsh on 27^th.

WOOD SANDPIPER – Only 1 record this year a single on South Huish Marsh on 23^rd April first year no autumn records.

SPOTTED SANDPIPER – An adult still in summer plumage on South Efford Marsh from 6^th to 14^th August.

PECTORAL SANDPIPER – 1 recorded on South Efford Marsh from 14^th to 24^th September.

GREY PHALAROPE – 1 flew across the rocks close in shore on 8^th January.

POMARINE SKUA – A flock of 5 flew east on 2^nd May and an adult on South Huish Marsh from 18^th – 22^nd May.

SABINES GULL – A 1^st W flew east on 9^th November.

LITTLE GULL – 1 adult on South Huish Marsh on19th January (N.Townsend) and a 1^st S close inshore on 14^th June.

ICELAND GULL – A 2^nd W on the sea off Leasfoot Beach on 6^th April.

LITTLE AUK – 1 on the sea off Leasfoot Beach on 6^th January (AJL)

LITTLE TERN – 2 flew east on 10^th April, 1 in the Bay on 10^th May and 1 on 20^th August.

BLACK TERN    – 1 flew east on 5^th October.

LITTLE OWL – 1 at South Milton Ley on 19^th October and 1 calling in Aveton  Gifford in December.

SHORT EARED OWL – 1 watched flying in off the sea on 28^th February.

WRYNECK – At  South Efford Marsh 1 from 5^th to 7^th with 2 on 8^th September.

MARSH TIT – 1 in Mallards Lane on 10^th Marsh – a very scares patch record.

DARTFORD WARBLER – A visiting birder found one near West Buckland on 28^th 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 3^rd May and a Juv male ringed at South Milton Ley on 25^th August.

BLUE HEADED WAGTAIL – Males on South Huish Marsh 17^th and 22^nd April and 5^th May.

BRAMBLING – Only 2 records – a male flew over my garden on 25^th October and 1 M 3F in Aveton Gifford on 11^th November.

CROSSBILL – 6 landed in nearby trees at Thurlestone Village on 30^th October.

ORTOLAN BUNTING – 1 on the Golf Course on 10^th October.

WOODLARK – 1 flew South over my garden on 1^st October. 1 at Huxton Cross on 29^th 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 10^th 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.

Monday 11th April with a very light E wind and a flat sea 4 hours from 08.00 produced

Wednesday 20^th April – Cloudy E F6

Seawatching from 08.55 for 3 hours produced.

I returned at 17.00 and stayed until 18.40

The day total of 15 GREY PLOVER is a site record

Monday 2^nd May WSW F5  Cloudy poor viz

This produced the best days SKUA passage of the Spring in3 hours from 09.15

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 1^st 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