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THURLESTONE BAY BIRDS
SEPTEMBER 2018
Spending from 5th - 20th in Cyprus many thanks to the local birding team for keeping the patch records.
A month of relatively mild and sunny weather - the last week brought cold nights but warm sunny days. Strong winds only from 15th - 20th with only appreciable rain on 22nd.
6 species added to the year list - GREY PHALAROPE, MERLIN, HEN HARRIER, SABINES GULL, REDSTART taking the total to 1921 (c/f 2017 - 198, 2016 - 181)
A total of 133 species recorded this month (c/f 2017 -131, 2016 - 124)
Highlights
DUCKS AND DIVER
TEAL - Max 80+ on 28th On South Efford Marsh with 12 on some dates on South Huish Marsh.
WIGEON - first of the Autumn 14 east on 27th.
COMMON SCOTER -Max 11 on 24.
RED THROATED DIVER - A very rare early Autumn Record with 2 still in summer plumage very close inshore on 26th.
GANNET, SHEARWATER AND EGRET
GANNET - Max of 450 on 23rd, 400 on 28th.
BALEARIC SHEARWATER - Max 9 on 23rd.
MANX SHEARWATER - Max 70 on 4th.
CATTLE EGRET - 1 on South Efford Marsh on 1st.
WADERS - 19 Species Recorded
OYSTERCATCHER - Max 30 on 4th.
AVOCET - A record flock of 21 flew into the Bay on 28th - Spent most of the rest of the day on South Efford Marsh.
LAPWING - 4 on South Efford Marsh on 30th.
RINGED PLOVER - Max 66 on 1st.
SANDERLING - Max 6 on 4th.
CURLEW SANDPIPER - 1 with DUNLIN on Yarmer Beach on 1st.
DUNLIN - Max 127 on 1st.
RUFF - One on South Efford Marsh on 6th and 2 on 23rd.
SNIPE - Max 6 on South Efford Marsh on 25th.
BLACK TAILED GODWIT -Max on Thurlestone Marsh 5 on 30th, 24 on South Efford Marsh on 23rd.
BAR TAILED GODWIT - 1 on South Efford Marsh from 15th.
WHIMBREL - 1 on South Efford Marsh from 23rd.
CURLEW - 28 on South Efford Marsh most of the month.
COMMON SANDPIPER - 2 on River Avon on 1st.
GREEN SANDPIPER - 1 on South Efford Marsh on 24th.
WOOD SANDPIPER - 1 on South Huish Marsh from 1st to 6th.
GREENSHANK - Numbers built up on South Efford Marsh to a max of 13 on 28th.
REDSHANK - 2 on South Huish Marsh on 1st and a max of 5 on South Efford Marsh on 23rd.
TURNSTONE - 1 on Yarmer Beach on 4th.
GREY PHALAROPE - South Huish Marsh 1 from 19th - 21st with singles on the sea on 23rd/24th.
SKUA GULLS, TERNS and AUKS
ARCTIC SKUA - 3 on 23rd, Singles on 25th, 27th and 29th.
GREAT SKUA - Singles 25th and 28th with 5 on 29th - chasing KITTIWAKES.
SABINES GULL - A Juv flew E across the Bay on 23rd.
KITTIWAKE - Max count this year with 315 logged on 29th.
LITTLE GULL - 1 Reported mid month.
MEDITERRANEAN GULL - 6 on 4th and 2 on 30th.
SANDWICH TERN - 2 on 22nd and 23rd.
COMMON TERNS - 1 on 22nd.
COMMIC TERN - 12 flew west on 23rd.
BLACK GUILLEMOT - A 1 Winter on the sea at 12.40 on 25th (2nd patch record this year and only 3 in last 15!)
RAPTORS - What a month.
OSPREY -Singles on River Avon 1st-3rd and another on 24th
HEN HARRIER - A ringtail flew in off the sea at Bolt Tail on 28th.
Local Farmer described a male near his South Milton Farm on 25th.
HOBBY -1 Reported On 15th and 1 off Bolt Tail on 28th.
MERLIN - 1 chasing MIPITS on 24th and 27th
SHORT EARED OWL - 1 over Bolt Tail on 4th.
TAWNY OWL - Reported calling from 3 sites.
BARN OWL - Reported from North Marsh at Aveton Gifford.
HIRUNDINES and SWIFT
SAND MARTIN - Max 30 on 25th
SWALLOWS - Max 2220 on 25th and 1500 on 26th.
HOUSE MARTIN - Max 2500 on 26th.
SWIFT - 3 on 2nd, 2 on 3rd and final record 1 on 15th.
WARBLERS
CETTIS WARBLER - A female and Juv ringed at South Milton Ley on 29th
CHIFFY - Small Numbers still appearing in local gardens, max 3 on 28th.
WILLOW WARBLER - 3 on 4th.
BLACKCAP - 16 recorded in a local garden on 24th.
LESSER WHITETHROAT - 1 on 1st.
WHITETHROAT - last record 1 on 30th.
FLYCATCHERS and CHATS
SPOTTED FLY - 2 on 1st and 3rd and a late record in Aveton Gifford on 28th.
STONECHAT - 4 migrants on 24th and 25th.
WHEATEAR - Max 6 on 28th.
REDSTART - 1 on 1st and 1 on 16th.
WHINCHAT - 1 on 1st.
WAGTAILS
YELLOW WAGTAIL -Largest Numbers At South Huish Marsh’s 30 on 2nd and 15 on 3rd last record 1 on 28th.
PIED WAGTAIL - Visable migration totals of 25 on 29th and 37 on 30th
WHITE WAGTAIL - Max of 4 on 3rd.
GREY WAGTAIL - Max of 6 on 3rd.
PIPITS and BUNTINGS
MEADOW PIPIT - Max migrants 100 on 28th and 265 on 30th.
TREE PIPIT - 1 on 3rd.
SISKIN - First migrants 4 on 4th, max of 8 on 28th.
LINNET - Post breeding flock of 80+ on 28th.
CIRL BUNTING - Recorded At 2 sites.
RINGING REPORT - 3 sessions at South Milton Ley on 3rd, 5th and 26th totals
BLACKCAP 45
CHIFFY 18
REED WARBLER 12
SEDGE WARBLER 12
WILLOW WARBLER 2
WHITETHROAT 4
SPOTTED FLY 2
CETTIS WARBLER 2
The last week in September has been outstanding, hopefully this will continue into October
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