<< New heading >THURLESTONE BAY BIRDS NOVEMBER 2020 A month of mild weather with above average sunshine,. Gale winds on only 4 days with a light frost on 4th and 5th. One of the lowest November specie totals with only 111 species recorded (c/f 2019 - 123, 2018 - 115) with 3 new species for the year BAR-HEADED GOOSE, GLAUCOUS GULL and BRAMBLING taking the total to 193 (c/f 2019 - 200, 2018 - 204) Highlights GOOSE, DUCKS and DIVERS BAR-HEADED GOOSE - 1 reported on 7th with the CANADA  flock at South Efford Marsh BRENT GOOSE -  A single flew SE on 9th with 2 flying NW on 25th - all Dark Breasted. SHELDUCK - A maximum of 3 flew SE on 27th otherwise just single birds. WIGEON. - Numbers built up on South Huish Marsh with a max of 80 on 29th. GADWALL - A male on South Huish Marsh on 3rd. TEAL - A max of 70 on the Marsh on 8th with another 11 on the sea, 75 on 29th. COMMON SCOTER - Double figure counts of 17 on 11th and 20 on 22nd. GOOSANDER - A rare record of a female on South Huish Marsh briefly on 13th. RED THROATED DIVER - Singles on 3rd,  20th and 27th with 2 on 26th. GREAT NORTHERN DIVER - Singles on 6 days.   GANNET, FULMAR and CORMORANT GANNET - Highest totals were 120 on 6th and 185 on 11th. FULMAR - First returning birds single on 13th. CORMORANT - High totals of 30 on 10th and 36 on 26th. RAPTORS - No change in status, however a MERLIN reported on 8th. WADERS- A total of 15 species recorded. OYSTERCATCHER- A Max of 21 on 17th. RINGED PLOVER - A small flock of 6 appears to be overwintering, a max of 12 on the rocks on 6th. GOLDEN PLOVER - 3 flew North on 4th, signs of Winter with a flock of 100+ over Aveton Gifford on 24th. LAPWING - A max of 8 on South Huish Marsh on 26th. SANDERLING. -  Singles on 4 days with 4 on 13th. DUNLIN - A max of 7 on rocks and marsh on 6th. SNIPE - Max on South Huish Marsh 20 on 8th. WOODCOCK - 2 birds in off the sea - 1 on 5th over the Golf Course and 1 over Thurlestone Marsh on 7th. BLACK TAILED GODWIT -  On South Efford Marsh a max of 6 on 2nd. On South Huish Marsh a max of 5 on 11th. CURLEW -  Up to 27 on South Efford Marsh all month. COMMON SANDPIPER - 2 on the River Avon on 3rd. GREENSHANK - A max of 6 at South Efford Marsh on 1st. REDSHANK - A max of 14 at South Efford Marsh on 3rd. LESSER YELLOWLEGS - Last reported on 20th at South Efford Marsh. TURNSTONE. - Max of 13 on the rocks on 24th. GULLS - some interesting totals this month KITTIWAKE- A max of 130 flying SE on 26th. BLACK HEADED GULL -On South Huish Marsh max of 240 on 8th. MEDITERRANEAN GULL- A max on South Huish Marsh of 10 on the 2nd. HERRING GULL - A feeding flock on the sea of over 2000 on 22nd, YELLOW LEGGED GULL -  A 1W on River Avon on 3rd. CASPIAN GULL - 1W on South Huish Marsh on 2nd and 26th. GLAUCOUS GULL - A 1W on South Huish Marsh on 2nd. GREAT BLACK BACKED GULL - A total of 43 in the Bay on 2nd. AUKS - Good totals flying SE, of 470 on 9th and 495 on 19th MISCELLANEOUS KINGFISHER - 2 regularly seen over South Efford Marsh.   1 at South Huish Marsh spent some time fishing from the rocks. SWALLOW - Four November records - 2 on 8th with the last over South Huish Marsh on 22nd.  STARLING - A feeding flock of 650+ at Huxton Cross on 26th. BLACK REDSTART - An influx in the last weeks of the month - At Aveton Gifford 2 on 19th on the rocks 2 on 22nd and 1 on 24th; 2 at Thurlestone on 24th/25th. WARBLERS CETTIS WARBLER - At South Milton Ley. 4 ringed on 4th (making 22 for this year) YELLOW BROWED WARBLER - 1 at South Milton Ley on 25th. CHIFFCHAFF- At South Milton Ley 12 ringed on 4th, 10 there on 25th.  Up to 6 at Aveton Gifford with smaller numbers at 3 other sites. BLACKCAP -  On 4th, 3 at Thurlestone Village, 1 at South Milton Ley on 27th, a female in a garden near South Milton Ley. SIBERIAN CHIFFCHAFF - First this Winter at South Milton Ley on 28th. THRUSHES and PIPITS BLACKBIRD - A max of 14 over a Village Garden moving north on 23rd . FIELDFARE -  2 at Aveton Gifford on 4th. REDWING - A max of 40 at Aveton Gifford on 16th. SONG THRUSH -  Recorded from 4 sites with a max of 3 in a Thurlestone Garden on 23rd. MISTLE THRUSH. - 8 at Aveton Gifford on 12th. FINCHES, LARKS, PIPITS and BUNTING. CHAFFINCH - Vis Mig counts - 25 on 5th, 33 on 6th and 67 on 7th. GOLDFINCH - Vis Mig counts - 18 on 5th, 31 on 7th. BRAMBLING - 2 flew north on 5th, 1 male at Aveton Gifford on 10th and 1 male in a Thurlestone Garden on 23rd. SISKIN -Vis Mig counts. - 2 on 4th, 5 on 6th and 6 on 7th. SKYLARK. -  Vis Mig counts - 86 on 4th, 34 on 5th, 60 on 12. CROSSBILL - 3 flew south on 7th. CIRL BUNTING - 2 by the Golf Course on 4th. ROCK PIPIT - Highest total this year with 40+ on the beach on 22nd. WATER PIPIT. - Singles on South Huish Marsh on 1st and 15th. WOOD PIGEON MOVEMENT - Weather conditions produced much lower than previous years - total of 5450 on 4th and 1980 on 5th. This is likely to be the first year in the last 4 that we haven’t recorded 200 species or more. Mike Passman thurlestonebaybirds.co.uk