FRI 7 DEC 2012
After a stormy and wet night the day turned out sunny with a F5/6 NNW wind .
On T'stone Marsh - 55 TEAL, 8 SHOVELER, 35 SNIPE.
Offshore anhours seawatch only produced 75 GANNET and 7 AUKS , on the rocks 2 TURNSTONE.
ON South Huish Marsh - 95 TEAL, 110 WIGEON, 4 SHOVELER, 2 GADWALL, 1 BRENT GOOSE, 1 WATER PIPIT.
At 15.50 at Upton Cross - 35 GOLDEN PLOVER
THURS 6 DEC 2012
A raw morning with no wind which changed completely at 13.00 when the rain and wind arrived.
Looks as though most of the duck on T'stone Marsh had moved over to South Huish Marsh as only 14 TEAL, 2 GADWALL with 3 SNIPE this morning .
On South Huish Marsh - 105 WIGEON, 110+ TEAL, 2 PINTAIL, 7 SHOVELER, 1 m GADWALL, 25 SNIPE, 1 BRENT GOOSE.1 LAPWING plus 5 flew over 1 TURNSTONE on the beach whist 3 COMMON SCOTER few east.
In the courtyard of the flats a 1st w male BLACK REDSTART
WED 5 DEC 2012
With little change on the Marshes and only a feeding frenzy of 250+ GANNET in the Bay time for a change of scene- a walk throgh the West Buckland valley. Took just over 2 hrs and produced -
6 FIELDFARE, 2 REDWING, 4 SONG THRUSH, 25 BLACKBIRD, 18 CHAFFINCH,
1BULLFINCH 12 ROBIN, 1 JAY, 2 WREN, 1 GREAT SP WOODPECKER, 5 GOLDCREST, 10 BLUE TIT, 2 GREAT TIT , 2 GOLDFINCH., 6 PIED WAGTAIL, 3 DUNNOCK, 2 RAVEN, and a surprise of a LITTLE EGRET feeding in a small stream .
Final part of the walk was round the perimeter of Thurlestone Hotel grounds, 1 BULLFINCH, 3 COAL TIT, 8 GREENFINCH , 8 BLACHBIRD , 1 GREAT Sp WOODPECKER and a nice NUTHATCH - these are not easy to find on the patch- first time I have seen one at this site.
Hopefully with cold weather up country and prospect of NE winds this w/end we may see some new arrivals
Late news just rec'd from Bob B- At S M Ley- GREEN WOODPECKER, 10 SONG THRUSH, 25+ CHIFFCHAFF ( 4 new ones ringed ). At Dusk the STARLING roost est at 75,000
ON the flats at the car park a F BLACK REDSTART
TUES 4 DEC 2012
Had to give up seawatching this am - got soaked .
On South Huish Marsh GOLDENEYE still showing well. TEAL over 100 and WIGEON 95 . A m GADWALL, 2 SHOVELER , LAPWING and about 20 SNIPE
On T'stone Marsh only change was an increase to at least 55 SNIPE
MON 3 DEC 2012
A strong WNW wind with rain arriving at 13.00
T'stone marsh - SHOVELER increased to 14 , 40 TEAL, 15 SNIPE.. 6 REED BUNTING on my feeders
South Huish Marsh - same as Sunday with the only addition a LITTLE GREBE,.
A 2hr seawatch from the flats only produced - 110 GANNET, 8 KITTIWAKE 6 AUKs
3 COMMON SCOTER flew east .
This afternoon STARLING reached 7,500 before moving off to roost at S M Ley
SUN 2 DEC 2012
Thankfully the rain held off until 13.00 which enabled Graham Daw and myself to have good look round
On South Huish marsh, which with the high water level is really proving very good , long may it stay like this - 1f GOLDENEYE, 90+ WIGEON, 2f PINTAIL 3 GADWALL,
60 TEAL, BRENT GOOSE and 14 BLACK TAILED GODWIT. 3 LAPWING on the ground whilst 12 flew South. 30 + SNIPE
Offshore - 1 GREAT NORTHERN DIVER, 25 GANNET, 1 RAZORBILL
On the rocks 9 TURNSTONE
T'stone Marsh - 12 SHOVELER, 10 WIGEON, 40 TEAL, 35 SNIPE
Bob B at S M Ley - 30+ CHIFFCHAFF ( another 3 ringed ) MISTLE THRUSH and 2 SISKIN
Tele call from Harry Huggins to confirm 3 BLACKCAP in his garden
COMPETITION TIME
Those of you who regularly visit the Blog will be aware of my strive to reach the magical 200 species in a year, last year with some great patch firsts we still only reached 198. With now 29 days to the end of the year - will the goal be achived ? If so which birds will be 199 and 200 ?
I have drawn up my shortlist of 20 species out of which we can hopefully find 2. There will be a prize of a bottle of something to the birder producing the correct answer.
If you want to join in please e-mail me your choices asap- my address is-
mikepassman@modbury.me.uk. Some people have been having difficulty getting through , you can send it via the contact page here or on the guestbook page
20 species are -
WHOOPER SWAN EGYPTIAN GOOSE PINK FOOTED GOOSE SCAUP VELVET SCOTER LONG-TAILED DUCK LEACH'S PETREL SPOONBILL RED- NECKED GREBE
AVOCET GREY PHALROPE, ICELAND GULL GLAUCOUS GULL LITTLE OWL
PENDULINE TIT TREE CREEPER ROSE-COLOURED STARLING SNOW BUNTING WAXWING GREAT GREY SHRIKE
My Choice would be - Scaup and Waxwing ( , but mine don't count !
SAT 1 DEC 2012
What a start to the month - this morning a f GOLDENEYE ( 198 ) on South Huish Marsh- the prospect of reaching 200 for the year becomes ever more closer.
Also there - 1 LITTLE GREBE, 100+ WIGEON, 60 TEAL, 1 PINTAIL, 1 GADWALL, 1 SHELDUCK, 1 WATER PIPIT
On T'stone Marsh - 12 WIGEON , 40 TEAL, 12 SHOVELER ( 8 flew off east at 08.10 ) 20 SNIPE , 1 CETTIS WARBLER ( first here since spring )
On the rocks - 12 RINGED PLOVER, 1 DUNLIN.
A quick visit to UPTON CROSS ( nr South Milton ) at 12.00 produced 55 LAPWING, 2 FIELDFARE, 100+ SKYLARK and a nice male HEN HARRIER ( my first ad male for the patch ).
Bob B - Piers Cottage - 2 NUTHATCH, COAL TIT , both also in Nick T's garden .
At S M Ley - at least 40 CHIFFCHAFF ( only 3 new ringed )2 BRAMBLING, YELLOWHAMMER, 8 WATER RAIL
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