THURLESTONE BAY BIRDS

MARCH 2015

In comparison with recent years March will be remembered for being very dry and quite sunny.   Easterly winds were noticeable however the strongest winds were on 31^st NW 7/8.

A low monthly species count of 103 (c/f 2014 – 105, 2013 – 121) with the year’s total increasing to 120 (c/f 2014 – 120, 2013 – 132) with the addition of 10 new species – highlighted by GARGANEY, LITTLE RINGED PLOVER, and the first patch record for KUMLIENS GULL.

After a brief influx of spring migrants around the middle of the month passage petered out. The first March I can remember when we did not record a SWALLOW or a SANDWICH TERN.

Significant sightings for the month:-

SWANS AND GEESE,

WHITE FRONTED GEESE – the two birds from February were last seen on the 5^th.

GREYLAG GOOSE – 3 arrived on South Huish Marsh on 22^nd with 2 remaining until 31^st.   First record for many years of more than a single (usually in with the CANADA flocks).

MUTE SWAN – Pairs nest building on both marshes.  Birds looking for a territory don’t stay very long.

DUCKS

SHELDUCK – Whilst present for most of the month a surprising build up  from 25^th when 8, 26^th – 21, 28^th – 30.   This latter count is a  patch record.

RUDDY SHELDUCK – Remained on South Huish Marsh all month.

GADWALL – A male on 1^st.

TEAL – Max on the Marshes 68 on 8^th.

MALLARD – Large number of unattached males still hoping for a  female to arrive.   No chicks recorded this year..

GARGANEY – A male watched arriving from the sea on 17^th by Graham and Nick, later found on South Huish Marsh to the delight of a number of Devon birders.

WIGEON – Last record were 22 on 6^th.

SHOVELER – A pair on South Huish on 2^nd..

COMMON SCOTER – Only two records to report 3 on 3^rd and 9 on 22^nd.

DIVERS, GREBES, COOT AND RAILS

Very few Diver records this year only 3 singles.

RED THROATED – 1 on 19^th.

BLACK-THROATED 1 on 4^th.

GREAT NORTHERN 1 on 24^th.

LITTLE GREBE – 1 – 2 Feeding on Thurlestone Marsh during the month.

GREAT CRESTED GREBE –Singles in the Bay on 9thand 17^th.

COOT –One on Thurlestone Marsh on 9^th.

WATER RAIL – Always difficult, to calculate how many birds on the patch – probably at least 8-10 .  One gave very good views on several days at South Huish Marsh.

GANNET, EGRETS AND FULMAR

GANNET – No large movements during the month with a max of c 60.

LITTLE EGRET – Up to 4 on Thurlestone Marsh, 3 on South Huish Marsh plus birds feeding on the rocks gives a patch total of 10.

FULMAR – Present most of the month max4 on 31^st.

HERON – Up to 6 on both Marshes.

RAPTORS

BUZZARD – Not unusual to see up to 6 on the patch, however on 10^th, Graham Daw and myself realised birds were arriving from Bolt Tail in groups of between 3 and 5, gaining height and heading East up the valley between 10.30 – 14.00 a total of 33, on that day 3 local birds gave a patch total of 36.

MERLIN – A single over South Huish Marsh on 24^th.

SPARROWHAWK – Up to 3 on the patch.

KESTREL – 1 bird on the cast, also 1 In Buckland Valley.

PEREGRINE – Regularly sighted.

WADERS – Only 9 species recorded.

OYSTERCATCHER – Max 12 on 8^th.

LITTLE RINGED PLOVER – First was a single from 18^th – 20^th with another on 31^st.

RINGED PLOVER – 3 on 9^th.

GOLDEN PLOVER – Small flock near South Milton on 15^th.

PURPLE SANDPIPER – singles on the rocks on 4^th and 9^th.

DUNLIN – 2 on 9^th were the first for the year!

SNIPE – Rapidly reduced numbers max 5 on 6^th.

CURLEW – Single on 17^th and 2 on 25^th.

TURNSTONE – Max 8 on 14^th.

GULLS

Highlight of the year so far was the arrival of an adult.

KUMLIENS GULL – first found by Mike Langman on 15^th but only positively identified from photos by Alan Doidge on 28th both occasions at South Huish Marsh.

KITTIWAKE – Max 10 on  2^nd.

BLACK HEADED GULL – Max 60 on 14^th.

MEDITERRANEAN  GULL –Only record a 1^st w on 17^th (AFD)

LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL – 2 large flocks on South Huish Marsh, 65 on 2^nd and 50+ on 29^th.

SPRING MIGRANTS.

SAND MARTIN – traditionally the first to arrive – this year again a single over Thurlestone Marsh on 8^th (my earliest date) with 5 on 12^th, 40+ on 17^th then very few up to 31^st.

WHEATEAR – first were 2 on 12^th, a fall with 30+ on 17^th  and 9 on 19^th then sparse numbers

WARBLERS

CHIFFCHAFF – Max 18 at South Milton Ley on 10^th.

SIBERIAN CHIFFCHAFF – At least 1 still on site during the month.

CETTIS WARBLER – At least 2 males on Thurlestone Marsh most of the month.

CRESTS AND STARTS

GOLDCREST – Only small numbers recorded at South Milton Ley and Buckland Valley.

FIRECREST – A first for the year was ringed by Alan Pomroy on 10^th.

BLACK REDSTART – a male and a female recorded on several dates in gardens in Thurlestone Village, last on 20^th.

WAGTAILS AND PIPETS

PIED WAGTAIL – Spring passage noted with roosts on Thurlestone Marsh of 100+ on 6^th and 40+ on 8^th.

WHITE WAGTAIL – Small numbers recorded, first was a single on 4^th.

WATER PIPIT – A max of 4 on 19^th at South Huish Marsh.

MISCELLANEOUS

JAY – 3 around Thurlestone Marsh on 19^th, singles in South Milton Village and Buckland Valley.

KINGFISHER – Single on Thurlestone Marsh on 8^th.

BULLFINCH – 5 in Nicks Garden on 17^th.

CIRL BUNTING – Both Males and Females visiting gardens in Thurlestone.

MISTLE THRUSH – 2 in Buckland Valley on 25^th.

REDWING – 3 at South Milton Village on 17^th.

April is always a Birders month of the year – passage migrants and the possibility of some overshoots can bring the unexpected.