WED 31 JULY 2013
A very poor day to end the month with - a bit like the weather - damp. misty and low cloud this morning with a F4/5 SSW wind . Spent an hour on Warren Pt before getting wet and cold ( what happend to the sun ) and giving up . With poor viz only managed to pick up 38 GANNET , 2 MANX SHEARWATER and 3 MED GULL.
Hopefully August will start much better !
Just had a call from Bob - a COMMON TERN on the rocks - the first of the autumn passage .
Also omitted to report the SWALLOW roost last night up to 2500 with a very interested PEREGRINE
TUES 30 JULY 2013
Heavy rain until 10.30 with light winds but very poor viz. Turned out to be MED GULL day. A new patch record of 16- 6juv, 6 ad, 4 sub ad . Must have had a good breeding year with so many juv. With them on the rocks at 10.00 1 KITTIWAKE, 1 SANDWICH TERN and 20 BLACK HEADED GULL. On the beach 13 SANDERLING.
On South Huish Marsh a GREEN SANDPIPER
Late afternoon a short visit only produced 50+ GANNET and 10 MANX S'WATER
MON 29 JULY 2013
A morning of sunny periods and showers with a F5/6 SSW wind . Little really to report - plenty of GANNET c400, 20 MANX SHEARWATER, 3 KITTIWAKE, 2 MED GULL ( 1juv & 1 sub ad ). On the beach 3 SANDERLING
In the field behind the cafe the first juv WHEATEAR of the year
SUN 28 JULY 2013
Despite a S F4 wind very little offshore - only 30 MANX S'WATER, 140 GANNET,
2 SANDWICH TERN, 2 FULMAR, 1 COMMON SCOTER, 4 KITTIWAKE
On South Huish Marsh 1 BLACK TAILED GODWIT , 1 CURLEW
Early morning Bob B ringed the first juv GROPPA for the year, also WILLOW and SEDGE WARBLER
SAT 27 JULY 2013
Cloudy morning with a SE F2/3 wind produced the best days Shearwater passage of the year. Sat on the end of Warren Pt from 10.00- 12.30 .Lots of feeding activity offshore Totals were -
905 MANX SHEARWATER, 1 BALEARIC and 1 SOOTY SHEARWATER ( flew east only 200yds off at 10.05 ) 245 GANNET, 3 FULMAR., 3 SANDWICH TERN . 1 ARCTIC SKUA east at 11.45.
60 COMMON SCOTER - largest flock 40 west.
Waders- 3 CURLEW -west and on the beach 4 SANDERLING
FRI 26 JULY 2013
A fine sunny day with little wind and a flat sea . From 10.00 until 12.00 some rolling sea fog which seemed to bring birds into the Bay.
In around 3 hrs 245 MANX SHEARWATER , 50 GANNET, 14 COMMON SCOTER,
1 FULMAR all few east. 3ad 1juv SANDWICH TERN - west. Highlight of the morning were 2 ARCTIC SKUA -dp east at 10.10 and an intermediate phase east at 10.20.
Waders on the beach/marsh - 1 GREEN SANDPIPER, 1 L. R. PLOVER, 3 SANDERLING, 1 BLACK TAILED GODWIT
Will be interesting to see if the heavy rain moving in to East Devon on Sat produces any Shearwater passage in the Bay . Some F6/7 S winds for Sunday pm !
THURS 25 JULY 2013
Away allday Wed - inbetween the fog Bob B had 'several' hundred MANX SHEARWATER flying through .
This morning in 1.5 hrs 165 MANX SHEARWATER, 50 GANNET, 3 KITTIWAKE, 2 SANDWICH TERN, 1 FULMAR
On South Huish Marsh 3 DUNLIN ( last nights rain really has freshened up the mud ) On the beach the first returning RINGED PLOVER
TUES 23 JULY 2013
Avery calm day with a flat sea , although the haze made it difficult at times to seawatch. Over a 2.5 hour period this morning 445 MANX SHEARWATER and 130+ GANNET , 14 COMMON SCOTER all flew east. A BONXIE in the Bay at 10.00
Earlier Bob B ringed 2 WILLOW , 2 SEDGE WARBLERS and 6 CHIFFCHAFF
GARGANEY still on the Marsh
At 20.00 last night a REDSHANK flew into T'stone Marsh
.
Late evening update - T'stone Marsh 21.00 SWALLOW roost 2,000 , WATER RAIL calling , 2 TEAL.
MON 22 JULY 2013
Started out early to look for waders on the beaches - by 08.15 it was almost impossible to see the beach- only a few OYSTERCATCHERS located
Out of the mist at 09.05 a sinle BALEARIC SHEARWATER flew east.About 55 BLACK HEADED GULL in the Bay
Whilst driving back good views of both SPARROWHAWK and GREEN WOODPECKER
SUN 21 JULY 2013
Still agood F 5/6E wind - An early morning call from Bob B to confirm 3 AVOCET and 20 SANDERLING on the beach at 06.30. Managed to eventually pick up the AVOCETs flying accross the Bay at 11.00 and then feeding just off the rocks near the flats. This is the first July patch record and only the 4th in last 9 years.- interesting to note first returning birds at Bowling Green Marsh last night .Also added another specie to the list of birds attacked by a PEREGRINE - I am pleased to confirm after a good aerial display the AVOCET survived !.
3 WHIMBREL on the rocks. On South Huish Marsh - 8 DUNLIN 1 GARGANEY.
SWALLOW roost last night at 21.15 was 1100 +
SAT 20 JULY 2013
Arrived back from a week in Majorca at 04.30 so it was a late start this morning.
On T'stone Marsh 4 TEAL, 12 BLACK HEADED GULL, 1 sub ad MED GULL and 1 juv YELLOW LEGGED GULL.
Heat haze and good F6 ENE wind ( with lots of dust/sand ) made seawatching difficult - apaty from a few BLACK H GULLs nothing elsae picked up
On South Huish Marsh- plenty of mud with 7 DUNLIN, 1 YELLOW WAGTAIL, AJL reported a GREEN SANDPIPER. Also a report of the eclipse GARGANEY.
Bob B has given me his notes for the last week which I will post SUN/MON
13-19 JULY 2013
Bob B's sightings for the patch whilst I was on Holiday
13 JULY
1 GREY WAGTAIL, 1ad MED GULL, 1 GARGANEY, 3 TEAL, 1 L.R. PLOVER
1 DUNLIN.
Ringed - 1 BLACKCAP, 1 SEDGE W , 7 CHIFFCHAFF
14 JULY- 1m TUFTED DUCK, 1 GREENSHANK, 1 COMMON SANDPIPER, 8 SANDERLING, 5 DUNLIN, 3 SANDWICH TERN, 1 sub ad MED GULL1 GARGANEY, 3 TEAL, 30 BLACK H GULL.
16 July - 1 GARGANEY, 1 GREEN SANDPIPER, 3 SANDWICH TERN,
Ringed - 4 SEDGE W, 1 BLACKCAP, 5 CHIFFCHAFF.
18 July - 1 WHIMBREL, 6 DUNLIN, 1 GARGANEY, 2 GREY WAGTAIL, 9 CHIFFCHAFF ringed
FRI 12 JULY 2013
First an update on late Thurs news- Bob B ringed 20 CHIFFCHAFF and the first juv WILLOW WARBLER of this year ( as none breed near here this probably came off a nearby moor ) The SWALLOW roost was up to 1500 at 21.15- highest of the year
This morning was cloudy with a light ENE wind and a flat sea .
On the beaches 1 SANDERLING, 1 LITTLE RINGED PLOVER and a COMMON SANDPIPER. Over South Milton Ley were 175 SAND MARTIN .
In the Bay 3 SANDWICH TERN, 33 COMMON SCOTER , 6 BLACK HEADED GULL., 8 AUKS flew east .
On South Huish Marsh another star bird an eclipse GARGANEY with 2 F TEAL .
Bob B ringed his first juv SEDGE WARBLERS -2- of the year and another 8 CHIFFCHAFF
A remarkable week for the patch for the time of the yaer, almost sorry to be going away and with this great weather . Next update will be 20 JULY .
THURS 11 JULY 2013
After the activity of yesterday evening it was back to more normal fare today.
This morning a July patch record for SAND MARTIN over 400 by the footbridge with at keast 300 resting on the sandbank, all had moved on within 30 mins.
Some evidence of wader passage - the juv LITTLE RINGED PLOVER on the beach along with 5 DUNLIN, 4 SANDERLING. On South Huish Marsh a further 6 DUNLIN .
Offshore 150+ GANNET ( feeding ) 15 + BLACK HEADED GULL , a flock of 70 COMMON SCOTER flew west at 11.35.
a sub ad YELLOW L GULL reported on Yarmer Beach.
35 SWIFT over T'stone Marsh this afternoon
WED 10 JULY 2013
Another superb summers day - good viz until the heat haze got going a F4 ENE wind
First an update for Tues the first really good SWALLOW roost - over 800 .
Off Warren Pt for shortwhile this morning - 125 GANNET, 45 MANX S'WATER, 23 BLACK HEADED GULL ( all west ), 7 KITTIWAKE, 2 FULMAR 3 AUKS .
At T'stone Marsh at 19.00 45+ SWIFT
Have left the bird of the day until last - apatch year tick, thanks to Bob B who trapped a juv CUCKOO ( 165 ) at 18.15 at South Milton Ley . It is quite a few years since the last juv record on the patch.
Thankgoodness for Bob being back on the patch - he found the second patch year tick of the day this evening on South Milton Lay - a drake Pochard ( 166 ) this has got to be one of the first July records for the patch . He also had an juv LITTLE RINGED PLOVER on South Huish Marsh at 20.00
Tonights SWALLOW roost at T'stone Marsh was in excess of 1100 birds
TUES 9 JULY 2013
Another sunny and hot day .Limited time looking offshore plenty of GANNET and a few MANX S'WATER. 2 flocks of COMMON SCOTER totalled 40
On South Huish Marsh 4 BLACK HEADED GULL, 2juv COAL TIT were unusual, 4 SWIFT and the first big movement of SAND MARTIN - 75 +
This evening on T'stone Marsh - 22 SWIFT, 70+ SAND MARTIN ., 2 SHELDUCK with 3 young only a few days old and the first juv BLACK HEADED GULL
Only just outside the patch at Churchstow at 13.30 a HOBBY
MON 8 JULY 2013
Another scorching sunny day , a brisk F4 E wind . A 3 hr seawatch off Warren Pt was worthwhile - 300+ GANNET, 10 KITTIWAKE, 5 FULMAR, 1ad MED GULL ,15 BLACK HEADED GULL, 140 MANX SHEARWATER ( difficult to pick up as they were flying west into the heat haze ) 105 COMMON SCOTER ( east- largest flock 50 )
On South Huish marsh Bob B had a REDSHANK, 1 LAPWING, 5 SAND MARTIN
SUN 7 JULY 2013
More people on the beaches than birds today. Flat calm sea , no wind , hot sunshine only problem was the heat haze.
Walk round the Bay and a short seawatch with Graham Daw produced -
42 COMMON SCOTER, 300+ GANNET, 110+ MANX SHEARWATER, 3 FULMAR, 20 SHAG.
Over South Huish Marsh 100+ SWALLOW, 10 HOUSE MARTIN, 5 SAND MARTIN, 1 SWIFT.
In my garden a feeding GREEN WOODPECKER .
Bob B ringed 11 CHIFFCHAFF, 6 REED WARBLER and 2 BLACKCAP
FRI 5 JULY 2013
First real day of summer - warm & sunny ., no wind and a flat calm sea , anticiptation zero , actually turned out surprising
On South Huish marsh - 3 Black Headed Gull ( still no large influx of returning birds )
1 Sand Martin .
Looking out across the bay at 10.30 surprised to find a lp ARCTIC SKUA harrassing a small group of KITTIWAKE , and then not 5 mins later a dp ARCTIC SKUA flew through.
2 flocks of COMMON SCOTER ( 20 +3 ) flew east . A lot more HERRING GULL around c200+, 35 GANNET, 1 MANX SHEARWATER, and 1 RAZORBILL .
Early this morning Bob B had a SANDWICH TERN in the Bay.
No report for Thurs - couldn't see the sea !
On Wed only thing worth reporting was a feeding group of GANNET which started at 80 and rapidly grew to 500
TUES 2 JULY 2013
A cloudy morning with a F3 S wind which by 12.15 became F5 with rain and very poor viz .
Spent just under 3 hours seawatching off Warren Pt - 70 GANNET, 110 KITTIWAKE ( highest total for some time )1 FULMAR, 145 MANX SHEARWATER, 2 AUKS
A pair of SHELDUCK took their recently hatched 6 young accross the Bay from Burgh Islandinto T'stone Bay ( they coped with the swell ! )
MON 1 JULY 2013
A quiet start to the month with the big suprise a LAPWING on South Huish Marsh- normally Oct before they return. A lone CURLEW flew west. In the Bay 100 + feeding GANNET whilst 3 MANX SHEARWATER flew west.
In West Buckland Valley 8 MISTLE THRUSH - probably 2 breeding pairs ..
Monthly total only 56 species
Late news - 16 LITTLE EGRET seen flying down South Milton valley at 20.45 (site record )
At T'stone Marsh - STARLING roost 200+ whilst SWALLOW 120 +
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