Friday 23rd to Friday 30th September 2022 - South Devon.

 

A week in South Devon was hopefully a chance to catch up on a few birds we have missed during the year. 4 of us Bryan and his wife Yvonne and Tony (me) with my wife Mary, we booked a house in a village just outside Salcombe called Marlborough and proved a great base to explore the area. Our accommodation was fantastic with far views over open fields to Dartmoor bird wise it was poor with plenty of Corvids especially Rooks one day there were 37 on the wires. Other birds seen were Black Headed Gull, and Herring Gulls mostly flyovers heading for or away from the coast, along with Wood Pigeon, Buzzard and Yellowhammers. Most days Swallows and House Martins were seen on migration. On Saturday our first full day we ventured into Salcombe and the tide was low, as it was all week so with plenty of shore and mud exposed water birds and waders were expected, the only waders found were Oystercatchers that we were to find every day, also Redshank which again were very common and a single Common Sandpiper. Gull species were numerous and included Mediterranean Gulls which were abundant here but only seen once somewhere else. Another common species that we saw most days was Little Egrets, Cormorants and Shags were also common fare. Small birds proved hard to find on most days except for hirundine’s that were seen every day except for Sand Martins that we only spotted on a couple of days. On Sunday we went to Slapton, the Ley was also quiet with Coot and Gulls making up the main numbers, but we did find a few Great Crested Grebes, Gadwall and a female Tufted Duck. On the sea it was good to see Gannets feeding. We later went to Start Point here the 1^st bird seen was a pair of Stonechats and a hovering Kestrel.

Stonechat-Bath Birdwatcher.

Walking to the lighthouse we added Willow Warbler, Meadow Pipits and a Wheatear. We reached the lighthouse after a fairly long walk and in the short time we had to sea watch found 2 Common Scoter a species of duck and a single Balearic Shearwater both being year ticks so nice to see. Tuesday was a trip to a National Trust property in Plymouth called Saltram but when we arrived it was raining so we sat in the car a drank a coffee we had taken with us it was then I spotted 2 Ring Neck Parakeets another year tick.

Ring Neck Parakeet-Bath Birdwatcher

 We saw several more just after lunch when we had a cream tea at the café. When the rain stopped, we did a walk along the Tamar seeing many of the species I have already mentioned but new for the week were Ravens, Chaffinch, Long Tailed Tits, Curlew and Greenshank. Wednesday, we planned a day at Thurlstone first stop being South Huish this was the best area for birds with 30 species seen New for the week were Black Tailed Godwits, Moorhen, and Teal, While, on the beach were Turnstone another year tick and Ringed Plover but they were soon seen off by dog walkers. After a walk we returned to the car for lunch where we saw some horses in the marsh and with them was a lonesome Cattle Egret our only sighting all week. On Friday on our way home we visited a cousin of Yvonne who lives by the river Otter, they are also bird lovers with 4 Tit species visiting the feeders, but the highlight was another year tick on the river a Dipper feeding in an area of rapids.

spot the Dipper-Bath Birdwatcher

Great week with fantastic company hope, we will do it again sometime.