Wednesday 17th April - Monday 22nd April 2024 Torbay

Brixham from Waterside Holiday Park (Bath Birdwatcher)

Mary and myself have just spent a few day’s in Torbay staying with my sister in law at Waterside Holiday Park. We traveled down on Wednesday and while on the A303 4 Crane’s flew over. After settling in I walked to Armchair Cove noting Carrion Crow, Buzzard, Herring Gull, Robin and Wood Pigeon. A set of steps leads down to a rocky shore and I found it best to stop on a bend in the steps for the best view. Great Black Back Gull and Shag were seen but nothing else so decided to make my way back finding Blackbird and a Chiffchaff. The lodge where we were staying overlooks the sea and from here I spotted a Gannet and a Magpie. 

Thursday I walked over the clifftop to Broadsands which was very tiring with 50+ steps at the Waterside end to climb but at Broadsands there is 120 steps not too bad on the way but it can’t be said to be the same on the return. I was only counting birds new for the week so Chaffinch was the 1st new bird and Blue Tit, Goldcrest, Dunnock and Great Tit were all found around the wooded edges of the car park, along with Orange Tip, Red Admiral, Speckled Wood and Peacock butterflies. It was very obvious that Greenfinches  were very abundant with birds singing from almost every tree or feeding on the grass edges of the car park. The odd Long Tailed Tit and Blackcap were seen, and on the sea was a single Mute Swan and walking back a small flock of Mallards flew over back towards Broadsands. 

Greenfinch - Broadsands (Bath Birdwatcher)

Friday was a morning in Brixham where Turnstone's were in the Harbour and while sitting at Breakwater Beach Rock Pipit’s and a single Swallow was found. Back at Waterside I went to Armchair Cove and while walking down the seps a Wheatear flew away but as I stayed looking 3 returned to the rocks in front of me. A Cormorant flew past and a Grey Seal popped up from the sea only to dive and never be seen again. Walking back a Humming-Bird Hawk-Moth was feeding from pink flowers a lovely sight to see.

Rock Pipit - Brixham (Bath Birdwatcher)


Wheatear - Armchair Cove (Bath Birdwatcher)

Saturday the 4 of us went to Berry Head where there is a great café so while the other 3 were having coffee and cake I walked the North Fort area and Robin and Carrion Crow were soon ticked and on the cliffs Guillemot’s were nesting along with a few Shag’s, and a Fulmar was drifting on the updraughts. Walking towards the end of the North Fort there were 100’s of Guillemot’s on the sea with probably 50+ Herring Gull’s most being immature birds and several Great Black Back Gulls. A Blackbird was on the grass slopes and a Song Thrush was singing from the top of a bush and close by a Chiffchaff was in another bush. Woodpigeon and Goldfinch were also seen before I reached the end of the headland and here the sea was almost empty with just a single Gannet flying out of the bay. A Pied Wagtail flew in and landed close by and a Jackdaw was also on the ground hunting for food. Walking back to the café I looked over into an area known as the Quarry and here were 2 Magpie’s and a single female Pheasant. Back at the café I was talking with Peter who was looking at the cliffs when a heard a bird singing and behind me sat on the top of a bush was a Cirl Bunting a bird I was hoping to see at Broadsands but they didn’t show, so it was a great spot and a bird I am unlikely to see again this year. Mary had ordered me a coffee so while waiting a House Martin my 1st of the year, and a Swallow flew past. Walking back to the car I added to the day’s list Wren, Goldfinch, Blue Tit, Dunnock and Chaffinch. 

Guillemot - Berry Head (Bath Birdwatcher)

Sunday the 21st was our last full day and we had booked Sunday lunch so it was after lunch when we returned that I was able to have my last visit to Armchair Cove. One of, or a different Wheatear was still present, but new for the week was a Mediterranean Gull and 3 Sandwich Terns which was also a year tick taking the total of year ticks over the 5 days to 5. A Grey Heron was my final new sighting of the week.
Rock Pipit - Armchair Cove (Bath Birdwatcher)

(Bath Birdwatcher)



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