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Devon Birding (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter JRE
- Start date
A cracking first winter Laughing Gull around Newton Abbot this morning,found at first light off the Passage House Inn by Matt, it was then relocated mid morning with a flock of Black Heads opposite the car park and stayed for about half an hour or so before just lifting off for no reason and flew off towards Newton Abbot. The obvious place for it to go was Decoy Lake and at 11.40 this was duly where it turned up, coming to a generous hand out of bread, it stayed for a few minutes at point blank range around the concrete jetty (in the company of amongst others a nice Muscovy Duck) and then went and sat on the water 30 yards offshore before it dissapeared once again...Hopefully it will form a pattern and commute between the two sites for a while.
Also of interest at Broadsands first thing Red-Necked, Slav and Black-Necked Grebe, Great Northern Diver and Eider all offshore, 2 first winter Med Gulls on the rocks and the 'grey' Chiff still in the ditch by the car park.
Also of interest at Broadsands first thing Red-Necked, Slav and Black-Necked Grebe, Great Northern Diver and Eider all offshore, 2 first winter Med Gulls on the rocks and the 'grey' Chiff still in the ditch by the car park.
Kev Rylands
Well-known member
No further news on Birdguides, but not sure if people have looked...
Another great find by Matt (cheers) and my 15th gull sp on the Teign!
Another great find by Matt (cheers) and my 15th gull sp on the Teign!
kmonty1950
Well-known member
The Firecrest said:
Unfortunately no! It had gone by the time I'd managed to get there just after midday. Stuffed itself with Hovis then went off somewhere to let it digest. As Mark says, worth watching the Teign estuary and Decoy Lake over the next couple of days. (Though the way things are going, it's more likely to turn up on the Axe
)Good birding
Ken.
Gavin Haig
Well-known member
Hopefully it will form a pattern and commute between the Axe and Seaton bay for a while.........like NONE of the other Laughers have done. Got to be our turn, surely?Mark said:
Kev Rylands
Well-known member
I'd try Passage House first thing - then Decoy Lake later on if no sign.
The Axe started the ball rolling back in 1984
Gavin Haig
Well-known member
Time for it to roll past again........... |=)|Kev Rylands said:The Axe started the ball rolling back in 1984
colonelboris
Right way up again
Even if I was a twitcher based in Devon, I wouldn't go to look - too much chance of bumping into the evil ex at the top of hill in Newton Abbot...
Saw a common sandpiper on the Exe at the quay in Exeter today. whirred in across the river to settle on the rounded concrete wall you always see the cormorants on on the West side of the river near the canal branch. A herring gull walked after and snapped a bit, so it decided to fly within 30 yards of me and settled on the wall, allowing a very poor shot. I tried to get a bit closer, but it cleared off right next to the water company buildings and I could only see it as a dot on the wall.
Looking at the photo, the only other thing it could have been was a solitary sandpiper, but that's not very likely and I'm pretty sure the white on the wing extended some way towards the body. Also the legs weren't particularly yellow, so I'm happy with common. When I get back to the land of broadband instead of dial-up (and no photo-editing software), then I'll post a pic.
Not too shabby, a nice over-wintering common sand.
Is it worth reporting as they're mainly summer visitors?
Saw a common sandpiper on the Exe at the quay in Exeter today. whirred in across the river to settle on the rounded concrete wall you always see the cormorants on on the West side of the river near the canal branch. A herring gull walked after and snapped a bit, so it decided to fly within 30 yards of me and settled on the wall, allowing a very poor shot. I tried to get a bit closer, but it cleared off right next to the water company buildings and I could only see it as a dot on the wall.
Looking at the photo, the only other thing it could have been was a solitary sandpiper, but that's not very likely and I'm pretty sure the white on the wing extended some way towards the body. Also the legs weren't particularly yellow, so I'm happy with common. When I get back to the land of broadband instead of dial-up (and no photo-editing software), then I'll post a pic.
Not too shabby, a nice over-wintering common sand.
Is it worth reporting as they're mainly summer visitors?
colonelboris
Right way up again
Ah, also forgot to mention - looks like a peregrine or something's had a BHG very near the same spot as I saw the sandpiper. A few breast feathers and a wing, along with some assorted bone bits on the grass.
Either that or hungry tramps.
And also a lesser black-backed gull that looked quite small for a LBBG, but also had a very square back to its head.
Either that or hungry tramps.
And also a lesser black-backed gull that looked quite small for a LBBG, but also had a very square back to its head.
kmonty1950
Well-known member
The Firecrest said:
Passage House Inn.
From Torbay follow the A380 till you cross the River Teign, then take the exit towards Newton Abbot. You climb a short rise, then straight across a mini roundabout. As the road drops down, you come to another roundabout, left here, then 200yds further on you turn left (signposted to Passage House Inn) Park right beside the river.
A word of warning - this pub is hot on underage drinking :bounce:
Decoy Lake
Back along the A380 to the Penn Inn roundabout, take Exit into Newton Abbot, then first left. Go past the entrance to Sainsbury's and under a railway bridge. After 100 yards or so turn sharp right (Think this is a mini roundabout, but can't remember). Entrance to Decoy Lake is about 50 yds on the left. Easy to watch from a concrete path, it may pay to take some bread!!
Good luck
Ken.
JRE
Guest
Thanks Ken. I made it there. First to Decoy. No sign of the bird, but 24 Tufted Ducks, 2 Pochard, 3 Great Crested Grebes and 53 Coot were present, along with one arrogant, mean-looking Muscovy Duck.
Then on to Passage House. There was a flock of about 2,000 birds 200 yards away. Spent 45 minutes scanning them with no luck, though had 5 different gull species. There were also 2 Avocet(!), plenty of Oystercatchers and Redshank, 3 Red-breasted Mergansers, and 3 Little Grebes. Went back to Decoy, nothing new, then home. Gutted, to be honest.
Then on to Passage House. There was a flock of about 2,000 birds 200 yards away. Spent 45 minutes scanning them with no luck, though had 5 different gull species. There were also 2 Avocet(!), plenty of Oystercatchers and Redshank, 3 Red-breasted Mergansers, and 3 Little Grebes. Went back to Decoy, nothing new, then home. Gutted, to be honest.
dan pointon
Can't Stop
The Firecrest said:
13:41 14/01/07 Laughing Gull Devon Newton Abbot 13:10
1st-winter on Enigma Night Club roof between the town centre and the racecourse until 13:10 when it flew off :hippy:
