Dartmouth holiday!

I've seen loads of birds on this holiday - here are the notes I made at the time:

Dartmouth holiday October 2012

BIRDS

28.10

On the journey, I noticed a number of presumed Herring Gulls, (possibly black headed) as well as a medflock of Lesser Black Backs and a larflock of Lapwings in a green field. (At first I thought they were crows...but then I saw the white!) Then there was a rook at Costa Coffee.

Reaching Lower Pinn Farm, I noticed a larflock of Starlings zoom overhead.

A walk near Otterton produced a ticking robin and various Woodpigeons.

29.10

Driving to RSPB Budleigh Salterton, handsome Buzzard soars low over car - excellent view! At reserve, many H and BH gulls, crow, jackdaws (one observed with something in bill, flying up and dropping on pebbles to smash it) soaring over cliffs etc. Noticed egret catch fish, 2 mute swans, limosa-type sandpiper in lake, flew off with fast, shallow wingbeats, large white patches on wings and flanks. Passerines: lots of robins, wren chasing wren, wren singing close view, strange, not melodious, bubbly song, with snatches of mimicry, single starling by lake, interesting pipitish bird with P Wag call. Mallard, wigeon and teal duck-wise. 6 large waders standing one-legged with bills tucked in a line on bank, seemed to have 'collar' round breast. Also curlew or whimbrel on mud (very dark body). Found intact gull wing  in mud, IDed by discoloured mirrors at tip.

On walk from Exmouth to Strait Point: buzzard, kestrel, robin, woodpigeon, sparrow calls, feral pigeons on cliffs, herring gulls, oystercatchers on Sandy Bay, GBBGs and Cormorants on cliffs, latter also flying oversea. (We went hoping to see kittiwakes as there is a colony at Strait Point, but it was hard to tell between H and K - any gulls close enough for ID were Herring! Did see 2 promising birds very far out to sea. Strange snipe or godwit song, repeated 'wee...wee...whdlh, whdlh, whdlh'

30.10

Morning: sparrow and herring calls

Coastal walk Scabbacombe Bay to Brixham: many LBJs everywhere, flitting around fields, later IDed as Willow Warbler, blackbirds, robins, stonechats, poss. whitethroat in scrub. Jacks and Crows on grass slopes and flying around cliffs, many gulls and 2 diving cormorants. Also kestrel close views (hovering), buzzard, dark falcon flew over then swooped down and soared up into cliff scrub, calling 'kek kek kek kek kek' - Perry, Merlin, or hobby?!!!