More Dipping in Devon and Cornwall

I headed off to Slapton Ley on the bus on Friday 22nd March, catching the first bus of the day at 07:30 and arriving at Torcross at 09:15. I decided to visit Beesands Ley first, walking over the clifftops due to the high tide blocking the beach access and along the walk I saw a singing chiffchaff with a second bird also heard, a singing cirl bunting on a telegraph wire before it flew into the hedgerow and I heard an unseen singing blackcap.

Arriving at Beesands Ley and I began scanning the ducks out on the water, hoping to find the recently reported male scaup but there was no sign of it. I did find the wintering male ring-necked duck which gave some great views amongst the tufted ducks but with reeds in the way I couldn't get a decent photo as my camera kept focusing on the reeds and not on the ducks. Also seen were 2 male pochard, a male gadwall, a pair of teal, mallard, coot, moorhen, great crested grebe, mute swan, Canada goose, cormorant and a grey heron with Cetti's warblers heard and a raven flying over mobbing a buzzard.

A nice find along the footpath was my first oil beetle of the year, always a nice insect to see.

Oil Beetle

The tide had dropped enough for me to walk back to Slapton Ley along the beach and I headed to the Stokeley Bay hide near Torcross first as the male scaup has often been seen from here but again there was no sign of it. I returned to Torcross and then walked along the Ley to the bridge, scanning the ducks on the Ley for the scaup but there was still no sign of it - another dip (and it was reported the next day too!).

I did see reed buntings along the Ley side with Cetti's warblers heard calling while out on the water there were gadwall, coot, tufted duck, mallard, moorhen, cormorant and great crested grebes. A few common gulls and lesser black-backed gulls were amongst the herring gulls and great black- backed gulls and a few first summer black-headed gulls were hanging around the duck feeding area at Torcross.

 Black-headed Gull

Black-headed Gull

It was quiet offshore too with a single gannet, a few shag and a flock of 22 sleeping great crested grebes being seen along with the usual gulls.

David and his Mum duly arrived and we had lunch in the Start Bay Inn before driving home and I slept all the way back to Plymouth after stuffing myself with fish and chips - a good day out but no scaup for me.

While at Slapton Ley I received a text from Plymouth birder Russ regarding a garganey found at Millbrook Lake just across the River Tamar from Plymouth and so the next day I thought I would go over for a look. And as expected and continuing the theme for the week there was no sign of it - my dipping streak continues! A blonde headed Egyptian goose, a flyover grey wagtail, 2 lesser black-backed gulls and a Mediterranean gull bathing amongst the herring gulls and black-headed gulls and a singing chiffchaff were all seen and heard though.

Egyptian Goose

Lesser Black-backed Gulls with Herring Gulls

Lesser Black-backed Gulls with Herring Gulls

Mediterranean Gull with Herring Gulls

Muscovy Duck x Mallard

Onwards to nearby Stone Farm along Radford Lane and I managed to get some nice views of the 7 overwintering cattle egrets amongst the cows along with a sickly looking little egret, a nice bonus after the garganey dip.

Cattle Egret

Cattle Egret

Cattle Egret

Cattle Egret