Stuart's Wildlife Diary: Purple Sandpipers and a Wild Grebe Chase

Sunday 28 January 2024

Purple Sandpipers and a Wild Grebe Chase

On a walk around Plymouth Hoe on Sunday 21st January before Storm Isha arrived I finally found my first Purple Sandpipers of this winter season with 2 seen feeding together on the rocks below the Tinside SLC on the incoming tide.

Purple Sandpipers

They showed very nicely and allowed close approach but were rarely still for more than a second as they ran back and forth across the concrete slabs to avoid the waves. After watching them for a while I left them to it as the storm clouds began to roll in but I was very pleased to finally catch up with them here.

Purple Sandpiper

With a Grey Phalarope and a presumed Leach's Storm Petrel being seen in Plymouth Sound the next day after Storm Isha passed through I decided to have a look about on Tuesday 23rd January as Storm Jocelyn began to arrive. It was mild, murky, wet, misty and windy and a scan about failed to find any Phalaropes or Petrels as expected but off Tinside Pool a Great Northern Diver, at least 5 Guillemots and at least 8 Razorbill were seen. An adult Gannet was circling around over the water in the gloom and an Oystercatcher and 3 Canada Geese flew over heading towards The Tamar. The 2 Purple Sandpipers were again feeding on the rocks below the Surf Lifesaving Club but soon flew off, never to be seen again.

Guillemots, Plymouth Hoe

I headed off to Wembury on Wednesday 24th January for a walk, it was mild and clear with just a gentle breeze although it had clouded over by the time I headed home. The footpath was very muddy as expected but the cafe was surprisingly open and I had my first Chunk pasty of the year for my lunch.

It was quiet birdwise with the highlight being some good views of a Cetti's Warbler, it was feeding in the hedgerow alongside the footpath by the horse field which seemed a strange place to find it. It was good to find the Redshank was still present along the beach but there was no sign of the Water Pipit amongst all the flitty Rock and Meadow Pipits present. A few Redwings were seen flying about, no more than 2 together at any one time but certainly more than 2 were present, and just a single Turnstone was feeding out on the rocks where 4 adult Mediterranean Gulls were also roosting. Fulmars were wheeling around The Mewstone, a single Gannet was seen offshore and 2 Cirl Buntings were heard singing away in the sunshine.

Small-spotted Catshark Egg Cases, Wembury

Friday 26th January was a beautiful winters day, all still and mild with blue skies and sunshine, and with a Red-necked Grebe being found on The Plym I headed out to have a look for it. I caught the bus to Marsh Mills and walked down to Laira Bridge, it was low tide as I started my walk at around 12:30pm and I hoped that the Red-necked Grebe, if still present, would move upriver on the incoming tide. As expected I didn't see it, it had apparently been seen at Laira Bridge at around 1:30pm but was flushed downriver by a passing boat and didn't return. It could possibly be the same bird as the one being seen at nearby Torpoint (as the Red-necked Grebe flies) maybe it's returned there but never mind, I had an enjoyable walk anyway.

Snowdrops, Saltram

The usual birds were present with the highlights being singles of Kingfisher, Common Sandpiper, Raven, Grey Wagtail, Kestrel, Firecrest, Sparrowhawk, Coal Tit and Goldcrest, 4 Buzzards soaring together overhead, 48 Wigeon on Blaxton Meadow and the nearby river, 2 male and a female Stonechat on Chelson Meadow, 5 noisy Ring-necked Parakeets arguing together in the branches of a tree around a nesting hole and around 10 Siskins in the Alder trees by the Wet Wood. A Red Admiral and 2 Roe Deer also added some non-avian interest and variety.

Red Admiral, Saltram

The Red-necked Grebe may have been a no show for me on The Plym but on regularly scanning the river I did find the wintering Great Crested Grebe, a pair of Goosander, 5 Little Grebes and 3 Great Northern Divers all busily diving away out on the water. (And a Red-necked Grebe was reported as present at Torpoint on BirdGuides at 18:28hrs but no time was given for the actual sighting!)

With another fine day on Saturday 27th January I decided to revisit The Plym for a walk, this time starting and finishing at Laira Bridge. It was cooler and breezier than the previous day but still very pleasant. I had considered another visit to Torpoint but decided to try The Plym again, more in hope than expectation that the Red-necked Grebe might be present, needless to say it wasn't but I did enjoy my walk despite this.

There were 2 Great Northern Divers still present below Laira Bridge along with 2 Mute Swan, a Kingfisher and a Common Sandpiper while upriver a Little Grebe and 2 pairs of Goosander were seen. The usual Waders, Wildfowl and Gulls were present out on the mudflats on the low tide along with at least 15 Cormorants including 1 with a very white streaked head. A Kestrel, Skylarks, Meadow Pipits, 4 Bullfinch (3 males) and 9 Roe Deer were seen on Chelson Meadow with a Green Woodpecker heard yaffling away while around the Park a Jay, at least 6 Redwings and 2 Ring-necked Parakeets were also of note.