Start Bay and Slapton Ley

Looking across the north end of the Lower Ley towards the Hartshorn Plantation.
 

Just like last Sunday today has been beautiful. Lovely and still with early morning fog clearing by the early afternoon. With the Scoter bonanza elsewhere in South Devon, notably off Mansands just around the corner from Start Bay, I thought I would pop out for an hour late morning and have a look from the Memorial Car Park to check what was in Start Bay, as it was I stayed until dusk! Apart from the obliging Black-necked Grebe just offshore there seemed little about. I decided to check Ireland Bay and there were good numbers of Gadwalls, Wigeons, Tufted Ducks and Coots but no sign of recently seen Scaup or Long-tailed Duck. Best bird was a welcome female Pochard which highlights their decline. So far this winter the majority of wildfowl on the ley has been in Ireland Bay but I could see good numbers farther south towards Torcross and so headed there. Another quick look at the bay produced 2 Scoters way out and a small flock went south across my scope view closer in. There was a flash of white, clocking them with my bins they were a flock of 13 Common Scoters with a male Shoveler hanging on their coat tails. Also now present was a Great Northern Diver
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Stokeley Bay Bird Hide.


 

From the Stokeley Bay hide there was a load more Wildfowl and in amongst them was a female Goosander and the Long-tailed Duck reported last week, maybe a young male but it was fairly distant and after 15 minutes it few north up the ley with a load of Tufted Ducks, something had spooked them all, maybe an Otter ?

Female Goosander, Stokeley Bay. More regular at Slapton these days, just about annual. Formerly only seen here during hard, cold winter spells                                                                                                                                                            .

Long-tailed Duck ( white headed bird in the centre )

 

Selected counts for the ley included 120 Gadwalls, 47 Wigeons, 5 Shovelers, 160 Tufted Ducks, 3 Goldeneyes ( 2 males ), 9 Little Grebes and I would estimate between 400-500 Coots. Single female Pochard were in Ireland Bay and Stokeley Bay as mentioned highlighting their decline. As the light was so good I had another check of the bay. The 2 distant scoter took off and they were Velvets landing further north towards Strete Gate. A Red-throated Diver  and another Great Northern were also present. The day had gone well so I had a look from Slapton Bridge to end the day. No Bittern or Great White Egret but plenty of vocal Water rails and a Kingfisher looking for supper.