Avocets

Spent a long time with this beautiful flock of thirteen Avocets in Duckpond this morning, following the overnight arrival of storm Chandra which delivered a tonne of rain. By far my biggest ever Exmouth count and by far my best ever views! Avocets are really scarce in Exmouth despite the close proximity of the wintering birds further upriver.

Carter Park - two adult Mediterranean Gulls with c190 Black-headed Gulls. Nearby in Duckpond - 13 Avocets, 1 male Goldeneye, 1 Whimbrel, c90 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 Pale-bellied Brent Goose, 7 Great Crested Grebes and 4 Mediterranean Gulls (2ad, 2w + fw). Nearby - the pair of Cirl Buntings and 1 Meadow Pipit on the Imperial rec. A first-winter Little Gull was off Shelly Beach and 2 Great Northern Divers were off the seafront.

Yesterday - off Orcombe Point - 1 Red-throated Diver, 3 Great Northern Divers, 1 male Common Scoter, 2 adult Mediterranean Gulls and 2 Great Crested Grebes. Two more Mediterranean Gulls were in the Duckpond with 30+ Common Gulls. A good count of 205+ Common Gulls was off Mudbank along with 3 Mediterranean Gulls, 110 Grey Plovers, 9 Sanderling and 33 Knot.

A very probable but all too brief first-winter Caspian Gull was off Warren Point (scoped from the quay) amongst a feeding melee of Herring Gulls, along with a further 2 Mediterranean Gulls.

First-winter Mediterranean Gull - Duckpond. Adult below. I've seen up to fifteen the past couple of days so clearly some movement happening.

Adult Mediterranean Gull - Carter Park.

Male Cirl Bunting - Imperial recreation ground.

Whimbrel - still showing superbly!

Drake Goldeneye still n the Duckpond.

Great Crested Grebe - the Duckpond.

Kittiwake, Slav

Kittiwake - the Duckpond. Kittiwakes breed in Exmouth (on Straight Point) but they're very infrequent in the estuary. Clearly storm-blown.

A first-winter Little Gull was off the seafront this morning but Lu and I got absolutely soaked on the walk down there. The Whimbrel was again in the Duckpond with 1 Kittiwake, the drake Goldeneye and the Pale-bellied Brent Goose. A Sparrowhawk flew over there too. I had good scope views of the Slavonian Grebe off Shelly Beach thanks to a text from Lee. It was feeding alongside a Great Crested Grebe before promptly doing a disappearing act. Well inside Exmouth waters though. Also off there - 1 Great Northern Diver. A very short look off Mudbank today with a flock c25 Knot being the only thing of note. Lastly - a female Blackcap was in our front garden this afternoon.

Goldeneye - the Duckpond. Fractionally closer today.

Drake Goldeneye

The drake Goldeneye was in the Duckpond today. Only the second time I've seen it this year.

Duckpond - 1 drake Goldeneye, 1 Whimbrel, 1 Peregrine and 15 Great Crested Grebes. Mudbank - 2 Red-breasted Mergansers, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 20 Bar-tailed Godwits, 2 Sanderling, 2 Greenshank, 1 Chiffchaff, at least 1 Firecrest and 1 Goldcrest.

Off the seafront - 2 Great Northern Divers and the first-winter Little Gull. What was presumably the same fw Little Gull was also seen off Shelly Beach.

First-winter (2cy) Little Gull - Shelly Beach.

Little Gulls

A bit wild down the seafront today! A first-winter Little Gull was off Warren Point and at least 1 Great Northern Diver was momentarily visible between the heaving waves. A Kestrel off there was more than a little odd given the conditions. An adult Little Gull was off Mudbank this afternoon (scoped from the house) and in the Duckpond - the wintering Whimbrel, 80+ Dark-bellied Brent Geese and a fly-through Peregrine.

17/1 - Mudbank - 1 drake Goldeneye, 1 Avocet, 4 Knot, 23 Sanderling (Cockle Sands), 1 Pale-bellied Brent Goose, c90 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 5 Red-breasted Mergansers, 19+ Great Crested Grebes, 1 Whimbrel, c165 Wigeon, 5 Pintail, 2 Greenshank, 14 Ringed Plovers, 2 Chiffchaffs and 1 Sparrowhawk. In Littleham - 12+ Redwings.

GND.

Great Crested Grebe - Mudbank.

Whimbrel - the Duckpond.

Avocet - Mudbank 17/1/26.

Drake Mandarin - Stover CP. Lu and I had a walk round Stover for the first time in years the other day. Barely recognised it! Fewer trees, fewer birds and a lot more buildings and people. The feeders were great as always but no Marsh Tits for us. Really hoping they're still there somewhere!

Another Avocet

 Bullfinch - Sandy Bay.

A circular walk round Sandy Bay, Orcombe and Maer Lane produced a singing male Cirl Bunting, a flock of 20 Greenfinches, 1 Bullfinch, 2 Stonechats, 7 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 11 Rock Pipits (inc 6 on dungheap), 1 Peregrine, 1 Kestrel, 5+ Kittiwakes, 4 Turnstones, 1 Blackcap, 3 Goldcrests and 5+ Chiffchaffs.

Mudbank - 1 Avocet, 2 Mediterranean Gulls, 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 2 Teal, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers, 46 Wigeon, 2 Pintail and 44 Bar-tailed Godwits.

13/1 - Shelly Beach - 2 Great Northern Divers and 5 Red-breasted Mergansers. Mudbank - c150 Shelduck and 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

11/1 - Duckpond - 1 Whimbrel. The pair of Cirl Buntings still on the Imperial recreation ground. Mudbank - 1 Mediterranean Gull, c35 Knot and 2 Chiffchaffs. Imperial rec - 2 Meadow Pipits and 2 Cirl Buntings. Warren View - 6 Redwings and 3 Chiffchaffs.

Meadow Pipit - Imperial recreation ground.

Whimbrel - the Duckpond 11/1.

Little Egret - Mudbank.

Crossbills, Goosanders

Male Ring-necked Parakeet - Maer Valley.

Mudbank today - 20 Teal, c115 Mallard, 8 Red-breasted Mergansers, c45 Pintail, c45 Wigeon, 7 Sanderling, 92 Grey Plovers, 1 Knot, 6 Bar-tailed Godwits, 13+ Ringed Plovers, c175 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 Pale-bellied Brent Goose, 17+ Great Crested Grebes, c55 Redshank, 6 Greenshank and 1 Kingfisher. Three Egyptian Geese were flying around Powderham Park.

Orcombe Point this afternoon - 1 Great Northern Diver (Sandy Bay), 7+ Chiffchaffs, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Firecrest, 8 Rock Pipits (on dung heap), 1 Grey Wagtail, 5 Stonechats, up to 15 Snipe, c20 Meadow Pipits, 20+ Skylarks and 1 Sparrowhawk. Nearby - Five Ring-necked Parakeets in Maer Valley.

Lu and I had a long walk on the pebbled heaths this morning with 9 male Tufted Ducks, 1 Little Grebe and 2 Goosanders noted on Blackhill Quarry, and 3 Crossbills and a Redpoll nearby near Four Firs.

Yesterday - 2 Lapwings on Cockle Sands and 2 Fieldfares and a Mistle Thrush on the archery club playing fields. Nearby on Squabmoor reservoir - 5 Goosanders, 9 Tufted Ducks, 2 Teal and 6 Moorhens.

One of three Crossbills in the usual spot on Woodbury Common this morning. This fine male was in song.

Goosanders - Squabmoor Reservoir.

Curlew, Whimbrel

A single Curlew joined the wintering Whimbrel in the Duckpond today.

Mudbank at high tide this morning - c175 Wigeon, c130 Mallard, 1 Whimbrel, 1 Chiffchaff, 3 Teal and 5+ Pintail. A Reed Bunting flew over, heading north. The Whimbrel relocated to the Duckpond where 1 Curlew, 21 Turnstone, 1 Pale-bellied Brent Goose, 216 Dark-bellied Brent Geese and 1 Rock Pipit were also logged.

Very little at West Lodge but the male Stonechat is still in situ and at least 5 Redwings have joined several Blackbirds feeding on Hawthorn berries. A Nuthatch was presumably just passing through as I don't normally record them there.

Whimbrel.

Drake Wigeon. One of at least 175 off Mudbank today.

Rock Pipit.