Nick and I birded Orcombe this morning - 0620 - 0900 - Totals, in fine conditions following a clear night, included 27+ Yellow Wagtail, 3+ Tree Pipit, 2 Arctic Skua, 5 Turnstone, 8+ Grey Wagtail, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Common Tern, c30+ Sandwich Tern, c10+ Chiffchaff, 2+ Willow Warbler, 4+ Meadow Pipit, 33+ Siskin, 2 Blackcap, 2+ 'Alba' Wagtail, 1 Garden Warbler (the lingering bird, first noted a couple days ago), 3 Goldcrest, 1 Coal Tit, 1 Whitethroat and 2 Wheatear.
Unsurprisingly there was very little grounded this morning, so most attention went on the birds flying over. The Siskin and Yellow Wagtail counts are minimums. Siskins were particularly difficult. When a single call was heard it was counted as 1+ when in reality there were probably small flocks going over. For example, the last two calls heard led to the sighting of two flocks overhead totalling 19 birds. It's feasible therefore that this morning's count could have run in to 3 figures.
Mudbank produced 5 Mediterranean Gulls and 1 Kingfisher but I had no luck with the Osprey today, though a sustained watch from the back garden did result in 1 Peregrine, 1 Kestrel, 2 Sparrowhawk, several Buzzard, at least 1 Yellow Wagtail, several Siskins, 1+ Meadow Pipit, 1+ Grey Wagtail, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Hummingbird Hawkmoth and a Painted Lady.
Yesterday the Wigeon count off Mudbank had risen to 90+ and with them were 3 Pintail and a single Teal.
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