This flock of ten Cattle Egret (nine in photo above) flew past Exmouth Quay and continued upriver at around 0755 this morning.
A very enjoyable hour or so spent watching large numbers of gulls off Exmouth Quay this morning. A very rough estimate of around 2000 Herring Gulls were joined by good numbers of Black-headed Gulls and one or two Lesser Black-backed Gulls and Great Black-backed Gulls. It took a fair bit of scanning to finally pick my first juvenile Yellow-legged Gull of the summer. At least one, probably two were a very welcome sight. A flock of ten Cattle Egret few past at 0755 and headed upriver, no doubt signalling another summer influx that we've come to expect in recent times. Shortly afterwards a Tufted Duck powered upriver.
Looking across to Dawlish Warren and Langstone Rock - good gull numbers around the river mouth and lower stretches of the estuary.
Despite the huge numbers of gulls this juvenile Yellow-legged Gull was relatively easy to pick out because of its much darker upperparts contrasting with gleaming white tail and jet black tail band.
Great to see those Cattle Egrets, Matt. I know they've successfully bred in another 2 new counties this year- Holkham, Norfolk & I think West Sussex.
ReplyDeleteHi Neil - that's good hear. It's certainly the case that Cattle Egret sightings don't really raise an eyebrow down here any more. Still enjoy seeing them in Exmouth though. Matt
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