Not a lot to report this weekend. Counts from Mudbank today included the juvenile Spoonbill, 3 Goldeneye (drake and 2 females), a flock of 22 Red-breasted Mergansers (the sum total of birds on the Exe, I think), 125+ Grey Plovers on Cockle Sands, with c90 Knot and hundreds of Dunlin. Additionally - 74 Mallard, 6 Wigeon, 2 female Pintails, 1 Kingfisher and 15+ Great Crested Grebes. Good to see John today and really nice to catch up with Leigh who I haven't seen in ages.
Yesterday I went to Mum's for lunch and popped over to Starcross in the vain hope of getting better views of the Black-necked Grebes. Frustratingly they were miles off, and still nowhere near Exmouth. They Exe is deceptively wide! I also had a quick look at Powderham Sawmills, where the highlight was a single Marsh Tit. No luck tracking down the Bystock individual so far this year.
Looking across the Exe to Shelly Beach, Exmouth, from Starcross.
Not too many birds at Powderham Sawmills yesterday, but the dead trees there always provide some interest.
Had the peregrine over Footpath next to the station car park at midday yest/Sun as the tide was starting to ebb. Same bird as Friday I think. Spoony must have been hiding up the channel!
ReplyDeleteHi Tom - it's a pity that the Peregrines don't seem to sit, like they used to, on Cockle Sands. I'm seeing birds less often than I normally would in the winter. I missed one that John S saw the other day but saw all the waders go up in panic as a result of its presence. Didn't see the Spoonbill this evening but, like you say, it was probably hiding in the channels, which are pretty deep on a low tide. All the very best. Matt
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