Siskins and Catch-up

This morning's single Wheatear - Orcombe Point.

Wigeon flock, looking upriver from Mudbank.

Orcombe Point was great this morning. A cool north-westerly and clear skies got stuff moving, almost exclusively in a westerly direction although most of the Linnets seemed to be going east. Totals from 0650 included 130+ Siskins, c355+ Meadow Pipits, 18+ Chiffchaffs, 1+ Yellow Wagtail, 1 Tree Pipit, 10+ 'alba' wagtails, 4 Grey Wagtails, c70 Linnets, 1 Blackcap, 1 Wheatear, 1 Stonechat, 1 Sand Martin, c30+ House Martins, c20/30+ Swallows, 6 Skylarks (with another 11 in the top fields), 2 Peregrines (ad + juv), 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker and 1 Kestrel. 
Off Mudbank - 1 Greenshank, 8 Knot, 9 Bar-tailed Godwits, 62+ Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 4+ Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 495+ Wigeon, 1 Teal, 8 Great Crested Grebes and 2 Siskins over, along with a few Meadow Pipits.

Sandwich Terns - Exmouth beach 20/9.

20/9 - Orcombe Point late afternoon, having missed all the seabirds whilst being stuck at work - c25 Meadow Pipits, 1 Wheatear, c10+ Swallows, c10/15+ House Martins and 1 Yellow Wagtail.

19/9 - a flock of c20 Siskins flew down our road, as I walked home for lunch.

18/9 - a short sea-watch from the beach huts, first thing, produced 12 Shearwater sp (probably all Balearics), 1 Common Scoter and 1 Sandwich Tern.

Orcombe Point - 18+ Chiffchaffs, 16+ Siskins, 40+ Meadow Pipits, 5 Grey Wagtails, 1 first-winter Common Gull, c80+ hirundine sp, 1 Whitethroat, 2 Blackcaps and 1 Yellow Wagtail.

A Wheatear was on the Imperial recreation ground along with a flock of c250 Starlings. Nearby, off Mudbank - 68 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 4 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 2 Redshank, 13 Pintail, 3 Knot, 1 Osprey (over Powderham corner), 2 Meadow Pipits, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Kestrel and the Pintail x Wigeon hybrid.

One of three Clouded Yellows on Orcombe on the 18th. A probable Red-veined Darter was seen briefly before a gust of wind swept it away.

Wheatear - Imperial recreation ground 18/9/23.