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.

Sibe Chiff

A Siberian Chiffchaff at the back of our house, on the edge of Warren View playing fields, late this afternoon. Loosely associating with 2 Chiffchaffs, 2 Firecrests and a Goldcrest. Not a lot else today but the pair of wintering Cirl Buntings is still on the Imperial recreation ground with the male Stonechat and a single Chiffchaff. I had a quick whiz round the Orcombe top fields but little evidence of any cold weather movement with just 5 Snipe, c20 Skylarks, c770+ Starlings, c10 Meadow Pipits and a pair of Stonechats of note. A single Fieldfare was at a frozen Bystock Pool on a very brief look and 10 Goosanders were on Blackhill Quarry shortly after dawn, along with 2 drake Tufted Ducks.

2/1 - a short sea-watch from the raised beach huts first thing produced 3 Red-throated Divers and 3 Common Scoters. Four Red-breasted Mergansers were off Shelly Beach and 3 Chiffchaffs were in Maer Valley.

c770+ Starlings is a very good count for Exmouth.

Stonechat - Imperial recreation ground. 

Female Cirl Bunting - Imperial rec. Male below.

Five of ten Goosanders on Blackhill Quarry pool this morning.

Red-breasted Merganser - Shelly Beach 2/1/26.

One of two Russian White-fronted Geese in Topsham a couple days ago.

Avocet

A nice, relatively close Avocet off Mudbank this afternoon. Also there - 94 Wigeon, 86 Mallard, 6 Greenshank and 2 distant Sanderling. Two Chiffchaffs still in the bushes there. Nearby - 1 Pale-bellied Brent Goose with c75 Dark-bellied Brent Geese on the Imperial rugby ground and the 2 wintering Cirl Buntings on the adjacent recreational ground with the male Stonechat. West Lodge was really quiet with just 2+ Redwings and a Chiffchaff seen. A male and female Blackcap were in brambles behind our house.

Pale-bellied Brent Goose.

The wintering Stonechat - Imperial rec.

Kingfisher - Duckpond.

Common Sandpiper - LORP.

Spoonbills - LORP.

Lu and I had a morning stroll round the lower Otter where this Slavonian Grebe was the highlight. Also seen were 2 Spoonbills, 1 Common Sandpiper, 2 Kingfishers, c50 Black-tailed Godwits and 6 Little Grebes.