Eiders

Sixteen Red-throated Divers flew into the bay between 0800 and 0830. A little further down the seafront - 3 Eiders and  2 Great Northern Divers.

The Black Redstart is still frequenting the brook (viewed from Park Road) and the the 2 Cirl Buntings are still on the Imperial recreation ground. Three Red-breasted Mergansers were in Duckpond with 148 Dark-bellied Brent Geese. At least 90 Starlings were counted along Camperdown.

Immature drake Eider.

WTE

A gorgeous dawn this morning. Sea-watching from the raised beach huts for half an hour from 0800 produced 22 Red-throated Divers into the bay c50 Black-headed Gulls, 2 Gannets, 3 Eiders, 3 Dark-bellied Brent Geese and 9 Great Crested Grebes. A number of auks were whizzing around a good way out. Late this afternoon a look off the seafront produced c30 Great Crested Grebes and the 3 Eiders again, along with an adult Mediterranean Gull.

The Powderham White-tailed Eagle was scoped from the back garden and Mudbank counts included 6 Red-breasted Mergansers, 20 Sanderling, 6 Teal, c100 Wigeon, 16 Ringed Plovers, 11 Pintail, 12 Great Crested Grebes, 20  Redshank,  2 Greenshank, 1 Chiffchaff and c75 Shelduck.

An impressive count of 67 Cormorants on Bull Hill was, I think, my highest ever in Exmouth although it's not a species I often pay attention to. At least 1 Firecrest was in West Lodge Holm Oaks and 1 Chiffchaff was in the adjacent reedbed.

12/1 - Orcombe Point - 1 Purple Sandpiper, 4 Turnstones, 3 Rock Pipits, 1 Peregrine and 1 Red-throated Diver. Off Mudbank - 20+ Great Crested Grebes, 105+ Curlew,  5 Red-breasted Mergansers, 1 Peregrine, c70 Bar-tailed Godwits and  5 Sanderling. Upriver - c50 Canada Geese, c40 Avocets and at least 1 Black-tailed Godwit.

The regular Kingfisher off Mudbank today. A second bird was seen off Shelly Beach and in the marina.

Purple Sand

Orcombe Point from dawn - 1 Purple Sandpiper with 6 Turnstones, 1+ Great Northern Diver, 1 Red-throated Diver, 5+ Guillemots and 2 Great Crested Grebes.

At the entrance to Green Farm - 5 Ring-necked Parakeets 6+ (probably 9) Mistle Thrushes and 1 Redwing.

Mudbank - 28+ Great Crested Grebes, 1 Sanderling, 1 Knot, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers, c80 Mallard, 35+ Redshank, 235+ Dunlin,  55+ Turnstones, 1 Teal, 105+ Wigeon, c30 Pintail and 15 Ringed Plovers. Five Avocets were scoped way upriver, flying towards Turf.

The 2 Cirl Buntings are still on the Imperial rec and off there late pm - 45+ Common Gulls and 9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls in the gull roost.

This Week

Female Bullfinch - Orcombe Point 8/1/25.

Today - Orcombe Point - 5+ Guillemots, 2+ Razorbills, 2 Red-throated Divers, 5 Turnstones and 8 Dark-bellied Brent Geese. Cold and unpleasant at dawn.

Mudbank - c40 Grey plovers, 6  Sanderlings, 7+ Red-breasted Mergansers, c150 Wigeon, 3 Greenshank, c30/40 Pintail, 4 Bar-tailed Godwits, 10 Ringed Plovers and an adult Mediterranean Gull.

West Lodge - 30/40+ Redwing, 1 Stonechat and 1 Firecrest.

Shelly Beach - 5 Sanderlings and 1 Great Northern Diver.

Imperial - c160 Dark-bellied Brent Geese and the Pale-bellied Brent Goose on the rugby ground and 70+ Common Gulls in the gull roost off the rec late pm.

9/1 - Imperial rec - 2 female Cirl Buntings late pm.

8/1 - Orcombe Point - 1 Red-throated Diver, 22 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 5 Turnstones, 1 Firecrest, 1 Bullfinch and 1 Chiffchaff.

Imperial rugby ground - c160 Dark-bellied Brent Geese and 1 Pale-bellied Brent Goose.

Mudbank - 5 Greenshank, 40+ Pintail, 90+ Shelduck, 5 Red-breasted Mergansers, 8 Sanderlings (Cockle Sands) and 1 Bullfinch. Across the river - 20 Cattle Egrets in a field somewhere behind Starcross.

6/1 - 13+ Great Crested Grebes and a Great Northern Diver off Shelly Beach late pm.

An attractively-plumaged aberrant Dark-bellied Brent Goose - Duckpond 8/1/25.

Red-breasted Merganser - Mudbank 8/1/25. An increasingly scarce sighting these days.

Mediterranean Gull - Mudbank 10/1/25.

Firecrest - along the cycle track near West Lodge. The regular bird.

Cirl Buntings

Turnstone - Imperial recreation ground.

Another foul day. The two female Cirl Buntings are still frequenting the Imperial recreation ground. On the adjacent rugby ground - c120 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 Pale-bellied Brent Goose, 2 Redshank and c20 Great Black-backed Gulls.

Orcombe Point - 500+ Black-headed Gulls, 2 adult Mediterranean Gulls, c110 Starling, c60 Pied Wagtails, 14+ Skylarks, 2 Goldcrests, 4 Turnstones and 4 Dark-bellied Brent Geese.

Mudbank - c50 Pintail, just 13 Wigeon, 22 Knot, 7 Ringed Plovers, c90 Shelduck, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit and 2 Greenshank.

A lot of birds in with cattle on Orcombe Point today. Two adult Mediterranean Gulls were picked out amongst at least 500 Black-headed Gulls.

A fairly dark Lesser Black-backed Gull off Mudbank this afternoon.

Jack Snipe

This is the only wintering Stonechat I've managed to find in Exmouth so far this year - the West Lodge male that's been around for some time.

Today's highlight was a stunning little Jack Snipe, flushed from a traditional Exmouth heathland site along with 3 Snipe. Both Moorhen and Little Grebe were on Bystock Pool along with a Kingfisher. Nearby - a Dartford Warbler on Withycombe Raleigh Common.

Off Mudbank today - c70 Knot, c40 Grey Plovers, c200 Wigeon, c70 Pintail, c145 Mallard, 11 Great Crested Grebes, 35+ Redshank and 3 Greenshank.

West Lodge - 1 Stonechat and 1 Firecrest.

Shelly Beach - the 2 Great Northern Divers and 3 Red-breasted Mergansers. 

Duckpond - c120 Dark-bellied Brent Geese and the Pale-bellied Brent Goose.

Collared Dove - Camperdown. A lovely species that rarely features on the blog.

Black Red

Black Redstart - Withycombe Brook.

No sign of the Yellow-browed Warbler today. The plummeting temperature may have moved it on. A Black Redstart, 2 Chiffchaffs and the female Blackcap were seen. 

Other sightings included 2 Great Northern Divers off Shelly Beach, a Ring-necked Parakeet behind Maer Farm, 2 Mistle Thrushes and 20+ Meadow Pipits on Orcombe Point and a Pale-bellied Brent Goose with c120 Dark-bellied Brent Geese on the  Imperial rugby ground.

An hour spent mooching around  some woodland along Castle Lane produced 1 Firecrest, 8+ Lesser Redpolls, 3+ Siskins and 2 Treecreepers.

One of at least 8 Lesser Redpolls along Castle Lane this afternoon.