Bramblings

Bramblings - Woodbury Fort.

At least 3 Bramblings feeding with c50+ Chaffinches and c50+ Woodpigeons on fallen Beech masts this afternoon. Hopefully signaling a good autumn/winter for them. Also on Woodbury Common  - 5 Crossbills and 3 Goosanders over (towards Blackhill Quarry). A nice autumnal walk with Lu.

Another short Orcombe visit this morning. It felt more like a cool, grey early winter's day and the birds were in suitably short supply. Best were at least 4 Lapwings and 3 Firecrests. Also - 2 Cirl Buntings, 20+ Robins, 1+ Goldcrest, 4+ Song Thrushes, 20 Starlings, 2 Chiffchaffs, 1 Grey Wagtail, 3 Meadow Pipits, 11+ Pied Wagtails, 3 Stonechats, 2 Chaffinches and the Red-legged Partridge. 

Mudbank - c195 Pintail, 560+ Dark-bellied Brent Geese and 1 Grey Plover.

Wright's Lane - 2 Mistle Thrushes, 14+ Redwings and 2 Redpolls over. Also 2 Firecrests.

Hawfinch

Stonechat - Orcombe Point.

Really quiet on Orcombe this morning although I was only there for the first hour or so after dawn. Highlight was a single Golden Plover that circled the top fields several times.

Today's best bird was my first Exmouth Hawfinch. It flew east over the top end of Wright's Lane at midday. My last local Hawfinches were during the 2017 influx but they were just outside the Exmouth parish boundary, at Woodbury Fort - see here. Also at Wright's Lane/Bystock - 1 Brambling, 2 Firecrests, 1 Chiffchaff and the juvenile Little Grebe still. A walk from there across Blackhill Quarry and onto Woodbury Common (and back) produced 7 Dartford Warblers, another Brambling, 14 Tufted Ducks, 30+ Mallard, 2 Reed Buntings, c30 Chaffinches (Woodbury Fort) 2 more Chiffchaffs and another Firecrest.

No proper looks off Mudbank today but a little group of 7 Mediterranean Gulls was noteworthy.

Yesterday (1/11) - Orcombe Point - quite disappointing in apparently good conditions. Totals included 20+ Robins, 10+ Song Thrushes, 14 Blackbirds, 3 Goldcrests, 1+ Redwing, c20 Meadow Pipits, 2 Stonechats, c5000+ Woodpigeons, c20+ Goldfinches, 2 Siskins, 14+ Greenfinches, 15+ Chaffinches, 3 Chiffchaffs, 12+ Pied Wagtails, 3+ Bullfinches, c20+ Linnets, 32 Stock Doves, 3+ Skylarks and the resident Red-legged Partridge.

The juvenile Little Grebe was still on Bystock Pool and c250 Curlew were roosting on Cockle Sands.

Reed Bunting - Woodbury Common.

Nine of fourteen Tufted Ducks - Blackhill Quarry.

Seven Meds - Mudbank.

 Male Kestrel - Imperial recreation ground 1/11/24.

Dartford Warbler, Ring Ouzel

 My second Ring Ouzel of the autumn in cliff-top scrub.

From 0630 'til 1030 - a cold morning with a bone-chilling (stood in one place for too long) north-easterly and a band of clear sky to start with. Great to bird with Chesney again today. Woodpigeons on the move again with c14000+ logged along with 1 Ring Ouzel, 1 Dartford Warbler, 18+ Blackbirds, 1 Redwing, 20+ Robins, 3 Siskins, 34 Starlings, c50 Stock Doves (in small groups separate to Woodpigeons), 2 Stonechats, 2 Chiffchaffs, 12+ Skylarks, 1 Coal Tit, 2 Bullfinches, 5 Goldcrests, 10+ Song Thrushes, 1 Reed Bunting, 35+ Meadow Pipits, just 15+  Chaffinches, c25 Goldfinches, 10+ Greenfinches, c20 Pied Wagtails, c40+ Linnets, 4+ Cirl Buntings (including a singing male), 2 Grey Wagtails, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Jay, c20 Long-tailed Tits (1 flock), 2 Mallard, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Kestrel and 2 Peregrines.

A Black Redstart was knocking around the traditional Shelly Beach site and a Cetti's Warbler was in brambles along the cycle track, between Mudbank and West Lodge. A late afternoon visit to the top end of Bystock/Wright's Lane produced 1 Brambling, 1+ Firecrest, 7+ Redwings, 1 Redpoll, 1 Yellowhammer, 3 Siskins, 1 Grey Wagtail and 4 Jays.

Black Redstart - Shelly Beach.

Little Grebe

A sure sign that things have somewhat slackened off when 'bird of the day' is a  Little Grebe, although having said that it's my first in Exmouth this year, and there's a real sense that this species is by no means guaranteed anymore. This juvenile almost went unnoticed on Bystock Pool.

Pretty quiet on Orcombe Point this morning  - the highlights being 1 Redpoll, 1 Cirl Bunting, 1 Reed Bunting, 2 Redwings, 3 Chiffchaffs, 54 Starlings, 2 Snipe and c1500+ Woodpigeons.

A scoot round Bystock produced 1 Little Grebe, 4 Firecrests, 9+ Goldcrests and a Chiffchaff amongst the usual woodland species.

Just outside of Exmouth, around Blackhill Quarry - a female Pintail, c30+ Mallard, 14 Tufted Ducks and 1+ Crossbill.

29/10 - Orcombe Point - a short dawn visit for just an hour or so - 1 Firecrest, 1 Brambling, 2 Redwing, 7 Song Thrushes, 8 Blackbirds, 15+ Goldfinches, c20 Chaffinches, 7+ Pied Wagtails, 18+ Meadow Pipits, c15 Linnets, 2 Bullfinches, 3 Stock Doves, 2 Chiffchaffs, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 8 Starlings, 1 Jay, 1 Reed Bunting, 1 Grey Wagtail and c2000+ Woodpigeons. Nearby at Maer Farm - 3 Mistle Thrushes 1 Sparrowhawk and 1 Firecrest.

Mudbank counts included 17 Bar-tailed Godwits, 3 Greenshank, 10+ Great Crested Grebes, c160 Turnstones, 6+ Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 12 Black-tailed Godwit, 24+ Redshank, 18 Dunlin, 1 Grey Plover and 1 Whimbrel.

Sparrowhawk mobbed by Magpie - Maer Farm.

Pied Wagtail - Orcombe Point.

Marsh Harrier

This is just my 7th record of Marsh Harrier in Exmouth - a really tricky species to catch up with. It was high over Shelly Beach at midday before heading east. A high chance it was yesterday's Warren bird I guess.

Overcast and a moderate south-westerly - I wasn't expecting much movement this morning but 10000+ Woodpigeons headed east in the first hour or so after dawn 'til rain set in. The largest flock in excess of 2000 birds. Little else with them but 3 Redwings logged and 3 Mediterranean Gulls were offshore later in the day.

A Marsh Harrier was high over Shelly Beach at midday and Mudbank counts included a first-winter Yellow-legged Gull, 3 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 8 Bar-tailed Godwits, 40 Redshank, 60+ Dunlin, c115 Turnstones, 25+ Ringed Plovers, 4 Greenshank, 1 Red-breasted Merganser, 4 Teal and a Rock Pipit.

This is my third first-winter Yellow-legged Gull this October. They seem to be getting more regular. No Caspian Gulls for me since January though. Not for lack of trying.

Orcombe GWE

It was only just starting to get light at 0630 when this Great White Egret flew low west. I could so easily have missed it. Only my third recorded whilst recording 'vismig' on Orcombe but my 9th in Exmouth (assuming this wasn't yesterday's bird).

Lu's birthday today so I had to leave Orcombe earlier than I normally would have. Grateful to get the extra hour though and Lu of course was grateful for the extra hour in bed. Back home in time for birthday breakfast! I didn't cover the site as normal but just stood near the coast path and counted the stuff flying over. Good to do some birding with Chesney this morning. Totals included 15300+ Woodpigeons,  3 Redwing, 1 Great White Egret, 1 Brambling, 1 Yellowhammer, 1 Redpoll, 8+ Siskins, c10+ Linnets, 1 Buzzard (west really early on), 8+ Pied Wagtails, 20+ Meadow Pipits, 1 Reed Bunting, 5 Song Thrushes, 3 Blackbirds, 2 Bullfinches, c115+ Chaffinches, up to 26 Greenfinches, 20+ Goldfinches, 1+ Cirl Bunting, c150 Jackdaws, 2 Goldcrests, 2 Chiffchaffs, c120 Starlings, 11+ Skylarks, 2 Peregrines and 1+ Sparrowhawk.

Woodpigeons - so reliable now in clear conditions.

The weather has been unseasonably glorious today so Lu wanted to do a circular walk from Budleigh, along Otter Cliffs, to Otterton. We parked in the Lime Kiln carpark and I managed a quick squiz at the two Snow Buntings just yards away.

Lu and Joel. We used to do this walk loads when the kids were younger. T-shirt weather today!

Just a lightening quick look at Mudbank today. This second-winter Mediterranean Gull (above) and adult (below) were nice to see.

Drake Pintail - Mudbank.

pm edit - GWE, Cetti's W, R-b Merg

Photographed from the back garden this evening - this Great White Egret is an overdue first for the year for me in Exmouth. Feeding with a Grey Heron, Little Egrets and Black-headed Gulls as the sun set.

A bit disappointing this morning and I wasn't really in the mood for counting Woodpigeons but c10200 logged, many of which heading directly south and out to sea which is unusual. Many passerines just too high and lots 'let go' with no calls to go on. Occasionally I'd scan way back over Exmouth town and it was clear that birds were moving distantly and high west too. I just know my totals are well below the actual numbers moving today. Anyway, species that didn't evade identification or escape my gaze/ears included 1 Redpoll, 1+ Redwing, 1 Siskin, 60+ Chaffinches, c50+ Meadow Pipits, 180+ Jackdaws, 20+ Skylarks, c60 Starlings, c80+ Goldfinches, 4 Rooks, 1 Bullfinch, 10+ Greenfinches, 3 Chiffchaffs, 7 Stonechats, 2 Grey wagtails, 20+ Pied Wagtails, c20+ Linnets, 6 Song Thrushes, 11 Blackbirds, 6 Goldcrests and 40+ Robins.

A Great White Egret was off Mudbank this evening (picked up from the back garden). Also, my first Red-breasted Merganser of the autumn was off Mudbank and a Cetti's Warbler was calling in scrub there. My gut feeling is that it's one of a couple birds that normally winter there but of course I have no way of proving that. I didn't count Wigeon or Brent Geese but did log c70 Turnstones, 28 Redshank, 8 Bar-tailed Godwits, 7 Black-tailed Godwits, 188 Shelduck, c170 Pintail, 8 Greenshank, 9 Dunlin, 24 Great Crested Grebes, 3 Teal, 1 Goldcrest, 1+ Coal Tit, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker and 25+ Ringed Plovers.

Woodpigeons.

A little increase in Stonechat numbers today with seven logged. It's been a relatively poor autumn for them so far.

Sparrowhawk - Orcombe Point.

Two of this morning's five Jays.