Black-throated Diver

Black-throated Diver quite close offshore past the lifeboat station. I can probably count on one hand the number of BtDs Ive seen in Exmouth (though I suspect a number of 'diver sp' over the years have been this species)  so I was dead chuffed with today's bird.

I looked at the sea from the raised beach huts for the first hour after dawn. A Black-throated Diver was the highlight. Several Gannets plus small numbers of auks and Kittiwakes passed along with 1 Red-breasted Merganser, 1 Red-throated Diver, 2 diver sp and 2 Great Northern Divers.

Mudbank - c60+ Mallard, c200+ Pintail, 2 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 9+ Bar-tailed Godwits, 1 Black-tailed Godwit and 1 Peregrine amongst the usual other bits and bobs.

At West Lodge - 1 Firecrest, 3 Chiffchaffs and a Stonechat.

Maer long-stay carpark - 1 Siskin and 3 Chiffchaffs.

A short Blackhill Quarry dog-walk, late yesterday afternoon, produced 2 very vocal Firecrests (Frying Pans carpark), 2 redhead Goosanders, 1 Little Grebe and a drake Tufted Duck.

Not sure what to make of this. Hybrid Wigeon x Pintail? If so, it seems hard to believe it's the regular returning bird but I guess a move out of September eclipse plumage (to more Wigeon-like plumage) could explain why I haven't clocked it in several weeks. The photo below was taken on 25/9/24.

This massive (presumed immature female) Peregrine was again targeting Bar-tailed Godwits off Mudbank and causing pandemonium. No kill whilst I was there today but I've already seen it take two and I've no doubt it will be back for more!

Stonechat - West Lodge.

Firecrest - West Lodge. Presumably the regular individual.

Gadwall, Sibe Chiff

Three Gadwall off Mudbank. Always a good Exmouth bird.

Mudbank counts - 7 Black-tailed Godwits, 26+ Great Crested Grebes, 7 Red-breasted Mergansers, c195 Pintail, 3 female Gadwall, 2 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 1 Chiffchaff and 1 Cetti's Warbler.

West Lodge - 2+ Chiffchaffs and a Siberian Chiffchaff.

Only a quick look at the top fields this morning with just 1 Redpoll and 3 Stonechats of any note.

I'm assuming this is the same Siberian Chiffchaff I had just over a week ago. It was in the same bit of hedgerow at West Lodge this afternoon.

Feeding unobtrusively and, compared with 'colybitta' Chiffie, quite sluggishly in a hedge, this Sibe Chiff responded immediately to pishing.

Goldeneye, Mergs

Meadow Pipit - Orcombe Point. At least 30 grounded but no overheads.

Yet another quiet morning on Orcombe with absolutely no overhead movement despite clear skies. I recorded 1 Firecrest, 1 Goldcrest, 3 Chiffchaffs, 1 Snipe, 4 Stock Doves, 35+ Skylarks, 30+ Meadow Pipits, 12+ Song Thrushes and 14+ Blackbirds.

A late afternoon look off Mudbank produced counts of 8 Red-breasted Mergansers, 17+ Great Crested Grebes, c130 Dunlin, c75 Turnstones, 45+ Grey Plovers, 45+ Redshank, 1 Greenshank, 5+ Bar-tailed Godwits,  3 Black-tailed Godwits and 30+ Little Egrets.

Yesterday - my first Goldeneye of the autumn - a distant female-type late afternoon.

 Lapwing - Orcombe 13/11/24.

13/11 - Orcombe - 2 Egyptian Geese east, 1 Firecrest, c35 Skylarks, 1 Lapwing, c260 Woodpigeons, 11 Stock Doves, 1 Snipe and 17+ Chaffinches.

Mudbank - 6 Red-breasted Mergansers, 3 Grey Plovers, 3 Ringed Plovers, 8+ Bar-tailed Godwits, 32+ Teal and a Peregrine that predated another Bar-tailed Godwit.

Nearby at West Lodge - 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Stonechat and 3 Chiffchaffs.

Ruff, Hawfinch

Male Ruff - Mudbank. A returning bird that always turns up with a decent-sized Black-tailed Godwit flock. This is the fourth autumn in a row that 've seen it.

Patches of blue sky for the first time in what feels like ages. Nothing particularly unusual on Orcombe in the first hour or so of daylight, but plenty moving with 110+ Chaffinches, c600 Woodpigeons, 4 Golden Plovers, 8 Snipe, c15+ Skylarks, 1 Reed Bunting, 1 Little Egret, 5 Mallard, 1 Stonechat, 3+ Cirl Buntings, 1 Grey Wagtail, 12+ Goldfinches, 1 Siskin, 1 Bullfinch, 7 Starlings, 3 Fieldfares, 4 Redwings, 15+ Meadow Pipits, 10+ Blackbirds, 3+ Pied Wagtails, 23+ Stock Doves, 7+ Song Thrushes and 1+ Goldcrest. I only covered the top fields.

Mudbank - 1 Hawfinch, 4 Skylarks, 7 Knot, c170 Black-tailed Godwits, 1 Ruff, c70 Redshank, 6 Greenshank, c100 Dunlin, 2 Lapwing, 5 Grey Plovers, 13 Bar-tailed Godwits, 9 Teal, 2 Shoveler (a different pair to yesterday's birds - see below), c100+ Turnstones, 32+ Great Crested Grebes, c180+ Pintail and 35+ Cattle Egrets (in fields with cattle over the other side of the river).

A Black Redstart again in the Shelly Beach area with at least 5 Pale-bellied Brent Geese off there. Otherwise - a Firecrest again at West Lodge with at least 4 Chiffchaffs. No sign of any Sibe Chiffs today.

Hawfinch - Mudbank. Sat scanning through the ducks and waders when at 0916 - the famliar, hurried 'hisss hisss' of a Hawfinch sounded from behind me. In a second it was overhead and out over the river, towards Starcross, no doubt with Haldon Hills firmly in its sights. Just enough time too clock white wing flashes and a white-tipped tail but too quick for an anywhere near decent photo!

Yesterday - Orcombe Point - 80+ Chaffinches, at least 2 Brambling, 6 Golden Plovers, 15 Stock Doves, c40 Redwings, 11 Fieldfares, 160+ Starlings, 7+ Song Thrushes, 7+ Blackbirds, 2 Stonechats, 2 Cirl Buntings, 9 Pied Wagtails, c20 Skylarks, 5 Chiffchaffs, 2 Firecrests and 2 Coal Tits.

Only a couple minutes looking at Mudbank but 2 Shovelers were noteworthy. 

Two of six Golden Plovers on Orcombe Point - 9/11.

I photographed this drake Teal as it's a bit of a novelty to get one so close. Teal are not terribly infrequent off Mudbank but they tend to hang around much further out on the river than the Wigeon and Pintail.

 Yesterday's Shovelers - Mudbank.

Sibe Chiffs

One of at least two Siberian Chiffchaffs today. This one was extremely elusive in scrub beside the Maer long-stay carpark. There was at least one at West Lodge too, beside the cycle path - even harder to photograph.

Continued dark and overcast conditions with a fresh south-easterly. Mudbank today, amongst numbers of Wigeon and Dark-bellied Brent Geese - c40 Dunlin, c150 Turnstones, 1 Grey Plover, 18+ Redshank, 4 Greenshank, 9+ Bar-tailed Godwits, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 15+ Great Crested Grebes, 1 Pale-bellied Brent Goose, 7+ Teal, 90+ Pintail, 2 Cattle Egrets, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 3 Meadow Pipits and 1+ Redwing.

Orcombe Point (top fields/Gore Lane) - 4+ Chiffchaffs, 20 Starlings, 1+ Redwing and 8 Fieldfares.

Maer long-stay carpark - 1 male Blackcap, half a dozen Chiffchaffs, 1 Siberian Chiffchaff and 3 or 4+ Goldcrests.

Shelly Beach - 2 Black Redstarts.

West Lodge - at least 1 Siberian Chiffchaff, 1 Firecrest, at least 2 Goldcrests, 8+ Redwing, c20 Goldfinches and 2+ Mistle Thrushes.

One of two Cattle Egrets off Mudbank first thing. At least another 70 were on wrecks on the other side of the river.

Both birds.

Black Redstart - Shelly beach. Two birds seen today.

5/11 - Orcombe Point - 7 Lapwings, 2 Fieldfares, 1 Firecrest, 4 Redwings, 5 Chiffchaffs, 4 Goldcrests, 1 Coal Tit, 7+ Song Thrushes and 10+ Blackbirds.

Mudbank - 1 drake Tufted Duck and a Red-breasted Merganser of note.

Six of Seven Lapwings in the top fields  - 5/11.

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.