Swallow, Black Red

This flock of 15 Common Scoters flew past just after a flock of 23 took off from near Maer rocks before dropping again further offshore. Thirty-eight Common Scoters is a decent count for Exmouth these days!

Orcombe from 0650 when it was still pretty much dark, overcast and unpleasantly chilly in the continuing north-easterly - 38 Common Scoters, 2 Pintail, 2+ Redwings and 1 Cattle Egret.

The Eider was off the seafront and at Shelly beach - 1 Swallow and 1 Black Redstart.

Mudbank - 1 Spotted Redshank, 2 Bar-tailed Godwits, 6 Grey Plovers, 22+ Ringed Plovers, 4 Knot, 15 Greenshank, 1 Pale-bellied Brent Goose and 1 Kestrel which flew out over the river. Most of the more numerous species again not counted.

Lu and I went for a long walk on the Pebbled Heaths this afternoon. Blackhill Quarry was uncharacteristically 'ducky' with 23 Tufted Ducks, 26 Teal and c75 Mallard logged. Also 2 Coot, 1+ Little Grebe and 1 Redpoll there. Nearby 2 Brambling over Woodbury Common.

This Swallow was finding plenty of flies along the sheltered edge of Shelly beach.

My first Black Redstart of the autumn.

Whooper Swan

A hopelessly bad record shot of this morning's Whooper Swan. It flew low upriver at 1048 and by the time I got the camera sorted it had reached almost as far as Powderham corner. It then took a more easterly bearing across the river and I lost it from sight behind the red cliffs of Lympstone. I'm guessing it continued upriver towards Topsham as it was later reportedly on Exeter canal with Mute Swans before continuing north. This is only my second Whooper record in Exmouth following one, north over Orcombe on October 1st 2022.

Orcombe from dawn on a cold north-easterly with clear skies - disappointing with just c1000+ Woodpigeons, 16 Stock Doves, 1 Siskin, 2 Bullfinches, 13 Greenfinches, 1 Reed Bunting, 1 Curlew, 6 Chiffchaffs, 10 Blackbirds and the resident male Cirl Bunting of any note.

I was pleased to discover a flock of 34 Cattle Egrets in the nearby Maer Valley - by far the largest gathering for me within the parish boundary! Also in Maer Valley - 1 Little Egret, 1 Firecrest, 1+ Redwing and 1 Ring-necked Parakeet.

Mudbank - 1 Whooper Swan, c265+ Redshank, 14 Greenshank, 33 Ringed Plovers, 6 Grey Plovers, c120 Turnstones, c235 Teal, c775 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1+ Pale-bellied Brent Goose, 17+ Great Crested Grebes, 77+ Common Gulls, 10+ Bar-tailed Godwits, 1 Shoveler and 1 Mistle Thrush.

With Turf Lock in the background.

I'm lucky enough to be able to watch flocks in excess of 100 Cattle Egrets flying between their roost site and feeding grounds across the other side of the Exe in the winter, but I rarely encounter more than one or two birds actually in Exmouth, so this morning's flock of 34 birds was a bit of a novelty.

With a bit of careful stalking I was able to get really close. These photos were taken from the public footpath through a gap in the hedge.

Way outnumbered by the Cattle Egrets, just this single Little Egret was present in Maer Valley this morning.

R-b Merg

The majority of this morning's Woodpigeons headed south out to sea. Not sure if the north-easterly breeze had anything to do with it but I'm used to seeing them migrate west.

Orcombe from 0650 'til 0900 this morning - c3500 Woodpigeons, 18+ Blackbirds, 6 Redwings, 3+ Goldcrests, 5 Chiffchaffs, 1 Stonechat, 10+ Pied Wagtails, 35+ Goldfinches, 11+ Song Thrushes, 14 Stock Doves, 7+ Meadow Pipits, 1 Cirl Bunting, 1+ Firecrest, 5+ Chaffinches, 6 Starlings, 1 Grey Wagtail, c30 Jackdaws, 3 Siskins, 1 Coal Tit and a flock of at least 18 Long-tailed Tits.

The first returning Red-breasted Merganser was off Mudbank this morning along with 11+ Greenshank, 34+ Teal, 24 Great Crested Grebes, 5 Shoveler (3 drakes, 2 females), a male Gadwall and 1 Grey Plover. A Peregrine made multiple attempts to kill an Oystercatcher but was ultimately unsuccessful, thanks to the Oystercatcher's low, evasive flight and repeated plunges into the river.

Two lovely Meadow Pipits posed on a fence at West Lodge. Two Stonechats were in the adjacent reedbed.

Blackbirds

Blackbirds on a foggy Orcombe Point.

A nice little fall of thrushes in cliff-top scrub on Orcombe this morning. Totals included c30 Blackbirds, c20 Redwings, 10+ Song Thrushes, 1 Fieldfare and at least 1 Mistle Thrush. Also this morning - 6 Chiffchaffs, 4+ Goldcrests, 1 Firecrest, 1 Brambling, 1+ Reed Bunting, 2 Cirl Buntings, 3 Stonechats, 24+ Stock Doves, 1 Jay, c60+ Skylarks, 13+ Starlings, 1 Curlew, 2 Grey Wagtails, c10+ Meadow Pipits, 8+ Chaffinches, 6+ Pied Wagtails and c20+ Goldfinches.

Mudbank - 1 Spotted Redshank, 175+ Redshank and 9 Grey Plovers the only species counted.

Meadow Pipit.

Sunrise 30/10.

Yesterday - Orcombe - up to 6 Redwings, 6+ Chiffchaffs, 15+ Blackbirds, 1 Fieldfare, 9+ Song Thrushes, 7 Goldcrests, 5 Stonechats, c300+ Woodpigeons, 78+ Stock Doves, up to 23 Pied wagtails (including a flock of 14 by the sewage works), c15+ Meadow Pipits, 50+ Goldfinches, 4 Cirl Buntings, 2 Firecrests, 45+ Starlings, 1 Grey Wagtail, 28 Black-headed Gulls, 90+ Jackdaws, 1 Rock Pipit and 1 Coal Tit.

Mudbank wildfowl included a drake Tufted Duck, c255 Pintail, 1 Teal and 1 Shoveler. Also 8 Greenshank present.

 

Orcombe from 0645 on 30/10 - 11000+ Woodpigeons, c150 Starlings, c170+ Stock Doves, c130 Jackdaws, 1 Cattle Egret, 2 Snipe, 3 Reed Buntings and 6+ Goldcrests amongst the morning totals.

Very little time spent at Mudbank but c190 Pintail and 1 Shoveler counted amongst the numerous Wigeon. Nearby in the Duckpond - 1 Whimbrel and 26 Common Gulls.

Cattle Egret - Orcombe 30/10.

Jackdaws.

Male Sparrowhawk moments before it flew out and plucked a Linnet from the flock.

Whimbrel - the Duckpond 30/10.

Brambling, Woodlark

Brambling - Orcombe Point.

A bird-filled walk on Orcombe from 0700 'til 0925 this morning. Totals included 1 Woodlark, 1 Brambling, 2 Egyptian Geese (west at 0735), 1 Redpoll, 2+ Reed Buntings, 1 Firecrest, 9 Fieldfares, 3+ Redwings, 225+ Stock Doves, c7000+ Woodpigeons, 8 Song Thrushes, 15+ Blackbirds, 5+ Siskins, 12+ Pied Wagtails, 6 Chiffchaffs, 1 Blackcap, 11+ Meadow Pipits, 4 Stonechats, c30+ Chaffinches, c70+ Starlings, 2 Grey Wagtails, 1 Bullfinch, 2 Cirl Buntings, 11 Jackdaws, 1 Rook, 1 Snipe, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers and the Red-legged Partridge.

At least 650 Dark-bellied Brent Geese were counted from the Imperial rec and 5 Mistle Thrushes flew over eastwards. Nearby off Mudbank - 34 Great Crested Grebes, 41 Shelduck, 2 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 2 Sanderling, 8 Greenshank, 15 Ringed Plovers, 7 Teal and 1 Mediterranean Gull were the only things counted. Ten Cattle Egrets were in a cattle field  somewhere behind Starcross.

Yesterday on Orcombe - 1 Yellowhammer, 2 Redwings, 21+ Greenfinches, 8+ Siskins, c9000 Woodpigeons, 3 Reed Buntings, c25 Chaffinches, c110 Stock Doves, 10+ Pied Wagtails, 5 Song Thrushes, c70+ Goldfinches, 5 Jackdaws, 33+ Skylarks over, 3+ Cirl Buntings, 8+ Blackbirds, 2 Bullfinches, c30 Starlings. Off Mudbank - c45 Turnstones, 6 Greenshank, 1 Teal, 27 Great Crested Grebes, 3 Shoveler, 28 Skylarks (low west across river), 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1 Siskin and 1 Goshawk. At least 14 Cattle Egrets were with cattle somewhere behind Starcross. 

The back-end of this morning's Egyptian Geese west past Orcombe.

My first Fieldfares of the autumn (in Exmouth) involved 9 birds this morning. 

This flock of 31 Stock Doves was part of a movement of at least 225 birds this morning though I'm certain I missed a load in the bigger Woodpigeon flocks.

Adult Mediterranean Gull - Mudbank.

Pied Wagtail - dung heap.

Black Swan - Mudbank 27/10.

Ringed Plover - Duckpond.

YLG

Mediterranean Gull - off Mudbank yesterday.

Two days of pretty awful weather. Strong westerlies are always very challenging in Exmouth. A sub-adult Yellow-legged Gull was on the Imperial rugby ground and 2 Firecrests were in the hedgerow by the dung heap. On the dung heap itself - 4 Rock Pipits and a Grey Wagtail.

Mudbank - c120 Redshank and 31+ Great Crested Grebes.

Yesterday was pretty much rained off but 5 Common Scoters were off Orcombe and a Snipe was flushed from one of the top fields. The three Eiders were off the seafront and a Mediterranean Gull was off Mudbank.

 Grey Wagtail - dung heap.

GNDs

Spotted Redshank - Mudbank yesterday.

A fifty minute look at the sea from the raised beach huts this morning produced a fair few Gannets, Kittiwakes and auks moving west following last night's storm Austen winds. Also - 9 Great Northern Divers, 4 Common Scoters, 2 Wigeon, 1 Shoveler and 2 Curlew. A male Cirl Bunting was on the Imperial recreation ground (hopefully set to winter) and off Mudbank - 1 Spotted Redshank, 10+ Greenshank, 1 Pale-bellied Brent Goose, 27 Knot and 17+ Common Gulls. High numbers of Brents, Wigeon and Black-tailed Godwits amongst the many species not counted in gale-force winds.

Yesterday - 650+ Woodpigeons, 7 Chiffchaffs and 1 Firecrest the only 'noteworthies' on a quick Orcombe look and off Mudbank - c140 Redshank, 1 Spotted Redshank, 12+ Greenshank, 13 Ringed Plovers, 2 Shoveler, 1 adult Mediterranean Gull, and 2 Kingfishers. A quick look at Blackhill Quarry produced 1 Green Sandpiper, 6 Tufted Ducks, 2+ Little Grebes, 1 Moorhen and 2 Coot.

Black-tailed Godwit - Mudbank 22/10.