Hobbies

A quick look at Woodbury Common this morning produced 2 Hobby, 2 Red Kites and a singing Cuckoo. Nearby on Bicton Common - 1 singing Cuckoo and 2+ Crossbills. Of the seafront first thing - 4 Bar-tailed Godwits, 2 Whimbrel, 1 Mediterranean Gull, c10 Black-headed Gulls and a fs Mediterranean Gull. Off Mudbank - 20 Whimbrel, 45+ Black-headed Gulls and 4 Common Gulls. Four Stock Doves were on Warren View playing fields.

Yesterday afternoon on Bicton Common - 8 Crossbills, 1 Cuckoo and 1 Yellowhammer.

4/5 - an early look off the seafront produced c55+ Guillemots, 2+ Great Northern Divers, 1 Sandwich Tern, 1 Fulmar, the female Eider and 3 scoter sp. Off Mudbank - c125 Carrion Crows. Off Mudbank - 2 Mallard and 40+ Whimbrel. A Reed Warbler was still singing in the West Lodge reedbed.

Hobby - one of two together high over Woodbury Fort. 

Heath Spotted Orchids.

Yarner

A local (outside Exmouth boundary) Barn Owl peers out of its nest box early morning. At least one good-sized chick occasionally popped its head up too.

Exmouth seafront early on - 1 summer-plumaged Great Northern Diver and the female Eider.

Stock Dove.

Lu and I had a good yomp round Yarner Woods today. Pied Fly is a species I rarely see in Exmouth so it was lovely to spend some time watching and listening to them this morning.

Cuckoo

Cuckoo - Blackhill Quarry.

Highlight today was a Cuckoo up at Blackhill Quarry - my first this year. Also 4 Tufted Ducks (there were 14 up there yesterday) and 1 Coot. Otherwise today - a Reed Warbler singing in the West Lodge reedbed with a female Reed Bunting, male Stonechat and singing male Whitethroat also noted.

Mudbank counts included 25+ Whimbrel (with 40+ in the Duckpond), 20 Black-headed Gulls, 1 Common Gull, c20+ Dunlin, c10+ Sanderling, 8 Bar-tailed Godwits, 2 Sandwich Terns, 5 Swifts and 4+ Great Crested Grebes. An earlier look on Orcombe Point produced just 1 Great Northern Diver, 2 Cirl Buntings (pair) and 10+ Swallows.

Skylark - dung heap.

Blackcap vs Greenfinch.

Just 6 species in the trap last night - this Brindled Beauty, Puss Moth, Blair's Mocha, Muslin Moth, Garden Carpet and Eudonia angustea (Narrow-winged Grey).

Puss Moth.

Blair's Mocha.

Painted Ladies, Waders

Masses of these around today, seemingly everywhere!

Mudbank - 7 Grey Plovers, 1 Knot, 4 Bar-tailed Godwits, 5+ Dunlin, 18 Sanderling, 3 Mediterranean Gulls, 2 Black-headed Gulls, 9 Great Crested Grebes and 1 Black Swan.

Mudbank late afternoon yesterday - 80 Whimbrel, 1 Redshank, 1 Black-headed Gull, 4 Mallard  and 9 Great Crested Grebes.

Mudbank 28/4 - 83 Whimbrel, 5+ Curlew, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 3 Dunlin and 1 Grey Plover. Orcombe Point - 10 Whitethroats, 3 Sandwich Terns, 5 Whimbrel, 1 Garden Warbler, 5 Chiffchaffs, 4 House Martins, 1 Shelduck, 10+ Swallows and 2 Blackcaps. A male Reed Bunting was in song at West Lodge and 3 Swifts went over.

Lesser Whitethroat

This morning's Lesser Whitethroat, a singing male, was uncharacteristically showy!

Orcombe first thing - up to 7 Swallows, 1 Whimbrel, 11+ Whitethroats, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 female Cirl Bunting, 5 Mallard, 1 Stock Dove and 1 Grey Wagtail. The female Eider was off the seafront and a spell of birding from the back garden produced 1 Red Kite, 2 Spoonbills (well upriver) and my first 2 Swifts of the year. Off Mudbank - 71 Whimbrel, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 2 Sandwich Terns and 1 Great Crested Grebe.

Common Whitethroat.

My first 2 Swifts of the year were over our house this morning.

Singing Lesser Whitethroat.

Red Kites

Female Wheatear - Orcombe Point.

A Red Kite flew east across the river at 230pm shortly after a flock of 21+ Black-headed Gulls had flown downriver. Also from the back garden today - 1+ Siskin and 3 House Martins. Off Mudbank - 41 Whimbrel, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit and 13 Sandwich Terns. An early morning walk around Orcombe Point produced 10 Whitethroats (9 singing males on territory), 4 Blackcaps, 7 Chiffchaffs, 10+ Linnets, just 1 Swallow and a singing male Cirl Bunting.

Yesterday off Mudbank - 2 Red Kites (upriver), 1+ Sandwich Tern, 40 Whimbrel and 8 Bar-tailed Godwits. An earlier look off Maer Rocks revealed 1+ Black-headed Gull, 5 Common Gulls, 8 Sanderling, 3 Dunlin, 7 Whimbrel and 2 Common Scoters.

22/4 - Orcombe Point - 1 Wheatear, 2 Willow Warblers and 3 Swallows.

21/4 - Orcombe Point - 4 Whitethroats, 4 Blackcaps, 1 Swallow, 1 Grey Wagtail and 1 Willow Warbler. Mudbank - c30 Whimbrel and 1 Greenshank.

20/4 - Orcombe Point (quick pm visit) - 1 Wheatear, 2 Swallows, 2 Whitethroats, 1 Chiffchaff and a female Cirl Bunting.

At least 9 Whitethroats are holding territory on Orcombe.

 Green-winged Orchid var. alba

Update

Very little to report this last week, partly because it's been very quiet but mostly because I've not been out much. This morning around the top fields - 2+ Willow Warblers, 3 Whitethroats and 7+ Wheatears. A Firecrest singing in local gardens was a bit of a surprise. Presumably attempting to breed.

15/4 - Orcombe - 2 Whitethroats and 1 White Wagtail. Mudbank - 17 Whimbrel, 8 Black-headed Gulls (Cockle Sands) and 20 Pale-bellied Brent Geese.

14/4 - 14+ Sandwich Terns, 6 Pale-bellied Brent Geese and a female Eider off the seafront. Orcombe - 5 Swallows, 1 Whitethroat and 1 White Wagtail. Mudbank - c125 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 5 Whimbrel, 12 Redshank, 8 Sandwich Terns, 1 Dark-bellied Brent Goose and 3 Great Crested Grebes.

13/4 - Orcombe Point - 3 Swallows and 2 Shelduck.