Green Sand, Reed Warbler

Reed Warblers never show this well for me. I fact I usually struggle to see them at all in Exmouth.

A Green Sandpiper flew over the house (unseen) early on before heading over to the river where it called another couple of times. My first in Exmouth this year. On Orcombe Point - 1+ Willow Warbler, 2 Sedge Warblers, 1 Reed Warbler and 5+ Blackcaps. Also my first Meadow Pipit of the autumn flew high west and at least 2 of the three juvenile Stonechats are still present around the Geoneedle. Four Ravens flew through and both Sparrowhawk and Peregrine were on the prowl.

Off Mudbank - 1 Greenshank, 2 Redshank, 41 Whimbrel and high numbers of Mallard still. An Osprey flew into Powderham park with a fish at 0932.

Nutmeg

Nutmeg. Yet another example of a species that's not uncommon and yet this is the first I've trapped here in Exmouth. Also last night - 1 Ni Moth, 1 Turnip, 3 Rusty Dot Pearl, 16 Small Mottled Willow, 2 Dark Sword-grass, 1 Tree-mallow Tortrix Cocidosema plebejana, 7 Portland Ribbon Wave and 1 Rush Veneer.

Mudbank today - just a quick look with the 6cy Yellow-legged Gull, 2 Redshank and c400+ Mallard noted. Earlier, off the seafront - c105 Sandwich Terns and a Mediterranean Gull. 

Yesterday off Mudbank - c420 Mallard, 3 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Greenshank, 43+ Whimbrel, 40+ Sandwich Terns, 4 Common Terns, 2 Bar-tailed Godwits and 2+ Ringed Plovers. Also the 6cy Yellow-legged Gull again present.

3/8 - Mudbank - 1 Redshank, 390+ Mallard, 1 juvenile Mediterranean Gull, 2 Common Gulls, 45+ Whimbrel, 1 Sand Martin and a juvenile Peregrine lazily practicing some hunting skills over Cockle Sands. Bystock - 1 Redstart and 3+ Spotted Flycatchers.

Tree-Mallow Tortrix Crocidosema plebejana.

Ni Moth.

Brindled Poplar Tortrix Epinotia nisella.

Flame Carpet.

Trapped on 4/8 - 2 Striped Hawkmoths (both pictured above), 26 Small Mottled Willow, 4 Dark Sword-grass, 5 Rusty Dot Pearl, 13 Rush Veneer, 2 European Corn-borer, 2 Silver Y, 4 Turnip and 1 Vestal. Also of interest - 2 Wax Moth, 2 Cream-bordered Green Pea, 1 Oak Eggar, 1 Elephant Hawkmoth, 1 Poplar Hawkmoth, 1 Pale Mottled Willow and 1 Tawny-barred Angle.

Oak Eggar - this is a male being smaller and darker than the huge golden female.

Male Redstart - Bystock Meadow 3/8.

 Juvenile Spotted Flycatcher.

Another Osprey

This Osprey flew straight upriver without pausing at 0810 this morning, passing over Powderham Castle in the above photo. Little else off Mudbank today apart from 54 Whimbrel, 1 Dunlin, c25 Sandwich Terns, 1 Teal and 1 Redshank.

Orcombe was really quiet first thing with just 8 Canada Geese and a Redshank past of note.

Kestrel - Orcombe Point.

Wood Sand

A stroll around Bystock mid-morning revealed at least 1 Marsh Tit still present. Also 1+ Spotted Flycatcher on the fence at the bottom of the meadow. Two Snipe flew up through the reserve calling - presumably flushed by one of the many dogs off the lead up there.

Very little time proper birding today but the clear highlight was a Wood Sandpiper present on the shrinking Cockle Sands between 0744 and 0755 when it flew off high north. Remarkably only my third ever in Exmouth! The only other stuff noted was the continuing flock of 300+ Mallard and lingering 2 Common Gulls. An earlier walk round Orcombe produced at least 5 Willow Warblers but little else.

Yesterday Orcombe early on - 1 Mediterranean Gull, 1 juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull, 4 Canada Geese, 5+ Willow Warblers, 5+ Sedge Warblers, 4+ Blackcaps and 1 Whitethroat.

 Snipe - Bystock.

Osprey

Clouded Yellow - Orcombe Point. Seven Vestals were disturbed from a weedy corner of one of the top fields. In the moth trap last night - 16 Small Mottled Willow, 3 Silver Y, 3 Rusty Dot Pearl, 1 Dark Sword-grass, 1 Turnip Moth, 1 Portland Ribbon Wave and 1 Tree-lichen Beauty.

My first Osprey of the year was hunting the lower stretch of the river this afternoon. Also off Mudbank - the Mallard flock continues to swell with c320 this afternoon. Additionally - 1 Greenshank, 2 Redshank, 2 Common Gulls, 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 44 Whimbrel, 1+ Mediterranean Gull, 30+ Sandwich Terns and 32 Canada Geese.

Very quiet on Orcombe earlier with just the lingering Lesser Whitethroat of any note. 

Last Couple Days

Striped Hawkmoth. Also trapped on 29/7 - quite low numbers included 3 Marbled Green, 2 Silver Y, 1 Rush Veneer, 6 Small Mottled Willow, 1 Dark Sword-grass, 1 Canary-shouldered Thorn, 1 Waved Umber and 1 Turnip.

Waved Umber. Normally a spring species - apparently a second brood is sometimes triggered by hot weather.

Orcombe Point (29/7) - 35+ Canada Geese, 2 Stonechats and 1 Yellow Wagtail. Also - a flock of c20/30 Linnets, 1 Kestrel, 1 Peregrine and 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers.

In the recycling centre - the 6cy Yellow-legged Gull.

Mudbank - 1 Redshank, 45 Whimbrel, 270+ Mallard, 69 Curlew, c50 Sandwich Terns, 2 Dunlin and a juvenile Willow Warbler.

28/7 - Orcombe Point from 0610 - 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Sedge Warbler, 1 Stonechat, c20+ House Martins and c10/20 Swallows. Also a singing male Cirl Bunting (with at least 1 female/juv present) and presumably a family party of 6 Rock Pipits.

Juvenile Kestrel - Orcombe Point 29/7/26. Juveniles of Rock Pipit, Linnet, Green Woodpecker, Robin and Song Thrush all point towards it being a pretty successful breeding season on Orcombe Point.

Small Marbled. Trapped on 28/7 along with 1 Portland Ribbon Wave, 6 Silver Y, 1 Tree-lichen Beauty, 2 Rusty Dot Pearl, 5 Small Mottled Willow, 1 Rush Veneer, 1 Vestal, 1 Dark Sword-grass, 1 Turnip Moth, 1 Cream-bordered Green Pea and 1 Jersey Mocha amongst some more regular stuff.

Jersey Mocha.

Cream-bordered Green Pea.

Common Wainscot.

Vestal.

Southern Migrant Hawker - Exminster Marshes 28/7/26. I cycled over to Exminster Marshes yesterday and found at least 5 Southern Migrant Hawkers in the dried-out ditches.

Juvenile Green Woodpecker - Orcombe Point.

Common Sand record!

On June 13th I had thirteen Common Sandpipers off Mudbank but I broke that record today with a flock of fifteen! What's going on? Also off Mudbank today - 39 Whimbrel, c230 Mallard, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 20+ Sandwich Terns, 1 Curlew and 2 Common Gulls.

An early morning look at Orcombe produced 1 Lesser Whitethroat (presumably Saturday's bird), 1 Sedge Warbler, 1 Willow Warbler, 9+ Whitethroats and 2 Blackcaps. Also - 2 Red-legged Partridges, 3+ Cirl Buntings and 2 juvenile Stonechats.

Eleven of the 15 Common Sandpipers off Mudbank.

Tree-lichen Beauty.

Not many moths last night but catch included 1 Tree-lichen Beauty, 1 Bordered Straw, 4 Silver Y, 1 Rusty Dot Pearl and 1 Rush Veneer. Also Southern Wainscot, Pebble Hook-tip and Oak Eggar of note.

Radford's Flame Shoulder? Not sure about this one. Possibly a very dull brown Flame Shoulder? Comments welcome.

Bordered Straw.

Southern Wainscot.

 Small Mottled willow.