Sea-watch, Wheatear

A fifty-five minute 'raised beach hut' sea-watch from 0640 produced 12 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 6 Common Scoters, 115+ Gannets, 45+ Kittiwakes, 17 Red-throated Divers, 1 Great Northern Diver, 33 Black-headed Gulls, 17+ Common Gulls and 9+ auk sp.

Orcombe Point - 1 Wheatear, 2 Chiffchaffs, 3 Rock Pipits, c20 Linnets and a flock of 22 Pale-bellied Brent Geese past towards the river.

At least 7 Ring-necked Parakeets were in Maer Valley and off Mudbank - 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 5 Red-breasted Mergansers, 4 Greenshank, 34+ Redshank and 1 Knot. On Cockle Sands - 7 Bar-tailed Godwits and 24 Sanderling.

15/3 - Orcombe - 4 Chiffchaffs, 4 Song Thrushes, 1 Goldcrest, 9 Linnets, 22 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 Curlew, 2 Blackcaps and 1 Grey Wagtail. Mudbank - 10 Pale-bellied Brent Geese and 3 Greenshank.

14/3 - Orcombe - 1 Redwing, 1 Goldcrest, 2 Snipe, 19 Woodpigeons west with a single Stock Dove, 2 Mallard, 21 Dark-bellied Brent Geese and 4 Chiffchaffs. The two partridge sp were again seen briefly - presumably RLPs.

This flock of 22 Pale-bellied Brent Geese flew past Orcombe Point towards the river. Ten were present off Mudbank a couple days ago.

Knot - Mudbank.

Song Thrushes are in song on Orcombe but there are also presumed continental birds still hiding in hedgerows surrounding the top fields. They fly very low and fast when flushed before swerving deep into cover.

Barn Owl!

Female Blackcap - Orcombe.

Orcombe Point - 2 Snipe, 3 Chiffchaffs,  5+ Linnet, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Blackcap, c10+ Meadow Pipits and 45 Dark-bellied Brent Geese. Mudbank - 2 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, c245 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 4 Red-breasted Mergansers, 3 Greenshank, 47 Redshank, 2 Grey Plovers and 21 Knot.

11/3 - 1 Barn Owl calling within the Exmouth parish. My first ever in Exmouth!

10/3 - Orcombe Point - 36 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 5 Chiffchaffs, 3 Blackcaps, 2 partridge sp (burst from cover below cliff edge), 1 Grey Wagtail, a flock of 21 Magpies, 1 Goldcrest and 1 Firecrest.

8/3 - Orcombe Point - 1 Coal Tit, 6 Chiffchaffs, 1 Goldcrest and 2 Snipe.

7/3 - Orcombe Point - 7 Linnets, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Chiffchaff, 4 Snipe, c15 Meadow Pipits.

6/3 - Orcombe Point - 2 Redwings, 1 Goldcrest, c10+ Meadow Pipits, 5 Snipe and my first Golden Plover of the year.

Firecrest - Mudbank.

Mergansers

Seven of eight Red-breasted Mergansers off Mudbank late this afternoon - the males displaying.

Mudbank counts today included 15+ Pintail, c80 Wigeon, c70 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 Pale-bellied Brent Goose, 8 Red-breasted Mergansers, 8 Great Crested Grebes, 6 Greenshank, c70 Redshank, 13 Bar-tailed Godwits and c140+ Common Gulls. Bystock - 2 Yellowhammers.

LORP - 2 Spoonbills, 4 Cattle Egrets, 1 Spotted Redshank, 30+ Black-tailed Godwits, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 1 Stonechat and 3 Little Grebes.

2/3 - Mudbank - c95 Common Gulls, 8 Teal, 7 Greenshank and 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

28/2 - Maer Rocks - 1 Great Northern Diver, 15 Dark-bellied Brent Geese and 6 Great Crested Grebes. Orcombe Point - 1 Firecrest. Mudbank - 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 11 Ringed Plovers, 41 Redshank, 3 Greenshank, 87+ Curlew and 1 Firecrest.

Male Yellowhammer at Bystock Pool this morning. The female was close by.

Lu and I enjoyed a walk around LORP and Budleigh today. The Spoonbills showed well at the top end.

Four Cattle Egrets present too as well as the Spotted Redshank.

A beautifully warm and still afternoon - the view from Mudbank about an hour before dark.

Little Gulls

Lu and I had a quick squiz at Bowling Green en route from Mum's and Aldi. It was really nice to see these four sleepy Spoonbills along with three Pochard (drake and 2 females). Also - 2 Black Swans and 4 Tufted Ducks present.

A short sea-watch from the raised beach huts between 0755 and 0840 was more productive than expected with a south-westerly breeze. I recorded my first 2 Fulmars of 2026 along with 3 Little Gulls (adult and 2 first-winters feeding together off Orcombe Point), 5 Great Northern Divers, c70 Gannets, 4 diver sp, 8 Red-throated Divers, 6 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 Shelduck, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 7 Common Scoters, 1+ Great Crested Grebe and 1 Turnstone.

Around the dung heap on Orcombe Point - 8 Linnets, 1 Grey Wagtail, 2 Chiffchaffs and a female Cirl Bunting.

Mudbank - 1 singing male Firecrest, 1 Goldcrest, c75 Redshank, 2 Greenshank, 13 Wigeon, 15+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 3 drake Red-breasted Mergansers, 14 Knot and 2 Chiffchaffs. Nearby in Duckpond - 57 Redshank, 1 Whimbrel, 6 Dunlin and c80 Dark-bellied Brent Geese.

24/2 - Mudbank - c130 Common Gulls, 4 Greenshank, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1+ Chiffchaff, 78 Knot (Cockle Sands), 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 1 Mediterranean Gull and the Siberian Chiffchaff. Duckpond - c175 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 Pale-bellied Brent Goose, c60 Redshank, 1 Meadow Pipit and 1 Whimbrel.

22/2 - Mudbank - 5 Red-breasted Mergansers, 3 Greenshank and 6 Great Crested Grebes.

21/2 - Orcombe Point - 1 Razorbill, 4+ Great Northern Divers, 8 Common Scoters and 2+ Great Crested Grebes. Mudbank - 1+ Goshawk (across the other side of the river), 2 Red-breasted Mergansers, 2 Greenshank, 6 Ringed Plovers, 5+ Knot and 1 Firecrest.

Pale-bellied Brent Goose - Duckpond.

Sibe Chiff, Little Gull

The Siberian Chiffchaff was again showing quite well at Mudbank. Also - Goldcrest, at least 3 Chiffchaffs, 5 Greenshank, 16 Knot, 38 Redshank and 2 Red-breasted Mergansers.

Off the seafront - 1 first-winter Little Gull, c25 Curlew, 3 Great Crested Grebes and 1 Great Northern Diver.

Casp

Diabolical conditions today but braved a couple minutes looking off Mudbank before dark. A first-winter Caspian Gull made getting soaked just about worthwhile. Risked ruining the camera to get this dreadful shot. It's the bird just right of the Great Black-back. You'll have to take my word for it!

A wander round some Exmouth heathland yesterday produced 3+ Cirl Buntings, 1 Yellowhammer, 1 Dartford Warbler, 2 Mistle Thrushes, 1 Fieldfare, 1 Stock Dove, 1 Green Woodpecker and 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Mudbank - 1 Whimbrel, 6 Red-breasted Mergansers, 6 Wigeon, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 40+ Grey Plovers, 83 Redshank, 18+ Bar-tailed Godwits, 1 Firecrest and high numbers of Dunlin (not counted) with a few Knot amongst them.

A female Cirl Bunting was briefly at West Lodge with 3+ Redwings.

Dartford Warbler.

I checked the Exmouth heathland for Yellowhammers (they're usually back on territories before the end of February) but was surprised to find at least 2 singing male Cirl Buntings (plus a female). Just the one Yellowhammer was seen but it was a calling, not singing individual. I really hope the Cirls don't ultimately drive the Yellowhammers out but I suspect this is the way it's heading... 

It has been a very lean season for winter thrushes locally. This single Fieldfare was all I could muster from the normally productive archery club playing fields. Two Mistle Thrushes were present but not a single Redwing.

One of at least three Redwings at West Lodge.

Brixham

Lu and I spent the morning down in Brixham, combining a slightly soggy walk along the breakwater with a look around the shops, a pasty and a cuppa. Good to get out of Exmouth once in a while. Birds included c20 Great Northern Divers, 1 Black-throated Diver, 3 Purple Sandpipers, 2cy Caspian Gull, 1 adult Mediterranean Gull, c30+ Turnstones, 1 Kingfisher, at least 1 Kittiwake, several Shags and a Grey Heron.

Turnstones run round your feet in Brixham!

I never get views of Great Northern Diver like this in Exmouth. Just fantastic!

Slightly dismayed to see just three Purple Sandpipers along the breakwater. Assuming the numbers here mirror the decline/disappearance of the Exmouth birds.

This Caspian Gull stood out like the proverbial 'sore thumb' but each time I saw it it was miles away.....

.....or just flying off!

Black-throated Diver.