Mandarin!

A morning stroll 'round the block' with Lu was greatly enlivened with my first ever (probably overdue but entirely anticipated) Exmouth Mandarin - a drake in with Mallards off Mudbank over the high tide. A quick count of a few other species revealed 72 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 Pale-bellied Brent Goose, 23 Great Crested Grebes, 38 Redshank, 1 Turnstone and 19 Black-tailed Godwits.

Only two fields covered on Orcombe but 1 Whitethroat, 1 Blackcap, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 3 Swallows and a flock of 7 Ravens were logged. The Linnet flock still estimated to be c4/500 birds and a few grounded Meadow Pipits.

Getting a bit late for Whitethroats now. This one was feeding in weeds at the base of a hedge.

Little Gull

Adult winter Little Gull - Mudbank on this morning's high tide.

Mudbank - adult winter Little Gull, 1 Pale-bellied Brent Goose, 66 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 10 Sandwich Terns, 24 Redshank, 1 Turnstone, 2 Shoveler, 1 juvenile Common Tern, 1 Swallow, c75 Black-tailed Godwits and 3 Bar-tailed Godwits.

A quick look off the seafront earlier produced 2 Common Scoters and 3 Balearic Shearwaters moving east. Orcombe was too blown out but 1 Yellow Wagtail, 2 Goldcrests, 4 Swallows and 2 Sparrowhawks were seen on a rapid whiz round.

Little Gulls rarely show this well in Exmouth. Whenever I've seen them even closer it's been into the teeth of a gale-force wind!

Redstarts, Pale-b Brent

A distant record shot of the male Redstart. Female is pictured below. Both birds typically flighty and impossible to approach. Only my third and fourth in Exmouth this year.

Orcombe - 2 Redstarts, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Tree Pipit, 1 Firecrest, 2 Goldcrests, 1 Jay, c25 Swallows, 22+ Chiffchaffs, c110 Meadow Pipits, 6 Stonechats, 3 Blackcaps, c40+ Skylarks and the singing Cetti's Warbler still.

Mudbank - 1 Pale-bellied Brent Goose with 31 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 juvenile Common Tern, 8+ Sandwich Terns, 21 Great Crested Grebes, c100 Pintail, 6 Mute Swans, 7 Dunlin, 1 Grey Plover, 1 Peregrine and an impressive gathering of 96 Little Egrets. Additionally this evening - c120+ Black-tailed Godwits and 7 Ringed Plovers. Again couldn't face counting the numerous Wigeon but several hundred birds present now.

This tail-less Yellow Wagtail has been around for a while now. It gets in with the Meadow Pipits in the top fields.

Arctic Tern, Hobby

Juvenile Osprey - Mudbank.

A look off the seafront from 0700 for an hour produced a steady trickle of Gannets, a few auks, 9 Common Scoters, 1 Arctic Skua, 1 Balearic Shearwater, 4 shearwater sp and a juvenile Arctic Tern.

Mudbank - 18 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 juvenile Osprey, 1 juvenile Common Tern, 19+ Sandwich Terns, 7 Mute Swans, c50 Black-tailed Godwits, c185 Curlew, 6 Bar-tailed Godwits and 4 Ringed Plovers.

Orcombe - a quick mid-afternoon whiz round the top fields produced 1 Hobby, 4+ Swallows and 3 Stonechats.

A Hobby heading west over Orcombe towards Dawlish Bay this afternoon.

Arctic Tern - extreme record shot of the juvenile off the seafront.

Male Sparrowhawk - Orcombe Point.

Spot Red Still

Yellow Wagtail - Orcombe Point.

Orcombe from 0650 this morning - c250 Meadow Pipits, 18+ Chiffchaffs, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Wheatear, 1 Firecrest, c30 alba wagtails, 2 Goldcrests, c4/500+ Linnets, 1 Reed Bunting, 15+ Greenfinches, 4 Stonechats, 1 Grey Wagtail and 1 Snipe.

Mudbank - 1 Spotted Redshank, c100 Black-tailed Godwits, 20 Great Crested Grebes, 4 Ringed Plovers, 1 Common Tern, 23+ Sandwich Terns, 3 Grey Plovers, 17 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 11 Redshank and 2 Greenshank. Couldn't face counting ducks today.

Yesterday - Orcombe - c20 Chiffchaffs, 1+ Yellow Wagtail and the singing Cetti's Warbler which actually showed for a change - hopping up a couple times into a dead-looking bush.

Mudbank - 16 Dark-bellied Brent Geese and 1 Whimbrel the only stuff to make it into the notebook.

Stonechat.

Pintail - Mudbank.

Black-tailed Godwits - Mudbank.

Drake Mallard - Mudbank. Female below.

Spotted Redshank - Mudbank.

 Black-tailed Godwits - Mudbank.

Wildfowl Increase

One of three Wheatears on Orcombe this morning.

An increase in wildfowl off Mudbank today with 13 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, good numbers of Teal and Mallard along with 360+ Wigeon and 100+ Pintail . Counting was very tricky as the tide had dropped a little too much by the time I got there. Also off there today - 1 Osprey, the Spotted Redshank again, 145 Black-tailed Godwits, 3 Bar-tailed Godwits, 5 Greenshank, 24 Redshank, 4 Ringed Plovers, 1 Dunlin, 1 Snipe, 18 Great Crested Grebes, 8 Grey Herons and a Siskin over.

Orcombe from 0700 - 3 Wheatears, 2+ Yellow Wagtails, 16+ Chiffchaffs, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Reed Bunting, 1 Blackcap, 4 Canada Geese, 3 Stonechats, 9+ alba wagtails, c4/500+ Linnets, c70+ Meadow Pipits, 2 Grey Wagtails, 9+ Swallows, 4 House Martins, 1 Coal Tit and 2 Stock Doves.

22/9 - Orcombe Point - 21+ Chiffchaffs, 8+ Blackcaps, 4+ Yellow Wagtails and the singing Cetti's Warbler still.

Mudbank - 39 Redshank, 99 Black-tailed Godwits, 3 Bar-tailed Godwits, 7 Greenshank, 234 Teal and 1 Osprey.

 Male Stonechat - Orcombe Point.

Spot Red

My first Spotted Redshank in Exmouth this year - present over the high tide with 8 Greenshank and 26 Redshank.

Orcombe Point from 0645 to 0840 - 13+ Chiffchaffs, 1 Firecrest, 6 Blackcaps, 1 Snipe, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Sand Martin, c30 Swallows, c15 House Martins, c140 Meadow Pipits, 3+ Grey Wagtails, 13 alba wagtails, 1 Sparrowhawk, 13+ Greenfinches, 1 Kestrel, 12+ Skylarks, 4 Goldfinches, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1+ Coal Tit, 2 Chaffinches and c3/400+ Linnets.

Mudbank counts included 1 Spotted Redshank, 8 Greenshank, 26 Redshank, 58 Black-tailed Godwits, 3 Bar-tailed Godwits, 63 Shelduck, 400+ Mallard, 166 Wigeon, 5 Pintail, c220 Teal, 3 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 8 Great Crested Grebes, 7+ Sandwich Terns, 1 Common Tern and 1 Firecrest.

Spotted Redshank with Black-tailed Godwits.

Teal off Mudbank. c220 present over high tide today.

Sparrowhawk - Orcombe Point.

 Large Ranunculus. Also yesterday - 1 Dewick's Plusia, 1 Scarce Bordered Straw, 3 Olive-tree Pearl Palpitta vitrealis, 2 Small Mottled Willow, 2 Rusty Dot Pearl, 4 Rush Veneer and 3 L-album Wainscot. 

Orcombe Point yesterday between 7am and 0850 - 320+ Meadow Pipits, 13 Chiffchaffs, 4 Grey Wagtails, 1 Stonechat, 2+ alba wagtails, 40+ Swallows, up to 11 Chaffinches, 2 Blackcaps, 35+ House Martins, 9 Greenfinches, the long-staying Cetti's Warbler, 1+ Goldcrest and 2 Cirl Buntings. The Linnet flock is still in the top fields numbering c3/400+ birds.
Mudbank - not much counting done but 61 Black-tailed Godwits, 21 Redshank, the 3 Dark-bellied Brent Geese and 3 Greenshank noted.