Bar-headed Geese

Three Bar-headed Geese on Cockle Sands around lunchtime today. Extreme distance record shot!

Mudbank just the other side of high tide - 3 Bar-headed Geese, 8 Sandwich Terns, 5 Whimbrel, 13 Curlew, 9 Black-headed Gulls, 4 Great Crested Grebes, 3 Swift and 6 Mallard. A lightning-quick look at Orcombe revealed a late, presumed female 'Greenland' Wheatear. 

A morning stroll on Woodbury Common produced at least four Spotted Flycatchers, 2+ Crossbills, 5+ Willow Warblers and a singing Cuckoo.

A late Wheatear on Orcombe Point.

One of at least four Spotted Flycatchers around Woodbury Fort this morning.

A check on the local Barn Owls revealed the 2 adults (plus at least one juvenile peeking out of the nest box). Neither adult bird showed their face - carefully positioned high up in the darkest recesses of the barn.

Skylark.

Pom

Pomarine Skua.

A late look off the seafront for 50 minutes (from 0950) produced a Pomarine Skua (south at 10am), c10 Turnstones, 15 Gannets, 8+ Kittiwakes, 18+ Manx Shearwaters, 7+ Dunlin, 1 Swift and 1 Great Northern Diver.

Off Mudbank - 5 Whimbrel, 12+ Black-headed Gulls, 3 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Common Gull and 11 Curlew.

Yesterday evening - a lovely close-in pale-phase Arctic Skua off the seafront along with 3 Manx Shearwaters.

17/5 - Mudbank - 30 Black-headed Gulls, 1 Common Gull, 3 Sandwich Terns, 3 Great Crested Grebes, 18 Whimbrel, 6 Curlew, c10 Sanderling, 3 Bar-tailed Godwits, 2 Mallard and c90 Oystercatchers.

Treecreeper - East Budleigh Common.

A pair of Tufted Ducks on Bystock Pond.

One of two Crossbills on Bicton Common this afternoon. A pair of Red-legged Partridges was also seen.

Early Marsh Orchid ssp pulchella.

A pair of Spotted Flycatchers was very active and vocal at a traditional breeding spot today.

YLGs

Two First-summer (2cy) Yellow-legged Gulls off Mudbank on this afternoon's high tide. Also 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 25+ Whimbrel.

An early morning circular walk of Exminster Marshes produced 1 Lesser Whitethroat (Turf), 1 Marsh Harrier, 2 Gadwall, 4 Spoonbills, at least 5 Red Kites, 2 Egyptian Geese, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 5+ Tufted Ducks, 19+ Coots, 2 Oystercatchers, 2 Whimbrel, 5 Lapwings, 15+ Swifts, 22+ Reed Warblers, 8 Sedge Warblers, 1 Whitethroat, 4+ Blackcaps, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker and at least 6 Cetti's Warblers.

Yesterday off Mudbank - 13+ Whimbrel, 3 Bar-tailed Godwits, 1 Sanderling, 8 Curlew and 1 Red Kite. Later, off the seafront - 3 Sandwich Terns.

First-summer Yellow-legged Gull. One of two present. The second one pictured below.

This is the second bird - a heftier, larger-billed bird.

At least 5 Red Kites were lazily wheeling around over Exminster village and the marshes early on.

Sedge Warbler - Exminster Marshes. I've yet to record this species in Exmouth this year.

Mochas, Spot Fly

Blair's Mocha. Other species trapped last night included Mocha, Portland Ribbon Wave, Streamer, Ruddy Carpet, Garden Carpet, Least Black Arches, Buff-tip, Oak-tree Pug, Mottled Pug, Foxglove Pug, Rusty Dot Pearl, Treble Lines, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Pale-shouldered Brocade and Silver Y (x5).

Very poor on the bird front. Off the seafront first thing - c25 Black-headed Gulls, 2 Sandwich Terns, the female Eider, 1+ Whimbrel, 2 Shelduck, 1 Great Northern Diver, c30+ auk sp and small numbers of Gannets and Kittiwakes. The Reed Warbler is still singing from the West Lodge reedbed and the male Stonechat is still there, along with the singing Whitethroat.

Mocha.

Red Kite - one of three seen this morning during a walk round the Pebbled Heaths. A Cuckoo was again heard on Woodbury Common.

I've been struggling, or rather failing, to find Spotted Flycatchers on traditional breeding sites. This was my first this spring.

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. Off the seafront first thing - 4 Bar-tailed Godwits, 2 Whimbrel, 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, 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.