Overhead Stuff

Drake Shoveler - Mudbank.

Orcombe from 0730 'til 0940 - 11500+ Woodpigeons, 1+ Swallow, 1 Jay, 7 Reed Buntings, 1+ Golden Plover, 1+ Bullfinch, 1 Redpoll, c40+ Goldfinches, 20+ Meadow Pipits, c25 Pied Wagtails, c30+ Chaffinches, 12+ Greenfinches, 13+ Blackbirds, 9+ Song Thrushes, 8+ Chiffchaffs, 4+ Siskins, 1 Goldcrest, 1 singing male Cirl Bunting, 1 Firecrest, 2 Peregrines, 1 Kestrel, 1 Sparrowhawk, 50+ Linnets and 1 Stonechat. Also lots of Skylarks airborne/milling around but difficult to count properly and plenty of mixed finch/pipit flocks that were largely quiet and therefore impossible to quantify.

Mudbank on the dropping tide. Large numbers of Wigeon, Pintail and Mallard not counted but c430+ Dark-bellied Brent Geese counted along with 1 drake Shoveler, c90 Redshank, 1 Greenshank, c80 Turnstones, c540 Black-tailed Godwits, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 90 Little Egrets, 2 Sandwich Terns and 1 Firecrest.

This juvenile Gannet was off Orcombe Point a couple days ago. Not looking in the best of health.

First Bramblings

One of three Jays recorded on Orcombe this morning.

A lovely calm and bright morning on Orcombe with some bits and pieces overhead. Between 0725 and 1010 - 3500 Woodpigeons, 80+ Meadow Pipits, c50 Chaffinches, 2 Bramblings, c40 Pied Wagtails, 2 Reed Buntings, 16+ Siskins, 3 Jays, 17+ Greenfinches, 80+ Goldfinches, c100+ Skylarks, c3/400+ Linnets, 9+ Stock Doves, 15+ Blackbirds, 5 Song Thrushes, 1 Coal Tit, 2+ Cirl Buntings, 2 Firecrests, just 5+ Chiffchaffs, up to 9 Stonechats, up to 4 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 6 Starlings, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1+ Goldcrest, c20 Jackdaws and c20 Magpies.

Mudbank - 1 Osprey, 9 Mute Swans, 1 Black Swan, 6 Bar-tailed Godwits, c145+ Black-tailed Godwits, 1 Knot, 2+ Turnstones, 25+ Redshank, c350 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 2 Sandwich Terns and at least 10 Skylarks west across the river. 

Yesterday off Mudbank - 28 Great Crested Grebes, 350+ Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 drake Shoveler, 2 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 9 Grey Plovers, 1 Black Swan, 5 Mute Swans and a juvenile Osprey.

I'm still seeing plenty of Clouded Yellows on Orcombe, a significant proportion of which are the pale 'helice' form like this one pictured above.

Woodpigeons

c1000 Woodpigeons logged over Orcombe this morning.

Orcombe from 0725 - c20 Chiffchaffs, 4 Firecrests, 3 Blackcaps, 4 Goldcrests, 1 Tree Pipit, 11+ Siskins, 1+ Reed Bunting, 34+ Pied Wagtails, c60 Chaffinches,  6 Stonechats, c80+ Meadow Pipits, 34 Skylarks (plus c60+ on the deck), c50 Goldfinches, 18+ Greenfinches, c150+ Linnets, up to 5 Cirl Buntings, c20+ Blackbirds, 2 Grey Wagtails, 1+ Coal Tit, 2 Rock Pipits, 3 Stock Doves and the Cetti's Warbler still.

Mudbank - c320 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 4 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, c4/500+ Black-tailed Godwits, 50+ Turnstones, c40 Teal, 14 Mute Swans, 1 Black Swan, 14 Skylarks over, 25 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Grey Plover and 4 Greenshank. Redshank, Wigeon, Pintail etc not counted.

Black Swan off Mudbank.

 Male Blackcap - Orcombe.

V Brief Casp

First-winter Caspian Gull - only seen for a few seconds this afternoon before disappearing. Viewing conditions rubbish in a strong westerly coming straight across the river. Otherwise the Dark-bellied Brent Goose flock numbered c260 birds on Cockle Sands, along with 10 Grey Plovers. Nothing else counted today.

Golden Plovers

Heard calling long before I managed to locate them - 2 Golden Plovers on Orcombe Point this morning. The second, more golden bird pictured below.

Orcombe early on - 2 Golden Plovers (my first of the autumn), 1 Yellow Wagtail, 42+ Pied Wagtails, 1 Tree Pipit, 1 Firecrest,  9 Swallows, 3+ Song Thrushes, 1 Blackcap, just 6 Chiffchaffs, the long-staying Cetti's Warbler, c30+ Meadow Pipits, 1 Stonechat, 2 Kestrels, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 1 Grey Wagtail and c30+ Goldfinches. 

Mudbank - 1 drake Mandarin, 1 female Gadwall, 1 drake Shoveler, c185 Dark-bellied Brent Geese and 1 or possibly 2 Pale-bellied Brent Geese the only things noted amongst good numbers of the usual stuff. 

 The drake Mandarin was again off Mudbank this afternoon.

GWE

Great White Egret heading east this afternoon. Photographed from the back garden thanks to a message from Lee after it had gone north over the Warren. My first in Exmouth this year and only the twelfth one I've seen in the parish.

Orcombe - 2 Cattle Egrets, 1 Siskin, 5 Stonechats and 12 Chiffchaffs.

Mudbank - 5 Shovelers, 4 Knot, 1 Spotted Redshank, c135 Redshank, 1 Grey Plover and c185 Dark-bellied Brent Geese. High numbers of Black-tailed Godwits again but I didn't count them.

One of five Shovelers off Mudbank.

One of two Cattle Egrets on Orcombe this afternoon. I scope them regularly across the other side of the river but today's birds are the first I've seen actually within the Exmouth parish boundary this year.

SEO

Poor visibility in mist this morning but Orcombe still produced 1 Short-eared Owl, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Snipe, 1 Mistle Thrush, 1 Jay, 4 Song Thrushes, up to 22 Swallows, 1 Stock Dove, 3 Blackcaps, 2 Grey Wagtails and 15+ Chiffchaffs.

Mudbank - good wader numbers included 1 Spotted Redshank, 8 Greenshank, c90 Redshank, c480 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Bar-tailed Godwits, 22 Turnstones, 2 Knot and 3 Grey Plovers. Also off there - 1 Kingfisher, 1 Pale-bellied Brent Goose still and 152 Dark-bellied Brent Geese. Other wildfowl not counted.

Yesterday off Mudbank - c175 Brent Geese, 1 Knot, 68 Redshank and 2 Whimbrel.

Not much on Orcombe but the first Redpoll of the autumn flew west as did 2 Siskins.