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.

Duck Numbers and Cattle Egrets

Pale-bellied Brent Goose - Imperial rugby ground.

Mudbank - male Goldeneye, 4 Red-breasted Mergansers, 5 Shoveler (4 males), 34 Pintail and good numbers of Wigeon again (see yesterday's total). Also - c150 Curlew, 17+ Bar-tailed Godwits, 2 Greenshank, 4 Chiffchaffs and 2 Goldcrests. Three flocks totalling c115 Cattle Egrets flew into roost over the other side of the river not long before dark. A quick look at the dung heap on Orcombe produced 6 Rock Pipits, 1 Grey Wagtail and at least 3 Chiffchaffs The Pale-bellied Brent Goose was with c170 Dark-bellied Brent Geese on the Imperial rugby ground and nearby in the Duckpond - 46 Redshank.

13/2 - Off Orcombe Point early on - 12 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 3 Red-throated Divers, 2 Turnstones and 2 Mute Swans (east). Mudbank - c790 Wigeon, c20 Pintail, 32 Redshank, 4 Greenshank and the pair of Blackcaps. A bit further along the cycle path, towards West Lodge, the wintering Cetti's Warbler was again heard. The Whimbrel was seen flying past the Imperial recreation ground late afternoon and at least 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls were roosting on Cockle Sands.

A flock of c90 Cattle Egrets making their way to roost. I counted c115 in total but may well have missed earlier roosting birds.

Siberian Chiffchaff

Siberian Chiffchaff - Mudbank.

Mudbank - 1 Siberian Chiffchaff, 2+ Firecrests, 2+ Chiffchaffs, 1 male Blackcap, 3 Goldcrests, c360 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 Pale-bellied Brent Goose, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers, 3 Canada Geese, 5 Avocets, 2 Mediterranean Gulls, the Kittiwake and 2 Greenshank. On Cockle Sands - 28 Sanderling, c20 Bar-tailed Godwits, 40+ Grey Plovers and 3 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls. In Duckpond - 19 Redshank, the drake Goldeneye and the Whimbrel.

Off the seafront - 4 Great Northern Divers and 2 Mediterranean Gulls.

9/2 - Mudbank - c90 Common Gulls, 1 ad Kittiwake and 2 Mediterranean Gulls. On Cockle Sands - c30 Sanderling flushed by a passing Peregrine. The Duckpond - 3 Mediterranean Gulls and 15+ Common Gulls.

8/2 - Seafront - 6 Great Northern Divers and 2+ Great Crested Grebes. Duckpond - drake Goldeneye, 1 Whimbrel, c120 Dark-bellied Brent Geese. Nearby an adult Kittiwake off Mudbank and 2 Stonechats, 1 Redwing, 1+ Meadow Pipit and 1 Green Woodpecker at West Lodge.

7/2 - the Duckpond - male Goldeneye, 1 Pale-bellied Brent Goose and c65 Dark-bellied Brent Geese.

One of at least 2 Firecrests in scrub along Mudbank.

Mediterranean Gull - the Duckpond 9/2/26.

Pale-bellied Brent Goose - the Duckpond 7/2/26.

Goldeneye - the Duckpond 7/2/26.