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.

Arctic Tern

Mudbank - 1 juvenile Arctic Tern with 4 Sandwich Terns on the dropping tide. Also 1 Pale-bellied Brent Goose still with 109 Dark-bellied Brent Geese. Little else counted but lots off birds on the estuary including 48 Redshank and c170 Teal. A fly-over Reed Bunting is a good record for Mudbank.

Orcombe was disappointing in benign conditions first thing. Just 3 Grey Wagtails, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 21 alba wagtails, 1 Goldcrest, 7 Chiffchaffs, a singing male Cirl Bunting, 8 Goldfinches, 2 Swallows, 9 Chaffinches and c180 Meadow Pipits.

Orcombe Casp

First-winter Caspian Gull - the 19th I've found in Exmouth but the first I've ever seen on Orcombe Point.

Orcombe from 0705 - 9am - 1 Caspian Gull, 1 Siskin, 300+ Meadow Pipits, just 6 Chiffchaffs, 3 Goldcrests, 1 Whitethroat, 10 Ravens, 1 Stonechat, 26+ alba wagtails and 3 Grey Wagtails.

Mudbank - 105 Brent Geese (looked to be all Dark-bellied but suspect the Pale-bellied Brent was hiding amongst them), 2 juvenile Ospreys (one resting on Cockle Sands), 33 Redshank, c115 Black-tailed Godwits and 1 Goshawk over woodland on the opposite side of the river.

Yesterday morning on Orcombe - 1 Jay, 1 Reed Bunting, 1 Yellow Wagtail (with tail), 2 Swallows, 14 Chiffchaffs, c90+ Meadow Pipits, 5 Blackcaps, 1 Cirl Bunting, 2 Stonechats, 11 alba wagtails, 3 Grey Wagtails, 17+ Chaffinches, 2 Goldcrests, c4/500+ Linnets, c25 Goldfinches and the singing Cetti's Warbler still.