Balearics, Little Gull

Juvenile Common Tern. About 275 Common Terns were off the Imperial on the dropping tide. Two juvenile Little Terns were also off there but I couldn't find any other tern species.

A little late getting out the front door this morning so I missed a fair few but between about 0630 and shortly after 7am I recorded c420 Balearic Shearwaters heading east out of the bay. I could only pick out 6 Manx Shearwaters heading the same way. A gorgeous juvenile Little Gull flew past just off the beach and I also logged 2 adult Mediterranean Gulls and 1 Whimbrel.

A look off the Imperial rec, just as Cockle Sands was becoming exposed, revealed 2 juvenile Little Terns in with c275+ Common Terns. Also 3+ Mediterranean Gulls, 3 Black-tailed Godwits and 5 Bar-tailed Godwits.

Off Mudbank - 10 Pintail, c15 Wigeon (couldn't count a briefly seen flock as it headed towards the Warren), 17 Black-tailed Godwits, 8+ Common Sandpipers, 16 Ringed Plovers, 8 Sanderling, 1 Kittiwake, 12 Whimbrel, 1 Osprey and 36 Little Egrets.

Only a short spell on Orcombe as it was soon evident the overnight rain hadn't dropped any migrants. Six Yellow Wagtails flew over and that was it. A single Red-legged Partridge put in one of its very infrequent appearances and 2 Sand Martins were in with c55 Swallows at Maer farm this afternoon.

This Yellow-legged Gull was on the cricket pitch this morning. Not the regular 6cy individual.

One of two Sand Martins on wires at Maer Farm. I very rarely see this species perched in Exmouth!

Hoary Footman - trapped yesterday.

Small Marbled.

Ni Moth. Also trapped on 26/8 - 9 Silver Y, 3 Vestal, 1 Dark Sword-grass, 4 Rusty Dot Pearl, 28 Rush Veneer, 9 Small Mottled Willow, 2 Turnip, 1 Small Marbled, 44 Portland Ribbon Wave, 4 Pale Mottled Willow, 1 Tree-mallow Tortrix Crocidosema plebejana, 2 Saltmarsh Knot-horn Ancylosis oblitella and 1 Hoary Footman amongst the more usual stuff.

Vestal. One of 3 trapped yesterday but there are masses in the weedy areas on Orcombe.

Saltmarsh Knot-horn Ancylosis oblitella.

Tree Pipit - Orcombe Point 26/8.

Casp Gull, Black Tern

A brief first-summer (2cy) Caspian Gull off Mudbank this afternoon.

Mudbank/Cockle Sands today - 1 Black Tern showed quite well off the Imperial recreation ground just before  7pm this evening. It was with masses of Common Terns before heading upriver. I had what was presumably the same bird with c340+ Common Terns early this morning (and late yesterday evening). Also today - 1 first-summer Caspian Gull, 2 Yellow-legged Gulls (first-summer and 6cy), 3 Wigeon, 2 Pintail, 9+ Ringed Plovers, 16 Teal, 24 Black-tailed Godwits, 1+ Greenshank, 13 Redshank, 2+ Bar-tailed Godwits, 24 Whimbrel, 1 Kingfisher, 4 fw Mediterranean Gulls, 200+ Curlew, 1 Turnstone and 1 adult Peregrine. I also heard two clear but distant 'chuit' calls from what was almost certainly a Spotted Redshank. Not quite enough to be certain sadly.

Shelly Beach - juvenile Osprey, 20+ Sandwich Terns, 13 Sanderling, 2 Mediterranean Gulls and 2 Grey Wagtails.

A quick look off the seafront this evening, whilst waiting for the tide to drop, produced c110 Mediterranean Shearwaters heading east. I only picked out 3 Manx Shearwaters. Plenty of terns off there too.

First-summer Yellow-legged Gull. The 6cy regular bird was present too.

Common Terns over Cockle Sands.

Juvenile Common Tern off the Imperial this evening. One of many.

The juvenile Osprey was again hunting the lower estuary early on. I photographed it from Shelly Beach.

Juvenile Bar-tailed Godwit.

Red-necked Phalarope - pm Edit

Juvenile Red-necked Phalarope - Black Hole Marsh, Seaton. Was almost tempted to go up to Roadford yesterday as it has been almost exactly 23 years since I last saw a Red-necked Phalarope! So glad I didn't as this bird turned up closer to home today and by all accounts showed much better. My first ever Red-necked Phalarope was oddly also at a place called Seaton but Seaton in southeast Cornwall - a juvenile on 18th September 1993. My second was a bird I found myself, also a juvenile, at South Huish on August 26th 2003. So this is only my third ever but, given the amount of time that's lapsed since the last, it felt like watching a new bird.

Orcombe - 7 Wheatears, 10+ Yellow Wagtails, 9+ Sand Martins, 2 House Martins, 2 Collared Doves and 1 Common Scoter - the first I've seen in a while. At least 90 Gannets were feeding in the bay and a couple Fulmars passed through.

Mudbank this afternoon - 3 Teal, 1 Pintail, 1 Wigeon, 10 Redshank, 2 Greenshank, c30 Whimbrel, 4 Black-tailed Godwits, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, c40+ Common Terns, 1 fw Mediterranean Gull, 1 fw Yellow-legged Gull and 10 Shelduck. A juvenile Osprey caught a fish off there at around 1.30pm. Later this afternoon - still at least 2 Spotted Flycatchers frequenting the bottom of Bystock Meadow.

Juvenile Osprey - Mudbank.

Pintail.

First-winter Yellow-legged Gull.

This Kingfisher showed well in the brook yesterday.

Yesterday - Orcombe Point - an increase in Yellow Wagtail numbers with at least 15 moving between cattle herds. Also up to 6 Tree Pipits, 1 Wheatear and 1 Grey Wagtail. Mudbank - a very quick look early afternoon produced 8 Black-tailed Godwits, 3 Bar-tailed Godwits, 10 Redshank and 4 Greenshank.

22/8 - an early look at Orcombe produced a surprise Cetti's Warbler. My first record for Orcombe! It was singing in cliff-top scrub towards Sandy Bay. My guess it was a juvenile bird as the song was some way off being perfect. Also - 1 or 2 Grey Wagtails, 6 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Tree Pipits, 1 Stonechat and at least 2 Wheatears.

Hummingbird Hawkmoth.

Tree Pipit. One of two lingering in the top fields yesterday.

Following a message from Mark this evening I nipped back down to Mudbank and just about managed to pick out the Black Tern amongst c250 Common Terns on Cockle Sands. Also a different first-winter Yellow-legged Gull (pictured above), 4 first-winter Mediterranean Gulls and 9 Black-tailed Godwits. Twelve Redshank was just 2 more birds than earlier.

Y Wags, Osprey

Wheatear - Orcombe Point.

Orcombe - 8+ Yellow Wagtails, 1 Wheatear, 2 Willow Warblers, c25 Swallows and 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls the only migrants noted. A flock of 45+ Gannets was out in the bay despite it being flat-calm.

Shelly Beach - an Osprey past towards the Warren at 0835. Also - 2 Ringed Plovers, 1 Turnstone, 10+ Sandwich Terns, 20+ Common Terns, 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 22 Great Black-backed Gulls, 3 Yellow Wagtails, 30 Starlings, 20+ Swallows, 1 Sand Martin, 3 Mediterranean Gulls and 1 Sparrowhawk. A flock of 12 or 13 Black-tailed Godwits held 2 or 3 wader sp which I'm pretty sure were Ruff.

Mudbank - 3 Redshank, 3 Greenshank, 1 Knot, 18 Black-tailed Godwits, 3 Dunlin, 4 Ringed Plovers, 11+ Sanderling, 450+ Oystercatchers, 27+ Whimbrel, 36 Little Egrets, c540 Mallard, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker (high west across river) and 1 Tree Pipit.

Yesterday - 50 Common Terns off Shelly Beach and on Orcombe - 3 Yellow Wagtails, 1 Tree Pipit and a flock of c100 Linnets.

One of two juvenile Yellow Wagtails on rooftops around Shelly Beach, Another bird flew north over.

This Osprey flew high past Shelly Beach being chased by 8 Common Terns, the calls of which first alerted me to its presence. A minute later it disturbed a large flock of Oystercatchers from somewhere over towards the Warren. At least 450 ended up off Mudbank.

Juvenile Knot - Mudbank.

Five Ruff, Little Gull

The first Wigeon back. Present for its second day.

A good morning this morning. First I had a look at Bull Hill from Shelly Beach. No sign of yesterday's Roseate Tern but 185+ Common Terns, 40+ Sandwich Terns and 3 Mediterranean Gulls were roosting on there. Off Mudbank - 5 Ruff flew through and rested on Cockle Sands for a short while. Also 1 juvenile Little Gull, the first returning Pintail, yesterday's Wigeon still, 5 Teal, c70 Common Terns, 8 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Redshank, 1 Greenshank, 22+ Whimbrel, 80+ Curlew, c570 Mallard (highest count so far this summer), 9 Sanderling, 2 Ringed Plovers, 1 Mediterranean Gull and 1 Grey wagtail. I didn't make it up to Orcombe 'til mid-morning and only spent thirty minutes or so in the top fields where a single fly-over Tree Pipit, 1 Collared Dove, 1 juvenile Kestrel and 14 Goldfinches were logged.

An early-returning Pintail.

Juvenile Kestrel.

Roseate Tern, Wigeon

Apparently migrant-less on Orcombe this morning but nice to have concrete proof that the Cirl Buntings have bred. The above recently-fledged juvenile (probably one of a second brood) accompanying the adult male this morning.

The river was far more productive with a look at Bull Hill from Shelly Beach, on the rising tide, producing 1 Roseate Tern, c175+ Common Terns, c20 Sandwich Terns, 4+ Mediterranean Gulls and a large juv/fw Yellow-legged Gull. Also 8 Turnstones roosting on boats off there.

Mudbank produced my first Wigeon of the year along with 1 Greenshank, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, c90 Canada Geese, 3 Bar-tailed Godwits and at least 12 Sanderling (Cockle Sands).

Yesterday - a Tawny Owl heard calling from the back garden before dawn and a quick look off the Imperial revealed c100+ Common Terns and a fly-over Yellow Wagtail.

Banded Honeysuckle Leaf-miner Phyllonorycter trifasciella. One of two new moths for the garden Sunday/Monday. This and Beech Mast Piercer Cydia fagiglandana. Also yesterday - 2 Dark Sword-grass, 1 Vestal, 1 Saltmarsh Knot-horn Ancylosis oblitella, 1 Spindle Knot-horn Nephopterix angustella, 1 Angle Shades, 1 Bordered Straw, 7 Rush Veneer, 5 Small Mottled Willow, 3 Portland Ribbon Wave, 2 Silver Y, 1 Rusty Dot Pearl, 2 European Corn-borer, 2 Turnip, 1 Tree-mallow Tortrix Crocidosema plebejana, 1 Nutmeg, 1 Delicate and 3 White-point. Additionally - 1 Burnished Brass, 1 Marbled Green, 1 Mullein Wave, 1 L-album Wainscot, 1 Rosy Rustic and 5 Pale Mottled Willow plus a load of the expected stuff.

Brindled Poplar Tortrix Epinotia nisella. Catch these regularly but they all look different! Two more recent ones pictured below.

Beech Mast Piercer Cydia fagiglandana. First garden record.

Osprey

 Osprey with fish on Cockle Sands this morning.

Orcombe quiet first thing - 1 Mediterranean Gull, 1 Willow Warbler, 6+ Swallows and 2 Yellow Wagtails. Off the Imperial rec this morning - 1 Grey Plover, 40+ Common Terns, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1 Osprey and 1 juv Yellow-legged Gull. A very quick look off Mudbank on the dropping tide - 9 Great Crested Grebes, c320 Mallard, 4 Mute Swans, 2 Redshank, 2 juv Mediterranean Gulls, 2 Sandwich Terns, 3 Black-tailed Godwits, 8 Dunlin and 2 Bar-tailed Godwits. This evening - 1 Little Tern and 1 Peregrine.

Delicate. My first record this summer of a species I normally trap more frequently. Also last night - 4 Silver Y, 1 Olive-tree Pearl Palpita vitrealis, 14 Small Mottled Willow, 3 Portland Ribbon Wave, 4 Rusty Dot Pearl, 5 Rush Veneer, 1 Scarce Bordered Straw, 3 White-point, 2 Turnip and 1 Nutmeg.

My second record of Nutmeg.

Scarce Bordered Straw.