Spoonbill

 

A very distant Spoonbill roosting on Bull Hill this afternoon.

 

I spent the best part of the morning in Exeter with the family, but this afternoon I managed to get out. The highlight, albeit a very distant one, was a Spoonbill roosting on Bull Hill. I scoped it from Shelly Beach. A Greenshank off there was the only other bird of note.

A quick look off Maer Rocks produced at least 2 Purple Sandpipers, 5 Brent Geese and 9+ Turnstones. At least 80 Common Scoters were very distantly over towards the Warren and out in the bay a distant Arctic Skua was menacing gulls. I failed to find the Warren's Long-tailed Duck but a distant flying duck off Orcombe Point could well have been that species.

Mudbank produced the usual mix of wildfowl with the exception of a single drake Tufted Duck which are barely annual off there.

 

 

Pintails are showing really well off Mudbank at the moment.