Field sketch of today's Barnacle Goose (colour added at home).
Today's star bird was a beautiful Barnacle Goose that I picked out amongst the Dark-bellied Brent Goose at around 0930 this morning. With it being the end of October, and with the wind having switched around to the north, it's probably as good a Barnacle Goose as I'm going to see in Exmouth. It was still present mid-afternoon, when Terry caught up with it, and it's sitting comfortably on the house list too. Also off Mudbank today - 9+ Pale-bellied Brent Goose, 1 Dunlin, 2 Redshank, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Grey Plover, 130+ Shelduck, 2 Siskin, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Rock Pipit and a high count of c170+ Pintail.
Nick and I covered Orcombe Point from dawn (and I had a quick look off Maer Rocks early afternoon). Things had quietened down considerably after yesterday but we still managed 1 Turnstone, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 1 Firecrest, 2 Brambling, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, just 4+ Meadow Pipit, 1 Coal Tit, 14+ Chaffinch, 1 Linnet, 2 Chiffchaff, 3+ Siskin, 9+ Song Thrush, c10+ Blackbird, c80+ Woodpigeon, 1+ Redwing, 36 Common Scoter, 9 Eider and a drake Pochard.
Drake Pochard (left hand bird) with Common Scoter flock. Pochard is less than annual in Exmouth and sadly becoming rarer. You'll almost certainly have to click on this photo to stand a chance of seeing it!
To continue with the 'awful photo' theme, above is today's Barnacle Goose (middle bird) - again you'll need to click to enlarge
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