December?

 It's always good to see the first, chunky and characterful December Moth of the year. Immigrants last night included 30+ Rusty Dot Pearl, 1 White-point, 1 Silver Y, 1 Turnip and 1 Pearly Underwing.

December Moth and Exeter Quay's Glaucous Gull today but it feels more like August. Can't wait for this warm weather to move over. It doesn't feel at all right. 

Orcombe early - 3 Stonechats, 2 Rock Pipits, 3 Chiffchaffs, 3 Goldcrests, 5+ Siskin, 1 Dartford Warbler, 16 Fieldfares, 19 Redwings, 15+ Chaffinches, c30 Goldfinches, c50/60+ Starlings, 1 Grey Wagtail, c50/100 Woodpigeons, 27+ Stock Doves and 5 Common Scoters.

A quick look off Mudbank, at high tide, produced 18 Great Crested Grebes and 2 Shoveler amongst numbers of Brent Geese, Pintail and Wigeon.

One Black Redstart was still on the dung heap on 10/11.

Silver Y

White-point.

I cycled to Exeter Quay to see the Glaucous Gull today. More for the exercise than the bird. I prefer to see Glaucous Gulls pointing their bills into an icy, finger-freezing, northerly blast, preferably on a sandbank in Exmouth, amongst a massive pre-roost flock of Great Black-backs. This bird didn't look at all right or at all well, loafing just feet away from a massive flock of feral pigeons, being fed by noisy kids and an old lady with one of those pull-along trollies. One of the weirdest birding experiences for a long time but a lovely bird despite the incongruous circumstances.