Sunday 20 November 2022

Purple Sands


Ten Purple Sandpipers on Maer Rocks this morning.

Good to see 10 Purple Sandpipers on Maer Rocks this morning. Also - 9 Turnstones and 3 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, with the 2 Eider still just off there. 
On Orcombe Point - 2 or 3 Chiffchaffs, 1 Song Thrush, 1 Bullfinch, 2 Grey Wagtails, 2 Rock Pipits, 1 Stonechat, 1 Cirl Bunting and 1 Reed Bunting. Nine Common Scoters were in Sandy Bay.
A quick squiz off Mudbank was disappointing, the only counts made being 95 Shelduck and 3 Red-breasted Mergansers before football beckoned.
Yesterday - a very brief and surprisingly cold dawn walk around the top fields of Orcombe Point produced c2000 Woodpigeons west, c35 Chaffinches, c40 Goldfinches, 1 Bullfinch, 1+ Siskin, 1 Dartford Warbler and the juvenile Cirl Bunting. A relief to see the first frost of the autumn and quite nice to be scraping ice off the windscreen!
An evening search through the gull roost on Cockle Sands revealed at least 90 Common Gulls.

Rock Pipit - dung heap.


The juvenile Cirl Bunting seems set to winter in the turnip field.

West-bound Woodpigeons yesterday morning.


Eiders - Maer Rocks.

2 comments:

  1. Lovely shot of the Purple Sandpiper, Matt. Not a bird I see too often. Have seen one London bird at Staines.

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  2. Thanks Neil - we have a small but apparently stable population here in Exmouth. A bird I never tire of seeing. Would imagine they achieve 'Mega' status on inland water bodies. Many Devon coastal sites have never been graced by their presence so I consider myself extremely lucky to have them within easy walking distance from home. Best wishes. Matt.

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