Sandwich Tern

Exmouth Beach at dawn.

A glorious day of sunshine and not a breath of wind. The sea and the river were like glass. Perfect for photographs but I managed to come away without a single decent bird image. No change there then! It was really nice to see so many familiar faces today - Carl and Jane, Keith, Bay, Jake with his dad and brother, Mark and Paul. 

Some good birds today too but nothing that hasn't been around a while. Maer Rocks - 8+ Purple Sandpipers, 13 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 2 Great Crested Grebes and just 1 Turnstone. Further along the seafront, towards the Warren - 3 Eider and a Chiffchaff moving through hotel gardens.

Another Chiffchaff was on Belle Vue Road and off Mudbank, counts included 1 Scaup, 2 Goldeneye, 21+ Redshank, 93 Shelduck, 4 Knot, 22+ Grey Plover, 1 Greenshank, 1 Sandwich Tern and 1 Spoonbill. Other waders seen but not counted included a small flock of Sanderling and a couple small flocks of Bar-tailed Godwits, plenty of Turnstones and Dunlin. Also of note - 1 Mistle Thrush over, 1 Bullfinch, 1 Kingfisher 1+ Redwing and the wintering Cetti's Warbler (calling from beside the cycle track between Mudbank and Lower Halsdon Farm).

Sunrise from Orcombe Point.

Starcross from Mudbank.

Drake Goldeneye - Duck Pond.

Goldeneye pair - Duck Pond.

Sandwich Tern - picked up by Keith - off the Imperial rec but photographed from Mudbank. 

I've had no luck with the Spoonbill over the last couple of days. Yesterday it flew over Mudbank minutes after I'd left and this afternoon it was always distant having earlier been tucked right in beneath the railway line, whilst Lu and I were walking around the Imperial rec.

 Sunset from Lower Halsdon Farm.