Thursday 12 January 2023

Wet 'n' Windy


A young Gannet passes Maer Rocks - one of at least 110 moving south during this morning's sea-watch.

The weather's been mostly horrible today but I managed to cover a fair bit of ground by foot. A look at the sea, from 0840 - 0955, produced 110+ Gannets, 5 Kittiwakes, 2 Red-throated Divers, 14 auk sp, 1 Guillemot, 1 Razorbill, 1 Fulmar, 10 Common Scoters, 24 Black-headed Gulls and 11 Common Gulls. An afternoon visit, once the tide had dropped, revealed 7 Purple Sandpipers, 1 Turnstone and 4 Dark-bellied Brent Geese on Maer Rocks.

Otherwise, not a lot to report but a female Blackcap was an odd sight in a tightly-manicured  shrub on the seafront and c170 Dark-bellied Brent Geese were on the Imperial rugby ground, along with 2 Redshank. An adult Mediterranean Gull was on the adjacent recreation ground. On Cockle Sands - 17+ Bar-tailed Godwits, 110+ Grey Plovers and c45 Knot. No sign of the Scaup off Mudbank but 125 Dunlin were feeding off there, and a Cetti's Warbler was calling from brambles behind the viewing screen.

Common Scoters whizzing past Maer Rocks.

Purple Sandpiper. Just seven counted this afternoon.


 Dawlish Warren with Langstone Rock behind.

Exmouth Beach.

Shelly Beach - looking across to Starcross...


...and north to Exeter.

Adult Mediterranean Gull - Imperial rec.

One of two Red-breasted Mergansers off Shelly Beach.


Little Egret - Shelly Beach.

Dark-bellied Brent Geese on the Imperial rugby ground.

2 comments:

  1. Thanks Tom! Very few people on the beach for a change which was very nice. All the best. Matt.

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