Bearded Tits

Windless today so, feeling the need to get out of Exmouth for a bit, I headed up to the north end of the river to see if I could get some better photos of the Bearded Tits. I had a couple a little while before Christmas and today there were at least six in pretty much the same spot (in the Exe reed beds). My photos are a tiny bit better but still pretty dreadful. Also in the Countess Wear area - 3 Water Rails, c40/50+ Teal, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Little Grebe, just the 1 Chiffchaff and at least 5 Cetti's Warblers.

Nearby, at Powderham Marshes - 2 Marsh Harriers, c15+ Cirl Buntings, 3 Stonechats, 7 Stock Doves and the Snow Goose, along with the usual array of winter wildfowl. It was really nice to bump into Leigh, as always.

Late afternoon, off Mudbank - 2 Spoonbills, 1 female Scaup, 1 female Goldeneye, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers, 34 Cattle Egrets (on a wreck, north of Starcross), 2 Mediterranean Gulls, 40+ Common Gulls, 23+ Great Crested Grebes and c30 Black-tailed Godwits - my first in Exmouth this year.

Little Grebe.

Drake Teal.

Powderham Marshes with the Exe in the far distance.

Snow Goose.

Marsh Harrier.

Both Spoonbills off Mudbank late this afternoon.

A laughable attempt at photographing the Scaup from the end of Sowden Lane, Lympstone. It sticks stubbornly to the middle of the river and just never comes close. Good to have it still around though.