GWE, YBW

A Great White Egret flies west with a large flock of  Woodpigeons, seconds after a phone call from Mark, alerting me to its presence over Exmouth! Fantastic communication there, although I'd like to think I'd have picked it up anyway, being deep in 'pigeon-count' mode.

Another fabulous morning on Orcombe. No wind and clear skies meant many birds passed too high to see, but I still managed to log c18000 Woodpigeons, c300 Chaffinches, 1 Swallow, c50 Goldfinches, 1 Great White Egret, 5 Bramblings, 2 Redpolls, 8 Rooks, 7 Reed Buntings, 11 Skylarks, 2 Siskins, 17+ Stock Doves and 1 Dunlin. Also - 12+ Blackbirds, 12+ Song Thrushes, 12+ Greenfinches, 2 Bullfinches, 3 Stonechats, 1 Grey Wagtail, 30+ Pied Wagtails, 2 Chiffchaffs, c45 Starlings, 5 Ring-necked Parakeets, c20 Linnets, c20 Meadow Pipits and 1 Tawny Owl (located by alarm-calling Blackbirds in scrub not far from the Geoneedle).

A Yellow-browed Warbler was a surprise find at Mudbank. It showed well all afternoon. Also there - 1 Goldcrest, 5+ Bar-tailed Godwits, 70+ Redshank, c500+ Dunlin, 3 Greenshank, 1 Red-breasted Merganser, 15 Great Crested Grebes, 6+ Knot, 12 Teal, and 15+ Pintail. Wigeon, Dark-bellied Brent Geese and Turnstones weren't counted but a few Pale-bellied Brent Geese are still present.

This morning's GWE, not done any justice by my terrible photos!

Too windy yesterday but a male Eider flew past Orcombe Point and a Cirl Bunting was near the slurry pit. Otherwise just 13 Knot off Mudbank worthy of a mention.

November 6th (from 0705) - c11000 Woodpigeons, at least 23 Stock Doves, c430 Chaffinches, 105+ Goldfinches, 1 Brambling, 1 Redpoll, 3 Reed Buntings, 1 Cirl Bunting, c45 Pied Wagtails (in with cattle) and 10+ Siskins.
Off Mudbank - the female Common Scoter, 2 Kingfishers, 17 Pintail, 1 Bullfinch, c160 Turnstones and the regular Kestrel.

Picked up on a single call, this Yellow-browed Warbler spent the afternoon feeding in a very small area of Oaks behind the bench, near the viewing screen, at Mudbank. It repeatedly returned to a Hawthorn directly behind the bench and often showed very well. Having said that it, it was typically hyperactive and unusually quiet.