Dartford Warbler, Ring Ouzel

 My second Ring Ouzel of the autumn in cliff-top scrub.

From 0630 'til 1030 - a cold morning with a bone-chilling (stood in one place for too long) north-easterly and a band of clear sky to start with. Great to bird with Chesney again today. Woodpigeons on the move again with c14000+ logged along with 1 Ring Ouzel, 1 Dartford Warbler, 18+ Blackbirds, 1 Redwing, 20+ Robins, 3 Siskins, 34 Starlings, c50 Stock Doves (in small groups separate to Woodpigeons), 2 Stonechats, 2 Chiffchaffs, 12+ Skylarks, 1 Coal Tit, 2 Bullfinches, 5 Goldcrests, 10+ Song Thrushes, 1 Reed Bunting, 35+ Meadow Pipits, just 15+  Chaffinches, c25 Goldfinches, 10+ Greenfinches, c20 Pied Wagtails, c40+ Linnets, 4+ Cirl Buntings (including a singing male), 2 Grey Wagtails, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Jay, c20 Long-tailed Tits (1 flock), 2 Mallard, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Kestrel and 2 Peregrines.

A Black Redstart was knocking around the traditional Shelly Beach site and a Cetti's Warbler was in brambles along the cycle track, between Mudbank and West Lodge. A late afternoon visit to the top end of Bystock/Wright's Lane produced 1 Brambling, 1+ Firecrest, 7+ Redwings, 1 Redpoll, 1 Yellowhammer, 3 Siskins, 1 Grey Wagtail and 4 Jays.

Black Redstart - Shelly Beach.

Little Grebe

A sure sign that things have somewhat slackened off when 'bird of the day' is a  Little Grebe, although having said that it's my first in Exmouth this year, and there's a real sense that this species is by no means guaranteed anymore. This juvenile almost went unnoticed on Bystock Pool.

Pretty quiet on Orcombe Point this morning  - the highlights being 1 Redpoll, 1 Cirl Bunting, 1 Reed Bunting, 2 Redwings, 3 Chiffchaffs, 54 Starlings, 2 Snipe and c1500+ Woodpigeons.

A scoot round Bystock produced 1 Little Grebe, 4 Firecrests, 9+ Goldcrests and a Chiffchaff amongst the usual woodland species.

Just outside of Exmouth, around Blackhill Quarry - a female Pintail, c30+ Mallard, 14 Tufted Ducks and 1+ Crossbill.

29/10 - Orcombe Point - a short dawn visit for just an hour or so - 1 Firecrest, 1 Brambling, 2 Redwing, 7 Song Thrushes, 8 Blackbirds, 15+ Goldfinches, c20 Chaffinches, 7+ Pied Wagtails, 18+ Meadow Pipits, c15 Linnets, 2 Bullfinches, 3 Stock Doves, 2 Chiffchaffs, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 8 Starlings, 1 Jay, 1 Reed Bunting, 1 Grey Wagtail and c2000+ Woodpigeons. Nearby at Maer Farm - 3 Mistle Thrushes 1 Sparrowhawk and 1 Firecrest.

Mudbank counts included 17 Bar-tailed Godwits, 3 Greenshank, 10+ Great Crested Grebes, c160 Turnstones, 6+ Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 12 Black-tailed Godwit, 24+ Redshank, 18 Dunlin, 1 Grey Plover and 1 Whimbrel.

Sparrowhawk mobbed by Magpie - Maer Farm.

Pied Wagtail - Orcombe Point.

Marsh Harrier

This is just my 7th record of Marsh Harrier in Exmouth - a really tricky species to catch up with. It was high over Shelly Beach at midday before heading east. A high chance it was yesterday's Warren bird I guess.

Overcast and a moderate south-westerly - I wasn't expecting much movement this morning but 10000+ Woodpigeons headed east in the first hour or so after dawn 'til rain set in. The largest flock in excess of 2000 birds. Little else with them but 3 Redwings logged and 3 Mediterranean Gulls were offshore later in the day.

A Marsh Harrier was high over Shelly Beach at midday and Mudbank counts included a first-winter Yellow-legged Gull, 3 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 8 Bar-tailed Godwits, 40 Redshank, 60+ Dunlin, c115 Turnstones, 25+ Ringed Plovers, 4 Greenshank, 1 Red-breasted Merganser, 4 Teal and a Rock Pipit.

This is my third first-winter Yellow-legged Gull this October. They seem to be getting more regular. No Caspian Gulls for me since January though. Not for lack of trying.

Orcombe GWE

It was only just starting to get light at 0630 when this Great White Egret flew low west. I could so easily have missed it. Only my third recorded whilst recording 'vismig' on Orcombe but my 9th in Exmouth (assuming this wasn't yesterday's bird).

Lu's birthday today so I had to leave Orcombe earlier than I normally would have. Grateful to get the extra hour though and Lu of course was grateful for the extra hour in bed. Back home in time for birthday breakfast! I didn't cover the site as normal but just stood near the coast path and counted the stuff flying over. Good to do some birding with Chesney this morning. Totals included 15300+ Woodpigeons,  3 Redwing, 1 Great White Egret, 1 Brambling, 1 Yellowhammer, 1 Redpoll, 8+ Siskins, c10+ Linnets, 1 Buzzard (west really early on), 8+ Pied Wagtails, 20+ Meadow Pipits, 1 Reed Bunting, 5 Song Thrushes, 3 Blackbirds, 2 Bullfinches, c115+ Chaffinches, up to 26 Greenfinches, 20+ Goldfinches, 1+ Cirl Bunting, c150 Jackdaws, 2 Goldcrests, 2 Chiffchaffs, c120 Starlings, 11+ Skylarks, 2 Peregrines and 1+ Sparrowhawk.

Woodpigeons - so reliable now in clear conditions.

The weather has been unseasonably glorious today so Lu wanted to do a circular walk from Budleigh, along Otter Cliffs, to Otterton. We parked in the Lime Kiln carpark and I managed a quick squiz at the two Snow Buntings just yards away.

Lu and Joel. We used to do this walk loads when the kids were younger. T-shirt weather today!

Just a lightening quick look at Mudbank today. This second-winter Mediterranean Gull (above) and adult (below) were nice to see.

Drake Pintail - Mudbank.

pm edit - GWE, Cetti's W, R-b Merg

Photographed from the back garden this evening - this Great White Egret is an overdue first for the year for me in Exmouth. Feeding with a Grey Heron, Little Egrets and Black-headed Gulls as the sun set.

A bit disappointing this morning and I wasn't really in the mood for counting Woodpigeons but c10200 logged, many of which heading directly south and out to sea which is unusual. Many passerines just too high and lots 'let go' with no calls to go on. Occasionally I'd scan way back over Exmouth town and it was clear that birds were moving distantly and high west too. I just know my totals are well below the actual numbers moving today. Anyway, species that didn't evade identification or escape my gaze/ears included 1 Redpoll, 1+ Redwing, 1 Siskin, 60+ Chaffinches, c50+ Meadow Pipits, 180+ Jackdaws, 20+ Skylarks, c60 Starlings, c80+ Goldfinches, 4 Rooks, 1 Bullfinch, 10+ Greenfinches, 3 Chiffchaffs, 7 Stonechats, 2 Grey wagtails, 20+ Pied Wagtails, c20+ Linnets, 6 Song Thrushes, 11 Blackbirds, 6 Goldcrests and 40+ Robins.

A Great White Egret was off Mudbank this evening (picked up from the back garden). Also, my first Red-breasted Merganser of the autumn was off Mudbank and a Cetti's Warbler was calling in scrub there. My gut feeling is that it's one of a couple birds that normally winter there but of course I have no way of proving that. I didn't count Wigeon or Brent Geese but did log c70 Turnstones, 28 Redshank, 8 Bar-tailed Godwits, 7 Black-tailed Godwits, 188 Shelduck, c170 Pintail, 8 Greenshank, 9 Dunlin, 24 Great Crested Grebes, 3 Teal, 1 Goldcrest, 1+ Coal Tit, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker and 25+ Ringed Plovers.

Woodpigeons.

A little increase in Stonechat numbers today with seven logged. It's been a relatively poor autumn for them so far.

Sparrowhawk - Orcombe Point.

Two of this morning's five Jays.

Common/Pallid Swift

Woodpigeons over Orcombe Point.

Masses of movement on Orcombe Point (from 0730 to 1040) and, for the most part, requiring a lot of concentration to establish the make-up of mixed finch flocks whilst trying to count Woodpigeons. Best was a Common/Pallid Swift which flew reasonably low south-west at 0753. I picked it up as it was pretty much overhead but it was just a fast-moving silhouette against the pale early morning sky and before long it was out over the bay and gone. Conservative counts were 16000+ Woodpigeons, a good count of 500+ Chaffinches, 3+ Brambling, 12 Swallows, c40 Pied Wagtails, c40 Meadow Pipits, 15+ Siskins, c170 Redwings, c80+ Goldfinches, 13+ Blackbirds, 11+ Song Thrushes, 13+ Greenfinches, 8+ Reed Buntings, c80+ Linnets, c40 Robins, 3 Goldcrests, 4 Chiffchaffs, 2 Rock Pipits, c300+ Jackdaws, 23 Starlings, 18+ Stock Doves (though many would have been missed in Woodpigeon flocks), 3 Bullfinches, 1 Coal Tit, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Grey Wagtails and 1 Sparrowhawk.
In the Maer carpark - the Yellow-browed Warbler, 1 Coal Tit, 2+ Chiffchaffs, 2 Siskins, 1 Jay, 2+ Goldcrests and 1 Green Woodpecker.
West Down Beacon - 2 or 3 Firecrests and 1+ Cirl Bunting below the golf course.
Mudbank - another brief visit but 50+ Pintail, c500 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 10 Redshank, 1 Teal, 18+ Great Crested Grebes and 1 Kingfisher.

Coal Tit - Maer carpark.

YBW day 5

The Yellow-browed Warbler was again enjoying the sunlit Silver Birch in the Maer carpark this afternoon. A quick visit after work also produced 2 Chiffchaffs and a Coal Tit. The only other snippet was a Mistle Thrush over West Lodge but the willows there were pretty much devoid of birds apart from a single Chiffchaff and half a dozen Long-tailed Tits.

Meds

Exmouth seafront took a battering this morning but these conditions only produced a few gulls for me. Eleven Common Gulls (10 first-winters) and 8 Mediterranean Gulls flew along the beach from the river mouth, past Maer Rocks, with c100+ Black-headed Gulls. Six Curlew, 3 Shelduck and 2 Common Scoter the only other species noted in the first hour of daylight.

Mudbank quiet too - 1 Whimbrel, 6 Greenshank, 3 Pale-bellied Brent Geese and 21 Great Crested Grebes the only things of note.

On the Imperial rugby ground - 21 Great Black-backed Gulls.

Black Red, YLG, YBW

Black Redstart - Maer Farm.

Much quieter on Orcombe today. Best was a Black Redstart at Maer Farm. Also today - 4 Ringed Plovers, 2 Dunlin, 50+ Robins, 9 Song Thrushes, 15+ Blackbirds, just 1 Goldcrest, 8 Chiffchaffs, 30+ Pied Wagtails, c40 Meadow Pipits, c20 Goldfinches, 2+ Redwings, 1 Stock Dove, c400+ Woodpigeons, 4+ Skylarks, 12+ Chaffinches, 2 Bullfinches, 3 Cirl Buntings, 1+ Siskin, 1 Grey Wagtail, 8 Starlings, 2 Stonechats and the lonesome Red-legged Partridge.
Nearby in the Maer long-stay carpark - 1 Redwing, 1+ Goldcrest, 1+ Chiffchaff, 1+ Coal Tit and the Yellow-browed Warbler for its third day. A flock of c100 Woodpigeons over.
Mudbank - not a lot counted but 200+ Pintail, a Kestrel and a first-winter Yellow-legged Gull.

 Today's Black Redstart was a very welcome sight following the unexplained absence of the usual wintering birds at the start of the year.

Ringed Plover - Orcombe Point. Quite a novelty to see 4 Ringed Plovers and 2 Dunlin feeding in the top fields today.

This first-winter Yellow-legged Gull just wouldn't wake up for a photograph. The tertial pattern is enough to identify it as a different bird to the last one. Note the number of newly-moulted wing coverts, typical of this species at this time of year.

Yellow-browed Warbler - Maer long-stay carpark. I'm still surprised at the amount of time this bird spends in the Silver Birch compared to the extensive area of adjacent Willows and even more surprised to have still not heard a single call!

Ring Ouzel, YBWs

Good again on Orcombe today. Totals included 2 Yellow-browed Warblers, 1 Ring Ouzel, 4 Swallows, 1 Firecrest, 1 Goldcrest, just 3 Chiffchaffs, 4+ Cirl Buntings, 3+ Redwings, 2 Ringed Plovers, 1 Jay, 1 Reed Bunting, 5 Stonechats, 30+ Starlings, 4+ Coal Tits, 45+ Robins, 7+ Song Thrushes, 13+ Blackbirds, c40 Pied Wagtails, c50 Goldfinches, 5+ Siskins, 50+ Chaffinches, at least 4 (possibly up to 8) Bullfinches, 1 or 2 Sparrowhawks, 2 Peregrines, c150 Linnets, 2 Collared Doves, 6+ Greenfinches, c450/500 Jackdaws, 13+ Skylarks, 6+ Stock Doves, and c2500+ Woodpigeons.

Just a short visit to Mudbank where c220 Pintail and 16+ Ringed Plovers were recorded.

Ring Ouzel at dawn.

Yellow-browed Warbler at first light - hurriedly moving through cliff-top scrub and thankfully quite vocal.

Ringed Plovers. I get the occasional fly-over on Orcombe but it's very unusual to get them on the deck.

Yellow-browed Warbler - Gore Lane. I'm assuming this is a second bird. Apparently the Maer carpark bird is still present today too.

Female Chaffinch.