New Number

My phone packed up so I have a new one and a new number. With it went all my contacts so apologies if you've tried to contact me and I've not replied. I'm in the process of getting hold of those lost numbers but it may take me a while...

The brook (from Park Road) was a hive of activity today with Black Redstart, at least 1 Chiffchaff, a male Blackcap and a Firecrest appearing in back gardens in the short time I was stood watching.

Earlier, a quick look off Maer Rocks produced 4 Red-throated Divers and a Common Scoter. Mudbank - the wintering Cetti's Warbler appeared for the first time this year and off there - 65+ Bar-tailed Godwits, c90 Knot, 23 Sanderlings, c120 Common Gulls, 1 Mediterranean Gull, c40 Wigeon, 1 Greenshank and 7 Red-breasted Mergansers.

A bit of late news from 31/1 - a Goshawk up with 5 Buzzards across the other side of the river and off Mudbank - c100 Wigeon and 21 Pintail. A flock of 15 + Linnets was on Orcombe and off the seafront - 8+ Great Crested Grebes and male Common Scoter.

Firecrest.

Black Redstart.

The Little Grebe is still on Bystock Pool.

BTD

Very much a ropey record shot of this morning's Black-throated Diver which flew distantly past the lifeboat station at 0813.

A half-hour look off Maer Rocks from 0755 produced 100+ Gannets, a female Eider, 2 Red-throated Divers, 1 Black-throated Diver, 1 diver sp, 2 Common Scoters and several Kittiwakes. Further along the seafront, towards the river - 4 Eiders and at least 3 Great Northern Divers.

Another 2 Great Northern Divers off Shelly Beach along with 8+ Great Crested Grebes and 2 Red-breasted Mergansers. 

Mudbank - 7 Pintail and 13 Sanderlings on Cockle Sands. Otherwise today - 2 Ring-necked Parakeets in the Maer carpark and 2 Mistle Thrushes on Exmouth Town's football pitch. An adult Mediterranean Gull was off Mudbank late yesterday afternoon.

One of two Ring-necked Parakeets in the Maer long-stay carpark.

YBW Dip

Blackcap - thanks once again to Richard and Jo who live around the corner in Halsdon Avenue. In the winter of 22/23 they invited me round to see a Siberan Lesser Whitethroat in their garden. Yesterday the Yellow-browed Warbler popped up in the very same place. I didn't catch up with it but Richard got some good photos and I was treated to great views of their wintering Firecrest and Blackcap.

Today - yet more foul weather with just 2 Great Northern Divers off Shelly Beach, 2 Eiders off the seafront and the 2 Cirl Buntings on the Imperial rec being noted. Nothing storm-blown as yet.

Yesterday - early morning off Maer Rocks - c50 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers, 5+ Great Crested Grebes and an immature male Eider. A late look off the Imperial produced the 2 Cirl Buntings, 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 10 Red-breasted Mergansers and at least 140 Common Gulls in the gull roost. A single Great Northern Diver was off Shelly Beach.

Cirls

One of the two Cirl Buntings currently wintering on the Imperial recreation ground.

A look at the sea from 8am 'til 0845 revealed 95+ Gannets, 4 Great Crested Grebes, 10 Red-throated Divers, 20+ Kittiwakes, 2 Great Northern Divers, several small flocks of auks and a smart first-winter Mediterranean Gull.

Mudbank has quietened down considerably but 4 Bar-tailed Godwits, 11 Pintail, 11 Wigeon, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers, 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 97 Shelduck were noted. Nearby the 2 Cirl Buntings were again on the Imperial rec and off Shelly Beach - 28 Sanderlings (on Bull Hill) and 1 Pale-bellied Brent Goose with c100 Dark-bellied Brent Geese.

22/1 - Mudbank - c50 Redshank, 4 Greenshank, 24 Pintail, 8 Wigeon and 95+ Knot (on Cockle Sands).

19/1 - off Maer Rocks - 5 Red-throated Divers, 3 Eider, 4 Razorbills, 3 Common Scoters, c160 Black-headed Gulls and a possible Long-tailed Duck which briefly joined the scoters. Off Mudbank - 8 Teal, c75 Wigeon, c20 Pintail, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers and 22 Great Crested Grebes.

 Chiffchaff - Mudbank.

Eiders

Sixteen Red-throated Divers flew into the bay between 0800 and 0830. A little further down the seafront - 3 Eiders and  2 Great Northern Divers.

The Black Redstart is still frequenting the brook (viewed from Park Road) and the the 2 Cirl Buntings are still on the Imperial recreation ground. Three Red-breasted Mergansers were in Duckpond with 148 Dark-bellied Brent Geese. At least 90 Starlings were counted along Camperdown.

Immature drake Eider.

WTE

A gorgeous dawn this morning. Sea-watching from the raised beach huts for half an hour from 0800 produced 22 Red-throated Divers into the bay c50 Black-headed Gulls, 2 Gannets, 3 Eiders, 3 Dark-bellied Brent Geese and 9 Great Crested Grebes. A number of auks were whizzing around a good way out. Late this afternoon a look off the seafront produced c30 Great Crested Grebes and the 3 Eiders again, along with an adult Mediterranean Gull.

The Powderham White-tailed Eagle was scoped from the back garden and Mudbank counts included 6 Red-breasted Mergansers, 20 Sanderling, 6 Teal, c100 Wigeon, 16 Ringed Plovers, 11 Pintail, 12 Great Crested Grebes, 20  Redshank,  2 Greenshank, 1 Chiffchaff and c75 Shelduck.

An impressive count of 67 Cormorants on Bull Hill was, I think, my highest ever in Exmouth although it's not a species I often pay attention to. At least 1 Firecrest was in West Lodge Holm Oaks and 1 Chiffchaff was in the adjacent reedbed.

12/1 - Orcombe Point - 1 Purple Sandpiper, 4 Turnstones, 3 Rock Pipits, 1 Peregrine and 1 Red-throated Diver. Off Mudbank - 20+ Great Crested Grebes, 105+ Curlew,  5 Red-breasted Mergansers, 1 Peregrine, c70 Bar-tailed Godwits and  5 Sanderling. Upriver - c50 Canada Geese, c40 Avocets and at least 1 Black-tailed Godwit.

The regular Kingfisher off Mudbank today. A second bird was seen off Shelly Beach and in the marina.

Purple Sand

Orcombe Point from dawn - 1 Purple Sandpiper with 6 Turnstones, 1+ Great Northern Diver, 1 Red-throated Diver, 5+ Guillemots and 2 Great Crested Grebes.

At the entrance to Green Farm - 5 Ring-necked Parakeets 6+ (probably 9) Mistle Thrushes and 1 Redwing.

Mudbank - 28+ Great Crested Grebes, 1 Sanderling, 1 Knot, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers, c80 Mallard, 35+ Redshank, 235+ Dunlin,  55+ Turnstones, 1 Teal, 105+ Wigeon, c30 Pintail and 15 Ringed Plovers. Five Avocets were scoped way upriver, flying towards Turf.

The 2 Cirl Buntings are still on the Imperial rec and off there late pm - 45+ Common Gulls and 9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls in the gull roost.

This Week

Female Bullfinch - Orcombe Point 8/1/25.

Today - Orcombe Point - 5+ Guillemots, 2+ Razorbills, 2 Red-throated Divers, 5 Turnstones and 8 Dark-bellied Brent Geese. Cold and unpleasant at dawn.

Mudbank - c40 Grey plovers, 6  Sanderlings, 7+ Red-breasted Mergansers, c150 Wigeon, 3 Greenshank, c30/40 Pintail, 4 Bar-tailed Godwits, 10 Ringed Plovers and an adult Mediterranean Gull.

West Lodge - 30/40+ Redwing, 1 Stonechat and 1 Firecrest.

Shelly Beach - 5 Sanderlings and 1 Great Northern Diver.

Imperial - c160 Dark-bellied Brent Geese and the Pale-bellied Brent Goose on the rugby ground and 70+ Common Gulls in the gull roost off the rec late pm.

9/1 - Imperial rec - 2 female Cirl Buntings late pm.

8/1 - Orcombe Point - 1 Red-throated Diver, 22 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 5 Turnstones, 1 Firecrest, 1 Bullfinch and 1 Chiffchaff.

Imperial rugby ground - c160 Dark-bellied Brent Geese and 1 Pale-bellied Brent Goose.

Mudbank - 5 Greenshank, 40+ Pintail, 90+ Shelduck, 5 Red-breasted Mergansers, 8 Sanderlings (Cockle Sands) and 1 Bullfinch. Across the river - 20 Cattle Egrets in a field somewhere behind Starcross.

6/1 - 13+ Great Crested Grebes and a Great Northern Diver off Shelly Beach late pm.

An attractively-plumaged aberrant Dark-bellied Brent Goose - Duckpond 8/1/25.

Red-breasted Merganser - Mudbank 8/1/25. An increasingly scarce sighting these days.

Mediterranean Gull - Mudbank 10/1/25.

Firecrest - along the cycle track near West Lodge. The regular bird.

Cirl Buntings

Turnstone - Imperial recreation ground.

Another foul day. The two female Cirl Buntings are still frequenting the Imperial recreation ground. On the adjacent rugby ground - c120 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 Pale-bellied Brent Goose, 2 Redshank and c20 Great Black-backed Gulls.

Orcombe Point - 500+ Black-headed Gulls, 2 adult Mediterranean Gulls, c110 Starling, c60 Pied Wagtails, 14+ Skylarks, 2 Goldcrests, 4 Turnstones and 4 Dark-bellied Brent Geese.

Mudbank - c50 Pintail, just 13 Wigeon, 22 Knot, 7 Ringed Plovers, c90 Shelduck, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit and 2 Greenshank.

A lot of birds in with cattle on Orcombe Point today. Two adult Mediterranean Gulls were picked out amongst at least 500 Black-headed Gulls.

A fairly dark Lesser Black-backed Gull off Mudbank this afternoon.

Jack Snipe

This is the only wintering Stonechat I've managed to find in Exmouth so far this year - the West Lodge male that's been around for some time.

Today's highlight was a stunning little Jack Snipe, flushed from a traditional Exmouth heathland site along with 3 Snipe. Both Moorhen and Little Grebe were on Bystock Pool along with a Kingfisher. Nearby - a Dartford Warbler on Withycombe Raleigh Common.

Off Mudbank today - c70 Knot, c40 Grey Plovers, c200 Wigeon, c70 Pintail, c145 Mallard, 11 Great Crested Grebes, 35+ Redshank and 3 Greenshank.

West Lodge - 1 Stonechat and 1 Firecrest.

Shelly Beach - the 2 Great Northern Divers and 3 Red-breasted Mergansers. 

Duckpond - c120 Dark-bellied Brent Geese and the Pale-bellied Brent Goose.

Collared Dove - Camperdown. A lovely species that rarely features on the blog.

Black Red

Black Redstart - Withycombe Brook.

No sign of the Yellow-browed Warbler today. The plummeting temperature may have moved it on. A Black Redstart, 2 Chiffchaffs and the female Blackcap were seen. 

Other sightings included 2 Great Northern Divers off Shelly Beach, a Ring-necked Parakeet behind Maer Farm, 2 Mistle Thrushes and 20+ Meadow Pipits on Orcombe Point and a Pale-bellied Brent Goose with c120 Dark-bellied Brent Geese on the  Imperial rugby ground.

An hour spent mooching around  some woodland along Castle Lane produced 1 Firecrest, 8+ Lesser Redpolls, 3+ Siskins and 2 Treecreepers.

One of at least 8 Lesser Redpolls along Castle Lane this afternoon.

Red-necked Grebe

 The Siberian Chiffchaff is still frequenting hedges along Gore Lane.

Withycombe brook from Highland Cars - the Yellow-browed Warbler briefly at 0850. Also - the female Blackcap, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Redshank and 1 Grey Wagtail.

Orcombe Point - 1 Siberian Chiffchaff, 2 Chiffchaffs, 1 Siskin over, 1 Jay, 1 Little Egret, 16+ Skylarks, 6+ Meadow Pipits, c30 Pied Wagtails and the Red-legged Partridge.

A late afternoon trip out on the bike was rewarded with a Red-necked Grebe off Shelly Beach. It was never close and I only had my bins with me. I'm hoping it'll stick around. The last one I had off there turned up on the 27/1/20. The only other snippet today - 95+ Shelduck off Mudbank.

Exmouth's only Red-legged Partridge scuttles up the side of its favourite field.

Spot the YBW! Back in its Laurel briefly this morning but saying it didn't show very well is a massive understatement!

Red-necked Grebe - Shelly Beach. Unfortunately always distant and harsh lighting. Not much joy with photography today!

NYD

Ringed Plover - Duckpond.

A horribly wet and windy start to the new year. The Yellow-browed Warbler was keeping its head down, feeding at ground level in the front garden of 1 Belle Vue Road shortly after midday, and showing down to 10 ft.

An earlier sea-watch from the raised beach huts (from 0805am to 0905am) produced 220+ Gannets, 65+ Kittiwakes, 2 Fulmars, 2 Great Northern Divers, 13 auk sp and 2 Red-breasted Mergansers. Off the seafront a little later in the day - 3 Eiders.

I missed the best time for Mudbank today but managed to log c50 Wigeon, c30 Pintail, 1 Teal and 1 Chiffchaff. In Duckpond - 2 Ringed Plovers and 39 Mallard.

Other bits and bobs today included 1+ Firecrest in Phear Park, 3 Goldcrests and 1 Stock Dove at West Lodge, 1 Bullfinch on Warren View playing fields, 12 Shags, c50 Carrion Crows, 1 Raven and 30+ Great Black-backed Gulls off Shelly Beach and the Little Grebe still on Bystock Pool.