Osprey, Ibis

An adult Osprey on Cockle Sands this morning.

Orcombe first thing - 12+ Chiffchaffs, 2 Blackcaps, 1 Stonechat, 7+ Grey Wagtails, 15 Meadow Pipits, 1 Kestrel, at least 7 Yellow Wagtails still and 1 Wheatear.

Mudbank -  2 Greenshank, 18+ Turnstones, 31 Redshank, 15 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Whimbrel, 15 Great Crested Grebes, c180 Wigeon, 1 Kingfisher, 5+ Grey Wagtails, 20+ Sandwich Terns, 37 Pintail, 1 first-winter Mediterranean Gull, c50/60 'commic' terns, 1 Peregrine and 1 Osprey. A single Glossy Ibis circled Powderham Park just after 9am before appearing to drop somewhere north of Powderham Church.

Yesterday an early morning sea-watch from the raised beach huts produced 2 Arctic Skuas, 12 Common Scoters, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 22 hirundine sp out to sea and a good count of 115+ Balearic Shearwaters.

Mudbank - 18 Redshank, 9 Pintail, 2 Greenshank, c205 Wigeon, 5 Bar-tailed Godwits, 1 Whimbrel, 1 Peregrine, 8 Black-tailed Godwits, 1 adult Mediterranean Gull, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Common Sandpiper, 88 Shelduck and 1 Osprey ((upriver).

On Orcombe - 8 Yellow Wagtails on the dung heap.

Pintail off Mudbank in the drizzle.

Juvenile Swallow - dung heap.

Yellow Wags, 2cy Casp

Nine Yellow Wagtails on the dung heap today.

Orcombe Point this morning - 9 Yellow Wagtails, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 8 Meadow Pipits, 7+ Swallows, 1 Bullfinch and 6 Ravens.

Mudbank counts included a fly-over Golden Plover, a 2cy Caspian Gull just before dark this evening, c400+ Common Terns, 158 Wigeon, 20 Pintail, 2 Turnstones, 2 Teal, 6 Black-tailed Godwits, 3 Greenshank, 10 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Whimbrel, 19 Redshank, 6 Bar-tailed Godwits, 96 Shelduck, c195 Curlew, 40+ Little  Egrets and 45 adult Mute Swans. 

2cy Caspian Gull - difficult to sketch and photograph as t was getting dark.

Whimbrel - Duckpond.

Hobby

Hobby. I've struggled with this species in Exmouth this year - this being only my second. It passed over Orcombe pretty quickly this morning.

A look at the sea, from the raised beach huts 'til 0745 this morning produced 1 Arctic Skua, 1+ Common Scoter, c35 Common Terns, 10 Balearic Shearwaters, 3 fw Mediterranean Gulls and 5 Sanderling.

On Orcombe Point - 1 Hobby, 1 Yellow Wagtail and 1 Wheatear. Nearby on the cricket pitch - the 5cy Yellow-legged Gull and 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls in with c300 Herring Gulls.

Mudbank - 1 Osprey, 3 Mediterranean Gulls, 1 Teal, 88 Shelduck and 26 Common Terns.

This evening on Cockle Sands - 1 Black Tern in with c500+ Common Terns and c30 Teal in with c35+ Wigeon.

Mudbank yesterday - 40 Wigeon, 1 first-winter Yellow-legged Gull, 7 Redshank, 2 Black-tailed Godwits, 3+ Whimbrel and 1 Pintail. A pre-dusk scoot round Orcombe was worth it with both Redstart and a flock of 13 Yellow Wagtails logged in the top fields.

Lu and I chanced upon this resting Hummingbird Hawkmoth on this morning's dog walk.

First-winter Yellow-legged Gull very distantly off Mudbank yesterday.

Latticed Heaths, Whinchat

I disturbed four Latticed Heaths from long grass on Orcombe this morning - a species that until today I'd only seen in France. I can't believe I've overlooked them for the last twenty-something years (although it's not impossible) so presumably a brand new colony.

Orcombe Point - rained off with just 1 Whinchat and 1 male Blackcap logged. Nearby - on the beach by the lifeboat station - a flock of 52 Ringed Plovers. A flock of 8 or 9 Common Scoters whizzed by offshore.

Mudbank - 25 Wigeon, 5 Pintail, 5+ Black-tailed Godwits, 9 Bar-tailed Godwits, 2 Greenshank, 9+ Ringed Plovers, 1 Sanderling, 12 Dunlin, 2 Common Sandpipers, 7 Sandwich Terns and 6+ Common Terns. The Osprey was well upriver.

Wigeon - Mudbank.

Two Painted Ladies, two Vestals and masses of Rush Veneers in the rain on Orcombe this morning.

Disappointingly quiet in soggy conditions this morning but this juvenile Whinchat on the dung heap was nice.

Lil Stint, Casp, Glossy Ibis

This beautiful first-winter Caspian Gull was off Mudbank this afternoon. Statistically more of a common sight in Exmouth than today's Little Stint but not quite as common as Glossy Ibis - today's bird being my 19th in the parish.

The bay was heaving with birds first thing this morning. By the time I started counting a lot of it had moved on but I logged 150+ 'commic' terns, 3 Balearic Shearwaters, 4 shearwater sp, 1 Fulmar and 6 Common Scoters before things quietened down a little. Masses of Gannets, Kittiwakes and Black-headed Gulls made up the bulk of numbers.

Orcombe Point - 3 Wheatears, 3 Grey Wagtails and 3 Sand Martins but otherwise pretty blown out by the south-easterly.

Mudbank - Little Stint with c20 Dunlin, 1 Sanderling, 14+ Ringed Plovers and 1 Turnstone, first-winter Caspian Gull, 1 Osprey, 26 Wigeon, 3 Pintail, c30 Common Terns, just 5 Sandwich Terns, 3 Black-tailed Godwits, 8 Redshank, 3 Greenshank, 4 Pale-bellied Brent Geese and 1 Common Sandpiper.

Nearby a surprise juvenile Glossy Ibis in Duckpond with 3 Whimbrel.

Sand Martin - Orcombe Point.

Osprey - off Mudbank.

Initial view of this afternoon's juvenile Glossy Ibis, found in the Duckpond. A different, much browner-toned individual, turned up across the other side of the river at Dawlish Warren.

Clouded Yellow

On the beach by the lifeboat station - 17 Ringed Plovers, 2 Dunlin and 4 Grey Wagtails over. Further down the seafront - still 1 juvenile Sabine's Gull.

Bull Hill early on - 2 juvenile Little Gulls with c80 Common Terns.

Cockle Sands (from the Imperial) - 14 Ringed Plovers, 1 Dunlin, 262 Curlew and, later this afternoon - a juvenile Arctic Tern with c20/30 Common Terns.

Mudbank - 2 Goshawks (across the other side of the river), 2 Ospreys, 2 Common Sandpipers, 16 Redshank, 17 Wigeon, 5 Pintail, 23 Great Crested Grebes, 4 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 1 Turnstone, 4 Bar-tailed Godwits, 2 Greenshank, 5 Whimbrel, 72+ Shelduck and 2 Tree Pipits over.

A quick scoot round Orcombe from 0845 - 2 Tree Pipits, 13+ Meadow Pipits, 2 Siskins, 1 Ringed Plover, 1 Collared Dove, 3+ Yellow Wagtails, 20+ Swallows and 2 Grey Wagtails.

Greenshank - Mudbank.

Sabs

Caught up with the juvenile Sabine's Gull after work. As you can see from the photo it was a fair way off the seafront, nearer to the Warren, although when I first got on it, it was much nearer to Exmouth. All the same, a lovely bird and my first in Exmouth in years. Nearby off the Imperial - 1 Black Tern with c200+ Common Terns, c70 Shelduck and 4 Pale-bellied Brent Geese.

Juv Arctic Tern

Sketches of juvenile Arctic Tern from a considerable distance, so as much an impression as anything. I've been searching for this species ever since the Common Tern numbers started to build but haven't had any luck, although I did have a lone bird off Orcombe Point the other day. This bird was quite easy to pick out on its smaller proportions but the wing detail was of course needed to clinch the id.

A look off Mudbank after work on the dropping tide, produced 2 juvenile Little Gulls, 1 juvenile Black Tern and at least 1 juvenile Arctic Tern in with a lovely flock of 335+ Common Terns - all resting on Cockle Sands. Also this afternoon - 7 Greenshank, 3 Black-tailed Godwits, 3 Bar-tailed Godwits, 6 Redshank, 1 Pale-bellied Brent Goose and 3 Common Sandpipers. Nearby - 11 Whimbrel in Duckpond.

This evening off the seafront - 2 Arctic Skuas and c20/30+ Balearic Shearwaters along with at least 2 Manx Shearwaters. Masses of terns well out in the bay too.

Black Tern - stretching it a bit to even call this a record shot but gives some idea of the distances you have to contend with from Mudbank.

I thought the Little Gulls would stick mid-river but a really odd call drew my attention to this bird that had ventured a little closer.

Black Terns, Pale-b Brents

Just some of the c460 Common Terns today.

Two juvenile Black Terns and 1 juvenile Little Tern in with a very nervous and flighty flock of c460 Common Terns this morning. The birds were moving between the northern end of Cockle Sands and Bull Hill but not alighting, presumably thanks to the presence of a pair of Peregrines resting on Cockle Sands. Two Mediterranean Gulls also present and the 5cy Yellow-legged Gull was nearby in the recycling centre. Earlier - a quick look off Maer Rocks produced 1 adult Little Tern, 5 Sandwich Terns, 2 Common Scoters and 1 Balearic Shearwater.

A surprisingly early flock of 22 Pale-bellied Brent Geese was on Cockle Sands early this afternoon, along with a single Black Tern which was presumably one of this morning's birds. Also on Cockle Sands - 76 Shelduck, at least 38 Ringed Plovers and 6+ Sanderling. Nine Whimbrel were in Duckpond and a Wheatear was on the cricket pitch.

A quick look off Mudbank revealed 3 Black-tailed Godwits, 8 Redshank, 10 Wigeon, 2 Greenshank, 2 Bar-tailed Godwits, 1 Common Sandpiper and 1 Osprey.  

Yesterday - a mid afternoon sea-watch off Orcombe Point produced 1 juvenile Arctic Tern, 3 Arctic Skuas, 4 Manx Shearwaters and 1 Balearic Shearwater.

Mudbank yesterday - 8 Redshank, 1 Greenshank, 4 Black-tailed Godwits, 3 Turnstones, 1 Teal, 74 Shelduck, 4 Sanderling and 2 Bar-tailed Godwits. A flock of c500+ Common Terns was on Bull Hill.

29/8 - Mudbank - 12 Whimbrel, 4 Black-tailed Godwits, 4 Greenshank, 6 Redshank, 2 Turnstones, c45 Common Terns, 10 Wigeon, 23+ Sanderling, 43+ Ringed Plovers, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1 Kingfisher and 1 Osprey. A Spotted Flycatcher was on Withycombe Raleigh Common.

The Common Tern flock frequently gained height and at times was impressively strung out. 

Part of the flock of 22 Pale-bellied Brent Geese on Cockle Sands early this afternoon.

Wheatear - cricket pitch.

The 5cy Yellow-legged Gull showed beautifully in the recycling centre this morning.