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.

Small Coppers

The 5cy Yellow-legged Gull braved a short trip to Exmouth cricket pitch yesterday.

Mudbank today - 6 Redshank, 1 Greenshank, 1 Common Sandpiper, 2 Black-tailed Godwits, 10 Wigeon, 1 Knot, 8 Whimbrel, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit and 1 Grey Wagtail. Three Swifts were scoped flying south down the opposite side of the river.

Yesterday - c3/400+ Common Terns, 10 Wigeon, 2 Black-tailed Godwits, 10 Redshank, 1 Greenshank, 4 Ringed Plovers, 9 or 10 Whimbrel, 1 Pintail, 2 Common Sandpipers and 1 Osprey. Across the river, at least 60 Cattle Egrets flew towards Cofton.

A Kestrel was hunting the Maer and the 5cy Yellow-legged Gull was on the cricket pitch. A quick look off the lifeboat station first thing produced 2 Common Scoters, 2 Arctic Skuas, 2 Mediterranean Gulls and 5+ Balearic Shearwaters.

It's not unusual to Knot off Mudbank but they're normally half a mile away on Cockle Sands.

Brown Argus.

Male Common Blue.

I counted 13 Small Coppers in a small patch of thistles adjacent to the cycle path at West Lodge, along with masses of Common Blues, a Brown Argus and several Meadow Browns.

Rosy Knot-horn

Rosy Knot-horn Oncocera semirubella. I've been hoping to see this lovely species for a long time.

Was hoping for a few more migrant species last night but very pleased with my first Rosy Knot-horn.  The trap also included 53 Portland Ribbon Wave, 3 Hoary Footman, 1 Four-spotted Footman, 7 Rusty Dot Pearl, 1 Angle Shades, 8 Rush Veneer, 2 Light Emerald, 1 Turnip Moth, 1 Centre-barred Sallow, 1 Blair's Mocha, 2 Pale Mottled Willow, 1 Dark Sword-grass, 1 White-point, 1 Spectacle, 1 Toadflax Pug, 3 Dusky Thorn, 1 Early Thorn, 1 Chinese Character, 1 Sycamore and 1 Small Blood-vein amongst the more regular species for this time of year.

Mudbank today - 2 Common Sandpipers, 14 Redshank, 1 Greenshank, 1 Turnstone, 7 Common Gulls, 6 Sanderling, 5 Wigeon, 38 adult Mute Swans, 2 Mediterranean Gulls and an Osprey. Across the river - 1 Goshawk and a flock of 22 Cattle Egrets that dropped into Powderham Park. An early evening look off Shelly Beach, on the rising tide, revealed c30+ Sandwich Terns, c100/150+ Common Terns, 4 Mediterranean Gulls, 59 Shelduck, 19 Ringed Plovers and 2 Bar-tailed Godwits. The 5cy Yellow-legged Gull is still around the recycling centre and at least 4 Yellow Wagtails were still in with cattle along Gore Lane.

Centre-barred Sallow.

Chinese Character.

Y Wags

A flock of at least 40 Yellow Wagtails in with cattle on a scorched Orcombe Point today. Also 1 Redstart, 1 Tree Pipit and 1 Sand Martin seen. Nearby 10 Swifts and 15+ Swallows over Maer Valley.

Mudbank - c65 Common Terns, 5 Wigeon, 12 Great Crested Grebes, 50 Shelduck and an Osprey on a very brief look.

Vestal - one of three disturbed from weedy ground on Orcombe today.

Osprey - Mudbank.

Glossy Ibises

So much luck involved with bird-finding. Was watching Everton vs Brighton with Joel and Matt (Maisie's boyfriend) when I thought I'd have a quick scan from the back garden. This flock of 7 Glossy Ibis was idly circling the river just north of Mudbank. Very little else today although c4/500+ Common Terns were feeding offshore first thing with at least 1 Balearic Shearwater present. Otherwise just 4 Yellow Wagtails below Westdown Beacon on a family walk to Budleigh this morning.

Pintail Back, Whinchat

Juvenile Whinchat - Bystock Meadow.

Orcombe first thing - 2 Yellow Wagtails and my first Siskin of the autumn with at least 38 Balearic Shearwaters and 3 Arctic Skuas offshore, attracted in to a large feeding frenzy of mainly Herring Gulls. Several Common Dolphins also present along with adult and first-winter Yellow-legged Gulls, 135+ Common Terns and 3 Mediterranean Gulls.

Mudbank on the dropping tide- 1 Osprey, 13 Black-tailed Godwits, 1 Pintail, 3 Wigeon, c430 Mallard, 10+ Redshank, 1 Knot and 5 Teal.

A quick look at Bystock Meadow produced 1 juvenile Whinchat, and 1 Spotted Flycatcher with several Willow Warblers and Stonechats. Yesterday, a slightly  more leisurely stroll around the reserve produced 1 Redstart, 1 Spotted Flycatcher and 2 Firecrests (with 2 more Redstarts and a Wheatear recorded on an afternoon walk with Lu around Woodbury Common).

Yesterday - Orcombe - 16+ Balearic Shearwaters, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 6 Willow Warblers, 9 Swallows, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Dunlin and just 1 Whitethroat.

Mudbank - 2 Grey Plovers, c150 Common Terns, 1 Knot, 3 Turnstones, 3 Greenshank, c140 Teal, 1 Wigeon, 1 Osprey and the first returning Pintail.

Adult Mediterranean Gull - Exmouth beach.

Lynmouth Dippers

A family day out today and a trip down memory lane. It was great to show Maisie and Joel round Lynton and Lynmouth, on the north Devon coast, where I lived from the age of four to about nine. Dad was the vicar of Lynton and Lynmouth but his parish included several other churches on the edge of Exmoor. We walked from Lynmouth to Watersmeet (seeing four Dippers en route) in the morning and, following a lovely lunch in Lynton, walked around the Valley of Rocks - a walk we used to do pretty much daily with the dog. We saw the church where Dad worked, the Rectory we used to live in and the primary school I used to attend. We of course went on the famous Cliff Railway and looked around Lynmouth Flood Memorial Hall. Very nostalgic!

Dippers very rarely feature on the blog because I so rarely leave Exmouth which is a strictly Dipper-free.

 Juvenile.

Common Terns, Ospreys, GWE

One of two Ospreys off Mudbank first thing this morning. This bird was pursued upriver by Common Terns whilst the regular bird sat on its usual marker post. This afternoon both birds roamed up and down the river together - some sort of bond apparently established.

Common Terns were a big feature of today with a fairly conservative 600+ counted resting on Cockle Sands first thing. Also off Mudbank today - 1 Little Tern, 1 Great White Egret (downriver shortly after 330pm), 2 Ospreys, 9 Greenshank, 6 Redshank, 1 Knot, 4 Black-tailed Godwits, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 2 Common Sandpipers, 190+ Curlew, c255 Teal, 17 Whimbrel, 4 Dunlin, 4+ Sanderling and 49 Shelduck. 

The 5cy Yellow-legged Gull was seen off Mudbank and on the rugby pitch, and off Shelly Beach - 2 Grey Wagtails, 2 Turnstones, c60 Sandwich Terns, 3 Mediterranean Gulls, 2 Grey Plovers, 45+ Ringed Plovers and 6 Sanderling. Masses of Common Terns too, including birds heading high south.

Little time spent on Orcombe but 1 Yellow Wagtail and 4 Wheatear recorded.

Common Terns pretty close off Mudbank.

Numbers of Common Terns lifting off Cockle Sands with Lympstone Manor in the background. Just a fraction of the birds present today. Photo taken from Shelly Beach.

Common Terns heading high out to sea past Shelly Beach.

Rosy T, Black T

One of at least 5 Yellow Wagtails on Orcombe.

An uncharacteristically busy day today with some long-awaited rain clearly having the desired effect. The morning started well on Orcombe when a Hobby paused briefly to snatch an insect or two, on the wing, out over the sea before heading east. Few migrant passerines but 1 Tree Pipit, 1 Wheatear, 1 Coal Tit, 5+ Yellow Wagtails and 1 Grey Wagtail were logged, along with a fly-over Ringed Plover, 10+ Swallows,  and a handful of Chiffchaffs. Three or four Arctic Skuas were lingering offshore.

At about  1020 I was chuffed to pick out a beautiful adult Roseate Tern off Shelly Beach. It remained in the estuary, sometimes getting on Bull Hill until at least 1210 and was later picked up, by Lee, in front of the hide at the Warren. At least 185 Common Terns were roosting on Bull Hill along with 35+ Sandwich Terns, 8 Mediterranean Gulls (5 juv/fw), 20 Great Black-backed Gulls and 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls. The roosting birds were briefly joined by 4 Sanderling and a Ruff. Nearby the 5cy Yellow-legged Gull was again on the rugby pitch and at least 120 Starlings were on rooves along Camperdown Terrace.

Best bird off Mudbank was a juvenile Black Tern over the high tide, having earlier been seen off Shelly Beach by Derek. Also off there today - the Osprey on its favourite perch, 1 Little Tern, 3 Wigeon, 3 Turnstones, c60+ Teal, 4 Greenshank, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 7 Redshank, 7 Ringed Plovers, 2 Dunlin, 5 Grey Herons, c30 Little Egrets and 3 Stock Doves.

Ruff

Green Silver-lines is one of my favourite moths. I don't see too many.

A look off Shelly Beach on this morning's rising tide produced my first Ruff of the year which briefly joined a flock of c110+ Common Terns as they took to the air. Also c55+ Sandwich Terns and 4 Mediterranean Gulls. Nearby the 5cy Yellow-legged Gull still on the rugby pitch. Orcombe Point was pretty blown out with just 2 Yellow Wagtails, 1 Wheatear, 1 Coal Tit, c50 Jackdaws and 4 Ringed Plovers logged.

The Osprey was present for much of today, on its favoured post off Lympstone. Also off Mudbank today - 1 adult Spoonbill, 34 Whimbrel, c300 Mallard, 3 Mediterranean Gulls, at least 100 Ringed Plovers, 49 Teal, c60 Common Terns, 9 Knot, 43 Shelduck, 4 Common Gulls, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1 Grey Plover, 1 Greenshank and 5 Great Crested Grebes. 

Bordered Straw. Additional immigrant/presumed immigrant species last night were 1 Dark-bordered Pearl Evergestis limbata, 1 Scarce Bordered Straw, 2 Olive-tree Pearl, 8 Dark Sword-grass, 2 Rusty Dot Pearl, 2 European Corn-borer, 2 Rush Veneer and 1 White-point.

Also of note - another 45 Portland Ribbon Wave, 1 Blair's Mocha, 2 Hoary Footman, 1 Green Silver-lines, 1 Poplar Grey, 1 Rosy Rustic, 1 Purple Bar, 1 Currant Pug, 1 Pale Mottled Willow, 1 Marbled Green, 6 Box-tree Moth and 1 Pebble Prominent.

My second Dark-bordered Pearl in recent weeks.

Hoary Footman.

Striped Hawkmoth

A gorgeous Striped Hawkmoth trapped last night along with 2 Scarce Bordered Straw, 1 Turnip Moth, 3 Silver Y, 3 Dark Sword-grass, 3 Rusty Dot Pearl, 10 Rush Veneer and 2 European Corn-borer. Non immigrant species included a whopping 42 Portland Ribbon Wave, 1 Maiden's Blush, 1 Blair's Mocha, 1 Pale Mottled Willow, 1 Small Square-spot, 1 Shark and 1 Poplar Hawkmoth.

Orcombe first thing - at least 12 Yellow Wagtails and a Mediterranean Gull. Mudbank - the Osprey spent a good chunk of the morning on a marker post off Lympstone. Also the first three returning Wigeon along with a Shoveler amongst c385 Mallard and c365 Canada Geese. Additionally - 42 Whimbrel, 1 Greenshank, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 9 Common Terns, 1 Mediterranean Gull and 26 Shelduck. A quick look off Shelly Beach on the rising tide produced c85/90+ Common Terns and c40 Sandwich Terns roosting on Bull Hill. The 5cy Yellow-legged Gull was roosting on the Imperial rugby ground adjacent to the recycling centre.

First three Wigeon - Mudbank.

Scarce Bordered Straw - above and below. Note the difference in pigmentation apparently caused by the difference in temperature where each hatched. The paler individual likely from somewhere further south and hotter.

5cy Yellow-legged Gull.

Toadflax Pearl

Toadflax Pearl Antigastra catalaunalis - a long hoped-for and anticipated new moth for me and a rare immigrant species which, like many others, appears to be getting more regular. Gutted I didn't manage a better photo before I lost it.

Rusty Acorn Piercer Cydia amplana. Other presumed immigrant species included 4 Dark Sword-grass, 1 Silver Y, 2+ Rusty Dot Pearl, and 4+ Rush Veneer. Also another Blair's Mocha, 1 Maiden's Blush and another 33 Portland Ribbon Waves.

An early morning look at Orcombe Point produced c50 Swallows heading east into the breeze. Also - 9+ Yellow Wagtails, 2 Tree Pipits, 2 Wheatears, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1+ Sand Martin, 2 Mediterranean Gulls and 1 Cirl Bunting.

Off Mudbank - 1 Osprey hunting the lower river around 0930 and seen again around 1440 sat on a post off  Lympstone (thank you to Rob for the text). Also off  Mudbank today - 40+ Common Terns downriver with another flock of 30+ seen a while later that may or may not have been different birds. Additionally - 40 Whimbrel, 2 Knot, 3 Redshank, 27 Shelduck, 21 Mute Swans and my first returning Kingfisher of the autumn.

Yesterday on Orcombe - 2 Yellow Wagtails, 7 Willow Warblers and 2 Canada Geese. Mudbank - 33 Whimbrel, 2 Knot, 3 Bar-tailed Godwits, 1 Grey Plover, 1 Greenshank and 8 Dunlin.

The Blair's Mochas keep coming...

Osprey from the back garden this morning.

Osprey off Lympstone this afternoon.