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.