Slav Grebe, Glossy Flock

Sunrise from Orcombe with Portland on the horizon.

A strangely good day in Exmouth today - the highlight coming late this afternoon with a winter-plumaged Slavonian Grebe in the estuary off Shelly Beach. Many thanks to Mark for the message. I'm old enough to remember a time when they were common winter visitors to the Exe but since the demise of the famous long-staying bird, a few years ago, they've become really rare. Today's individual is remarkably early too, undoubtedly a product of the cold northerly airflow. 
At midday I was enjoying watching a hefty female Goshawk being mobbed by a (relatively small) Kestrel, across the other side of the river (from Mudbank), when I picked up a flock of 19 Glossy Ibis. They were already high but circled higher and higher, until almost stratospheric, before heading south with some purpose. Also off Mudbank today - 25 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 Pale-bellied Brent Goose, c380+ Wigeon, 4 Teal, 60+ Pintail, c65+ Dunlin, 7 Redshank, 23 Black-tailed Godwits, 7 Knot, 1 Whimbrel and c40 Sandwich Terns.

A  freezing cold dawn spell on Orcombe produced c180+ Meadow Pipits, 25+ Siskins, 1+ Yellow Wagtail, 10+ Pied Wagtails, 4 Grey Wagtails, 4+ Goldcrests, c40+ Swallows, 45+ hirundine sp, 18+ House Martins, c30 Goldfinches, 18+ Linnets, 4+ Chaffinches, 2 Greenfinches, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 3 Wheatears, 7 Skylarks, 2 Blackcaps, 1 Redshank and 9 Common Scoters (east)..

This is the first Slavonian Grebe I've seen since February 11th 2021 when I photographed the famous long-stayer off Shelly Beach. One of the photos I took that day appears as the current 'banner' of this blog.