Mandarin!

A morning stroll 'round the block' with Lu was greatly enlivened with my first ever (probably overdue but entirely anticipated) Exmouth Mandarin - a drake in with Mallards off Mudbank over the high tide. A quick count of a few other species revealed 72 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 Pale-bellied Brent Goose, 23 Great Crested Grebes, 38 Redshank, 1 Turnstone and 19 Black-tailed Godwits.

Only two fields covered on Orcombe but 1 Whitethroat, 1 Blackcap, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 3 Swallows and a flock of 7 Ravens were logged. The Linnet flock still estimated to be c4/500 birds and a few grounded Meadow Pipits.

Getting a bit late for Whitethroats now. This one was feeding in weeds at the base of a hedge.

Little Gull

Adult winter Little Gull - Mudbank on this morning's high tide.

Mudbank - adult winter Little Gull, 1 Pale-bellied Brent Goose, 66 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 10 Sandwich Terns, 24 Redshank, 1 Turnstone, 2 Shoveler, 1 juvenile Common Tern, 1 Swallow, c75 Black-tailed Godwits and 3 Bar-tailed Godwits.

A quick look off the seafront earlier produced 2 Common Scoters and 3 Balearic Shearwaters moving east. Orcombe was too blown out but 1 Yellow Wagtail, 2 Goldcrests, 4 Swallows and 2 Sparrowhawks were seen on a rapid whiz round.

Little Gulls rarely show this well in Exmouth. Whenever I've seen them even closer it's been into the teeth of a gale-force wind!

Redstarts, Pale-b Brent

A distant record shot of the male Redstart. Female is pictured below. Both birds typically flighty and impossible to approach. Only my third and fourth in Exmouth this year.

Orcombe - 2 Redstarts, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Tree Pipit, 1 Firecrest, 2 Goldcrests, 1 Jay, c25 Swallows, 22+ Chiffchaffs, c110 Meadow Pipits, 6 Stonechats, 3 Blackcaps, c40+ Skylarks and the singing Cetti's Warbler still.

Mudbank - 1 Pale-bellied Brent Goose with 31 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 juvenile Common Tern, 8+ Sandwich Terns, 21 Great Crested Grebes, c100 Pintail, 6 Mute Swans, 7 Dunlin, 1 Grey Plover, 1 Peregrine and an impressive gathering of 96 Little Egrets. Additionally this evening - c120+ Black-tailed Godwits and 7 Ringed Plovers. Again couldn't face counting the numerous Wigeon but several hundred birds present now.

This tail-less Yellow Wagtail has been around for a while now. It gets in with the Meadow Pipits in the top fields.

Arctic Tern, Hobby

Juvenile Osprey - Mudbank.

A look off the seafront from 0700 for an hour produced a steady trickle of Gannets, a few auks, 9 Common Scoters, 1 Arctic Skua, 1 Balearic Shearwater, 4 shearwater sp and a juvenile Arctic Tern.

Mudbank - 18 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 juvenile Osprey, 1 juvenile Common Tern, 19+ Sandwich Terns, 7 Mute Swans, c50 Black-tailed Godwits, c185 Curlew, 6 Bar-tailed Godwits and 4 Ringed Plovers.

Orcombe - a quick mid-afternoon whiz round the top fields produced 1 Hobby, 4+ Swallows and 3 Stonechats.

A Hobby heading west over Orcombe towards Dawlish Bay this afternoon.

Arctic Tern - extreme record shot of the juvenile off the seafront.

Male Sparrowhawk - Orcombe Point.

Spot Red Still

Yellow Wagtail - Orcombe Point.

Orcombe from 0650 this morning - c250 Meadow Pipits, 18+ Chiffchaffs, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Wheatear, 1 Firecrest, c30 alba wagtails, 2 Goldcrests, c4/500+ Linnets, 1 Reed Bunting, 15+ Greenfinches, 4 Stonechats, 1 Grey Wagtail and 1 Snipe.

Mudbank - 1 Spotted Redshank, c100 Black-tailed Godwits, 20 Great Crested Grebes, 4 Ringed Plovers, 1 Common Tern, 23+ Sandwich Terns, 3 Grey Plovers, 17 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 11 Redshank and 2 Greenshank. Couldn't face counting ducks today.

Yesterday - Orcombe - c20 Chiffchaffs, 1+ Yellow Wagtail and the singing Cetti's Warbler which actually showed for a change - hopping up a couple times into a dead-looking bush.

Mudbank - 16 Dark-bellied Brent Geese and 1 Whimbrel the only stuff to make it into the notebook.

Stonechat.

Pintail - Mudbank.

Black-tailed Godwits - Mudbank.

Drake Mallard - Mudbank. Female below.

Spotted Redshank - Mudbank.

 Black-tailed Godwits - Mudbank.

Wildfowl Increase

One of three Wheatears on Orcombe this morning.

An increase in wildfowl off Mudbank today with 13 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, good numbers of Teal and Mallard along with 360+ Wigeon and 100+ Pintail . Counting was very tricky as the tide had dropped a little too much by the time I got there. Also off there today - 1 Osprey, the Spotted Redshank again, 145 Black-tailed Godwits, 3 Bar-tailed Godwits, 5 Greenshank, 24 Redshank, 4 Ringed Plovers, 1 Dunlin, 1 Snipe, 18 Great Crested Grebes, 8 Grey Herons and a Siskin over.

Orcombe from 0700 - 3 Wheatears, 2+ Yellow Wagtails, 16+ Chiffchaffs, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Reed Bunting, 1 Blackcap, 4 Canada Geese, 3 Stonechats, 9+ alba wagtails, c4/500+ Linnets, c70+ Meadow Pipits, 2 Grey Wagtails, 9+ Swallows, 4 House Martins, 1 Coal Tit and 2 Stock Doves.

22/9 - Orcombe Point - 21+ Chiffchaffs, 8+ Blackcaps, 4+ Yellow Wagtails and the singing Cetti's Warbler still.

Mudbank - 39 Redshank, 99 Black-tailed Godwits, 3 Bar-tailed Godwits, 7 Greenshank, 234 Teal and 1 Osprey.

 Male Stonechat - Orcombe Point.

Spot Red

My first Spotted Redshank in Exmouth this year - present over the high tide with 8 Greenshank and 26 Redshank.

Orcombe Point from 0645 to 0840 - 13+ Chiffchaffs, 1 Firecrest, 6 Blackcaps, 1 Snipe, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Sand Martin, c30 Swallows, c15 House Martins, c140 Meadow Pipits, 3+ Grey Wagtails, 13 alba wagtails, 1 Sparrowhawk, 13+ Greenfinches, 1 Kestrel, 12+ Skylarks, 4 Goldfinches, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1+ Coal Tit, 2 Chaffinches and c3/400+ Linnets.

Mudbank counts included 1 Spotted Redshank, 8 Greenshank, 26 Redshank, 58 Black-tailed Godwits, 3 Bar-tailed Godwits, 63 Shelduck, 400+ Mallard, 166 Wigeon, 5 Pintail, c220 Teal, 3 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 8 Great Crested Grebes, 7+ Sandwich Terns, 1 Common Tern and 1 Firecrest.

Spotted Redshank with Black-tailed Godwits.

Teal off Mudbank. c220 present over high tide today.

Sparrowhawk - Orcombe Point.

 Large Ranunculus. Also yesterday - 1 Dewick's Plusia, 1 Scarce Bordered Straw, 3 Olive-tree Pearl Palpitta vitrealis, 2 Small Mottled Willow, 2 Rusty Dot Pearl, 4 Rush Veneer and 3 L-album Wainscot. 

Orcombe Point yesterday between 7am and 0850 - 320+ Meadow Pipits, 13 Chiffchaffs, 4 Grey Wagtails, 1 Stonechat, 2+ alba wagtails, 40+ Swallows, up to 11 Chaffinches, 2 Blackcaps, 35+ House Martins, 9 Greenfinches, the long-staying Cetti's Warbler, 1+ Goldcrest and 2 Cirl Buntings. The Linnet flock is still in the top fields numbering c3/400+ birds.
Mudbank - not much counting done but 61 Black-tailed Godwits, 21 Redshank, the 3 Dark-bellied Brent Geese and 3 Greenshank noted.

Gadwall, Bonxies

My first Gadwall in Exmouh this year.

Two Great Skuas lingering off Orcombe Point this morning. A short look also produced 1+ Arctic Skua, 1 Balearic Shearwater and 1 Common Scoter plus a trickle of Gannets and Kittiwakes west.

Mudbank - 1 drake Gadwall, 30 Black-tailed Godwits, 4 Bar-tailed Godwits, 38 Pintail, 23 Redshank, 3 Greenshank, 4 Ringed Plovers, 140+ Wigeon, c60 Little Egrets, c300+ Mallard, 2 Turnstones, 1 adult Mediterranean Gull, 9+ Sandwich Terns, 1 juvenile Common Tern and the 3 Dark-bellied Brent Geese.

18/9 - Orcombe Point - 265+ Meadow Pipits west, c40 Swallows, 1 Sand Martin, 1 Tree Pipit, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 7 alba wagtails, 9 Greenfinches, 2 Chaffinches, 3 Goldcrests, 10+ Chiffchaffs, 1 Blackcap, 1 Cetti's Warbler and 6 Grey Wagtails.

Mudbank - 264 Curlew, 157 Wigeon, 2 Pintail, 16 Great Crested Grebes, 3 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 4 Bar-tailed Godwits, 6 Black-tailed Godwits, 16 Redshank, 52 Shelduck, 51 Little Egrets, 1 Common Tern, 4+ Sandwich Terns and 1 Turnstone.

17/9 - Mudbank - 10 Redshank, 1 Turnstone, 10 Black-tailed Godwits, 29 Pintail, 6 Ringed Plovers, 3 Bar-tailed Godwits, 14 Sandwich Terns, 1 Little Tern, 3 Common Terns and 2 Dark-bellied Brent Geese.

Orcombe Point - 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Stonechat and 4 Stock Doves.

Turnstones - Mudbank.

Brents Back, Mipits

Two Dark-bellied Brent Geese on Cockle Sands.

The first properly autumnal-feeling morning this morning. Clear skies, a very light north-westerly and a bit of a chill saw c375 Meadow Pipits head west between 0700 and 0910. Also - 10 Grey Wagtails, 6 alba wagtails, 9 Yellow Wagtails, 3 Tree Pipits, 2 Reed Buntings, 2 Snipe, 4 Cormorants, 3 House Martins, 27+ Swallows, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 11 Chiffchaffs, 1 Turnstone, 1 Blackcap, 2 Stonechats, 1 Collared Dove, 1 Firecrest and a singing male Cirl Bunting.

Mudbank - 2 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, c30 Pintail, c60 Mallard, c115 Wigeon, 9 Redshank, 3 Black-tailed Godwits, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 26 Shelduck and just 3 Sandwich Terns on the dropping tide.

Yesterday - Orcombe Point - 5+ Yellow Wagtails, c30+ Meadow Pipits, 60+ Swallows, 3 Grey Wagtails, c3/400+ Linnets, 1 Wheatear and 1 Green Sandpiper.

Mudbank - 57 Little Egrets in the roost, 68 Wigeon, 1 Osprey, 9 Redshank and 1 Black-tailed Godwit.

Still loads of Clouded Yellows around. I've been seeing the pale 'helice' variety more frequently than usual.

This morning's Firecrest on Orcombe.

Blackhill Osprey

Osprey - Blackhill Quarry this afternoon. On the quarry pool - 4 Tufted Ducks and 4 Coots.

Mudbank today - 1 Osprey (on Cockle Sands), 72 Wigeon, 13 Mute Swans, 5 Redshank and 10+ Sandwich Terns on a brief post high tide visit. This evening - 9 Redshank, 11 Black-tailed Godwits, 1 Little Tern and 1 adult Peregrine.

Wheatear - Orcombe Point 12/9.

13/9 - Orcombe very quiet - 1 Wheatear, 8 Grey Wagtails, 7+ Meadow Pipits, 1 Stonechat, 8+ Chiffchaffs and 2 Stock Doves.

Mudbank - 14+ Great Crested Grebes, 57 Pintail, 38 Wigeon and 2 Ospreys further upriver.

12/9 - Orcombe - 1 Firecrest, 8 Chiffchaffs, 10+ Yellow Wagtails, 2 alba wagtails, 60+ Meadow Pipits, 6 Grey Wagtails, 1 Wheatear, 1 Blackcap, 3 Swallows, 1 House Martin and 1 Tree Pipit.

Mudbank - 1 Little Tern, 1 Teal, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit and 16 Black-tailed Godwits.

11/9 - Orcombe - 1 Cetti's Warbler, 3 Grey Wagtails, 3 Yellow Wagtails, 11 Chiffchaffs, 27+ Meadow Pipits, 4 Wheatear, 3+ Sand Martins, 4+ Swallows, 1 Blackcap and 1 Whitethroat.

Mudbank - 40 Pintail, 3 Bar-tailed Godwits, 4 Mute Swans, c60 Wigeon, 1 Teal, 4 Sanderling, c30 Sandwich Terns and 9 Black-tailed Godwits.

Arctic Tern

Juvenile Arctic Tern off Mudbank this evening.

Mudbank today - 1 juvenile Arctic Tern, 1 Little Tern, a minimum of 70 Sandwich Terns, 5+ Common Terns, 5 Bar-tailed Godwits, 1 Knot, 94 Curlew, 4 Mute Swans, 34 Little Egrets, 2 Ospreys, 14 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Redshank, 14 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Greenshank, 59 Wigeon and 1 Pintail.

Orcombe Point - c40 Meadow Pipits, 9 Chiffchaffs, 4 Swallows, 4 alba wagtails, 1 Blackcap, 2 Grey Wagtails, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Tree Pipit, 1 Whitethroat, the Cetti's Warbler and 1 Curlew.

Ortolan Bunting

Huge thanks to Chris for finding this gorgeous Ortolan Bunting. On Exmouth soil to boot! I missed it this morning but walked back, from Orcombe, this afternoon and it was sat in the Hawthorn where Chris had initially found it, just below West Down Beacon. We watched it feeding quietly down to about 20ft.

Arrived later than usual at Orcombe. It was definitely a bit livelier than of late with 1 Redstart, 1 Jay, 1 Willow Warbler, 3+ Chiffchaffs, 3 Yellow Wagtails, 7 Grey Wagtails, 2 alba wagtails, 30+ Meadow Pipits (the first proper movement this autumn), 16+ Swallows, 3 Tree Pipits, 7 Whitethroats, c20 House Martins, 4 Wheatear, 1 Stonechat and the lingering Cetti's Warbler, still belting it out from clifftop scrub.

West Down Beacon - 1 Ortolan Bunting, 2 Whitethroats, 1 Blackcap, 1 Yellow Wagtail and c50/100+ House Martins.

Mudbank - 2 Bar-tailed Godwits, 2 Greenshank, 3 Knot, 3 Redshank, 74 Wigeon, 4 Mute Swans, 1 Common Sandpiper and 3 Black-tailed Godwits.

Yesterday on a very soggy Orcombe Point - 1 Spotted Flycatcher and 2 Chiffchaffs.

Mudbank - 13 Common Terns, 2 Sandwich Terns, c130 Teal, 9 Redshank, 5 Greenshank, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit and 4 Black-tailed Godwits.

Redstart - Orcombe Point. Believe it or not this is only my second Redstart in Exmouth this year, and my first on Orcombe Point. The first was in Bystock Meadow back in August.