Garganey

Garganey off Mudbank this afternoon.

Mudbank counts on this afternoon's incoming tide included 1 Garganey, c30 Knot, c140+ Teal, 175+ Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 2 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 2 juvenile Bar-tailed Godwits, c220 Shelduck, 42+ Little Egrets, 146+ Black-tailed Godwits, 5 Greenshank, 2 Grey Plovers, 41+ Redshank and the returning Pintail x Wigeon hybrid.

Yesterday - 49 Redshank, 8 Greenshank, 4 Grey Plovers, 8 Dunlin, 35 Black-tailed Godwits, c270+ Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 2 Pale-bellied Brent Geese and 1 juv Bar-tailed Godwit.

Marsh Harrier

Marsh Harrier west over Orcombe at 0837.

A beautiful morning on Orcombe Point (and a quick look at the top fields this afternoon) with Marsh Harrier, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Firecrest, 1 Ringed Plover, 5 Song Thrushes, 3+ Coal Tits, 4 Swallows, c30 Chiffchaffs, 4 Blackcaps, 4 Stock Doves, 5 Goldcrests, 27+ Chaffinches, 38+ Siskins, 2 Stonechats, 2 Grey Wagtails, 50+ Pied Wagtails, 280+ Meadow Pipits, 2 Cirl Buntings, 1 Sandwich Tern, c45+ Goldfinches, 8+ Greenfinches, 8+ Skylarks, c70 Linnets, 1 Kestrel, 1 Peregrine, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Curlew and 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Mudbank - 36 Black-tailed Godwits, 4 Grey Plovers, 2 Greenshank, 17 Redshank, 220+ Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 Pale-bellied Brent Goose, c190 Pintail, 9+ Teal, 3 Shoveler, 4 Knot, 1 Whimbrel, 1 Dunlin, 15+ Ringed Plovers, 19 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Sandwich Tern and 1 Kingfisher.

This morning's Firecrest.

Kestrel.

Gropper, Merg, Chiffs

I probably under-counted Chiffies this morning. There seemed to be bunches of them in every suitable patch of habitat.

Orcombe Point this morning - 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 30+ Chiffchaffs, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 1 Firecrest, 1 Golden Plover, 10+ Siskins, 18 Pied Wagtails, c10/20 Swallows, 60+ Meadow Pipits, 2 Goldcrests, 8+ Wheatears, 4+ Stonechats, c80+ House Martins, 15+ Skylarks and 3 Blackcaps.

Mudbank - 1 female-type Red-breasted Merganser, 208 Shelduck, 119 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 2 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 1 Reed Bunting (over), 5 Bar-tailed Godwits, 1 Greenshank, 1 Whimbrel,  2 Sanderling,  2 Knot, 4 Turnstones, 15 Redshank, 18 Ringed Plovers, 16 Great Crested Grebes, 5 Teal, 17 Black-tailed Godwits, 3 Sandwich Terns and 210+ Oystercatchers.

I really thought I wasn't going to see a Grasshopper Warbler this year so was chuffed when this bird flew up from the base of a hedge and sat nervously in cover for a few seconds.

Lapwings, Casp

1cy Little Gull off Mudbank this afternoon.

Mudbank quite productive again today - 1 fw Caspian Gull on Cockle Sands this morning, then dip-feeding mid-river before flying over towards Starcross. Super-distinctive even at distance and my third this month. Also 1cy Little Gull, 21+ Sandwich Terns, 1 juvenile Common Tern, 1 Osprey, 1 Peregrine, 2 Lapwings (unusual this end of the river), 2 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 113 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, c700+ Wigeon, c180 Pintail, 23 Teal, 1  Shoveler, 10 Bar-tailed Godwits, 15 Black-tailed Godwits, c270 Curlew, 1 Sanderling, 3 Ringed Plovers, 2 Knot, 2 Grey Plovers, 3 Turnstones, 2 Greenshank, 17+ Redshank, 208 Shelduck, 1 adult Mediterranean Gull, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Rock Pipit, and 1 Kingfisher. A flock of 17 Cattle Egrets headed towards Cofton over the other side of the river.

Orcombe was quiet first thing with just 2+ Cirl Buntings, 16+ Chiffchaffs, 8+ Skylarks, c50+ Goldfinches, c30/40 Meadow Pipits and 3 Goldcrests logged.

Yesterday off Mudbank - 3 Shoveler of note and on/over Orcombe - 1 Yellow Wagtail, 1+ Ringed Plover, 8+ Chaffinches, 16+ Chiffchaffs, 5 Grey Wagtails, c25 Pied Wagtails, 8+ Siskins, 80+ Meadow Pipits and 3 Goldcrests.

An afternoon walk on Woodbury Common, with Joel, produced a flock of c20/30 Crossbills.

Three Shoveler off Mudbank yesterday.

Glossy Sunset

A single Glossy Ibis off Mudbank this evening. The Brent Goose flock numbered 58. Presumably 57 Dark, 1 Pale.

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.

Baird's Sandpiper

Baird's Sandpiper - river Otter. Two trips needed. A nice walk with Lu this morning (when we dipped) and a silly dash this afternoon. One of those species that I haven't seen for years! In fact, my last one was nearly 30 years ago - at Needs Ore in Hampshire on 16/9/96. Kev and I twitched it on our way back from a short birding trip to Norfolk and Essex. Prior to that I saw one at Bowling Green on 31/8/93 and my first, at Crowdy Reservoir, Cornwall on 7/1//89. Really great to catch up with Chris having not seen him in ages. Also there today - 5 Black-tailed Godwits, 1 Dunlin, 1+ Yellow Wagtail, 1 Wheatear, 1 Osprey and 11 Spoonbills over south.

Didn't do any birding in Exmouth today but yesterday - a juv/fw Little Gull over the Imperial rec before flying over the town. On Cockle Sands - c170 Curlew, 1 Pale-bellied Brent Goose and 5 Sandwich Terns. A Whimbrel was in Duckpond. Mudbank counts included 78 Pintail, 7 Teal, 6 Knot, c50 Redshank, 39 Black-tailed Godwits, 7 Bar-tailed Godwits and 2 Greenshank. A quick look off the seafront mid-afternoon produced 1 Arctic Skua and 18 Sandwich Terns. Just 3 Wheatears and lots of passage Swallows on a very speedy look at Orcombe top fields.

Eleven Spoonbills high over the Otter valley towards the sea this afternoon.