Immigrant Moth Numbers

Brick - a first for me.

 

Really good numbers and variety in the trap last night. Immigrant species were 1 Scarce Bordered Straw, 6 Vestal, 12 Rusty-dot Pearl, 1 Silver Y and 1 Rush Veneer. Also recorded were 1 Willow Beauty, 1 'Epiritta' sp, 6 Feathered Ranunculus, 5 Blair's Shoulder-knot, 14 Red-line Quaker, 1 Double-striped Pug, 1 Lesser Yellow Underwing, 3 Light Brown Apple, 2 Southern Bell, 5 Large Yellow Underwing, 2 Garden Carpet, 4 Ruddy Streak, 2 Narrow-winged Grey, 1 Coastal Pearl, 1 Large Wainscot, 4 Common Marbled Carpet, 4 Lunar Underwing, 1 Setaceous Hebrew Character, 1 Yellow-line Quaker, 1 Feathered Thorn, 1 Brick and 1 Angle Shades.

Bird-wise - finished work at 7pm so none today though I did hear my first Redwing of the autumn whilst emptying the trap. Yesterday I nipped out late afternoon. Mudbank produced 2 Greenshank, 55+ Turnstone, 1 Kingfisher, 1 'Sinensis' Cormorant and a Firecrest by the viewing screen.

Yellow-line Quaker

 

 

Red-line Quaker

Large Wainscot - my first Exmouth LW and only my second ever.

Vestal - one of six.

Scarce Bordered Straw

Epiritta sp - November, Pale November or Autumnal Moth - should probably make more effort with these.

Feathered Thorn

Feathered Ranunculus

Blair's Shoulder-knot

 

Red-green Carpet

Vestals - all the same colour - no pinks!

 

 

'Continental' Cormorant - Mudbank

 

Black Brant

 

Black Brant field sketches.

 

The Black Brant off Mudbank this evening was presumably the returning adult. It was with c8/900+ Dark-bellied Brent Geese and always distant. So distant in fact that the neck collar wasn't even visible. Also c1000/1500+ Wigeon, 1 Shoveler, 1 Teal, small numbers of Pintail, several Black-tailed Godwit, 25/30+ Turnstone, 2 Grey Plover, 10+ Great Crested Grebe and 5 Red-breasted Merganser. Also 2 Mistle Thrush over and 5 Sanderling off the seafront.

 

 

First-winter Lesser Black-backed Gull - Mudbank

Med Gull

 

Second-winter Mediterranean Gull - red Darvic ring on right leg. No details read.

 

Disappointing on Orcombe today - best birds were 80+ Jackdaw, 4 Stonechat and 1 Stock Dove. Pretty dire really. Also c40+ Woodpigeon, c10+ Goldcrest, 2 Chiffchaff, 8 Skylark, 2 Bullfinch and 1 Kestrel. A steady trickle of Linnet, Meadow Pipit and Pied Wagtail early on.

Yesterday morning was a bit better but I only had time for a very quick look. Best birds were 5 Reed Bunting, 4+ Redpoll, 4 Swallow and 7 Starling.

Very little of note off Mudbank but yesterday c30/40+ Black-tailed Godwit and my first two Red-breasted Merganser of the autumn. Things can surely only get better this month....

 

 

Goldcrest - no Firecrests yet this autumn. Should have had at least one today really!

 

Two of four Stonechats that were all together on Orcombe today.

Clifden Nonpareil!

I thought I'd missed the chance to see one of these this year. There's been a record number seen in Devon this autumn. Ten I think. John Gale trapped this one in Underdown, his second in recent weeks, and very kindly allowed me to go and see it after work. A large and spectacular species, it certainly didn't disappoint. This species seems to be expanding in range and I reckon it's only a matter of time before I get one here in Exmouth. Here's hoping. A big thank you John!

Weekend

Two Kestrels over Orcombe yesterday morning, before heading out over the bay.

 

Very similar species lists for both today and yesterday. Numbers different. Orcombe from 0705 this morning - 8+ Goldcrest, 7+ Chiffchaff, 2+ Coal Tit, 1 Song Thrush, 130+ alba wagtail, c100+ Meadow Pipit, c230+ Linnet, c35+ Goldfinch, 22+ Siskin, 24+ Chaffinch, 10+ Reed Bunting, 1+ Bullfinch, 5 Swallow, 9+ Greenfinch, 17+ Skylark, 1 Blackcap, 17 Jackdaw and 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Yesterday - c100+ Meadow Pipit, 2+ Kestrel, 10+ Goldcrest, 5+ Chiffchaff, 70+ alba wagtail, c40+ Linnet, 15+ Goldfinch, 4 Greenfinch, 23+ Siskin, c10+ Swallow, 1 Reed Bunting, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Skylark, 3 Chaffinch, 6+ Common Scoter and 2 Sandwich Tern.

Pintail - small numbers off Mudbank today. Most presumably at the north end of the river. Also off Mudbank - 1 Teal, c8/900+ Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 6 Pale-bellied Brent Goose, 2 Black-tailed Godwit and the White-cheeked Pintail with c50+ Mallard and large numbers of Wigeon.

Mute Swan

Ring-necked Parakeet

Ring-necked Parakeet - Maer Valley

 

This Ring-necked Parakeet has been reported from the Maer Valley area, occasionally, for a couple weeks now. I had a half-hearted look for it a while back. This evening, having seen virtually nothing on Orcombe, I had a stroll around the area between the sewage works and Maer Farm. As I was nearing Maer Farm I picked up the call and located the bird in trees bordering Rolle playing fields. Always good value, I watched it sat up high in a tree before it flew off noisily over the playing fields.

Otherwise it has been a busy week at work and a quiet one for birds. There were c20+ Swallow over Maer Valley this evening and 25 Pale-bellied Brent Geese off Mudbank with 6+ Teal, c20+ Pintail and a stack of Wigeon.

 

 

Speckled Wood

Comma

Small White

Comma and Painted Lady

Red Admirals are present in big numbers in Exmouth at the moment.

Peacock

Small Copper

Red Admiral

 

This evening's Pale-bellied Brent Goose flock - 13 adults and 12 juveniles.

 

 

Wheatear - Orcombe Point

Odd Pied Wagtail, Ruff and Hobby

 

This oddly-plumaged Pied Wagtail was on the cricket pitch this afternoon. Note the dusky ear coverts and dark loral line. The breast markings are a little odd too but no doubt just an odd Pied.

 

Best birds today, and very difficult to get in Exmouth,  were 4 Ruff off Mudbank for a short while on the rising tide - all juveniles - 2 males and 2 females I think, though they were never that close to properly scrutinise. A Hobby was also notable. It went over the cricket ground, high towards the Warren, and I probably wouldn't have noticed it had the White Wagtail that I was photographing not suddenly froze and looked skywards!

Nick and I did Orcombe early on, and in similar conditions to yesterday recorded 10+ 'alba' wagtail, c200 Meadow Pipit, c40+ Linnet, c10+ Chiffchaff, 6+ Goldcrest, 1 Stonechat and, unbelievably,  my first Reed Bunting of the year.

The only other birds of note today were 5 Sandwich Tern in the estuary and 2 Greenshank, 13 Redshank, 12 Grey Plover and 9 Dunlin off Mudbank.

Hobby - Exmouth cricket pitch - thanks to a White Wag.

 

 

White Wagtail - Exmouth cricket pitch.

 

 

Dawn skies - Orcombe