Turnstones and Spot Fly

Nine Turnstone on Maer Rocks this morning. Also off there today - the regular Common Scoter and Red-throated Diver.

Off Mudbank - 5 Pale-bellied Brent Goose, 3 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 21+ Bar-tailed Godwit and 10+ Whimbrel.

I spent some time on the commons this afternoon, but didn't see very much. The highlight was my first Spotted Flycatcher of the year - on Bystock Common - picked out by Liz Hamling. Always good to see Roger and Liz.

Skylark - Woodbury Common - they often show well on the wide tracks that criss-cross the heathland.

Lots of Large Red Damselflies out on Bystock this afternoon.

Sea-watch

An early morning sea-watch off Maer Rocks, from 0535 - 0635 produced the drake Common Scoter, 7+ Sandwich Tern, 1 Great Northern Diver, 9 Whimbrel, 9 Manx Shearwater, 2 Fulmar, 2 Shelduck, 7 Razorbill and 6 Common Tern. I had another quick look off there this evening and recorded a further 13 Whimbrel, 12 Common Scoter, 13 Manx Shearwater, a first-summer Mediterranean Gull and 2 first-summer Common Gulls.

Off Mudbank - 6 Pale-bellied Brent Goose, 2 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 14 Dunlin, 11 Bar-tailed Godwit, 32+ Whimbrel, 60+ Black-headed Gull, 3 Sandwich Tern and 2 first-summer Common Gull.

 

Waders

One of ten Bar-tailed Godwits off Mudbank early this morning.

  

A small increase in wader numbers today (at least in terms of variety) with 3 Ringed Plover off Mudbank (my first in Exmouth this year believe it or not) joined by 13 Dunlin, 13+ Whimbrel, 1 Greenshank and 10 Bar-tailed Godwit. Also 50+ Black-headed Gull and a Common Gull off there. Yesterday there were 7 Brent Geese. I think 6 were pale-bellied and 1 was Dark-bellied but the distance and shimmering light made it really hard to be sure. A Siskin whizzing around overhead was a little more straightforward.

Orcombe today produced just 6 Swallow, 1 House Martin and 2 or 3 Wheatear but a look off Maer Rocks revealed 1 Whimbrel, the drake Common Scoter, Red-throated Diver, Eider, 30+ Sandwich Tern and 2 Common Tern.

Yesterday on Orcombe migrants included 1 Sedge Warbler, 2 Garden Warbler, 3 Wheatear, 1 Swift, 2 Meadow Pipit, 4+ Willow Warbler and an east-bound flock of 22 Black-headed Gulls.

 

 

The Red-throated Diver again showed brilliantly off the seafront. The drake Common Scoter and female Eider still off there too.

Bank Holiday Sunday

Whitethroat - male - very little doing on Orcombe this morning so I spent some time photographing Whitethroats. Several are now on territory on Orcombe but they're not that approachable, and my fingers were numb, thanks to the low overnight temperature which left patches of frost on the ground.

 

Quiet on Orcombe with just 2 Willow Warbler, 1 Mute Swan, 1 Little Egret, 6 Sandwich Tern and the drake Common Scoter making the notebook.

Mudbank - 1 Pale-bellied Brent Goose, 1 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 5 Dunlin, 15+ Black-headed Gull, 5 or 6 Bar-tailed Godwit, c40 Whimbrel and my first Swift of 2019.

With it being so quiet in Exmouth I decided to spend a little time on the commons, and was pleasantly surprised to find at least 1, probably 2 Cuckoo, 14 Crossbill, c20/30+ Sand Martin, 3 Tufted Duck, 1 Coot, 2 Moorhen, 2 Little Grebe, 1+ Redpoll, 2+ Siskin and 2 Dartford Warbler.

Tufted Ducks - Blackhill Quarry

Coot - Blackhill Quarry - just a single bird and tantalisingly close to Exmouth - a big gap on my Exmouth list alongside Marsh Tit and Barn Owl and a load of other stuff!

Sand Martin nest holes - Blackhill Quarry.

Wood Warbler

Wood Warbler - a lovely surprise this morning - shivering and singing its little heart out at the entrance to the Bristol Schools camp. I've been birding in Exmouth for over 20 years but this is my first record so it's a little bit special.

 

Orcombe Point from 0550 - 6+ Blackcap, 9+ Whitethroat, 3 singing Garden Warbler, 2+ Swallow, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Wheatear, 1 Shelduck, 1 Mute Swan, 1 Wood Warbler, 4 Whimbrel, 2 Sandwich Tern and the regular drake Common Scoter. I didn't sea-watch as such this morning but every time I glanced out to sea there seemed to be a Great Northern Diver powering past. I counted six this morning but I must have missed a few!

Off Mudbank - 6 Bar-tailed Godwit, 7+ Whimbrel, 7 Sandwich Tern and 2 Black-headed Gull.

Green-winged Orchids
 

Mute Swan - high over east this morning - not the 'norm' on Orcombe.

Lackey Moth web.

Sedge and Garden Warblers

One of 7 singing male Whitethroats along the coast path between the Geoneedle and Sandy Bay.

 

A pre-work, dawn walk on Orcombe Point produced my first Exmouth Garden Warbler and Sedge Warbler of the year - both singing and both showing occasionally. Also 2 Wheatear, 4 Swallow, 1 Great Northern Diver, 3 Sandwich Tern and the drake Common Scoter.

Ringed Barwit

This lovely moulting Bar-tailed Godwit was off Mudbank this evening. It sports a metal ring on its right leg but unfortunately I could only get a partial read - see below.

 

Off Mudbank this evening - 8+ Bar-tailed Godwit, 3 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 1 Common Sandpiper, c20/30+ Whimbrel, 6 Sandwich Tern, 2 Black-headed Gull and c10/15+ small wader sp that were more than likely Dunlin.

A five minute scan off Maer Rocks produced 10 Sandwich Tern, 1 Swallow, 3 House Martin and the 'show-off pair' - the drake Common Scoter and Red-throated Diver posing just off the beach.

On Orcombe - 3 Wheatear and c30/40+ Swallow feeding low over the cow fields- a marked increase.

Common Sandpiper

I can see a '3' and a '7' but that's about it. Possibly a '6'? Anyone any ideas?

Dark-bellied Brent Geese

One of three Wheatear on Orcombe this evening.