Osprey

Osprey - off Mudbank from 0645 this morning. Quite possibly the bird seen by Chris and Helen, yesterday evening at Otterton. Two days later than last year's first bird that I had on the first day of lockdown (24/3).

I managed to squeeze in a quick sea-watch before work this morning. Forty minutes from the raised beach huts produced 14 Manx Shearwaters south, with good numbers of, but un-counted, Gannets and auks. A flock of at least 65 Kittiwakes lingered off Orcombe Point, with others moving south. Also 3 Brent Geese, 2 Sandwich Terns and a Great Northern Diver.

Nearby my first Osprey of the year scattered gulls and Oystercatchers as it hunted distantly off Mudbank.

On 24/3 - off Mudbank - 39 Wigeon, 4 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 4 Teal, 4 Sandwich Terns and 4 Grey Plovers.

The new sea defence wall, that skirts the Duckpond, is covered in masses of Large White pupae. This one seems ok but many have been parasatised. Beautiful things close-up.

Field Horsetail cones - Duckpond.

Pale-bellied Brents

At least 20 Pale-bellied Brent Geese in with Dark-bellied birds this evening, off Shelly Beach.

 Ring-necked Parakeet - one of four on the Maer this evening. The original group of nine seems to have split, with five birds frequenting the area around Prattshayes Farm, in Maer Valley.

WTE tracking

Dr Tim Mackrill, from the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, kindly contacted me today following my online submission of Saturday's White-tailed Eagle sighting. The bird I saw was G466 - a female released in 2020. It left the Isle of Wight on Friday afternoon and then took a very leisurely, 100 mile trip along the south coast before I picked it up over Blackhill Quarry, at around 2pm. I alerted birders on the Exe that it was heading their way, but unfortunately it landed shortly afterwards, just north-west of Blackhill where it roosted for the night. It then crossed the Exe on Sunday morning and spent some time at Dawlish Warren and subsequently the river Teign. I'm assuming a bird reported today, over Tamerton Foliot, was the same bird. Below are the maps sent to me by Tim which make for some interesting viewing. The yellow line is not necessarily the exact flight path because there are 15 minutes between each GPS fix.

I was stood at the very northern tip of the pool, on a footpath that skirts the perimeter of the quarry, alerted by the mayhem amongst the gulls that only a very big raptor could induce!

Ash - I think this is the male, petal-less flower, showing purple anthers.

This White Wagtail was with 8 Pied Wagtails on Orcombe this evening. Also recorded, on a brief visit, was 1 Wheatear, 1 Redwing, 1 Snipe, 1 Chiffchaff and a couple Meadow Pipits.

A single Sandwich Tern was off the seafront, shortly after dawn this morning, and 21 Wigeon were off Mudbank this evening.

Kestrels

The pair of Kestrels on Orcombe Point were full of the joys of spring this morning. Fingers crossed they have a good year.

Very little on Orcombe Point this morning but a Purple Sandpiper was with 7 Turnstones on Maer Rocks, and 2 or 3 Great Northern Divers were way off, out in the bay with at least 14 Great Crested Grebes again.

 My first Greater Stitchwort of the spring.

WTE

 One of the White-tailed Eagles from the Isle of Wight release scheme flew north over Blackhill Quarry this afternoon. Quite exciting!

Pale Pinion. also trapped last night - 1 Clouded Drab, 10 Common Quaker, 2 Hebrew Character and 6 Early Grey.

Clouded Drab

Variation in Common Quakers.

Hebrew Character

Early Grey

Little Ringed Plover

Four Pale-bellied Brent Geese joined 26 Dark-bellied birds on Maer Rocks. Offshore a count of 14 Great Crested Grebes was made easier by flat calm water.

My first Wheatear of the spring was on the dung heap, on Orcombe Point, this morning. Otherwise very quiet with just 2 Chiffchaffs and a few Pied Wagtails.

RLP and Butterbur

 I reckon this is the same Red-legged Partridge that has popped up from time to time on Orcombe. I heard it just the once last year and this is my first sighting in 2021.

Two migrant Fieldfares paused briefly on Orcombe, first thing yesterday morning. The only other species recorded were 1 Snipe, 1 Curlew and 1 Grey Wagtail, but there was a definite sense that things were moving, with a quick look off Mudbank revealing at least 14 Meadow Pipits, moving upriver, and 12 Teal.

Really pleased to find my first Butterbur this afternoon - a really unusual flower and not one I was really expecting, or searching for.

Opposite-leaved Golden-saxifrage

I've been really hoping to find this - Opposite-leaved Golden-saxifrage - beautiful!

Ground Ivy

Really chuffed to find my first Moschatel but will have to go back when the flower is open.

Willow sp?

White Dead-nettle

More Coltsfoot.