Migrants

I woke to the sound of rain hitting the bedroom window this morning. The wind had eased and gone round to a more southerly direction, so I was hoping for a few migrants on Orcombe Point. In the event they were very thinly spread, and it took three hours of walking field edges to come up with 1 reeling Grasshopper Warbler, 2 Whitethroats, a male Redstart, 2 or 3 Tree Pipits, 2 Meadow Pipits, 3 Swallows and a single Wheatear. Oddly, no Willow Warblers but plenty of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps singing, on territory. Offshore - 27 Sandwich Terns. Good to bump into Dave Stone as always.

Off Mudbank a little while later - 4 Whimbrel, 1 Redshank, 1 Turnstone, 6 Mallard, 10 Sandwich Terns and 14 Dark-bellied Brent Geese. No Pale-bellied Brents today.

 Five Goosanders doing their best to stay hidden on Blackhill Quarry pool today. Otherwise just 5 Tufted Ducks and no sign of the Ring-necked Duck or any returning Sand Martins.

Med hybrid?

 Presumed Mediterranean Gull x Black-headed Gull hybrid - Maer Rocks.

A short sea-watch before breakfast, from the raised beach huts, produced 24+ Sandwich Terns, 6+ Manx Shearwaters, 8 Fulmars, c10 Common Scoters and 2 Black-headed Gulls. 

Mudbank (mostly from the garden) - 14 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, c90 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 3 Common Gulls, 3 Black-headed Gulls, 3 Mediterranean Gulls, 36+ Sandwich Terns, 2 Whimbrel, c80 Curlew, 1 Wheatear, 1 female Red-breasted Merganser, 6 Swallows and 4+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls. A flock of 12 Cattle Egrets flew over Starcross, towards Powderham.

Actual Migrants!

Linnet with nest material - Orcombe Point.

The wind has switched to the east and, almost immediately, Exmouth gets a few migrants! Pale-bellied Brent Geese featured today with 4 in to the bay shortly after dawn, a flock of 11 off Mudbank a little while later, which then grew to c80+ late morning, with a further 18+ arriving around midday. In total then, c100+ on the Exe today, that I saw. Watching from the garden also produced my first Swallow and House Martin of the year. Only singles though. Also from the garden - c80+ Curlew, 30+ Sandwich Tern, 1 Sparrowhawk and 8+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls heading east, along with a couple Black-headed Gulls.
Otherwise today - my first Whimbrel and 2 Ringed Plovers of the year off Mudbank, a singing Willow Warbler moving quickly along the hedgerow between Mudbank and West Lodge, 6 Dark-bellied Brent Geese and a first-summer Mediterranean Gull off Mudbank, and single Wheatear and Swallow on Orcombe Point.

On the 8/4 the drake Ring-necked Duck was still on Blackhill Quarry and yesterday, one or two Firecrests were singing up at Bystock, where there was lots of Siskin activity. Otherwise just a female Teal and 4 Dark-bellied Brent Geese off Mudbank.

Wood Anemones and Lesser Celandines are carpeting the floor at Veiges Plantation. A few Early Purple Orchids found but none in flower yet...

My first Whimbrel this year - Mudbank.

Disturbing

This dog-walker had ignored not just the barbed wire fencing and quarry safety warnings, but also the signage informing the public about the presence of rare breeding birds. She never looked up from her phone as she trampled all over the place, oblivious to her dogs flushing birds left, right and centre. Ignorance, arrogance, stupidy? I suspect a combination of all three. I was so annoyed I had to leave. I've had numerous 'run-ins' with people in the past. They start with me trying to be polite but rarely end well. 'F*ck off is the standard retort. Bird-wise - 2 Teal, 10 Tufted Ducks and the drake Ring-necked Duck before the totally unnecessary intrusion.

The Ring-necked Duck was disturbed from its sleep by the dog-walker, and swam a bit closer than usual...

The first Green-winged Orchids are flowering on Orcombe Point.

WW and Marsh Harrier

I photographed this singing Willow Warbler with numb fingers this morning. It was bitterly cold on Orcombe Point, after a clear night and overnight frost. It was my first of the year and, had it been warmer, would have probably performed a bit better. Good to see and hear all the same. Otherwise just a pair of Stonechats, 9 Linnets and a handful of singing Chiffchaffs.
Back home, with both kids at work, Lu and I pottered in the garden. A gold-crowned Marsh Harrier flew upriver at about 1025, before re-orientating and heading high east. Otherwise just 3 Dark-bellied Brent Geese and a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers were scoped from the garden.
A quick look at Blackhill Quarry produced the drake Ring-necked Duck, 2 Tufted Ducks, 3 Little Grebes and small numbers of Stonechat and Dartford Warbler. Nearby - 21 drake Mallards on Bystock Pool and at least 63 Fieldfares on the archery club playing fields, along with a single Mistle Thrush.

The Ring-necked Duck remained steadfastly asleep while I was there this morning.

 Female and drake Tufted Ducks - Blackhill Quarry.

Kestrel and Cirl

Male Kestrel - Sandy Bay caravan park.

First thing this morning I walked the coast path from Gore Lane to West Down, via Sandy Bay. Very little evidence of any migration but I managed to record 3 Blackcaps, 10 singing Chiffchaffs, 1 Kestrel, 1 Pintail and 2 Sandwich Terns.

Off Mudbank - 2 drake Wigeon, 3 Dark-bellied Brent Geese and 7 Cattle Egrets in flight behind Starcross.

A dog-walk with Lu, around Blackhill Quarry, revealed 2 Little Grebes, 4 Tufted Ducks, 1 Redpoll and the drake Ring-necked Duck.

Kestrel with Budleigh seafront in the background.

Looking south from West Down at Straight Point and Sandy bay caravan park. In the far distance is Berry Head.

This male Cirl Bunting was blasting out its song at West Down  - right on the very edge of the Exmouth parish boundary.

Looking west from West Down. Littleham Village is in the foreground with the edge of Exmouth town beyond. Beyond that is the River Exe.

Linnet - Orcombe Point.

This afternoon's dog walk took us past Blackhill Quarry's drake Ring-necked Duck.

One of just three Dark-bellied Brent Geese off Mudbank today.

Cold with Few Birds

Two Wheatears and 3 Snipe on Orcombe Point this evening. The cold north-easterly is presumably holding up a lot of stuff as there doesn't seem to be much around at the moment.

On Wednesday, off Mudbank, counts included 7 Mallard, 1 Wigeon, 2 Greenshank, 8 Dark-bellied Brent Geese and 9+ Common Gulls, with 150+ Curlew and 50 Bar-tailed Godwits on Cockle Sands.