Redpoll

Redpolls have been really thin on the ground in Exmouth this year. I was hoping to find some numbers in the Castle lane area but ended up with just this one - a typically ochre-washed Lesser Redpoll.

Off Sowden Lane first thing - the female Scaup, 2 Goldeneye, 6 Red-breasted Mergansers and at least 9 Great Crested Grebes. Mudbank counts included 20 Redshank, 3 Greenshank, c380 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 70 Wigeon, 150+ Grey Plovers, 80+ Knot, 55+ Bar-tailed Godwits and 2 Mediterranean Gulls (adult and first-winter). The Cetti's Warbler was heard calling at dusk.

Otherwise, a flock of 53+ Pied Wagtails fed amongst cattle on Maer Lane, along with 4 Little Egrets. The only sightings of note on Orcome Point were 2 Chiffchaffs and a flock of 12 Lapwing. A Lesser Redpoll was in woodland along Castle Lane and c170 Carrion Crows were off Shelly Beach late afternoon. Really lovely to catch up with Sarah and Clare this afternoon.

The top end of Bystock was pretty busy with birds - the best being several Siskins, a couple Firecrests and a Peregrine.

Yesterday off Mudank - 1 Pale-bellied Brent Goose, 52 Wigeon, 1 juvenile Spoonbill and c80 Bar-tailed Godwits.

An adult, summer-plumaged Mediterranean Gull was off Mudbank late this afternoon. Earlier, a first-winter bird was present - my first of this age group in 2023.

Hundreds of Dunlin were off Mudbank today. I just couldn't face counting them as the majority were feeding on Cockle Sands amongst Knot, Grey Plovers and Bar-tailed Godwits.

A single Pale-bellied Brent Goose was off Mudbank yesterday.

Usual Suspects

The female Scaup remains upriver. Best viewed from Sowden Lane, Lympstone.

Little change today. Off Mudbank - the 2 juvenile Spoonbills, 3 Greenshank, 38 Wigeon, 33 Mallard and 2 Goldeneye (male and female). The female Scaup was, as usual, a bit further upriver.

I had a look off the seafront but couldn't pick up the RNG. On a flat calm sea - c30 Great Crested Grebes, c20 Common Scoters, small numbers of auks (probably Razorbills) and 2 immature, male Eiders. Three Red-throated Divers flew out of the bay and 2, even more distant diver sp were probably Great Northerns. Nearby, a single Ring-necked Parakeet was in the Maer long-stay carpark and, a little further up the valley, a single Firecrest.

Another Firecrest passed swiftly through our front garden, pausing just seconds to feed in the Yew tree. A garden first.

My first Redpoll of the year was at the end of Castle Lane this afternoon and I spent the last hour of daylight looking off Shelly Beach - a drake Teal, c340 Dark-bellied Brent Geese and c30 Cattle Egrets (to roost) the only sightings of any note.

One of two juvenile Spoonbills off Mudbank this afternoon. Photographed whilst Lu and I were walking the dog.

Eastern Lesser Whitethroat

Richard very kindly invited me over to see the Eastern Lesser Whitethroat today. It has been frequenting his back garden, just around the corner from us, on Halsdon Avenue, since early December. I bumped into it, on Belle Vue Road, on December 10th 2022 and haven't (until today) seen it since! It's a very interesting looking bird - very pale in the field, with lovely sandy-brown upperparts  and nice peachy buff-washed flanks. Many thanks Richard.

Otherwise today - 2 juvenile Spoonbills, c185 Grey Plovers, c90 Knot and 42 Wigeon off Mudbank. The female Scaup was a little further upriver, towards Lympstone - and in the top fields, Orcombe Point - 1 Dartford Warbler, 1 Chiffchaff, 17 Lapwings, 3 Golden Plovers, 150+ Skylarks and c50 Starlings. Nearby, a Firecrest in the Maer long-stay carpark.

Looks like a wholly white outer tail feather. This bird is presumably blythi or possibly halimodendri?

The two juvenile Spoonbills were again off Mudbank this afternoon. That's Starcross' Atmospheric Railway pumping station in the background.

A little bit of sunshine tempted the turnip field Dartford Warbler to resurface this afternoon.

Two of three Golden Plovers on Orcombe Point this afternoon.

Hants

 Looking along Hurst Spit towards Hurst Castle, with Keyhaven Marshes on the left. A lovely part of the world and one I'm very unfamiliar with.

I was working up in Hampshire today. One of the sites (at New Milton) was just 5 minutes away from Milford-on-Sea, so I popped over to see the wintering Shore Lark - a fabulous bird and a species I've not seen in over 21 years! My last was at Holkham Gap on 29/12/01 - a snowy north Norfolk trip with my brother. I think the main target was Coue's Arctic Redpoll. Prior to that I'd seen just 5, at Benacre Broad, Suffolk, on 30/12/99 (a day-trip from London, primarily for the Aldeburgh Ivory Gull), and a pair of  'Horned Larks' on Bolivar Flats, Texas, on 14/4/98 (with Tom Whiley).

Today's bird has been on Hurst Spit for a few weeks now and was present on my arrival, just a short walk from where I parked. Creeping around unobtrusively, I was extremely glad I didn't have to locate it on my own!

Looking back towards Milford-on-Sea.

Looking across to the Needles (Isle of Wight).

Dung heap with a difference. I've never see one Egyptian Goose on Orcombe's dung heap, never mind 62! This rather smart Ruddy Shelduck was with them. Ripley (Hants).

The Moon at dawn this morning. Hants.

Yellowhammers

Having apparently vacated  Exmouth heathland over January it was good to see a couple Yellowhammers back this morning. This male was glowing in the early morning sunshine. Also this morning, during the first couple hours of daylight - c140 Fieldfares, 25+ Redwings, 2 Dartford Warblers, 2+ Crossbills (heard only), 1 Green Woodpecker, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 22 Rook, a singing Mistle Thrush and a Kestrel.

An early evening look off Mudbank, as the sun set, revealed the 2 juvenile Spoonbills, 70+ Wigeon, 4 Red-breasted Mergansers and 23 Great Crested Grebes. The Cetti's Warbler was calling from behind the viewing screen.

Fieldfares and a Redwing on the archery club playing fields. A count of 140 Fieldfares was high for Exmouth. This site is a traditionally good spot for winter thrushes at this time of year.

Sunset Wigeon.

Bearded Tits

Windless today so, feeling the need to get out of Exmouth for a bit, I headed up to the north end of the river to see if I could get some better photos of the Bearded Tits. I had a couple a little while before Christmas and today there were at least six in pretty much the same spot (in the Exe reed beds). My photos are a tiny bit better but still pretty dreadful. Also in the Countess Wear area - 3 Water Rails, c40/50+ Teal, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Little Grebe, just the 1 Chiffchaff and at least 5 Cetti's Warblers.

Nearby, at Powderham Marshes - 2 Marsh Harriers, c15+ Cirl Buntings, 3 Stonechats, 7 Stock Doves and the Snow Goose, along with the usual array of winter wildfowl. It was really nice to bump into Leigh, as always.

Late afternoon, off Mudbank - 2 Spoonbills, 1 female Scaup, 1 female Goldeneye, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers, 34 Cattle Egrets (on a wreck, north of Starcross), 2 Mediterranean Gulls, 40+ Common Gulls, 23+ Great Crested Grebes and c30 Black-tailed Godwits - my first in Exmouth this year.

Little Grebe.

Drake Teal.

Powderham Marshes with the Exe in the far distance.

Snow Goose.

Marsh Harrier.

Both Spoonbills off Mudbank late this afternoon.

A laughable attempt at photographing the Scaup from the end of Sowden Lane, Lympstone. It sticks stubbornly to the middle of the river and just never comes close. Good to have it still around though.

1 Spoonbill

Just the one immature Spoonbill off Mudbank this afternoon but one is certainly better than none. Selected counts included 41 Wigeon, 39 Mallard, 150+ Curlew, 14 Redshank and 1 Greenshank. The female Scaup was again well upriver, with 13+ Great Crested Grebes and a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers.

Yesterday - a female-type Black Redstart moved rapidly through gardens along Belle Vue Road.