Whimbrels and Kites

Whimbrel - Mudbank. One of two this morning.

Orcombe was again really quiet this morning - just the 2 immature male Eiders and a couple Blackcaps of note.

Mudbank was better with my first 2 Whimbrels of the year, 4 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 2 Sandwich Terns, 5 Little Egrets, 2 Red Kites and an Osprey. Otherwise today - a single Swallow through West Lodge whilst Lu and I walked the dog.

Yesterday off Mudbank - c250 Oystercatchers, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers, 7 Turnstones, 4 Redshank, 11 Bar-tailed Godwits and 3 Dark-bellied Brent Geese.

Orcombe - the 2 immature drake Eiders, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Swallow and 2+ White Wagtails. 

A quick look along Courtlands Lane (which is officially Lympstone, not Exmouth) revealed a flock of at least 70 Linnets in stubble fields, and at least 3 Willow Warblers.

The first Red Kite flew upriver just before 9am. Seen from the back garden.

The second Red Kite came across the river and continued east shortly after 1115.

At least 2, probably 3, White Wagtails are still knocking around the dung heap. This one photographed yesterday.

Bloxworth Snout. This first materialised in our dining room a couple nights ago but managed to evade capture. It appeared again last night and I was able to catch it and photograph it.

Tundra Bean? Edit - Swan Goose!

A big thank you to Steve for getting in touch. He pointed out that  Bean Goose is perhaps a better fit for this morning's goose. I initially thought there was too much white in the tail but I may have been a bit hasty in this assumption. The dark underwing, dark rear flank patch, longer-looking bill and apparently orangey feet do indeed look promising. Steve suggested doing some further 'digging' so if anyone has any suggestions please do let me know.

Edit - a big thank you to Chris Townend for solving the puzzle. An immature Swan Goose turned up on the LORP shortly after this flew over. I don't think I'd ever have arrived at that identification!

Osprey

An Osprey went really high, north, over Exmouth at 1510. Twenty minutes later it was hunting over the Exe, south of Powderham, before flying back upriver and crossing the river towards Topsham.

On Orcombe from 7am - at least 3 White Wagtails, 2 Willow Warblers, 2 Meadow Pipits, 7 Chiffchaffs, 1 grey goose sp, a flock of 17 Linnets and the 2 Red-legged Partridges. The 2 immature drake Eiders were off the seafront, along with 3 Great Crested Grebes.

Off Mudbank - 7 freshly-arrived Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 13 Black-headed Gulls and 3 Sandwich Terns.

Yesterday (3/4) on Orcombe - 1 Little Egret (east), 1 Red-throated Diver, 2 Mute Swans, 2 Blackcaps, 2 Willow Warblers, 1 Wheatear, 1 Stonechat, 1 Fulmar and 17 Linnets. Three Eiders (adult drake and 2 presumed females) were seen in flight, way out in the bay. They peeled away from three other ducks that were presumably also Eiders.

April 2nd - Orcombe Point - 11 Meadow Pipits, c30 Linnets, 1 Willow Warbler, 2 White Wagtails, 4 'alba' Wagtails, c70 Woodpigeons, 15+ Greenfinches and 7 Chiffchaffs.

Grey goose sp - Orcombe Point. I only got on to this briefly as it powered east, into the sun. Unusually for any goose, it was silent but I'm not sure you can see enough to identify it. Originally I thought Greylag but now I'm not so sure. Underwing probably too dark so possibly Pink-foot? Too much white in outer tail for anything else? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Too long billed for Pink-foot?

Little Egret - east past Orcombe Point.

Wheatear - Orcombe Point.

Brimstones and Holly Blue seen over the last couple of days.

Male Firecrest in song - Bystock.

Pale-bellied Brents

 Two Pale-bellied Brent Geese off Mudbank today. This pair first showed up a couple days ago.

Orcombe Point (0710 - 0825) - 6 Chiffchaffs, 1 Blackcap and the two immature drake Eiders. A tiny bit of overhead passage, into a stiff westerly wind, involved 10 Meadow Pipits, 10 Linnets and a single Yellowhammer.

Off Mudbank - 2 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 4 or 5 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 6 Redshank, 8 Turnstones, 2 Ringed Plovers, 3 Sanderling, 35+ Sandwich Terns and 7 Great Crested Grebes.

March 30th - Orcombe Point - 7 Chiffchaffs, 5 Meadow Pipits, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 8+ Linnets, 1 Blackcap, 1 Wheatear, 1 White Wagtail, 1 Cirl Bunting and 1 Snipe.

Mudbank - 65 Carrion Crows, 5 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 3 Wigeon, 10 Redshank, 1 Greenshank and 2 Mute Swans.

Off the Imperial, late on - 12 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 3 Bar-tailed Godwits, 1 adult Mediterranean Gull, 1 Black-headed Gull and c250 Oystercatchers.

My first 2 Swallows of the year flew north, over Lower Halsdon Farm, viewed from the back garden.

White Wagtail - Orcombe Point 30/3.

Orcombe

From first light - 2 or 3 Willow Warblers, at least 15 Chiffchaffs, 9+ Meadow Pipits, 5 Pied Wagtails, 1 White Wagtail, 8 Linnets, 1 Bullfinch, c10+ Greenfinches, 34 Woodpigeons, 2 male Stonechats, 1 Eider and a very brief but likely Serin that joined 3 other finches and flew high west before I could nail it. A loud 'tsooeet' initially made me think I'd heard a Brambling so I glanced skywards. Then a fairly flat, rippling 'trit lit lit' drew attention to a small finch as it shot out of a hedge and away. Frustrating but I've had a few Serins on Orcombe, over the years, so I'm sure there'll be more...
Mudbank - very few birds around but 1 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 4 Black-headed Gulls, c10 Common Gulls, 3 Great Crested Grebes, 18+ Turnstones, 4 Red-breasted Mergansers, 4 Sandwich Terns, 6 Little Egrets and 2 fly-over Siskins made it into the notebook.

 White Wagtail - Orcombe Point.

WW, Iceland Gull

 This Willow Warbler, my first of the year, was singing quietly as it moved through Blackthorn scrub on Orcombe Point this morning. 

Orcombe Point this morning - 4+ Chiffchaffs, 1 Willow Warbler, 6+ Meadow pipits, 1 Stonechat, 6 Shelducks, 3 Sandwich Terns, 11 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, the 2 immature drake Eiders and 2 Red-legged Partridges.

Thanks to some very timely messages from Mark and Lee (thank you both), I was able to see the Warren's juvenile Iceland Gull as it circled with a large gull flock, disturbed from Finger Point. I watched it from the seafront before it flew off out to sea. It appeared to be of the lovely 'café au lait' variety - my first Exmouth record since December 13th 2021. See here.

Off Mudbank today - 22 Sandwich Terns, just 1 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 5 Red-breasted Mergansers, 18 Turnstones, 55 Curlew, 2 Canada Geese, 2 Mute Swans, 3 Teal, 20+ Common Gulls and at least 14 Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

The only morsels of interest from yesterday included the female Cirl Bunting again at West Lodge, and an adult Kittiwake off Mudbank. I was chuffed to see 2 Moorhens back on Bystock Pool, after a complete absence last year.

Meadow Pipit.

First seen yesterday, this pair of Red-legged Partridges are frequenting the top fields of Orcombe.

Another chunk of cliff has slipped on Orcombe Point.

OT feather

I've been hoping to get a photo of the outer tail feathers but having had a quick look online I'm not actually  sure how helpful it is - an apparently variable feature on the various races? Still no call or DNA, but I'm still reasonably happy this Eastern Lesser Whitethroat best fits 'Siberian' blythi. Thank you once again to Richard and Jo.

Otherwise, another very wet day. A bit of sky-watching from the back garden, when it wasn't tipping down, resulted in a single Cattle Egret (at 9am) that flew in from the east before heading upriver.

I got drenched walking the dog this afternoon, but managed to find a female Cirl Bunting at West Lodge (my sixth in Exmouth already this year), with 2 surprise fly-over Redpolls there and 3 Meadow Pipits.

Off Shelly Beach, late this afternoon - 5 Sandwich Terns, 25 Dark-bellied Brent Geese and a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers.