Little Tern

A Little Tern flew close inshore, past Maer Rocks, at 0815 this morning. It was heading towards the river mouth. Good to see having missed this species completely last year. Otherwise, watching from 0650 - 0835 produced 2 Arctic Skuas, 8 Fulmars, 55+ Gannets, 5 Common Scoters, 4 Whimbrel, 7 wader sp (Whimbrel or Bar-tailed Godwits), 2 Red-throated Divers, 6 Great Northern Divers, 2 diver sp, 4+ auk sp, c50+ Kittiwakes, 2 Shelduck and 12+ Sandwich Terns.
The lingering, lonesome Dark-bellied Brent Goose was on the Imperial rugby ground and off Mudbank - 14 Bar-tailed Godwits, 4 Red-breasted Mergansers and 1 Swallow through.

A short sea-watch yesterday morning, between 0700 and 0800, produced 11 Red-throated Divers, 1 Great Northern Diver, 12+ Sandwich Terns, c50 Gannets and 1 Shelduck. An Arctic Skua was seen off the seafront late in the afternoon.
Off Mudbank - 7 Great Crested Grebes.

Wheatear

 A big thank you to John and Helen who live a few doors up the road. This gorgeous but tired-looking female Wheatear spent a considerable time on their garden fence this afternoon, and I was very kindly invited round to see it. There weren't any on Orcombe point first thing this morning. A Willow Warbler was the only migrant noted in windy conditions. Very little else to report but a Kestrel was again hunting the Mudbank area and yesterday c60 Sandwich Terns were resting on Cockle Sands before they were dive-bombed by a Peregrine.

Common Terns

One of Orcombe's singing male Blackcaps.

At least 5 Common Terns were off the seafront first thing this morning, along with a handful of Sandwich Terns, 2 Fulmars and a smart, second-summer Mediterranean Gull. A few Gannets, Kittiwakes and Common Gulls were also moving south. Not much on Orcombe Point but a Wheatear was new-in and 2 Red-legged Partridges are still knocking around. Off Mudbank - 1 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 5 Sandwich Terns, 6 Bar-tailed Godwits, 1 Greenshank and 3 Redshank.

Yesterday off there - my first Swallow of the year, 13+ Sandwich Terns, c90 Curlew, 1 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 1 Redshank, 2 Turnstones, 14 Knot, c25 Common Gulls, c30 Bar-tailed Godwits and 2 Canada Geese. On Orcombe Point - 1 male Cirl Bunting, 9+ Chiffchaffs, 1 Blackcap, 2 Shelduck, 1 Bullfinch, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Fulmar, 1 Meadow Pipit, 2 Little Egrets, 4 Song Thrushes and c30+ Linnets.

On 1/4 - Orcombe Point - 9 Chiffchaffs, 3 Blackcaps, 4 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 Sandwich Tern, c30/40+ Linnets, 1 female Cirl Bunting, 1 Kestrel, 1 Peregrine, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Red-legged Partridge and 1 Siskin.

 Little Egret - Maer Lane.

Pied Wagtail - Orcombe Point.

Sandwich Terns, Manxies

Sandwich Tern off Mudbank (looking north towards Exeter). One of at least 32 off there today.

Pretty quiet in this neck of the woods still. Orcombe Point first thing - My first 6 Manx Shearwaters of the year (east), 3 Sandwich Terns, 11+ Common Scoters, 1 Blackcap, 5+ Chiffchaffs, 5 Mallard and 2 Shelduck. Off Mudbank - 9 Red-breasted Mergansers, 7 Pale-Bellied Brent Geese, 2 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, c30 Black-headed Gulls (east), 3 Great Crested Grebes and 32+ Sandwich Terns. A Willow Warbler was singing at the back of our garden throughout the morning..

30/3 - Orcombe Point - 10+ Chiffchaffs, 1 Blackcap, 3 Curlew (high east), 3 Meadow Pipits, 1 Little Egret (east), 1 Cirl Bunting (high west), 2 Sandwich Terns, 2 Mallards, 2 Shelducks and 2 Peregrines.

29/3 - Orcombe Point - 6 Common Scoters, 1 Sandwich Tern, 11 Chiffchaffs, 2 Blackcaps, 1 Willow Warbler, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, c25 Linnets and 1 Siskin.

Sandwich Tern off the Imperial rec - 28/3.

Willow Warbler - Orcombe Point 29/3.

Early G-w Orchids

The first Green-winged Orchid spikes are now appearing on Orcombe Point.

No evidence of any new migrants on Orcombe this afternoon. Probably too late in the day. Off Mudbank - 9 Red-breasted Mergansers.

Yesterday off there - 12 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 5 Red-breasted Mergansers, 2 Greenshank and c60 Turnstones.

Late news for the 23rd on Orcombe Point - 10+ Chiffchaffs and a Willow Warbler. Some overhead movement included 9 Meadow Pipits, 17 Woodpigeons, 24+ Linnets and 5 Stock Doves.

Knot - Mudbank.

 

Sandwich Tern, WW

Female Wheatear - Orcombe Point.

My first Sandwich Tern of the year flew past Orcombe Point early on and my first Willow Warbler was singing very softly from the hedgerow bordering the dung heap. Also today - a female Wheatear, 9+ Chiffchaffs, 2 Shelduck, 9 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 4 Common Scoters, 1 Blackcap and 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls. Off the seafront - 1 Eider and c90 Dark-bellied Brent Geese.

Reed Bunting

A migrant Reed Bunting on Orcombe Point late this afternoon - hiding pretty effectively in hedgerow next to the dung heap. Also - a female Wheatear, 4+ Chiffchaffs, a male Stonechat and c10/15+ Meadow Pipits.

Off Mudbank - c90 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 2 Pale-bellied Brent Geese and 5 Red-breasted Mergansers.

Yesterday afternoon on Orcombe - a male Wheatear and a pair of Cirl Buntings. Seven Pale-bellied Brent Geese were off Mudbank.

On the 19th, Mudbank counts included 13 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, c100 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 1 Greenshank, 26 Shelducks and 10 Redshank. a flock of 32 Cattle Egrets flew from north of Starcross to somewhere in the Cockwood/Cofton area.

A pair of Cirl Buntings on Orcombe Point. Surely a good chance they'll breed up there this year?

Pale-bellied Brent Goose - Mudbank. One of seven yesterday. Two off there late this afternoon and 13 off there on Monday.

Male Wheatear on the dung heap yesterday. There was a female there this afternoon.