pm edit - GWE, Cetti's W, R-b Merg

Photographed from the back garden this evening - this Great White Egret is an overdue first for the year for me in Exmouth. Feeding with a Grey Heron, Little Egrets and Black-headed Gulls as the sun set.

A bit disappointing this morning and I wasn't really in the mood for counting Woodpigeons but c10200 logged, many of which heading directly south and out to sea which is unusual. Many passerines just too high and lots 'let go' with no calls to go on. Occasionally I'd scan way back over Exmouth town and it was clear that birds were moving distantly and high west too. I just know my totals are well below the actual numbers moving today. Anyway, species that didn't evade identification or escape my gaze/ears included 1 Redpoll, 1+ Redwing, 1 Siskin, 60+ Chaffinches, c50+ Meadow Pipits, 180+ Jackdaws, 20+ Skylarks, c60 Starlings, c80+ Goldfinches, 4 Rooks, 1 Bullfinch, 10+ Greenfinches, 3 Chiffchaffs, 7 Stonechats, 2 Grey wagtails, 20+ Pied Wagtails, c20+ Linnets, 6 Song Thrushes, 11 Blackbirds, 6 Goldcrests and 40+ Robins.

A Great White Egret was off Mudbank this evening (picked up from the back garden). Also, my first Red-breasted Merganser of the autumn was off Mudbank and a Cetti's Warbler was calling in scrub there. My gut feeling is that it's one of a couple birds that normally winter there but of course I have no way of proving that. I didn't count Wigeon or Brent Geese but did log c70 Turnstones, 28 Redshank, 8 Bar-tailed Godwits, 7 Black-tailed Godwits, 188 Shelduck, c170 Pintail, 8 Greenshank, 9 Dunlin, 24 Great Crested Grebes, 3 Teal, 1 Goldcrest, 1+ Coal Tit, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker and 25+ Ringed Plovers.

Woodpigeons.

A little increase in Stonechat numbers today with seven logged. It's been a relatively poor autumn for them so far.

Sparrowhawk - Orcombe Point.

Two of this morning's five Jays.

Common/Pallid Swift

Woodpigeons over Orcombe Point.

Masses of movement on Orcombe Point (from 0730 to 1040) and, for the most part, requiring a lot of concentration to establish the make-up of mixed finch flocks whilst trying to count Woodpigeons. Best was a Common/Pallid Swift which flew reasonably low south-west at 0753. I picked it up as it was pretty much overhead but it was just a fast-moving silhouette against the pale early morning sky and before long it was out over the bay and gone. Conservative counts were 16000+ Woodpigeons, a good count of 500+ Chaffinches, 3+ Brambling, 12 Swallows, c40 Pied Wagtails, c40 Meadow Pipits, 15+ Siskins, c170 Redwings, c80+ Goldfinches, 13+ Blackbirds, 11+ Song Thrushes, 13+ Greenfinches, 8+ Reed Buntings, c80+ Linnets, c40 Robins, 3 Goldcrests, 4 Chiffchaffs, 2 Rock Pipits, c300+ Jackdaws, 23 Starlings, 18+ Stock Doves (though many would have been missed in Woodpigeon flocks), 3 Bullfinches, 1 Coal Tit, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Grey Wagtails and 1 Sparrowhawk.
In the Maer carpark - the Yellow-browed Warbler, 1 Coal Tit, 2+ Chiffchaffs, 2 Siskins, 1 Jay, 2+ Goldcrests and 1 Green Woodpecker.
West Down Beacon - 2 or 3 Firecrests and 1+ Cirl Bunting below the golf course.
Mudbank - another brief visit but 50+ Pintail, c500 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 10 Redshank, 1 Teal, 18+ Great Crested Grebes and 1 Kingfisher.

Coal Tit - Maer carpark.

YBW day 5

The Yellow-browed Warbler was again enjoying the sunlit Silver Birch in the Maer carpark this afternoon. A quick visit after work also produced 2 Chiffchaffs and a Coal Tit. The only other snippet was a Mistle Thrush over West Lodge but the willows there were pretty much devoid of birds apart from a single Chiffchaff and half a dozen Long-tailed Tits.

Meds

Exmouth seafront took a battering this morning but these conditions only produced a few gulls for me. Eleven Common Gulls (10 first-winters) and 8 Mediterranean Gulls flew along the beach from the river mouth, past Maer Rocks, with c100+ Black-headed Gulls. Six Curlew, 3 Shelduck and 2 Common Scoter the only other species noted in the first hour of daylight.

Mudbank quiet too - 1 Whimbrel, 6 Greenshank, 3 Pale-bellied Brent Geese and 21 Great Crested Grebes the only things of note.

On the Imperial rugby ground - 21 Great Black-backed Gulls.

Black Red, YLG, YBW

Black Redstart - Maer Farm.

Much quieter on Orcombe today. Best was a Black Redstart at Maer Farm. Also today - 4 Ringed Plovers, 2 Dunlin, 50+ Robins, 9 Song Thrushes, 15+ Blackbirds, just 1 Goldcrest, 8 Chiffchaffs, 30+ Pied Wagtails, c40 Meadow Pipits, c20 Goldfinches, 2+ Redwings, 1 Stock Dove, c400+ Woodpigeons, 4+ Skylarks, 12+ Chaffinches, 2 Bullfinches, 3 Cirl Buntings, 1+ Siskin, 1 Grey Wagtail, 8 Starlings, 2 Stonechats and the lonesome Red-legged Partridge.
Nearby in the Maer long-stay carpark - 1 Redwing, 1+ Goldcrest, 1+ Chiffchaff, 1+ Coal Tit and the Yellow-browed Warbler for its third day. A flock of c100 Woodpigeons over.
Mudbank - not a lot counted but 200+ Pintail, a Kestrel and a first-winter Yellow-legged Gull.

 Today's Black Redstart was a very welcome sight following the unexplained absence of the usual wintering birds at the start of the year.

Ringed Plover - Orcombe Point. Quite a novelty to see 4 Ringed Plovers and 2 Dunlin feeding in the top fields today.

This first-winter Yellow-legged Gull just wouldn't wake up for a photograph. The tertial pattern is enough to identify it as a different bird to the last one. Note the number of newly-moulted wing coverts, typical of this species at this time of year.

Yellow-browed Warbler - Maer long-stay carpark. I'm still surprised at the amount of time this bird spends in the Silver Birch compared to the extensive area of adjacent Willows and even more surprised to have still not heard a single call!

Ring Ouzel, YBWs

Good again on Orcombe today. Totals included 2 Yellow-browed Warblers, 1 Ring Ouzel, 4 Swallows, 1 Firecrest, 1 Goldcrest, just 3 Chiffchaffs, 4+ Cirl Buntings, 3+ Redwings, 2 Ringed Plovers, 1 Jay, 1 Reed Bunting, 5 Stonechats, 30+ Starlings, 4+ Coal Tits, 45+ Robins, 7+ Song Thrushes, 13+ Blackbirds, c40 Pied Wagtails, c50 Goldfinches, 5+ Siskins, 50+ Chaffinches, at least 4 (possibly up to 8) Bullfinches, 1 or 2 Sparrowhawks, 2 Peregrines, c150 Linnets, 2 Collared Doves, 6+ Greenfinches, c450/500 Jackdaws, 13+ Skylarks, 6+ Stock Doves, and c2500+ Woodpigeons.

Just a short visit to Mudbank where c220 Pintail and 16+ Ringed Plovers were recorded.

Ring Ouzel at dawn.

Yellow-browed Warbler at first light - hurriedly moving through cliff-top scrub and thankfully quite vocal.

Ringed Plovers. I get the occasional fly-over on Orcombe but it's very unusual to get them on the deck.

Yellow-browed Warbler - Gore Lane. I'm assuming this is a second bird. Apparently the Maer carpark bird is still present today too.

Female Chaffinch.

YBW

A Yellow-browed Warbler in the Maer long stay carpark this evening - favoring a sun-drenched Silver Birch but not a single call. Also 3+ Goldcrests and at least 1 Chiffchaff there. Before work, early on - a flock of 24 Redwings north over the house.

16/10 - Mediterranean Gulls on Warren View (adult), Imperial rugby ground (adult) and off Mudbank (first-winter)

15/10 - Orcombe Point - c50 Robins, 5 Goldcrests, 9 Blackbirds, 2 Grey Wagtails, c25+ Meadow Pipits, 3 Chiffchaffs, 6+ Goldfinches, c30+ Linnets, 3 Stonechats, 3 Chaffinches, 2 Skylarks, 3 Pied Wagtails, 1 Song Thrush, 1 Sandwich Tern, 1 Jay, 3+ Cirl Buntings and c100+ Starlings.

Mudbank - 10 Bar-tailed Godwits, 14+ Redshank, 8+ Great Crested Grebes, 1 Knot, 1 Dunlin, c90 Turnstones, 9 Greenshank, 176+ Shelducks, 3+ Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 95+ Black-tailed Godwits, 11+ Common Gulls and c60 Mallard. Nearby - 3 Jays, 1 Siskin, 1+ Goldcrest and a Kestrel at West Lodge.

14/10 - Mudbank - c1700 Wigeon, 2 Sandwich Terns and the female Garganey.

Mediterranean Gull - Imperial rugby ground. Below - the Mudbank first-winter.

Kestrel - Orcombe Point.