Pintail Back, Whinchat

Juvenile Whinchat - Bystock Meadow.

Orcombe first thing - 2 Yellow Wagtails and my first Siskin of the autumn with at least 38 Balearic Shearwaters and 3 Arctic Skuas offshore, attracted in to a large feeding frenzy of mainly Herring Gulls. Several Common Dolphins also present along with adult and first-winter Yellow-legged Gulls, 135+ Common Terns and 3 Mediterranean Gulls.

Mudbank on the dropping tide- 1 Osprey, 13 Black-tailed Godwits, 1 Pintail, 3 Wigeon, c430 Mallard, 10+ Redshank, 1 Knot and 5 Teal.

A quick look at Bystock Meadow produced 1 juvenile Whinchat, and 1 Spotted Flycatcher with several Willow Warblers and Stonechats. Yesterday, a slightly  more leisurely stroll around the reserve produced 1 Redstart, 1 Spotted Flycatcher and 2 Firecrests (with 2 more Redstarts and a Wheatear recorded on an afternoon walk with Lu around Woodbury Common).

Yesterday - Orcombe - 16+ Balearic Shearwaters, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 6 Willow Warblers, 9 Swallows, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Dunlin and just 1 Whitethroat.

Mudbank - 2 Grey Plovers, c150 Common Terns, 1 Knot, 3 Turnstones, 3 Greenshank, c140 Teal, 1 Wigeon, 1 Osprey and the first returning Pintail.

Adult Mediterranean Gull - Exmouth beach.

Lynmouth Dippers

A family day out today and a trip down memory lane. It was great to show Maisie and Joel round Lynton and Lynmouth, on the north Devon coast, where I lived from the age of four to about nine. Dad was the vicar of Lynton and Lynmouth but his parish included several other churches on the edge of Exmoor. We walked from Lynmouth to Watersmeet (seeing four Dippers en route) in the morning and, following a lovely lunch in Lynton, walked around the Valley of Rocks - a walk we used to do pretty much daily with the dog. We saw the church where Dad worked, the Rectory we used to live in and the primary school I used to attend. We of course went on the famous Cliff Railway and looked around Lynmouth Flood Memorial Hall. Very nostalgic!

Dippers very rarely feature on the blog because I so rarely leave Exmouth which is a strictly Dipper-free.

 Juvenile.

Common Terns, Ospreys, GWE

One of two Ospreys off Mudbank first thing this morning. This bird was pursued upriver by Common Terns whilst the regular bird sat on its usual marker post. This afternoon both birds roamed up and down the river together - some sort of bond apparently established.

Common Terns were a big feature of today with a fairly conservative 600+ counted resting on Cockle Sands first thing. Also off Mudbank today - 1 Little Tern, 1 Great White Egret (downriver shortly after 330pm), 2 Ospreys, 9 Greenshank, 6 Redshank, 1 Knot, 4 Black-tailed Godwits, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 2 Common Sandpipers, 190+ Curlew, c255 Teal, 17 Whimbrel, 4 Dunlin, 4+ Sanderling and 49 Shelduck. 

The 5cy Yellow-legged Gull was seen off Mudbank and on the rugby pitch, and off Shelly Beach - 2 Grey Wagtails, 2 Turnstones, c60 Sandwich Terns, 3 Mediterranean Gulls, 2 Grey Plovers, 45+ Ringed Plovers and 6 Sanderling. Masses of Common Terns too, including birds heading high south.

Little time spent on Orcombe but 1 Yellow Wagtail and 4 Wheatear recorded.

Common Terns pretty close off Mudbank.

Numbers of Common Terns lifting off Cockle Sands with Lympstone Manor in the background. Just a fraction of the birds present today. Photo taken from Shelly Beach.

Common Terns heading high out to sea past Shelly Beach.

Rosy T, Black T

One of at least 5 Yellow Wagtails on Orcombe.

An uncharacteristically busy day today with some long-awaited rain clearly having the desired effect. The morning started well on Orcombe when a Hobby paused briefly to snatch an insect or two, on the wing, out over the sea before heading east. Few migrant passerines but 1 Tree Pipit, 1 Wheatear, 1 Coal Tit, 5+ Yellow Wagtails and 1 Grey Wagtail were logged, along with a fly-over Ringed Plover, 10+ Swallows,  and a handful of Chiffchaffs. Three or four Arctic Skuas were lingering offshore.

At about  1020 I was chuffed to pick out a beautiful adult Roseate Tern off Shelly Beach. It remained in the estuary, sometimes getting on Bull Hill until at least 1210 and was later picked up, by Lee, in front of the hide at the Warren. At least 185 Common Terns were roosting on Bull Hill along with 35+ Sandwich Terns, 8 Mediterranean Gulls (5 juv/fw), 20 Great Black-backed Gulls and 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls. The roosting birds were briefly joined by 4 Sanderling and a Ruff. Nearby the 5cy Yellow-legged Gull was again on the rugby pitch and at least 120 Starlings were on rooves along Camperdown Terrace.

Best bird off Mudbank was a juvenile Black Tern over the high tide, having earlier been seen off Shelly Beach by Derek. Also off there today - the Osprey on its favourite perch, 1 Little Tern, 3 Wigeon, 3 Turnstones, c60+ Teal, 4 Greenshank, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 7 Redshank, 7 Ringed Plovers, 2 Dunlin, 5 Grey Herons, c30 Little Egrets and 3 Stock Doves.

Ruff

Green Silver-lines is one of my favourite moths. I don't see too many.

A look off Shelly Beach on this morning's rising tide produced my first Ruff of the year which briefly joined a flock of c110+ Common Terns as they took to the air. Also c55+ Sandwich Terns and 4 Mediterranean Gulls. Nearby the 5cy Yellow-legged Gull still on the rugby pitch. Orcombe Point was pretty blown out with just 2 Yellow Wagtails, 1 Wheatear, 1 Coal Tit, c50 Jackdaws and 4 Ringed Plovers logged.

The Osprey was present for much of today, on its favoured post off Lympstone. Also off Mudbank today - 1 adult Spoonbill, 34 Whimbrel, c300 Mallard, 3 Mediterranean Gulls, at least 100 Ringed Plovers, 49 Teal, c60 Common Terns, 9 Knot, 43 Shelduck, 4 Common Gulls, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1 Grey Plover, 1 Greenshank and 5 Great Crested Grebes. 

Bordered Straw. Additional immigrant/presumed immigrant species last night were 1 Dark-bordered Pearl Evergestis limbata, 1 Scarce Bordered Straw, 2 Olive-tree Pearl, 8 Dark Sword-grass, 2 Rusty Dot Pearl, 2 European Corn-borer, 2 Rush Veneer and 1 White-point.

Also of note - another 45 Portland Ribbon Wave, 1 Blair's Mocha, 2 Hoary Footman, 1 Green Silver-lines, 1 Poplar Grey, 1 Rosy Rustic, 1 Purple Bar, 1 Currant Pug, 1 Pale Mottled Willow, 1 Marbled Green, 6 Box-tree Moth and 1 Pebble Prominent.

My second Dark-bordered Pearl in recent weeks.

Hoary Footman.

Striped Hawkmoth

A gorgeous Striped Hawkmoth trapped last night along with 2 Scarce Bordered Straw, 1 Turnip Moth, 3 Silver Y, 3 Dark Sword-grass, 3 Rusty Dot Pearl, 10 Rush Veneer and 2 European Corn-borer. Non immigrant species included a whopping 42 Portland Ribbon Wave, 1 Maiden's Blush, 1 Blair's Mocha, 1 Pale Mottled Willow, 1 Small Square-spot, 1 Shark and 1 Poplar Hawkmoth.

Orcombe first thing - at least 12 Yellow Wagtails and a Mediterranean Gull. Mudbank - the Osprey spent a good chunk of the morning on a marker post off Lympstone. Also the first three returning Wigeon along with a Shoveler amongst c385 Mallard and c365 Canada Geese. Additionally - 42 Whimbrel, 1 Greenshank, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 9 Common Terns, 1 Mediterranean Gull and 26 Shelduck. A quick look off Shelly Beach on the rising tide produced c85/90+ Common Terns and c40 Sandwich Terns roosting on Bull Hill. The 5cy Yellow-legged Gull was roosting on the Imperial rugby ground adjacent to the recycling centre.

First three Wigeon - Mudbank.

Scarce Bordered Straw - above and below. Note the difference in pigmentation apparently caused by the difference in temperature where each hatched. The paler individual likely from somewhere further south and hotter.

5cy Yellow-legged Gull.

Toadflax Pearl

Toadflax Pearl Antigastra catalaunalis - a long hoped-for and anticipated new moth for me and a rare immigrant species which, like many others, appears to be getting more regular. Gutted I didn't manage a better photo before I lost it.

Rusty Acorn Piercer Cydia amplana. Other presumed immigrant species included 4 Dark Sword-grass, 1 Silver Y, 2+ Rusty Dot Pearl, and 4+ Rush Veneer. Also another Blair's Mocha, 1 Maiden's Blush and another 33 Portland Ribbon Waves.

An early morning look at Orcombe Point produced c50 Swallows heading east into the breeze. Also - 9+ Yellow Wagtails, 2 Tree Pipits, 2 Wheatears, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1+ Sand Martin, 2 Mediterranean Gulls and 1 Cirl Bunting.

Off Mudbank - 1 Osprey hunting the lower river around 0930 and seen again around 1440 sat on a post off  Lympstone (thank you to Rob for the text). Also off  Mudbank today - 40+ Common Terns downriver with another flock of 30+ seen a while later that may or may not have been different birds. Additionally - 40 Whimbrel, 2 Knot, 3 Redshank, 27 Shelduck, 21 Mute Swans and my first returning Kingfisher of the autumn.

Yesterday on Orcombe - 2 Yellow Wagtails, 7 Willow Warblers and 2 Canada Geese. Mudbank - 33 Whimbrel, 2 Knot, 3 Bar-tailed Godwits, 1 Grey Plover, 1 Greenshank and 8 Dunlin.

The Blair's Mochas keep coming...

Osprey from the back garden this morning.

Osprey off Lympstone this afternoon.