Late Shelly

The regular Great Northern Diver.

I've spent the last couple of evenings at Shelly Beach, watching the gulls come into roost and trying to count the Cattle Egrets as they fly to roost, north of Starcross. I've failed miserably to get accurate counts of anything but this evening I logged c50 Cattle Egrets (to roost at 1715), c30 Great Black-backed Gulls, just the one Lesser Black-backed Gull, c160 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 Pale-bellied Brent Goose, 1 Great Northern Diver and 1 Kingfisher.

Yesterday evening - c70+ Cattle Egrets (to roost at 1705), c35 Common Gulls, c150 Carrion Crows and 1 Great Northern Diver. I could only see 6 Eiders off the seafront.

On the 29th - c20 Lesser Black-backed Gulls on Bull Hill and 1 Great Northern Diver.

It's not even easy counting Cattle Egrets from a photo when it's taken in near darkness from about a mile away. How many birds is a white blur? This was yesterday's flock which I estimated was about 70+ birds.

Eighty-two RtDs

Four of this morning's Red-throated Divers. Several small flocks were noted flying quite high up, the largest of which consisted of twelve birds.

I wasn't expecting much from this morning's sea-watch but it was surprisingly good. A cool, light southerly obviously does the trick at this time of year. I scoped the bay from up on Foxholes and, between 0745 and 0930, logged an impressive 82 Red-throated Divers flying west. Only two diver sp went east, one of which was a possible Black-throat. Otherwise - 2 Fulmars, just 5 Gannets, small numbers of auks, 8 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 17 Common Scoters and a flock of 14 Pintail.

Nothing out of the ordinary off Mudbank but it was really good to catch up with Josh Marshall who I haven't seen for years! Counts included 1 male Goldeneye, 5 Red-breasted Mergansers, 59 Wigeon, 8 Pintail, 35 Mallard, c55 Bar-tailed Godwits, c150 Knot, c75 Grey Plovers, 6 Great Crested Grebes and 1 Chiffchaff.

Otherwise, it's been a quiet week bird-wise (but not work-wise). Yesterday - the 8 Cirl Buntings were again by the slurry pit on Orcombe Point and a single Redpoll was noted on Withycombe Raleigh Common.

On the 25th the female Goldeneye was off Mudbank and on the 24th I counted 165+ Curlew and c20+ Sanderlings on Cockle Sands, along with 7 Eiders in the estuary off Bull Hill.

Finally, a count of 50 Great Black-backed Gulls roosting on the Imperial rugby ground was noteworthy on the 23rd.

One of nine Redwings feeding on cotoneaster berries at the end of our road. I'm praying they leave enough for any Waxwings that happen to be passing through...

Male Cirl Bunting - one of the eight-strong flock that's wintering around the slurry pit on Orcombe Point.

Egyptian Goose

Following an early morning sea-watch I decided to photograph a lone Sanderling on the beach. Whilst

getting some shots I glanced up to see this Egyptian Goose powering towards the river mouth. 

The sea-watch had earlier revealed another big movement of auks heading southwards, but all were too far out to identify. Otherwise - 1 Great Northern Diver, 1 Red-throated Diver and 3 diver species (including a possible Black-throat) were noted, along with a single Common Scoter. I would probably have given it longer had the light not been so bad.

The only other snippets from today was the 4 Cirl Buntings still ' present and correct' on the Imperial recreation ground and the 9 Eiders still loafing off the Warren, viewed from opposite the Pavillions.

Sanderling - Exmouth beach.

First-winter Caspian Gull

This first-winter Caspian Gull was off Mudbank on the incoming tide this morning. Present for a couple of hours at least. Relatively small, I guess it's a female. Little else noted but 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls were further signs of some gull movement. Really good to catch up with Tom, as always.

Earlier, an hour's 'raised beach hut' sea-watch, from 0815, produced 3 Great Northern Divers, 2 Red-throated Divers, 1 Shelduck, 2 Fulmars, 27 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 Turnstone, 65+ Gannets, just 1 Kittiwake and 23 Common Gulls. Only a handful of auks moving unlike yesterday. Four Redwings flew out of scrub behind the raised beach huts.

Sea

A cold sunrise this morning with the wind really freshening up. A look at the sea for an hour, from 0810, produced 10 Red-throated Divers, 21 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 90+ Gannets, lots of auks, 14+ Common Gulls, 11 Common Scoters, 2 Fulmars and 12+ Kittiwakes.

Mudbank totals included the 2 juvenile Spoonbills, c300 Wigeon, 78 Mallard, 5 Pintail, 3 Red-breasted Mergansers, 5+ Great Crested Grebes, c120 Curlew, c130 Knot, c65+ Bar-tailed Godwits, 65+ Common Gulls and 1 Cetti's Warbler.

The 2 Spoonbills were again present on the rising tide this morning, from 0930.

Curlew - Mudbank.

Gadwall, Goldies and Goosanders

Bar-tailed Godwit - Mudbank.

A beautiful day today. Cold but beautiful. I counted the Goosanders on Blackhill Quarry pool at first light - 23 birds, all leaving before 8am.

It was good to see 3 Gadwall off Mudbank having recorded none in Exmouth last year. Additional counts off there included 40 Redshank, 6 Pintail, 2 Teal, c250 Wigeon, c75 Mallard and just 1 Red-breasted Merganser. Also there - 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Peregrine, 1 Ringed Plover and 3 Bar-tailed Godwits.

Orcombe Point - 19 Golden Plovers, 3 Snipe, 1 Fieldfare, 1+ Redwing, 3 Chiffchaffs and 2 Rock Pipits.

A single Firecrest and 5 Redwings were in gardens along our road and at least 4 Eiders were off the seafront. The 4 Cirl Buntings were in the hedge that separates the Imperial recreation ground from the rugby ground.

Two drake Gadwall, either side of a female.

Drake Gadwall.

 Golden Plovers - cold weather movers on Orcombe Point.

Spoonbills

Good views of two juvenile Spoonbills off Mudbank this afternoon. On Orcombe Point - 5 Chiffchaffs on the dung heaps and 8 Cirl Buntings near the slurry pit. My first Lapwing of the year flew north and at least 2 Redwings were knocking around, along with 8+ Song Thrushes. The four Cirl Buntings were still on the Imperial recreation ground. Otherwise - 6 Eider off the seafront and 1 Pale-bellied Brent Goose with 102 Dark-bellied Brent Geese on the rugby ground.