Latticed Heaths, Whinchat

I disturbed four Latticed Heaths from long grass on Orcombe this morning - a species that until today I'd only seen in France. I can't believe I've overlooked them for the last twenty-something years (although it's not impossible) so presumably a brand new colony.

Orcombe Point - rained off with just 1 Whinchat and 1 male Blackcap logged. Nearby - on the beach by the lifeboat station - a flock of 52 Ringed Plovers. A flock of 8 or 9 Common Scoters whizzed by offshore.

Mudbank - 25 Wigeon, 5 Pintail, 5+ Black-tailed Godwits, 9 Bar-tailed Godwits, 2 Greenshank, 9+ Ringed Plovers, 1 Sanderling, 12 Dunlin, 2 Common Sandpipers, 7 Sandwich Terns and 6+ Common Terns. The Osprey was well upriver.

Wigeon - Mudbank.

Two Painted Ladies, two Vestals and masses of Rush Veneers in the rain on Orcombe this morning.

Disappointingly quiet in soggy conditions this morning but this juvenile Whinchat on the dung heap was nice.

Lil Stint, Casp, Glossy Ibis

This beautiful first-winter Caspian Gull was off Mudbank this afternoon. Statistically more of a common sight in Exmouth than today's Little Stint but not quite as common as Glossy Ibis - today's bird being my 19th in the parish.

The bay was heaving with birds first thing this morning. By the time I started counting a lot of it had moved on but I logged 150+ 'commic' terns, 3 Balearic Shearwaters, 4 shearwater sp, 1 Fulmar and 6 Common Scoters before things quietened down a little. Masses of Gannets, Kittiwakes and Black-headed Gulls made up the bulk of numbers.

Orcombe Point - 3 Wheatears, 3 Grey Wagtails and 3 Sand Martins but otherwise pretty blown out by the south-easterly.

Mudbank - Little Stint with c20 Dunlin, 1 Sanderling, 14+ Ringed Plovers and 1 Turnstone, first-winter Caspian Gull, 1 Osprey, 26 Wigeon, 3 Pintail, c30 Common Terns, just 5 Sandwich Terns, 3 Black-tailed Godwits, 8 Redshank, 3 Greenshank, 4 Pale-bellied Brent Geese and 1 Common Sandpiper.

Nearby a surprise juvenile Glossy Ibis in Duckpond with 3 Whimbrel.

Sand Martin - Orcombe Point.

Osprey - off Mudbank.

Initial view of this afternoon's juvenile Glossy Ibis, found in the Duckpond. A different, much browner-toned individual, turned up across the other side of the river at Dawlish Warren.

Clouded Yellow

On the beach by the lifeboat station - 17 Ringed Plovers, 2 Dunlin and 4 Grey Wagtails over. Further down the seafront - still 1 juvenile Sabine's Gull.

Bull Hill early on - 2 juvenile Little Gulls with c80 Common Terns.

Cockle Sands (from the Imperial) - 14 Ringed Plovers, 1 Dunlin, 262 Curlew and, later this afternoon - a juvenile Arctic Tern with c20/30 Common Terns.

Mudbank - 2 Goshawks (across the other side of the river), 2 Ospreys, 2 Common Sandpipers, 16 Redshank, 17 Wigeon, 5 Pintail, 23 Great Crested Grebes, 4 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 1 Turnstone, 4 Bar-tailed Godwits, 2 Greenshank, 5 Whimbrel, 72+ Shelduck and 2 Tree Pipits over.

A quick scoot round Orcombe from 0845 - 2 Tree Pipits, 13+ Meadow Pipits, 2 Siskins, 1 Ringed Plover, 1 Collared Dove, 3+ Yellow Wagtails, 20+ Swallows and 2 Grey Wagtails.

Greenshank - Mudbank.

Sabs

Caught up with the juvenile Sabine's Gull after work. As you can see from the photo it was a fair way off the seafront, nearer to the Warren, although when I first got on it, it was much nearer to Exmouth. All the same, a lovely bird and my first in Exmouth in years. Nearby off the Imperial - 1 Black Tern with c200+ Common Terns, c70 Shelduck and 4 Pale-bellied Brent Geese.

Juv Arctic Tern

Sketches of juvenile Arctic Tern from a considerable distance, so as much an impression as anything. I've been searching for this species ever since the Common Tern numbers started to build but haven't had any luck, although I did have a lone bird off Orcombe Point the other day. This bird was quite easy to pick out on its smaller proportions but the wing detail was of course needed to clinch the id.

A look off Mudbank after work on the dropping tide, produced 2 juvenile Little Gulls, 1 juvenile Black Tern and at least 1 juvenile Arctic Tern in with a lovely flock of 335+ Common Terns - all resting on Cockle Sands. Also this afternoon - 7 Greenshank, 3 Black-tailed Godwits, 3 Bar-tailed Godwits, 6 Redshank, 1 Pale-bellied Brent Goose and 3 Common Sandpipers. Nearby - 11 Whimbrel in Duckpond.

This evening off the seafront - 2 Arctic Skuas and c20/30+ Balearic Shearwaters along with at least 2 Manx Shearwaters. Masses of terns well out in the bay too.

Black Tern - stretching it a bit to even call this a record shot but gives some idea of the distances you have to contend with from Mudbank.

I thought the Little Gulls would stick mid-river but a really odd call drew my attention to this bird that had ventured a little closer.

Black Terns, Pale-b Brents

Just some of the c460 Common Terns today.

Two juvenile Black Terns and 1 juvenile Little Tern in with a very nervous and flighty flock of c460 Common Terns this morning. The birds were moving between the northern end of Cockle Sands and Bull Hill but not alighting, presumably thanks to the presence of a pair of Peregrines resting on Cockle Sands. Two Mediterranean Gulls also present and the 5cy Yellow-legged Gull was nearby in the recycling centre. Earlier - a quick look off Maer Rocks produced 1 adult Little Tern, 5 Sandwich Terns, 2 Common Scoters and 1 Balearic Shearwater.

A surprisingly early flock of 22 Pale-bellied Brent Geese was on Cockle Sands early this afternoon, along with a single Black Tern which was presumably one of this morning's birds. Also on Cockle Sands - 76 Shelduck, at least 38 Ringed Plovers and 6+ Sanderling. Nine Whimbrel were in Duckpond and a Wheatear was on the cricket pitch.

A quick look off Mudbank revealed 3 Black-tailed Godwits, 8 Redshank, 10 Wigeon, 2 Greenshank, 2 Bar-tailed Godwits, 1 Common Sandpiper and 1 Osprey.  

Yesterday - a mid afternoon sea-watch off Orcombe Point produced 1 juvenile Arctic Tern, 3 Arctic Skuas, 4 Manx Shearwaters and 1 Balearic Shearwater.

Mudbank yesterday - 8 Redshank, 1 Greenshank, 4 Black-tailed Godwits, 3 Turnstones, 1 Teal, 74 Shelduck, 4 Sanderling and 2 Bar-tailed Godwits. A flock of c500+ Common Terns was on Bull Hill.

29/8 - Mudbank - 12 Whimbrel, 4 Black-tailed Godwits, 4 Greenshank, 6 Redshank, 2 Turnstones, c45 Common Terns, 10 Wigeon, 23+ Sanderling, 43+ Ringed Plovers, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1 Kingfisher and 1 Osprey. A Spotted Flycatcher was on Withycombe Raleigh Common.

The Common Tern flock frequently gained height and at times was impressively strung out. 

Part of the flock of 22 Pale-bellied Brent Geese on Cockle Sands early this afternoon.

Wheatear - cricket pitch.

The 5cy Yellow-legged Gull showed beautifully in the recycling centre this morning.

Small Coppers

The 5cy Yellow-legged Gull braved a short trip to Exmouth cricket pitch yesterday.

Mudbank today - 6 Redshank, 1 Greenshank, 1 Common Sandpiper, 2 Black-tailed Godwits, 10 Wigeon, 1 Knot, 8 Whimbrel, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit and 1 Grey Wagtail. Three Swifts were scoped flying south down the opposite side of the river.

Yesterday - c3/400+ Common Terns, 10 Wigeon, 2 Black-tailed Godwits, 10 Redshank, 1 Greenshank, 4 Ringed Plovers, 9 or 10 Whimbrel, 1 Pintail, 2 Common Sandpipers and 1 Osprey. Across the river, at least 60 Cattle Egrets flew towards Cofton.

A Kestrel was hunting the Maer and the 5cy Yellow-legged Gull was on the cricket pitch. A quick look off the lifeboat station first thing produced 2 Common Scoters, 2 Arctic Skuas, 2 Mediterranean Gulls and 5+ Balearic Shearwaters.

It's not unusual to Knot off Mudbank but they're normally half a mile away on Cockle Sands.

Brown Argus.

Male Common Blue.

I counted 13 Small Coppers in a small patch of thistles adjacent to the cycle path at West Lodge, along with masses of Common Blues, a Brown Argus and several Meadow Browns.