Two Spot Reds!

Two Spotted Redshanks (front two) off Mudbank late this afternoon. Distant and totally unprecedented!

Mudbank - 27 Knot, 18 Ringed Plovers, 7+ Dunlin, 145+ Redshank, 2 Spotted Redshank and an adult Mediterranean Gull. Very tricky viewing conditions this afternoon so very little counted. A strong westerly blasting across the river and heavy showers.

Orcombe blown out earlier. One Firecrest and a couple Turnstones the only thing of any note.

Five of twenty-seven Knot.

The first Mediterranean Gull I've seen for a while.

Gadwall Flock

Cirl Bunting pair - Orcombe.

Damp on Orcombe this morning. Counts included 5 Redpolls, 3 Siskins, 1 Jay, c40 Robins, 16+ Blackbirds, 4 Stonechats, 15+ Chiffchaffs, 13+ Song Thrushes, 4+ Redwings, 8 Goldcrests, 1 Firecrest, 1 Curlew and 10 Starlings.

Mudbank - 9 Gadwall (a really good Exmouth count), c775 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 19 Greenshank, 1 Spotted Redshank, 105+ Turnstones, c120+ Redshank, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1 Grey Plover, 1 drake Shoveler, 1 Kingfisher and 2 Knot. Large numbers of Wigeon, Black-tailed Godwit etc not counted.

Yesterday's Orcombe tally was disappointing with just 2250+ Woodpigeons, 1 Turnstone, 1 Little Egret, 13 Siskins and the Red-legged Partridge.

Off Mudbank - 1 Spotted Redshank, 115+ Redshank, c85 Turnstones, 40 Dunlin, the drake Shoveler and 15 Knot. Nothing else counted.

Prob RTP, RK,GWEs

Woodpigeons.

An absolutely glorious morning on the patch with clear skies and a decidedly chilly and fresh north-easterly. Orcombe from 0725 'til 1005 - 1 probable Red-throated Pipit west at 0820 (called twice 'pzsss' sounding perfect to my ear but there's no way I'll be submitting anything on such a brief and unsatisfactory encounter), 18000+ Woodpigeons, up to 4 Reed Buntings, 1 Lapwing, 1 Snipe, 3+ Redwings (my first of the autumn), 1 Redpoll, 1 Swallow, 1 House Martin, 3 hirundine sp, 3 Starlings, 1 Jay, 4+ Siskins, just 10 Pied Wagtails, only c20+ Meadow Pipits, c10 Chaffinches, 15+ Goldfinches, 11+ Chiffchaffs, 13+ Blackbirds, 6+ Song Thrushes, 2 Stonechats, 2 Peregrines, several Skylarks and Linnets, 3 Goldcrests and 2 Cirl Buntings.

Mudbank over the high tide - 2 Great Egrets upriver at 1155, 1 Red Kite at 1132 (unusual October record), 2 Goshawks (each up to inspect a separate high-flying corvid flock), 510+ Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 or 2 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, good numbers of Wigeon, Pintail, Black-tailed Godwit and Oystercatcher, 2 Shoveler, 205+ Curlew, 6 Teal, 2 Sanderling, 3 Dunlin, 2 Knot, 1 Grey Plover, 3 Greenshank, c50 Redshank, 45+ Turnstones, 30 Mute Swans, 62 Shelduck and 5 Lapwing upriver.

This Peregrine pair spent a lot of time flying up towards passing Woodpigeon flocks but I never once saw them attempt a kill.

A late House Martin over the top fields.

Swallow.

Continuing a good run of Shoveler records - this female was off Mudbank along with yesterday's male still.

Overhead Stuff

Drake Shoveler - Mudbank.

Orcombe from 0730 'til 0940 - 11500+ Woodpigeons, 1+ Swallow, 1 Jay, 7 Reed Buntings, 1+ Golden Plover, 1+ Bullfinch, 1 Redpoll, c40+ Goldfinches, 20+ Meadow Pipits, c25 Pied Wagtails, c30+ Chaffinches, 12+ Greenfinches, 13+ Blackbirds, 9+ Song Thrushes, 8+ Chiffchaffs, 4+ Siskins, 1 Goldcrest, 1 singing male Cirl Bunting, 1 Firecrest, 2 Peregrines, 1 Kestrel, 1 Sparrowhawk, 50+ Linnets and 1 Stonechat. Also lots of Skylarks airborne/milling around but difficult to count properly and plenty of mixed finch/pipit flocks that were largely quiet and therefore impossible to quantify.

Mudbank on the dropping tide. Large numbers of Wigeon, Pintail and Mallard not counted but c430+ Dark-bellied Brent Geese counted along with 1 drake Shoveler, c90 Redshank, 1 Greenshank, c80 Turnstones, c540 Black-tailed Godwits, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 90 Little Egrets, 2 Sandwich Terns and 1 Firecrest.

This juvenile Gannet was off Orcombe Point a couple days ago. Not looking in the best of health.

First Bramblings

One of three Jays recorded on Orcombe this morning.

A lovely calm and bright morning on Orcombe with some bits and pieces overhead. Between 0725 and 1010 - 3500 Woodpigeons, 80+ Meadow Pipits, c50 Chaffinches, 2 Bramblings, c40 Pied Wagtails, 2 Reed Buntings, 16+ Siskins, 3 Jays, 17+ Greenfinches, 80+ Goldfinches, c100+ Skylarks, c3/400+ Linnets, 9+ Stock Doves, 15+ Blackbirds, 5 Song Thrushes, 1 Coal Tit, 2+ Cirl Buntings, 2 Firecrests, just 5+ Chiffchaffs, up to 9 Stonechats, up to 4 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 6 Starlings, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1+ Goldcrest, c20 Jackdaws and c20 Magpies.

Mudbank - 1 Osprey, 9 Mute Swans, 1 Black Swan, 6 Bar-tailed Godwits, c145+ Black-tailed Godwits, 1 Knot, 2+ Turnstones, 25+ Redshank, c350 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 2 Sandwich Terns and at least 10 Skylarks west across the river. 

Yesterday off Mudbank - 28 Great Crested Grebes, 350+ Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 drake Shoveler, 2 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 9 Grey Plovers, 1 Black Swan, 5 Mute Swans and a juvenile Osprey.

I'm still seeing plenty of Clouded Yellows on Orcombe, a significant proportion of which are the pale 'helice' form like this one pictured above.

Woodpigeons

c1000 Woodpigeons logged over Orcombe this morning.

Orcombe from 0725 - c20 Chiffchaffs, 4 Firecrests, 3 Blackcaps, 4 Goldcrests, 1 Tree Pipit, 11+ Siskins, 1+ Reed Bunting, 34+ Pied Wagtails, c60 Chaffinches,  6 Stonechats, c80+ Meadow Pipits, 34 Skylarks (plus c60+ on the deck), c50 Goldfinches, 18+ Greenfinches, c150+ Linnets, up to 5 Cirl Buntings, c20+ Blackbirds, 2 Grey Wagtails, 1+ Coal Tit, 2 Rock Pipits, 3 Stock Doves and the Cetti's Warbler still.

Mudbank - c320 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 4 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, c4/500+ Black-tailed Godwits, 50+ Turnstones, c40 Teal, 14 Mute Swans, 1 Black Swan, 14 Skylarks over, 25 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Grey Plover and 4 Greenshank. Redshank, Wigeon, Pintail etc not counted.

Black Swan off Mudbank.

 Male Blackcap - Orcombe.

V Brief Casp

First-winter Caspian Gull - only seen for a few seconds this afternoon before disappearing. Viewing conditions rubbish in a strong westerly coming straight across the river. Otherwise the Dark-bellied Brent Goose flock numbered c260 birds on Cockle Sands, along with 10 Grey Plovers. Nothing else counted today.