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Common Sandpiper present this evening on the river Exe next to South West Water sewage treatment works.

This morning's sightings (high tide) included: Treecreeper, Bullfinch (male), Grey Wagtail, Mediterranean Gull (ad-w), Teal (drake), 28 Wigeon, 55 Shelducks, 29 Mandarin Ducks, Red-crested Pochard (female), 6 Goosanders (2 drakes), 2 Red-breasted Mergansers (drakes), 2+ Little Grebes, Knot, Common Sandpiper, 7 Greenshanks & 280 Dunlins.  

On the reserve this morning I was pleased to find one Ruff amongst the Black-tailed Godwits and Canada Geese near the main car park. Also a couple of Chiffchaff were along the canal path and a Marsh Harrier drifted over.

Ruff

Arrived 6.45am. Fifteen goosanders in the southern end of the quarry lake (14f 1m). All had flown off by 7.30am. Otherwise 3 pairs tufted duck, two pairs mallard, solitary Canada goose flew in as goosanders departed. Small party of 9 long tailed tits, fly past bullfinch and greenfinch by the path.

Just on dawn this morning at South Brent a Barn owl calling, while out trying to spot it a Woodcock flew over.

7 Teal, 7 mallard, moorhen, mistle thrush singing, 8 marsh tit, 6 nuthatch, song thrush singing, goldcrest singing, gt spotted woodpecker calling, dunnock, great tit, blue tit, coal tit, wren, blackbird, chaffinch

The (or at least a) drake Tufted Duck on Wrafton pond this morning. 29 Black-tailed Godwits out on the scrape. Too windy to expect much in the reserve but Kingfisher zooming downstream from the bridge, and 2 calling Water Rails in the reserve. Yesterday a Little Grebe from the bridgeat high tide was unusual.

I came across a Barn Owl hunting over the fields (4th Feb) and was amazed as a Buzzard performed a direct attack from behind forcing the owl to drop onto the ground. It picked itself up and flew off unharmed with only its pride slightly bruised. Watch the video on https://youtu.be/nUXrMJZc65c  

Barn Owl

At high tide the Spotted Redshank was present with the Redshank flock. A few Snipe showed in front of the hide whilst the flock of Black-tailed Godwits were a bit twitchy with a marauding Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Spotted Redshank

Black-tailed Godwit

Starcross ~ Thirteen Red Breasted Merganser and a Great Crested Grebe on the Exe, a flypast by two Kingfisher, a huge number of Black Headed Gulls flew down the estuary and of that number an estimated 500 landed of off Starcross, the flock included an adult Mediterranean Gull and one Common Gull.
 

On the dropping tide 400 plus Dunlin, good numbers of Oyster Catcher, at one point five ringed bird’s in view, smaller numbers of Redshank, Curlew and Turnstone. 

A count of fifteen Common Gull and a Peregrine being mobbed by a Herring Gull. Large numbers of Brent Geese moving around the area.

Nine Cattle Egret in with cattle on the hillside above Starcross.

Red-breasted Merganser

Dunlin

The 10 Glossy Ibis arrived low and fast at 1704pm having flown over Exmouth at 1657pm

56 Mute Swans feeding on grassy field between Stoke Canon and Huxham at lunchtime today.

The single Whooper Swan is still with the Mutes but no sign of the others for several weeks.

The smiling faces are spawning again on the garden pond but numbers lower with only 8 adults counted so far.

10 Glossy Ibis from canal viewing platform first light but flew east until lost from sight at 8.10. 2 Spoonbill (Ad & Imm). 3 1st w Marsh Harrier, 450+ Wigeon, 80+ Teal, 38 shoveler, 36 Shelduck, 15+ Pintail, 140+ Curlew, 500+ Golden Plover, 500+ Lapwing, 270 Dunlin, 65 Blackwits 

During a high tide visit first thing: Knot, 7 Greenshanks, 316 Dunlins, 142+ Redshanks, 12 Turnstones, 54 Curlews, 9 Oystercatchers, 6 Goosanders (2 drakes), 2 Red-breasted Mergansers (drakes), Little Grebe, 8 Little Egrets & an ad-w Mediterranean Gull.

Yesterday, also female Bullfinch, Snipe, Roe Deer & Field Vole.  

Firecrest recently in a garden, while working there

13 cattle egrets sheltering by the hedge in the fields at the top of North End Lane at 10am – also a buzzard at the top of the field. They all seemed to be making the most of no machinery being used today on the adjacent building site.

The recent Field Trip (3rd Feb) turned up a Cirl Bunting, Stonechats, Kestrel and Linnets in the grassland and the usual spread of waders on the mudflats in the estuary with Ringed Plover, Bar-tailed Godwits, Knot, Dunlin, Grey Plover, Curlew, Black-tailed Godwit and Oystercatchers on show. Six Red-breasted Mergansers were in the channels and several Great crested Grebes were on the sea.

Cirl Bunting

Stonechat

3 Purple Sandpipers working the rocks below Capstone Hill

Heron and Buzzard in the garden today

Grey Heron

Buzzard

10 Black-tailed Godwits on the scrape and 2 Little Egrets with them Using the reserve trees as shelter from the really cold wind. Best in the reserve were a Buzzard (prospecting?) 6-8 Redwings, a Water Rail,  and off to the South a female Marsh Harrier quartering Sherpa Marsh. First one I've seen there this year. As I left, I met Sue Bruce near the bridge (Dipper in the river) and suddenly the sky was FULL of Black-headed Gulls - almost as far as the main estuary really huge numbers of Gulls. Not sure what was creating that disturbance, but good to know that there are so many of them around. Anyone see a big bird of prey?

A relatively short visit on this morning's high tide produced: 2 Red-breasted Mergansers (drakes), 3 Goosanders (1 drake), 29 Wigeon & a Little Grebe. 

This morning whilst swimming in the sea pool at Westward Ho a single Purple Sandpiper appeared wandering unconcerned amongst the rocks.

7 Hawfinches near the maze this morning. Also Green and Great Spotted Woodpecker and several Siskins.

1pm in field next toRogers garage Brixton , approx 9 cattle egrets + several little egrets.

2pm Velvet scoter showing very well (bill jammed open for some reason) with great created grebes directly out from sea wall. Slavonian grebe more distant.

Spotted Redshank and several Greenshank along with the hordes of Redshank and Black-tailed Godwits. The 5 Glossy Ibis later seen to circle and land in the field behind Saltpill duckpond.

This morning there were THREE female Blackcaps on the peanut fatcake! Not seen this morning, but yesterday, there were also TWO males. 

A walk from the Wrafton Water bridge round Sherpa Marsh and back this morning produced a highlight of numerous singing  Skylarks on the wing! Also heard but not seen 2 Cettis Warblers. 2 (or the same one twice) Kingfishers in the Caen River on the reeds, and two Grey Wagtails. On our return to the bridge had a handsome male Bullfinch pitch up and start devouring the leaf buds on a streamline tree. If anyone has lost a LENS CAP I picked one up on the river bank today, happy to reunite it with the owner.

Male bullfinch

17.00 Opposite Texaco garage,  approx 15 cattle and 8 little egrets in field with large number of cattle. Difficult to count through the cows legs.

Today's visit on the low & rising tide produced: Knot, Snipe, Common Sandpiper, 1+ ad-w Mediterranean Gull, 24 Turnstones, 2 drake Red-breasted Mergansers, drake Teal, female Red-crested Pochard, 24 Mandarin Ducks, 29 Wigeon, c30 Redwings & a Field Vole.

Flocks now breaking up with many birds in song. Best today 60+ Cirl Bunting, Grey Wagtail, Grey Heron after frogs, 40 Meadow Pipit - 1st movement, 13 Greenfinch, 70 Goldfinch, 60 Linnet, 330 Skylark, 50+ Yellowhammer, Sparrowhawk.

Non-avian: Red Fox & 8 Roe Deer

Kingfisher showing very well at Radford Lake

3 Spoonbill on the scrape this morning with a Little Egret and 6 Black-tailed Godwits. In the reserve, 2 Jays, Goldcrest 2 Redwings, Water Rail and a Bumblebee!

Sitting having coffee in Otter Garden Centre, looking across the road into a field with cattle, saw good numbers of Cattle Egret.

The fourth in a row of Stuart Line cruises this afternoon proved hard going in the lower half of the estuary, but with many birds concentrated in the upper half. Unusually, 2 Mute Swans were along Exmouth sea front and 2 Ravens were around Cockle Sands, but more predictable were a Peregrine on Exmouth church and the 2 Black-necked Grebes at Cockwood. A Kingfisher fished from one of the wrecks near Powderham, plus a few Greenshanks nearby. A Harbour Seal ate a flatfish in mid-estuary, while the large flock of Pintail was again around the Clyst mouth. As yesterday, thousands of waders were liberally scattered over the mudflats at Topsham, including over 600 Avocets and 1000 Black-tailed Godwits, c80 Knot and the Spotted Redshank.

On the return journey, hundreds of Canada and Brent Geese flew onto the mudbanks between Turf and Powderham, bringing with them the single White-fronted and Snow Geese (not to mention a few hybrids and a huge, almost-white Emden goose!). The icing on the cake, however, was the 5 Glossy Ibis that flew low up the estuary right past the boat!

Today, Stover Country Park seemed to be the place to visit. With a couple of hours to spare while in the area, I popped in and rewarded with sighting of about ten Mandarin males but less females, a number of Tufted Ducks, one male Pochard, two Wigeon male a two females, a Wren, some Blue Tits, Coal Tits, Great Tits, Long Tailed Tits, Chaffinches male and female, a Heron and a Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Wigeon

Walk around the southern part of the marshes this afternoon, rather cold and damp. Viewing from Station Road the white-fronted goose was with c200 Canada geese. When a helicopter flew over they all flew south towards and past the Turf. The adult spoonbill remained roosting with cormorants in the centre of the marsh. Two sightings of marsh harrier were probably the same bird. Along the canal tow path  2 chiffchaffs were feeding. Two ravens and 2 buzzards circling overhead appeared to have been ignored by all the waders and ducks.

During a low tide visit this morning: Kingfisher, Mediterranean Gull (Polish-ringed ad-w PHAU), Jack Snipe, Common Sandpiper, 16 Turnstones, 28 Mandarin Ducks, Red-crested Pochard (female), 4+ Goosanders (2 drakes), 2 Little Grebes, Peregrine (adult), 2 Stonechats (males), 3 Bullfinches (1 male), Grey Wagtail & a Field Vole. 

A male Bullfinch and a Marsh Tit on garden feeders today, together with more usual finch and tit species.

3 Cattle egrets viewed from the Stokely hide at Slapton on Sunday

Cattle Egrets

Mallards