A look around Exmouth over the mid-day high-tide with Sara and Tony. Starting from the entrance to the docks where we could see several Sandwich Terns with a few Turnstones sat on the boats aound the estuary and a female Wheatear on the Warren point and large number of Oystercatchers in the bight area roosting. Moving up to the seafront near the clock tower several Terns and Gannets seen fishing around the bay and off Langstone rock with Ringed Plover, Sanderling and Dunlin on the beach side of Warren point. Later on the outgoing tide a look around Mudbank on my own showed good numbers of Terns on the exposed sandbar with 2 Little Terns and large number of Terns in feeding frenzy along the railway seawall in front Powderhan Castle with good numbers of both Wigeon and Mallard ducks flying from golf course side over to to top end of Mudbank.
Link to video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9ISWZovgR8
Yesterday 4-9-2015 at Goosemoor over the morning high-tide showed the Spotted Redshank with 3-Ruff and Greenshank roosting on the far side.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocWwHZtsLrY
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Exmouth
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Exminster Marshes
A few raptors about at Exminster Marshes this afternoon with Perigrine, pair of Sparrowhawk, Buzzard and a Hobby, all seen on the back path to Turf. The Hobby chasing the Swallows about and the Sparrowhawks successfully took a Blackbird in the "Discovery" area. One of them could have been a Juvenile?
The Perigrine on the Pylon looking half asleep with the Buzzard loafing about over head and not much else about.
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Bowling green marsh
Watched from 08:00 till 13:30
A quick look around the bushes first thing only produced 2 male blackcaps, from the viewing platform a couple of yellow wagtails over and a probable tree pipit over (only on call), 30+ knot, 1 spotted redshank, 20+ dunlin good numbers of redshank
from the hide , 2 Hobby flew through , 1 peregrine, 5+ buzzards, 2 spotted redshanks , 8+ yellow wagtails continued the good run this autumn, 1 ruff, 26+ dunlin, 3 bar tailed godwits, 10+ whimbrel, 630+ black tailed godwits, 200+ curlew, good numbers of redshanks , 20+ greenshanks, 4 pintail, 2 wigeon good numbers of teal and mallards, 1 tufted duck , steady passage of swallows( one wave came through with 620+ with others moving through most of the morning) also good numbers of sand martins and house martins, 60+ goldfinch.
A quick look back around the viewing platform produced a nuthatch and a probable Garden warbler again only on call.
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Soar
A sprinkling of migrants this morning and into early afternoon...
28 Siskins (over), 19 Wheatears, 2 Whinchats, Spotted Flycatcher, 16 Whitethroats, 20 Chiffchaffs, 2 Willow Warblers, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, 4 Yellow Wagtails, 30+ Alba Wagtails, Song Thrush, Grey Wagtail, Sparrowhawk, Goldcrest, c150 Swallows, and c50 House Martins.
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Yellow Wagtails and Kingfisher Exminster Marshes
At least a dozen Yellow Wagtails skitting around the feet of the cattle on Exminster Marshes today. Seen in two seperate places around cattle 10 minutes apart, not sure if same group or if there were two diffrent groups. Also 15 Linnets resting in a tree. 2 Kingfishers by the Canal near Turf Cottage. Several Juvenile Sky Larks and Reed Buntings seen Thursday and today.
Yellow Wagtail
Kingfisher
Juvenile Sky Lark
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R.Taw. Pottington to Ashford Sewage Works. 07:55 to 09:30.
11 Bar-tailed Godwit; 24 Black-tailed Godwit; 1 Curlew Sandpiper; 1 juv Dunlin; 5 Teal; 9 Grey Heron; 13 Little Egret, 3 Chiff Chaff and 2 male Ruff.
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Turf lock
Black tern and Little tern on the river this morning
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River Caen
0945-1300 4 Common sandpiper,3 Curlew sandpiper,2 Ruff,1 Blackwit,12 Dunlin,5 Buzzard and a juv Marsh harrier. Horsey held 3 Wheatear,1 King fisher and plenty of Greenshank on the high tide roost. At the mouth of the caen 28+ Ring plover. No Osprey.
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Teign Estuary
A juvenile Little Ringed Plover was at Passage House. Also 100 Curlew (incl. a ringed bird returning for the third year), 3 Dunlin, 40 Little Egret, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Wheatear and 1 Water Rail. A ringed Black-headed Gull was also present returning for it's second summer/autumn.
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East Soar
A family jaunt over Bolt Head turned up the 2nd Lesser Whitethroat of the autumn, 23 Wheatear, 4 Whitethroat, Tree Pipit, 16 Chiffchaff, 7 Willow Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Sparrowhawk & 5 Whinchat. Also several Painted Ladies.
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East Soar/Starehole
East Soar/Starehole, am, Sunday 6th September.
2 Spotted Flycatchers, 1 Pied Flycatcher, 2 Tree Pipits (over), 1 Yellow Wagtail (over), 6+ Wheatears, 1 White Wagtail etc.
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Passage House
I watched for about an hour on the incoming tide at Passage House this morning,a Little Ring Plover was feeding on the mudbank,and a GreenSandpiper appeared briefly.There were also at least three Common Sandpipers and 18 Little Egrets roosting on the marsh.The best bird of the morning was a cracking Lesser Whitethroat in the apple tree in the car park!
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Plym Estuary & Saltram
2 Tree Pipits, 5 or 6 Whinchats, Pergerine, 4 Bullfinches, Nuthatch, 110 Redshanks, 36 Curlews, 4 Dunlins, 2 Greenshanks, 3 Common Sandpipers, 15 Little Egrets, and 18 Grey Herons.
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Topsham
watched from 09:30 till 15:00
A good morning with 2 different Ospreys the first an Adult fishing of the Goat walk just after 10:15 before flying down estuary towards Lympstone chased by 2 carrion crows it gave great views and severall locals managed to get good views of their first osprey
The second Osprey was a smart juv over Bowling green marsh at around 11:50 it showed well before rising on a thermal and eventually drifted of North up the river clyst
other highlights were watching a stunning male kingfisher just down from the quay in topsham flying only a couple of feet from me sat on the benches no bins needed 2 juv sandwich terns were flying around.
A nuthatch and great spotted woodpecker were In trees in Rivers meet house
From the hide at bowling green marsh 1 juv ruff, 2 adult spotted redshanks, 300+ redshanks , 30+ dunlin, 2 knot, 400+ black tailed godwits, 1 hobby, 4 greenshanks, 14+ little egrets, 15+ lapwing, 2 yellow wagtails , over calling, 1 avocet.
from goosemoor , another juv ruff, 6+ dunlin, 14+ greenshank.
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Salmons pool to trews weir
15:35 till 16:30
on the way home a quick walk along the new flood relief channel produced 2 kingfishers , 3 yellow wagtails, and 1 black tailed godwit , 2 raven and a sparrowhawk.
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Great White Egret
While mooring up at Starcross just after sunset on Sunday 6th September, we watched a single Great White Egret fly northwards towards Powderham or Exminster.
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Bowling Green Viewing Platform (Yesterday 6-9-2015)
A late post from yesterday to follow up from Gerry's earlier post. The Little Tern was on post in middle of estuary next to Sandwich Tern which was on the white buoy then a lttle later the Black Tern was on another post further towards Lymstone on the outgoing high-tide early afternoon seen from the platform.
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Rillage Point
06.30 to 09.00 Almost still before sunrise. Visible/audible migration included 10 Grey Wagtails, the first few Chaffinches of the autumn, 40 Swallows, a dozen House Martins and a minimum of 118 Siskins all heading E in small flocks – very early in the season for such a high count here (though I see 180 were reported at Portland yesterday). Grounded night migrants in the scrub included 9 Whitethroats, 6 Blackcaps, 9 Chiffchaffs and a Willow Warbler. Two Coal Tits on the cliffs.
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Cormorants
Cormorants flying south over Morte Point yesterday
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Great White Egret
Seen 10.15 today 50 yards from the railway steps just south of the river Kenn outlet near Powderham Estate. Slav Grebe also close in off Cockwood (11.15). Bright sunshine meant I couldn't see me camera screen properly hence poor quality.
Eds: this is actually a Little Egret (rather large body and small head on a short neck and thin rather pointed bill - see bottom picture, legs also too short)
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