First Sand Martins And Western Cattle Egret

Exminster Marsh, Devon 
A quick look from the viewing platform first thing for yesterday’s reported female Red-crested Pochard was unsuccessful. However, I was pleased to see my first Sand Martin of the year. Around 4 birds were going over the canal from the estuary to the marsh and back. The best of the wildfowl on the lagoon were 2 Nothern Pintail, several Gadwall and several Tufted Duck. The Snow Goose was in exactly the same place I saw it a week ago in the field near the Swans Nest.

Cockwood, Devon 
After work, I decided to look for the 4 Western Cattle Egret reported on Twitter by local birder Dave Boult. They were apparently in a field at the rear of Cofton garage. The garage is just off the main Dawlish Road just past Cockwood (opposite the entrance to Cofton holiday park). I couldn’t locate any in the field but after a very brief search I located them with some Little Egret in a tree near the rear of the garage. I didn’t have my scope (left it in the car) but I could clearly make out 2 birds but I suspect that the others were there too.

I moved on to have a look off the railway steps in the hope of seeing Sanderling. Strangely a species I’ve not yet seen this year. No luck with the Sanderling but there were a few Mew Gull and the Horned Grebe. In the blight was a single Common Greenshank and towards Starcross, a small flock of Dunlin.