Exmouth Quay

Exmouth Quay, Devon 
I have had 2 brief looks at low tide the past 2 days The best birds of note were, several Sandwich Terns (seen on both days). I do keep scrutinising the Sandwich Tern for any with an Orange bill. 1 smart adult Mediterranean Gull (seen yesterday) and 3 Common Sandpiper (today) that flew into the cove and duly flew back out as there were people pottering about there. Everything was rather distant, so I couldn’t get any decent pictures of the mentioned but here is a Great Black-backed Gull.

Great Black-backed Gull

Little Gull And Geese

Orcombe Point, Exmouth, Devon 
This morning I was up early so I popped along to the point in the hope of any migrants. It was extremely quiet in the top field apart from 2 White Wagtail on the dung heap. The fields from Gore Lane to the coastal path didn’t hold anything apart from a Common Chiffchaff so I decided to check out the coastal path. It’s no too muddy now so it wasn’t as much as a slog as my last visit. With nothing of interest I decided to look out to sea. A few Northern Gannet were feeding with a couple of Sandwich Terns and there were a few Gull species. Manly European Herring Gull and a few Great Black-backed Gulls. Then as I was about to drag myself away and head to work, a solitary Little Gull flew swiftly past heading east. I was able to get it in my scope a tad too late for a photo opportunity. My first Little Gull if the year.

Exminster Marsh, Exminster, Devon 
After work I needed to pop to Exminster on an errand so I thought it rude not to have a quick stroll along the railway path. The Greater White-fronted Goose showed better than yesterday (but my photos aren’t much better though), a single Greylag Goose and plenty of Canada Goose. I’m still yet to see Barnacle Goose or Egyptian Goose this year! I heard the call of a Western Yellow Wagtail but couldn’t locate the bird. A Willow Warbler was calling on the Powderham side of the rail tracks. There were a descent amount of Barn Swallow, with some lingering and others flying straight through. With the recent luck the Lizard in Cornwall has had, I checked them out for a hopeful Red-rumped Swallow but alas there weren’t any.

Greylag Goose

Greylag Goose

Greater White-fronted Goose

Greater White-fronted Goose

Water Pipit

Cricket pitch, Budleigh Salterton, Devon

After work, Matt Knott alerted me to a Water Pipit that he had viewed earlier in the day. I happened to be up the road looking for the Italian Sparrow at the time. Having already seen the Sparrow a few times, I thought I would give it a miss and decided to head over and have look for the Pipit.

On arrival there were a number of Eurasian Rock Pipit and White (Pied) Wagtail feeding on the Cricket pitch but I couldn’t locate the Water Pipit. Around 30 Common Linnet and a single European Greenfinch were chattering away in the hedges / trees around me.

I then moved to the scrape in the hope it was feeding there. Again no sign but had nice views of 2 Common Snipe. There were good numbers of Gulls comprising of Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, European Herring Gull and Black-headed Gull. A few Northern Lapwing and a single Eurasian Curlew were busy pottering about. I didn’t see any Common Ringed Plover, which I half expected to see on the scrape. 

After a short while, I decided to locate back to the pitch and on the first scan I picked out the Water Pipit. It was rather distant and I tried to get a picture but (I know my photos aren’t great) none are worthy of posting. Nevertheless a nice bird that I don’t get to see that often. So it was great to have had the opportunity. Thanks to Matt for the info.