New Site & a New Blog!

If you've been keeping tabs on this blog during our bird watching season could we ask you to move your bookmark to a new destination?
www.birdwatchingcruises.co.uk is our brand new site designed by local company Vibrant Pulse and has a brand new blog incorporated into it which will be updated by our ornithologists after every trip
We look forward to seeing you this season!

Sunday 10th March 2013

A very cold day today but numbers of birds up from previous day. Once again the only Sanderling seen was at Pole Sands.

Whilst watching it a Great Crested Grebe flew past on its way out to sea, possibly leaving for its breeding quarters, although six more were seen during the trip.

Two separate male Goldeneye were spotted among buoys in Starcross area. This species return early to their breeding areas which might explain the reduction in their numbers on the river.

 

The Spotted Redshank today did have the company of two Greenshanks at Powderham with also a small flock of Turnstones feeding at the base of the wall.

We did see three Bar-tailed Godwits today. Other Waders were plentiful especially Dunlin. 

 

These last two trips I have noticed that many Shelduck are being seen closer to the boat. A good opportunity to note the size difference between male and female.

On the return journey 1000 plus Brent Geese were at Turf. How long before they leave for their Arctic breeding grounds? Let’s hope they return next winter with many young.

A fitting sight for my last trip of the winter.

Ian Waite

photos by Helene Buse

Saturday 9th March 2013

A cold misty trip with rain at times but still many birds on the river, although numbers down on some species.

Usual mix of Gulls, Crows and Oystercatchers on Pole Sands with one Sanderling feeding on the tideline, the only one seen on the trip.

Four Lesser Black-backed Gulls on the sands were unexpected.

A Seal was seen making its way from the mouth of the river towards Dawlish with a second one pulled up on Bull Hill.

Only a handful of Red-breasted Mergansers were seen en route to Topsham, but on return many more sighted.

 

Spotted Redshank was one of the few Waders at Powderham. The two Greenshanks seen today were further up river.

Brent Geese were in small groups at various locations seeking out the remnants of Eel Grass. 

No large flocks of Avocet or Black-tailed Godwits but many smaller groups seen. No Bar-tailed Godwits noted today and no sign of Long-tailed Duck.

Ian Waite 
Photos by Helene Buse

Wednesday 27th February 2013

The high pressure combined with spring tides meant we had a longer than usual cruise this afternoon – the boat moves up the estuary on the rising tide, which took its time! 

Great Crested Grebe

Grebes stole the limelight today: first a Little Grebe off Dawlish Warren, then two more near the Slavonian at Cockwood and then a total of 18 Great Crested Grebes scattered up as far as Topsham (18 is the most I’ve seen in the Exe in over 25 years of watching).

The Harbour Seal was out on Bull Hill sandbank and on our return was getting ready to float off, with her head and tail held high in classic ‘banana’ pose. She’s a star!

Long-tailed Duck

Eighty Shelduck, 7 Goldeneye, lots of Red-breasted Mergansers, ‘our’wintering female Long-tailed Duck, groups of Wigeon and Teal and virtually the whole of the estuary’s Brent Geese in flight provided some good wildfowl watching.

Waders were concentrated in the upper half of the estuary today, with over 200 each of Grey Plover and Bar-tailed Godwit. 

Of course Avocets gave good views and all three ‘shanks’ were feeding in the River Kenn outlet, though the Spotted Redshank took a while to find.

By around 5:00 pm large numbers of gulls had arrived to roost, including over 25 Lesser Black-backs (returning migrants from Iberiaand West Africa) and 300 Common Gulls. 

Including these, there must have been well over 10,000 water birds on the estuary during our return to Exmouth!

Dave Smallshire

Monday 25th February 2013

The Harbour Seal’s head was spotted several times near the quay as we boarded, eventually coming up with a flatfish. It’s good to see evidence that she can find food, despite apparently having cataracts in both eyes. No doubt her splendid set of whiskers are handy for detecting flatfish resting on the estuary bed. A Turnstone flew onto the quay and began looking for food scraps in the car park.



Near the wreck off Cockwood we saw another ‘resident’: the Slavonian Grebe, accompanied by Red-breasted Mergansers and some Goldeneye. Just before, we had glimpsed a Little Grebe (Dabchick) and later saw a total of more than 10 Great Crested Grebes, some in winter plumage and others complete with the splendid head plumes of breeding plumage.



A few Sanderlings and good dozens of Grey Plovers were on the central sandbank, while three Ringed Plovers that flew from the shore at Powderham were the first I’ve ever seen on a cruise (this generally common wader is very scarce in the Exe in winter).  The mud by the River Kenn outlet held couple of Avocets, two Greenshanks, a Spotted Redshank and both species of godwit. Most of the Avocets were in groups feeding or resting in the shallows off the Royal Marines Training Base at Lympstone, where many Dunlin and Black-tailed Godwits were feeding on the distant mud.



As we approached Topsham, we had closer views of Avocets, Dunlins, Grey Plovers, Shelducks, Redshanks, godwits and Mergansers, while groups of Teal were dabbling on the edge of the mud near our turning






Dave Smallshire

Sunday 24th February 2013

A few Sanderlings were again seen on the tideline around Dawlish Warren and later on a sandbank in the middle of the estuary. A few more Shags appeared today, several with breeding crests that blew around in the northerly wind. The Harbour Seal was hauled out on Bull Hill all afternoon, waiting for the rising tide to lift if off. There were two Slavonian Grebes today, though the ‘new’ bird was with a couple of Great Crested Grebes rather than joining the ‘resident’ one off Cockwood.



Grey Plovers and Bar-tailed Godwits seemed well in evidence, with around 200 of each well-scattered over the intertidal flats, and a dozen or so Knot were on the mud near Lympstone. Avocet numbers seem to have dropped lately, though there were still several groups feeding, bathing or preening and plenty of close birds between Turf and Topsham. As usual, the wintering Long-tailed Duck was at Topsham, where we had good views of three Goldeneye (one drake) and quite a few Red-breasted Mergansers.



On our return journey, a flock of Golden Plovers flew with Lapwings briefly beyond the sea wall on Powderham Marshes, south of Turf. The Spotted Redshank was near a couple of Greenshanks by its favourite little creek at Powderham.



Dave Smallshire

Saturday 23rd February 2013

Still cold but good weather for soup sales and it does mean conditions were dry with reasonable visibility.

There was a special moment today which would make some birdwatchers very envious.
Near the River Kenn there were three birds together showing well - Spotted Redshank, Greenshank and Avocet.
What a trio of species!

We then had a slight dilemma when the Long- tailed Duck came into view because, also very close but in front of the boat
was a pair of Goldeneye.  As we had already seen the latter I concentrated on the Long-tailed Duck especially as it was a ‘first’ for many on the boat.
It was a surprise to see the Goldeneye this far up.

I’m sure Teal numbers at Topsham have increased of late. Male birds are looking very handsome!  It’s a pity they don’t breed in the South West.

There were excellent views of Avocets, although no large numbers were seen of this species or Black-tailed and Bar-tailed Godwits but Dunlin numbers were high.
There are just so many places where the waders can feed at present, sometimes not in view.

One species showing well was my favourite, Grey Plover. Their ‘jizz’ is unique.

As usual Red-breasted Mergansers delighted throughout, and Sanderlings, starting to look a little darker, showed well, feeding on the water’s edge at various places.



Ian Waite