Today we had sunshine, normal river levels and plenty of mud. What a contrast to my last trip!
The car park before we left was the focus of attention as Herring Gulls were dropping mussels onto the surface to crack them open and eat the contents. This had attracted at least five Turnstones who were feeding off the scraps.
Typical example of opportunist feeding.
Our trip out to the river mouth to the exposed beds revealed usual Gulls, Oystercatchers, Brent Geese and Curlews.
A surprise addition were five Bar-tailed Godwits and a Sanderling.
Back into the river four Goldeneye were seen, female/immature birds with a male to be seen later at Topsham.
Excellent views of all waders today in good light although the Black-tailed Godwits were some distance away near Lympstone.
The Long Tailed Duck was very close to the boat at Topsham but two Slavonian Grebes were not so easy to see at Starcross on our return.
It was a pleasant surprise to see two Pale Bellied Brent Geese with the Dark Bellied and a few Ringed Plovers by the wall at Powderham. 
There were Great Crested Grebes in double figures and a few Pintail and Wigeon were noted.
Lastly there was a first for me on the boat trips. A pair of foxes at the edge of the reed beds opposite Topsham were watching the world go by.
Ian Waite
photographs by Sue Smith
