Tuesday 24th December

The Bonaparte's Gull again but in a couple of brief appearances this morning, first from the hide and 15 minutes later off the seawall. Seawatching before 10.30 was, considering yesterday's weather, quiet but 22 Red-throated and two Great Northern Diver flew south along with 95 Gannet, 70+ auks, mostly Guillemot, 19 Kittiwake and a Fulmar; the two Eider were also still present off Exmouth. Elsewhere records from the estuary included the Black Brant and two Pale-bellied Brent with 260+ Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 192 Grey Plover, 15 Bar-tailed Godwit, 15 Sanderling, a high site count of 12 Greenshank, four Goldeneye, the Slavonian Grebe and briefly in the Bight, the female Long-tailed Duck. 

Long-tailed Duck © Lee Collins