Friday 2nd October

Bright sunshine, no rain and a keen north to east quarter wind for over a week now.  Good coverage this morning.  The Ridgway's Cackling Goose was again off Mudbank Lane, Exmouth today with Brent Geese, but not with the 115 Brent Geese within the recording area of the estuary, where also were 18 Mute Swan, 1086 Wigeon, 344 Teal, a Mallard, 2 Pintail, 49 Cormorant, 9 Little Egret, 6 Grey Heron, (no Oystercatcher count), 14 Grey Plover, 3 Ringed Plover, 307 Curlew, 8 Bar-tailed Godwit, a more expected count of 22 Turnstone (cf. Wednesday), a Knot, 35 Dunlin, 341 Redshank, 6 Greenshank, a Snipe, two Sandwich Tern, and two sw Mediterranean Gull among 228 Black-headed Gull.

A Pectoral Sandpiper flew low past the hide at 10:55 and continued NE, gained height towards Exmouth and unfortunately was not seen again.  A Kingfisher flew across the estuary.

Light passage overhead, mostly NE included ten Meadow Pipit, single-figures of Swallow, House Martin, Grey Wagtail, Skylark, Chaffinch, Lesser Redpoll and Siskin.  

On the Main Pond, a squealing Water Rail and two Moorhen. The sea was too glary to observe.

In and over the bushes, a Sparrowhawk, a Kestrel, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, six Stonechat, three Wheatear, 11 Blackcap, two Whitethroat, five Chiffchaff, five Goldcrest, 3 Reed Bunting, usual numbers of tits, except for at least nine Coal Tit, with a flock of five through; race uncertain.  The brambles continue to attract, with 26 Greenfinch and c40 Goldfinch; c70 Linnet were mostly on Warren Point and near the hide   

Wildlife News: Hot at times, on the wing were Red Admiral, Meadow Brown, Small Copper, Common Darter and Migrant Hawker.