Friday 29th November

The highlight was an enormous flock of Black-tailed Godwit in Shutterton Creek, with the count of 976 a new site record and almost double the previous peak of 512 back in December 1984!  This is the majority of the wintering population on the Exe although c200 birds were also on Exminster Marshes this morning. A more unwelcome sight was the presence of at least 38 Carrion Crow around the Bight at high tide; the increased numbers were constantly disturbing the roosting waders. Also in the estuary 548 Wigeon, 153 Bar-tailed Godwit, 116 Knot, 79 Teal, 49 Common Gull, 45 Snipe, six Greenshank, four Shoveler and the Slavonian Grebe.

Elsewhere a second Slavonian Grebe was a welcome sight off the seawall with three Red-throated Diver, 18 Great-crested Grebe and 12 Common Scoter, two Raven were overhead and six Cirl Bunting and a Chiffchaff were on site.