Little to report from seven hours of birding despite chilling fog suddenly giving way to clearer conditions in a warm southerly breeze late morning.
The Ridgway's Cackling Goose was scoped at distance from Warren Point loitering with Brent Geese over Cockle Sands, off Exmouth. The flock of Wigeon and Teal in the estuary corner on site numbered well into four-figures; one Pintail was noted. Also in the estuary around high tide, 18 Mute Swan, 37 Cormorant, 5 Little Egret, 5+ Ringed Plover, 34 Dunlin, 5 Greenshank, 21 Turnstone (including 8 seawall), 2 Mediterranean Gull, 70 Great Black-backed Gull, two Sandwich Tern; no counts today of the roosting flocks of Oystercatcher, Redshank or Curlew.
Such was the soporific feel of the bushes, species that typically receive less attention were counted and produced a site record of 25 Wren and the second-highest ever count of 57 Robin, the latter being a noticeable influx today; also a Treecreeper, 2 Whitethroat, 6 Blackcap, 4 Chiffchaff, 3 Goldcrest, 29 Dunnock, 12 Blackbird, 6 Song Thrush (influx), 5 Stonechat, 25 Greenfinch, 66 Goldfinch, 41 Linnet and a Kingfisher flew over the Buffer Zone. A Stock Dove flushed from dunes at Warren Point was particularly unusual there.
Overhead, 29 Meadow Pipit, 17 Siskin, also only one or two each of Skylark, Swallow, Rook, Jackdaw, Lesser Redpoll and Chaffinch.
The sea was nearly birdless, just 8 Gannet and 5 Sandwich Tern. A Little Grebe had found the recently cleared Main Pond.
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