Sunday 3rd April

An overcast day with a southerly wind saw a small but varied arrival of migrants, the highlight of which was a drake Mandarin on the Main Pond, only the recording area's 7th record. Also new for the year a Blackcap in the Entrance Bushes, at least one Osprey that toured the southern end of the Exe and two Common Tern with 50+ Sandwich Tern over the evening high tide.

Mandarin - Matt Laing

Counts from the estuary included 193 Oystercatcher, 54 Turnstone, 17 Pale-bellied Brent, 13 of which flew off south late morning, 15 Dark-bellied Brent, five Dunlin, five Grey and four Ringed Plover, two Greenshank, two Sanderling, the Slavonian Grebe and the first two migrant Whimbrel of the year. Elsewhere four Willow Warbler, two Swallow and a Wheatear were on site and just three Great-crested Grebe were offshore.

Skylark - Greg Bradbury