The White-winged Black Tern was watched in the morning
and evening, ranging across the lower half of the estuary, associating with masses
of small gull and tern flocks foraging on shoals in shallow waters. For one lucky observer it flew around The
Bight and landed on Finger Point for a few minutes c.09:45, sheltering from the
stiff northerly breeze, before returning to favoured areas over Cockle Sands,
Exmouth and off Powderham.
Counts of waterbirds in the estuary during both the morning
and evening high tides periods were c.750 Oystercatcher, 315 Curlew, 220
Redshank (highest count of the year so far), c.150 Sandwich Tern, 107 Canada Goose, 55
Dunlin, 53 Ringed Plover, 29 Bar-tailed Godwit, 23 Sanderling, 23 Mute Swan, 21
Mediterranean Gull (yet another notable count here), 13 Grey Plover, 10+
Common Tern, 9+ Whimbrel, four Black-tailed Godwit and Little Egret, three each
of Shelduck, Greenshank and Knot, two Grey Heron and the resident Slavonian
Grebe.
An adult and a juv Roseate Tern were offshore early evening.
Low of the estuary at dusk was a flock of 32 Swallow and a House Martin; two
Swift flew over.
With effort today concentrated on the estuary, landbirds
were poorly recorded, but a Sparrowhawk made its presence known by landing on the
head of one observer stood motionless staring at bird leg rings.
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