Sunday 4 October 2020

Sunday 4th October

Persistent rain all morning and a continuation of yesterday's deluge pushed the morning tide nearly 20 cm above its predicted level at the Exmouth Docks gauge. Wildfowl in the refuge area of the estuary corner were joined by flocks that arrived from the east all morning, and totals were 1,426 Wigeon, 94 Teal, 77 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 24 Mute Swan, 20 Pintail, 19 Pale-bellied Brent Goose in family groups; and 8 Mallard. Other counts in the estuary and The Bight were 981 Oystercatcher, 234 Dunlin, c50 Great Black-backed Gull, 23 Grey Plover, 16 Ringed Plover, 13 Turnstone, six Little Egret, two Sandwich Tern, two Grey Heron, the Slavonian Grebe; also single Great Crested Grebe, Sanderling, Common Snipe, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Kingfisher and today's highlight, a juv Little Stint.

It was all 'After the Lord Mayor's Show' overhead with nothing like yesterday's phenomenon, witnessed at a number of locations, and today only produced 18 House Martin, six Swallow and four Siskin. Grounded migrants were 33 Goldfinch, 23 Meadow Pipit, six Wheatear and a Reed Bunting; and in the bushes six Chiffchaff and a Blackcap.

Offshore, 30+ Gannet and 18 Common Scoter. A Water Rail squealed from the Main Pond. Singles of Sparrowhawk, Kestrel and Raven were also noted.

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