Sunday 05 February - Exe Estuary
Shortly after eight, 32 members of BOC and Bristol NATS set off by coach for the mouth of the Exe Estuary. For a week storm Doris had poured, so we were lucky to have fair weather. After Exeter excitement rose as the fields soon gave some beautiful Brent Geese.
By 10.30 we arrived at Dawlish Warren. "Take your lunch with you", said Gordon Youdale, "it'll be 4 hours before you're back". Although at first the sea wall appeared to give an empty sea, a Great Northern Diver was soon found
Also Common Scoter, Shags, Cormorants and a few Great Crested Grebes. The walk East along the coast to the hide produced the first Turnstone, Rock Pipits and 2 Eider. Approaching the hide a wily member of the group caught site of a Peregrine catching a wader on the shingle beach. First at the hide, lots of Oystercatcher and Dunlin.
Looking further came Grey Plover, showing their black armpits
Then racing Sanderling and Knot.
Across the water Goldeneye, and smaller, 2 Slavonian Grebes, one coming in close later for good views. Finally Gordon picked out a Bar-tailed Godwit. Time for lunch and watch the Brent Geese.
The return walk gave another Great Northern Diver, a Water Rail and Snipe. But then across the far estuary both Red and Black-throated Divers were seen.
On to Powderham for the walk along the estuary, sadly a walk to and back as Doris had flooded the fields and made the path impassable. No Cirl Bunting, but a glorious Red-breasted Merganser by the bridge, cameras flashing.
The look across the the mud flats showed over a 100 Avocet, a flock of 500+ Golden Plover looking golden in the late afternoon sun, even the Curlew shining. Ending the day 500+ Brent Geese circled in the sky, a fine day, Nick recording over 60 species.
And then Gordon found Black-tailed Godwits as well, but then he was the leader.
Photographs by Alan Gilbert and Robert Hargreaves
