Exe Estuary (yesterday)

Yesterday afternoon's Stuart Lines cruise experienced surprisingly decent weather - it's amazing how relatively calm and dry it can be in the estuary when offshore the sea is rough and the surrounding hills are clad in rain clouds! The highlight was excellent views of a new Slavonian Grebe with the 'resident' bird now between Lympstone and Turf. Totals of 17 Great Crested Grebes and 9 Goldeneye were my best for the winter. The Spotted Redshank was still with Greenshanks between the Kenn outlet and Starcross Sailing Club. A rough count of the Avocets between Topsham and Turf came to 510, plus even rougher estimates of 500+ Black-tailed and 200-300 Bar-tailed Godwits.