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Sunday, 2 October 2011

Exmouth

Orcombe Point - 0700 - 1045 - c 100+ siskin, c150+ alba wagtail, c2/300+ linnet, fem/juv marsh harrier (south out to sea 0705), 32+ redpoll, 2 grey heron, c1/200+ meadow pipit, 3 goldcrest, 8+ chiffchaff, c30+ chaffinch, c30+ goldfinch, 15+ skylark, 5+ wheatear, 5+ reed bunting, 2 collared dove, 3 grey wagtail, 2 blackcap, 2+ great spotted woodpecker, 3 sparrowhawk, 1+ yellow wagtail, 4 house sparrow, 1 starling, 1 stonechat, 2 swallow, 1 rock pipit, 1 kestrel, 1 prob tree pipit, 1 grey plover, 1 skua sp, 2 manx shearwater, 1 guillemot, 11 dark-bellied brent goose and 1 fw mediterranean gull. Also of note a steady passage of red admiral butterflies south out to sea.
A beautiful morning with loads of movement. Numbers probably conservative but it's difficult to know for sure because although most birds were moving east, linnets seemed to be going west and several finches, pipits and wagtails were pausing to feed in the newly rolled field at the top of Gore Lane. The grey plover was walking around the same field producing a surge of adrenalin when first picked up in the bins! It was cursed several times, as you can imagine, given the autumn Britain has had for American waders!