Guided Bird Watching Review – Tuesday 30th and Wednesday 31st January

Tuesday 30th January Large numbers of birds today particularly Golden Plover and Lapwing. Between Turf and Topsham, on either side of the boat, there were large flocks of both species. Total recorded, 1,100 Golden Plover and 1,300 Lapwing. Certainly the most I have noted. Plovers were close enough to see the coloration Very low water…

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Guided Bird Watching Review – Wednesday 17th and Thursday 18th January

Guided Birdwatching review – Wednesday and Thursday 17-18th January Both cruises were sandwiched between periods of heavy rain, but as is usually the case, the weather on the estuary wasn’t at all bad. Great Northern Divers featured on both cruises, with one off Exmouth seafront and two others inside the estuary affording better views. Likewise, the…

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Guided Bird Watching Review – Saturday 30th December

Birdwatching Trip.  Sat. December 30th Water levels were up following rain and wind but conditions for the trip were excellent. An even light with just some sunshine to illuminate the flocks of waders at Topsham. Large groups of Dunlin in their thousands certainly impressed in flight and on the mud and Avocets of course gave…

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Guided Bird Watching Review – Saturday 2nd December

Saturday 2nd December 2017 The light was lovely for today’s cruise, which saw very large numbers of birds, right from the hordes of gulls and Brent Geese around Pole Sands up to the large flocks of Avocets and Black-tailed Godwits at Topsham. Wigeon, Brents and Oystercatchers all seemed to be in larger numbers than usual – thousands…

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Exe Estuary Cruise and EDG Review

On Saturday just gone, I was thrilled to join my Dad on a Stuart Line Cruise up the Exe Estuary, which set off from Exmouth at 1pm. Dad has led some of these winter trips for many years now, and I always like to try and get on at least one a winter. With no telescopes on…

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Guided Bird Watching Review – Saturday 18th November

My first trip of the season featured divers. Two Great Northern Divers and a Red Throated Diver. All three sighted in the Starcross area where we also saw a Slavonian Grebe. Wigeon numbers were very high especially round the Clyst where they were joined by Pintails. This is one of the benefits of an early…

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Guided Bird Watching Review – Thursday 16th November

16th November 2017 The first cruise of the winter season got off to a great start with a Kingfisher sitting on one of the boats off Dawlish Warren … unfortunately before anyone had boarded the Pride of Exmouth! The weather glorious for the first half of the cruise, a little cloudier later. Offshore there were large…

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Guided Bird Watching Review – Tuesday 14th March

Tuesday 14th March, 2017 The final birdwatching cruise of the winter found a hint of spring in the air, with a Skylark singing its heart out over the dunes at Dawlish Warren. After a few days of summer visitors arriving, clearly some of the winter visitors had also begun departing, including many of the Avocets…

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Guided Bird Watching Review – Saturday 11th March

Saturday March 11th My final trip of the winter was notable for the number of Turnstone, at least 200. At Starcross the Pontoon was covered in this species with others in flight and on our return a buoy hosted twenty plus with one Dunlin. Probably a passage of these birds joining the regulars. Two Slavonians…

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Guided Bird Watching Review – Friday 10th March

Friday March 10th Thick mist to start the trip although some birds were still seen and the calls of Curlew and Oystercatcher coming out of the gloom was atmospheric. As we progressed up river the visibility improved. Near Powderham a big surprise when two Slavonian Grebes were between us and the shore. Excellent close views…

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