Sunday 11 August 2019 – East Devon. Leader Jane Cumming

After the previous day’s gales and squalls we were glad to wake to a calmer, sunny day although we did manage to dodge some very heavy showers in the afternoon. When seven members met at Aylesbeare Common the wind was urprisingly moderate and we decided to do the shorter walk around the top of the reserve. A Hobby skimmed over the valley and then settled into the top of a pine where we had excellent telescope views of it for at least ten minutes. Then we encountered a family of Dartford Warblers interacting with a Stonechat and dropping repeatedly down to the path, presumably to eat grit. We weren’t sure which species was the aggressor in the quarrel, but all the activity gave us great views of this often elusive warbler. Swallows hawked for insects and a Coal Tit pottered about in a small pine tree; some saw Buzzard and Kestrel too. We moved on to Seaton Wetlands, as the signposts called it, though I know it as Black Hole Marsh. There we found Oystercatchers, 40 Black-tailed Godwits, nine Dunlins, a Greenshank, a few Redshanks and several Common Sandpipers on the scrapes. Swallows were nesting again this year in the apex of the hide, the vocal young still in the nest. On to the tower hide where we picked up a Curlew and five Turnstones on the river bank, as well nine Cormorants, two to three Little Egrets and a great many Mallard and Herring Gulls. Adult Shelducks were nowhere to be seen but a number of juveniles were still present. Lots of Black-headed Gulls and a handful of both Black-backs were also in the roost, and a Kingfisher zipped by now and then. We failed to locate the recently reported Wood Sandpiper but did add a Great Spotted Woodpecker, Sand Martins and Linnets to our day list. Finally we drove west through sudden torrential rain to Bowling Green Marsh at Topsham to catch the late afternoon tide on the Exe. Magically, the rain stopped as we arrived, and the high tide roost was wonderful to watch with Redshanks and Black-tailed Godwits by the dozen constantly flying in. We picked out a Greenshank, a Ruff, a Dunlin and a dozen Lapwings, but it took a good search to locate the single Spotted Redshank amongst the hundreds of Redshanks scattered along the shore. Then a big flock of Curlews flew in – at least 130 – with about ten accompanying Whimbrels. Three Wigeon and at least a dozen Teal were early signs of autumn. We noted a Little Egret and a couple of Grey Herons, and the main hirundine here was House Martin. The final day-list was 46 species. (Thanks to Jane for leading.) Jane Cumming