Pre-Lock-Down Dipping

My year list currently stands at 199, quite an achievement for me in any year but a surprise this year considering the COVID-19 restrictions that have been in place for some of it.

Wednesday 4th November was a glorious day with clear blue skies, no breeze, sunshine and an early morning frost and I wanted to have a good day out as we start another 4 week lock down tomorrow. And I also wanted to try and reach the magic 200 for my year list before the lock down starts. 

I decided to visit the River Exe, starting at Exmouth to look for an American Wigeon amongst the Eurasian Wigeon flock. The tide was just starting to ebb and out on the water and close to the path was a mass of birds - Wigeon, Brent Geese, Pintail, Mallard, Shelduck, Teal and Mute Swan - but try as I might I couldn't find the American Wigeon amongst them. As the tide receded the birds began moving out to the mudflats and flying upriver to feed and eventually it was time to call it a day and head on to Dawlish Warren.

Brent Geese and Wigeon, Exmouth

It was much quieter at Dawlish Warren on arriving there than it had been on my last visit during Half Term Holiday Hell and with the tide low I concentrated my efforts in the bushes and woodland to look for a reported Yellow-browed Warbler. Needless to say I didn't see or hear it but it was pleasant wandering around in the warm sunshine.

6 Swallow flying east were a surprise while at least 4 Chiffchaff feeding in the bushes were not so much. A pair of Shoveler, a Little Grebe, Moorhen and a feral male Mallard with a female were on the Main Pond and a Water Rail was heard squealing with another bird seen briefly dashing across a gap in the reeds, my first Water Rail sighting of the year after hearing them just about everywhere this year.

Male Shoveler, Dawlish Warren

A Goldcrest, 2 Great-spotted Woodpecker, Coal, Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tits, Stonechat and Goldfinch were also seen with flyover Shelduck, Cormorant, Meadow Pipit and a few Woodpigeon.

A nice day out despite the double dip and a year list still on 199 before a 4 week lock down in November but there's still time yet - just got to get through the next couple of weeks as life goes back to eat, sleep, work, limited birding and repeat, such fun.