River Exe Cruise

Friday 20th January was a cracking winters day with blue skies, no wind, white and crunchy underfoot pavements and misty breath inducing temperatures, just perfect for a Stuart Line Cruise along the River Exe with my mate Mavis.

It was 3 years to the day that we last did this trip due to COVID and we were both very much looking forward to it. 

While waiting for Mavis to pick me up at Plympton for the drive to Exmouth I had a look for Dippers along the Tory Brook and found 2 very confiding birds, a singing male and a ringed female in close attendance. They showed very well, presumably due to being used to the constant traffic and pedestrians passing nearby and I think the ringed bird is part of a private study being undertaken by students at Plymouth University and therefore not in the public realm with regards to any information about it.

Dippers, Plympton

Ringed Dipper, Plympton

The drive to Exmouth went smoothly and as we parked the car at the quayside a big surprise was a Sandwich Tern flying by and diving for fish, presumably the bird that has been roosting regularly at nearby Dawlish Warren since before Christmas. 

We enjoyed a cooked breakfast at the cafe on the quay, no longer The Dockers and now called The Mariners with new staff, and then boarded the boat to begin the cruise at 11:30am.

Exmouth from the boat

Topsham from the boat

River Exe

We saw the usual birds although numbers seemed lower than usual and we saw only 1 Lapwing and no Golden Plover but it was likely a lot of birds were on nearby Exminster Marshes. 

There were 3 Eider off Dawlish Warren as we began the cruise, a female with 2 immature males, but on our return there was no sign of them. The Sandwich Tern was never seen again but we eventually found 1 of the 2 wintering Spoonbills and it gave some lovely views as it preened along the waterline near Topsham.

Spoonbill

Spoonbill

Spoonbill

A Great Northern Diver showed well off Starcross on both legs of the cruise and we also had good views of Great Crested Grebe, Red-breasted Merganser, Shag, Cormorant, Brent Goose, Canada Goose and the regular Snow Goose.

Great Northern Diver

Avocet, Dunlin, Curlew, Redshank, Grey Plover, Oystercatcher, Bar-tailed Godwit, Sanderling, Greenshank, Turnstone and Black-tailed Godwit were all seen along with 41 distant Knot out on the mudflats and a very smart looking Spotted Redshank at Topsham Quay.

Avocet

Avocet

Sanderling

Spotted Redshank

Other highlights were 1 or possibly 2 Kingfisher, a Grey Seal hauled out on a pontoon, a Pied Wagtail almost landing on Mavis as it flew onto the deck of the boat, 2 pairs of Pintail out on the estuary and a Common Seal hauled out on the sand but all too soon the tide was in and we were back at Exmouth after another enjoyable birding cruise.

Common Seal

River Exe