A Very Cold Day
As it was cold with snow flurries, and a south-west wind, I decided to search for cold weather-movement birds today. This paid off as I parked up at Foxholes Hill, then strolled along to Orcombe Point and up the coastpath to High Land of Orcombe. Firstly though, I stopped at the point and did a seawatch. In half an hour I had logged 12 Red-throated, and single Black-throated and Great Northern Divers, a Great Crested Grebe (a patch yeartick) and 22 Common Scoter (some of which were sat on the sea). There were about 15 Song Thrushes around the point fields, a sure sign of cold weather-movement, then I found another patch yeartick in the form of a single Lapwing. Better things were to come though as I trudged up the path to the top fields. Last year in this one particular field, I was fortunate enough to add Lapland Bunting, Woodlark and Short-eared Owl to my Exmouth Lifelist. Today I found 75 Golden Plover in the same field, which strangely enough seem to be my first ever on the local patch! As if to make sure I had noticed them, they flew around a few times their lovely golden and brown plumage catching the light as they twisted and turned in flight. Marvellous! Just to add to the general scene, a feeding flock of 50 or so Curlew were present just down the lane. However, I was not done yet and a look in at Maer Farm revealed 4 Red-legged Partridge in the barnyard. These were my first in Exmouth this year, so I did well today for patch yearticks:
Great Crested Grebe, Lapwing, Golden Plover & Red-legged Partridge.
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