WeBS

On the estuary this morning before the heat kicked in: 76 Oystercatchers, 42 Curlews, 10 Whimbrels, nine Common Sandpipers, seven Greenshanks, three Dunlin, 600+ Herring Gulls, 350 Black-headed Gulls, four Mediterranean Gulls (three juveniles and a first-summer), a Great Black-backed Gull, four Sandwich Terns, 107 Canada Geese, one Bar-headed Goose, 28 Mute Swans, 27 Mallards, 38 Little Egrets, four Cormorants and the female Red-breasted Merganser still. 

Ring-necked Parakeet

A Ring-necked Parakeet flew south over my garden in Kingsteignton at 8.00pm last night. Possibly a wandering bird from the small Exmouth population, it was first picked up on call and it provided an unexpected midsummer house and patch tick. 

Summer RB Merganser

This female Red-breasted Merganser has been present on the upper estuary since at least May. It seems healthy enough with no apparent signs of injury. Red-breasted Mergansers are rare in summer in Devon, although breeding is not unheard of and was last confirmed in 2003.