Trip reports

Exe Boat Trip 22nd Jan 2012

Dennis Capewell

Tuesday, 31 January 2012

Although the weather was dry and intermittently sunny, a strong north-westerly wind made conditions quite chilly. Before we set off a rock pipit was very visible on the quayside - as can be seen from the photo (taken by Dennis Capewell). As we made our way down the estuary to the mouth of the Exe we reached a large number of herring gulls, in various plumages, on the rock outcrops; they were joined by several carrion crows, who have started copying the gulls in using the rocks to open up crabs. Cormorant and shag were also present as were brent geese. Reversing direction, we travelled up the estuary towards Topsham. As we passed our starting point there were two razorbills swimming and diving in the open water and a guillemot in the harbour. Red-breasted merganser and great crested grebe were the most noticeable birds in mid-estuary and we also passed a few sanderling, a greenshank and a flock of brent geese (sadly without the red-breasted goose that had been reported as being on the marshes). The number of waders increased as we sailed towards the head of the estuary, where large expanses of mud were exposed - dunlin, curlew, oystercatcher and grey plover were all present. As we neared Topsham a large flock of avocets, some 300 in number, came into view and next to them a flock of black-tailed godwit. As we returned to harbour the cold was starting to bite and we were grateful for the luxury of a heated lower deck.