Guided Bird Watching Cruise – 4th March 2026

The weather was dry but very murky; visibility was poor with reports of an improving picture for the duration of our cruise, but it turned out to be murky the whole trip! This didn’t dampen spirits, however, and we were all good to go. With the Pride of Exmouth and Captain Will at the helm, we set sail along the seafront with great company on board.

Plenty of Oystercatchers, Herring Gulls, Great Black-backed Gulls, and a couple of Curlew were seen foraging on Pole Sands. We all had to imagine what the coastal views looked like as we headed for the estuary! As the tide was making, we headed for the Shelly Beach area to have a quick check; in this location, a couple of Shags were present along with the usual Herring Gulls. A small flock of Dark-bellied Brent Geese were seen on the Shelly side of the Bull Hill sandbar.

There were several Oystercatchers on the Dawlish Warren Wildlife Refuge area, with Curlew feeding along with a few Shelduck and Dark-bellied Brent Geese in the Shutterton Brook channel as we sailed by. Our first sighting of a Little Egret was seen fishing near a group of rocks. In amongst the abandoned, tangled Pacific cages, a lone Grey Heron was spotted watching for passing fish. Great Black-backed Gulls and several Common Cormorants were lingering on the Bull Hill sandbar as always. Several Great Crested Grebes were seen fishing off Lympstone along with Redshank; Dark-bellied Brent Geese were also seen. Three Red-breasted Mergansers – a male and two females – were seen in the channel on Cockle Sands. Oystercatchers, Curlew, and Little Egret were also seen here too. Near Starcross village, a large flock of Dark-bellied Brent Geese took to the air and landed again, probably on the small golf course in the village.

A Little Egret was seen near the wrecks in the channel; also, we had good views of a couple of Bar-tailed Godwit at close quarters. Several Redshanks were seen towards the River Kenn confluence along with several Shelduck, with a large flock of Herring Gulls and Black-headed Gulls present as well. Curlews were becoming numerous on both sides of the estuary, with several feeding along the water’s edge off Lympstone. Our first sighting of at least 30 Avocets was in the same area between Lympstone and Exton; also, at least six Great Crested Grebes were seen fishing before they took to the air and flew downstream. Between the Starcross sailing club and the cycle path bridge, several Mallard ducks were seen on the water’s edge along with several Teal. Behind the sailing club, a Grey Heron was on a nest in the heronry, with several nests viewed in the gloom. Off Exton, distant waders could be seen, mainly Curlew and a few Black-tailed and Bar-tailed Godwit; also, 40+ Eurasian Wigeon were seen and a lone Northern Pintail was spotted flying overhead.

In the channel off the Exe and Clyst confluence, distant views of at least three Spoonbills were seen. In the far distance, more Avocets were seen across the mudflats as they took flight and headed further up the River Clyst. Numbers of Avocets have definitely reduced over the last few weeks as the daylight hours increase and temperatures start to rise – most are heading back to the Netherlands and Low Countries on the continent.

Along the straight towards Turf Lock, Curlews were abundant and a small group of 100+ Golden Plover were seen on the mud to the right. At the mouth of the Exeter Ship Canal, Common Redshank, Common Gulls, and a couple of Teal were seen; on the opposite side, a lone Greenshank and a Common Redshank were seen, showing a good comparison between both birds side by side. A lovely large mixed flock of Black-tailed Godwit, Dunlin, and Grey Plover in good numbers were seen towards Topsham, with plenty of Common, Black-headed, and a couple of Lesser Black-backed Gulls seen here too.

Another large flock of Black-tailed and Bar-tailed Godwit were seen at close quarters off the Goat Walk area of Topsham for all to see. Common Redshanks were numerous again along this area, with a nice group of Knot in attendance which took off and headed for the Clyst. At least 10 Red-breasted Mergansers were seen from Turf towards Topsham Quay and gave a great flypast as they headed downstream. It was reported a male Goldeneye was seen recently; as we were turning to head homewards, we spotted what looked like the Goldeneye further upstream. While not confirmed, it was possibly the “bonus bird” for the day! On our return voyage to Exmouth, Canada Geese and another two Grey Herons were seen in flight around Turf Lock.

As we approached Cockle Sands and the Bull Hill sandbar, Oystercatchers were gathering together ready to go to roost. Again on Bull Hill, a few Oystercatchers and a large mixed flock of gulls were roosting, waiting for the tide to push them elsewhere for the night. As we approached the Dawlish Warren Wildlife Refuge area, Oystercatchers and Dunlin were roosting, and what looked like a distant Great White Egret was seen fishing in Shutterton Brook as we headed for Exmouth Marina.

This was my last birding cruise for this winter season, which was shared with great company. My highlights included working with a great family and colleagues, and meeting lovely, like-minded people. It was a pleasure sharing our wonderful estuary with many, including Charlotte Smith and the BBC Countryfile team! Obviously, the beautiful overwintering birds that spend at least six months with us never disappoint – including the very rare Lesser Crested Tern which arrived on 3rd December 2025 and left on 13th December 2025. This gave hundreds of birders and “twitchers” the opportunity to see this amazing bird – a great early Christmas present! It has been 40 years since the last Lesser Crested Tern was seen in the estuary.

See you all next season!

Derek Carter