Guided Bird Watching Cruise – 17th February 2026

The weather for this afternoon’s cruise was perfect for birdwatching: even light from a milky sun – and no rain for once! A Grey Seal showed its head a few times at Exmouth, while later we glimpsed similar views of a Harbour Seal near Topsham. It was nice to see scattered groups of Turnstones in the outer estuary, where the first Great Crested Grebe sported its breeding plumage. A trio of Red-breasted Mergansers were the first of maybe a dozen seen all told. Groups of Brent Geese between Cockwood and Starcross lifted up and dropped beyond the sea wall to graze the golf course.

Solitary Greenshanks were seen between Starcross and Powderham, with nice views eventually of one resting beside a creek. Quite a few Shelduck could be seen in Powderham Park, among the herd of Fallow Deer. Bar-tailed Godwits were in evidence throughout, but especially between Lympstone and Topsham – maybe 100 in all. However, this paled against two large flocks of Black-tailed Godwits either side of the Clyst confluence, totalling around 1,000. Avocets were also mostly in this part of the estuary. A few Knot were here also.

As we approached Turf, a flock of several hundred Golden Plovers rose off the mud and quickly gained height. The appearance of hundreds of Brent and Canada Geese off Exminster Marshes, and a smaller group of Dunlin, suggested disturbance by a raptor, but it wasn’t until later, as we headed back from Topsham, that the likely culprit – a Marsh Harrier – was spotted: it quartered the tidal reedbed and gave us nice views as it headed upriver.

We had good views of flocks of Brent Geese and more Red-breasted Mergansers in the run-up to Topsham, where another star bird came in the form of the wintering drake Goldeneye. Not only did it stay on the water for everyone to see, but then it took off, flew past us, turned and came over our heads! Gulls were in abundance today, with large numbers of Black-headed Gulls feeding across the mudflats and in the water. Some were gaining their dark hoods before next month’s departure for their Baltic colonies. Common Gulls are also increasing now, as are Lesser Black-backed Gulls, although we saw only one of the latter. The gull highlight was definitely a smart-looking Mediterranean Gull in breeding plumage. The return from Topsham saw a Peregrine sitting out on Bull Hill sandbank: it took off and flew in front of the boat before heading inland.

Dave Smallshire