Guided Bird Watching Cruise – 19th November 2025

The Avocets were the highlights of today’s Guided Birdwatching Cruise. As the boat approached the huge mudbank opposite the Turf Hotel, the first group of ten Avocets were found, feeding in the shallow water, sifting for food with their distinctive ‘sideways-flick’ bill action. Their snowy white and contrasting dense black plumage glowed in the bright winter sunshine as they scurried around, looking for food in the short tidal window. The closer to Topsham we were, the more we saw; there were small flocks, large flocks, birds standing on the mud, birds sleeping on the mud on one leg, birds walking away from the boat, birds flying, and they obliged by being easily and closely visible from both sides of the boat. It was a spectacular show that was much appreciated by everyone. By the time we reached Topsham we had seen close on three hundred, a huge increase in numbers from earlier cruises and was indicative that winter has really arrived.

Earlier we had left Exmouth against a stiff north-westerly wind, but piercingly bright sunshine was a great morale boost despite the cold. On the upper-deck, the boat’s supply of blankets was very welcome, while downstairs the convivial smell of hot pasties and mulled wine made for a cosy atmosphere. The keen wind resulted in birds being seen in unexpected places, or missing from others: for example the trip completely failed to see a single Shag, and at Topsham the expected Golden Plover flock was missing from their
normal position on the western mudbank. These winter visitors from Iceland are accustomed to strong winds, but must have moved to a more sheltered spot out of view. At the Turf Hotel, the mudbank that stretches east towards Exton was busy with Dunlin, perhaps a thousand, and we soon found Grey Plover, two Knot, and hundreds of Black-tailed Godwit. With visibility so good, we could appreciate the large number of wader,wildfowl and gulls that use the estuary as a cold weather refuge. It was a lovely day, and
thanks to the crew for providing a safe and warm platform for enjoying the spectacle.
Peter Hopkin