Birdwatching Trip Report - 27th August 2023

Perfect conditions for a birdwatching tram with a light covering of cloud allowing good all round viewing conditions.  A full top-deck departed Seaton Station at 6pm, returning as dusk began to fall at 8pm.

A Peregrine was an early highlight, circling over the tram before powering off to the east and disappearing almost as quickly as it appeared.  With numerous Buzzards, a Kestrel, a family party of Ravens and good numbers of Swallows and House Martins, looking up certainly paid off during this trip.  This was even the case right at the end of the trip as a closer look at a group of four Egrets flying towards the sea showed them to be three Little and one Cattle Egret!

A Goosander was a nice highlight for one of the passengers, presumably a juvenile, which flew around and briefly landed on the Estuary.  Two Water Rail pleasingly showed for all to see, as they fed on the edge of the reedbed on the Estuary mud. 

As usual wading birds were well represented, with a Green Sandpiper, two Ruff, three Greenshank, three Common Sandpipers, several Ringed Plover and Dunlin seen, plus surprisingly good views of five Common Snipe feeding out in the open on Colyford Scrape.

Kingfishers were elusive until the return journey, when two flew up opposite Seaton Marshes Hide, including one that flew across the track right in front of the tram!

In total 52 different species of birds were recorded during the trip, listed below: