I arrived at the wrong time to see any of the bird activity on the soft mud left when the tide was out in the Exe estuary. The mass of webbed footprints suggests that a few mallards may have been very busy.
Devon interlude: cathedral with full moon
A full moon rising over the cathedral close at Exeter – a grab shot taken on a mobile phone.
Devon interlude: lone godwit feeding
Low tide in the Exe estuary, with lots of mud exposed. A lone godwit was making the most of the opportunity, sifting the silt, finding plenty to eat.
Devon interlude: black swans preening
A pair of black swans preen at low tide on the Exe estuary at Topsham. The main flock, introduced from Australia, are at Dawlish. Some of the birds wander for a distance up or down the coast. On the Exe, they can sometimes be seen at least as far upstream as Exeter Quay. But, in our limited sampling, they are more likely to be spotted in Topsham.
Devon interlude: estuary views
Views across the Exe at Topsham. In the first shot, the superbly-sited riverfront property masks the view of the M5 which crosses the river just upstream, giving a 24-hour background noise.
The wreck has been slowly disintegrating for over a decade now. The high ground beyond it is Haldon Forest. The small cottage was for the keeper of the Topsham lock on the Exeter Canal, the first in England to have pound locks. The canal runs alongside the river, on the opposite side to the one-time major port of Topsham.
Devon interlude: shelduck on estuary mud
A ;one young shelduck sifting the soft mud left in the Exe estuary at low tide, leaving its footprints as it advances.