Avocets on exposed mud, Exe estuary

Avocets on exposed mud, Exe estuary

According to the marketing department of Great Western Railway, avocets are the bird of the Exe estuary: the line from Exeter to Exmouth is the Avocet Line.

Attractive as the birds are, they are only there for a few months as a winter refuge. Here are some feeding on exposed mud at low tide late in January. Most likely, they have already headed off to their breeding grounds.