Third and final visit to the Otter Estuary nature reserve on my last day in Devon - 19th March 2026

There was a group of Redshank feeding at the edge of the water in the Otter Estuary nature reserve

First time I had been to the nature reserve when part of it was still covered with water

Little Egret searching for food amongst the reeds

Four Oystercatchers on the mud as the tide went out

Shelduck hiding in the reeds behind a Grey Heron

Pied Wagtail standing on a pebbly island in the river Otter

Shelduck feeding in the mud at low tide

Rookery at the edge of the river

Peacock butterfly sunning itself on the path at the edge of the river Otter

There was a large hole in the path along the edge of the river Otter

Two male Eurasian Teal feeding on the river Otter

One final photograph of a lovely Little Egret in the Otter Estuary nature reserve

Such a great place - I only hope that I will be able to visit it again some time in the future

 

Spoonbills, Goosanders, Little Egrets, Godwits, Sandpiper and Greenshank (plus Parasitic Wasp) at the Otter Estuary nature reserve and along the river Otter - 17th March 2026

I visited the Otter Estuary nature reserve for the second time on Tuesday during my week in Devon

The two Spoonbills were feeding in front of a Little Egret

A Dunnock perched in a bare shrub

Group of Black-tailed Godwits feeding near the bridge in the centre of the nature reserve

I found a creepy Parasitic Wasp creeping around in one of the bird hides

I went for a walk along the footpath at the edge of the river Otter and came across a pair of Goosanders

a second female Goosander was in the water a little further upstream

Back in the nature reserve, a Black-tailed Godwit was feeding in the mud

Two Little Egrets were stepping daintily around in a shallow pool

A Common Sandpiper was standing in shallow water at the edge of the mud

A Greenshank was wading through the water while looking for food

Another Little Egret was walking around in shallow water near the coastal end of the reserve

 

Birding visit to Otter Estuary nature reserve, Budleigh Salterton, on 14th March 2026

I was staying in a mobile home at Devon Cliffs Holiday Park near Exmouth for a week and, on my first full day in Devon, went on the bus to Budleigh Salterton in order to visit the Otter Estuary nature reserve

View of some of the houses on the cliff in Budleigh Salterton, with the holiday park on the distant cliffs

The flatter part of Devon Cliffs Holiday Park - all the rest of it was uphill!

View from the coast side of the nature reserve at low tide

I was greeted by a friendly Robin near the entrance to the reserve

Distant tree and clouds past a reed bed

Pair of Shelduck searching for food in the mud

Oystercatcher patrolling the very shallow water

Tall thin tree trunk is a point of interest in the centre of the reserve

Male and female Eurasian Teal feeding in the shallow water

Two Spoonbills in the centre of the estuary

I managed to get slightly closer to the Spoonbills and this one began walking away from me

The two Spoonbills feeding in one of the channels in the estuary

I saw them preening later on in the afternoon

Two Little Egrets on the other side of shallow water - viewed from one of the bird hides

Closer look at one of the Little Egrets

Redshank resting at the edge of the mud

Path at one side of the nature reserve

Row of trees on a ridge on the other side of the river Otter and overlooking the sea

Little Egret strutting its stuff when I was leaving the Otter Estuary nature reserve

View of Budleigh Salterton as I walked along the sea front after a great walk round the nature reserve