Wednesday 19th February

On a grey foggy day, the only news received was of a Firecrest alongside the Golf Course at the end of the reserve. 

Tuesday 18th February

Wader counts from the high tide included 800 Dunlin, 125 Grey and 20 Ringed Plover, 105 Curlew, 68 Snipe, 42 Knot, 39 Redshank, 27 Bar-tailed Godwit, 20 Turnstone, five Sanderling, three Greenshank and two Jack Snipe, the latter pushed from the saltmarsh by rising waters. 

Also in the estuary 157 Black-headed and 14 Common Gull, spring passage of the latter has either peaked or been delayed, and 104 Dark-bellied Brent Geese.

Monday 17th February

A low tide visit so little to report from the estuary and the bushes were similarly quiet. On the choppy sea  the four Eider were near estuary mouth, and four Shoveler (three males), two Little Grebe and the lone Mute Swan were on the Main Pond. This is presumed to be the regular breeding female, the male, ringed DDN, has not been seen since late autumn. 

Other Wildlife: Continuing invertebrate inactivity in the grey conditions, but a few species can always be found. On the beach were Dune Scarab Aegialia arenarius, Red Marsh Ladybird Cocciluda rufa and a Dune Jumper Marpissa nivoyi, with the spider Neriene montana and the bug Issus coleoptratus in the scrub.

Dune Scarab Aegialia arenarius - Alan Keatley

Neriene montana - Alan Keatley

Issus coleoptratus nymph - Alan Keatley

Sunday 16th February

Early morning seawatching saw 38 Red-throated and a Great Northern Diver off the seawall along with 10 Kittiwake, eight Common Scoter, three Gannet and three Fulmar. 

Counts over the high tide included 132 Grey and 18 Ringed Plover, 85 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 72 Bar-tailed Godwit, 54 Redshank, 44 Teal, 44 Turnstone, 30 Shelduck, four Wigeon and three Greenshank. 

Elsewhere 114 Lesser Black-backed Gull north overhead was welcome a sign of spring, three Little Grebe were at the Main Pond and two Firecrest, two Goldcrest and single Chiffchaff and Coal Tit in the bushes.

Saturday 15th February

The high tide left space at a premium around The Bight with roosting waders including 1,460 Dunlin, 135 Grey, 20 Ringed and a Golden Plover, 119 Knot, 93 Bar-tailed Godwit, 35 Turnstone and 22 Sanderling. Also in the estuary, 232 Dark and two Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 36 Teal, seven Wigeon and three Red-breasted Merganser.

The four Eider remain off the estuary mouth with six Common Scoter, five Red-throated and a Great Northern Diver also offshore.

Elsewhere a male Goshawk flew towards the Entrance Bushes just before 8am, and then seen later over the Crocus Compound, the Cetti's Warbler and two Shoveler were at the Main Pond, the bushes held four Bullfinch and twos of Chiffchaff, Firecrest and Goldcrest. 

Year list addition:

105. Goshawk

Ringing News: At total of 42 ringed Dunlin were recorded including another new bird from the January catch, the 90th of 99 now resighted. Sample counts suggested a ringed bird is present amongst every 20-25 individuals. 

Friday 14th February

Large numbers of waders around The Bight on the large high tide including a winter peak of 115 Knot, alongside an estimated 1,400 Dunlin, 101 Bar-tailed Godwit, 96 Grey Plover, 32 Shelduck and a Great Northern Diver.  

Elsewhere three Shoveler, two Little Grebe and a Snipe were at the Main Pond and an adult Mediterranean Gull offshore.

Snipe - Jim Summers

Ringing News: A near-record total of 71 colour-ringed Dunlin were noted today, including two new birds both ringed on the Exe, 92 of the 102 birds ringed this winter have now been resighted. Although the flock was not counted, the ratio between ringed and unringed birds allowed for an estimate. 

One of today's birds was the German ringed individual, colour-ringed in Jan, with Polish and Welsh ringed birds still here for at least their third winter.

Other Wildlife: A Grey Seal was in the estuary and the Grey Squirrel remains on the Golf Course. 

Thursday 13th February

Another grey day with a cold easterly wind counts from the estuary included 950+ Dunlin, 82 Grey and 13 Ringed Plover, 57 Redshank, 24 Sanderling and seven Knot around The Bight at high tide. At low tide the Spotted Redshank was again in Cockwood Harbour. 

Elsewhere the Cetti's Warbler and two Shoveler were at the First Pond, with four Common Scoter and three Red-throated Diver offshore in choppy conditions.

Phacidium lauri - Kevin Rylands

Wednesday 12th February

A low tide look off Cockwood Steps saw 167 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, a Greenshank and a Great Northern Diver in the estuary with the wintering Spotted Redshank a few metres outside the Recording Area in Cockwood Harbour.

Elsewhere 32 Great Crested Grebe, four Red-throated Diver and two Razorbill were offshore with two Shoveler on the Main Pond and three Chiffchaff and a Goldcrest in the bushes.

Tuesday 11th February

Tough going today in the grey and chilly weather. Offshore 41 Great Crested Grebe, 21 Red-throated Diver and the four Eider. 

Elsewhere two Goldcrest and a Chiffchaff were on site, three Shoveler and two Little Grebe were on the Main Pond, two Rook and two Stock Dove were overhead and 175 Dark-bellied Brent Goose were in the estuary on a low tide visit.

Blue Willow Beetle Phratora vulgatissima - Alan Keatley. One of very few invertebrates in the conditions 

Monday 10th February

The Water Pipit was again in the saltmarsh (no general access) with the Avocet, 121 Teal and seven Wigeon feeding in Shutterton Creek on the rising tide. Also in the estuary 226 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 95 Curlew, 57 Redshank, 22 Ringed Plover, 12 Sanderling, seven Greenshank, two Red-breasted Merganser and a Peregrine.

Elsewhere 36 Great Crested Grebe and four Eider were offshore, four Shoveler were on the Main Pond with three Siskin and a Chiffchaff in the bushes.