Friday 1st December

Fewer birds around the reserve with five Goldcrest and four Chiffchaff with just 11 Long-tailed Tit. The others no doubt back on the mainland, taking the Firecrests and perhaps the Pallas's with them. A Mistle Thrush briefly along the Back Path, at least five Water Rail on site and five Shoveler, two pairs & an imm ♂, on Main Pond hinted at some winter movement.

Estuary counts from high tide included c1735 Dunlin, c930 Wigeon, 412 Teal, 294 Redshank, 209 Dark and 22 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 126 Grey and 11 Ringed Plover, 120 Bar and a Black-tailed Godwit, 81 Knot, four Sanderling and two Greenshank.

Elsewhere three Red-throated and two Great Northern Diver were offshore with three Common Scoter and a Mediterranean Gull.

Tuesday 28th November

Attention was again focused on the Entrance Bushes, Buffer Zone and Car Park where the Pallas's Warbler remained for a third day. It was however again very elusive with no records after late morning; also present in the roving tit flock, two Firecrest.

Pallas's Warbler - Jim Summers

Offshore, good numbers of Great Crested Grebe, four Common Scoter and two Red-throated Diver.

Monday 27th November

The Pallas's Warbler periodically showed well at times throughout the day, receiving a steady trickle of admirers, but was often 'missing' for long periods. It was again primarily around the Entrance Bushes but was seen as far as the Main Pond and Car Park, always associated with mixed tit, Chiffchaff and Goldcrest flock. 

Pallas's Warbler Phylloscopus proregulus at Dawlish Warren, Devon this morning. This tiny bird not much bigger than a Goldcrest breeds in Siberia and should spend the winter in China and Thailand but some migrate east and turn up in the UK usually in late October & November pic.twitter.com/pjwdaTz6Ay

— John Walters (@JWentomologist) November 27, 2023

Pallas's Warbler Phylloscopus proregulus in autumn Sallows, Dawlish Warren, Devon - it was ranging between the car park and Greenland Lake with Long-tailed Tits pic.twitter.com/3Nj3RsARFG

— John Walters (@JWentomologist) November 27, 2023

Also present around the Entrance Bushes a Siberian Chiffchaff, two Water Rail and a Grey Wagtail.

Other Wildlife: The Grey Squirrel was again in the Entrance Bushes Alders.

Sunday 26th November

The long awaited first Pallas's Warbler for the Recording Area was discovered in the flooded Entrance Bushes mid morning and showed occasionally until disappearing early afternoon. It associated with a large mixed foraging flock of mixed tits, warblers and crests. 

Also around the scrub a Siberian Chiffchaff, at least one Firecrest, six Goldcrest, five Chiffchaff, three Bullfinch and a ♂ Blackcap. 

The tide was overlooked in favour of the Pallas's but a two hour seawatch early morning saw 168 Razorbill and 67 Kittiwake flew south with 25+ Great Crested Grebe, three Red-throated and two Great Northern Diver and a Red-breasted Merganser.

Other Wildlife: No flying insects in the damp. drizzly conditions but the Grey Squirrel was active in the Entrance Bushes.

Saturday 25th November

The first frost of the winter meant a cold start with rolling sea mist hampering viewing offshore until later in the day. A Purple Sandpiper briefly on the breakwater at Langstone Rock was an early highlight with a lone Velvet Scoter found off Groyne 12 late in the day. Also offshore 45 Great Crested Grebe, a significant increase, eight Red-throated and six Great Northern Diver, a ♂ Shoveler and an immature ♂ Eider.

In the estuary the Spotted Redshank was again present with counts including 1122 Wigeon, 321 Dark and 37 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 262 Teal, 165 Redshank, 113 Grey Plover, 86 Bar and three Black-tailed Godwit, 60 Knot, 53 Shelduck, 28 Ringed Plover, 17 Sanderling, eight Greenshank, three Red-breasted Merganser and single Little Grebe and Kingfisher.

Raven - Alan Keatley

A Siberian Chiffchaff was by the Main Pond, with seven Chiffchaff, six Goldcrest, four Song Thrush, two Bullfinch and a Redwing were on site with a lone Siskin overhead. Elsewhere 23 Skylark commuted between Warren Point and the Bight and a pair a Raven patrolled the site.

Skylark - Alan Keatley

Other Wildlife: A few hardy insects were active once the frost had dissipated, with several Buff-tailed Bumblebee, Common Dronefly and Marmalade Hoverfly milling around the ornamental Hebe.

Marmalade Hoverfly - Alan Keatley

Elsewhere four Red Admiral and three Common Darter were still on the wing and a Harbour Porpoise was offshore.

Red Admiral - Alan Keatley

Friday 24th November

Two Red-throated Diver were close in from the seawall with c100 Razorbill S during 1 hour seawatch. Also offshore a feeding flock of c60 Kittiwake and 30 Gannet, seven Great Crested Grebe, two Common Scoter and a Red-breasted Merganser.

Elsewhere 460 Dark and 39 Pale-bellied Brent Geese were feeding at low tide with 55 Shelduck and two adult Mediterranean Gull in the estuary and 10 Chiffchaff and four Goldcrest were on site.

Thursday 23rd November

A low tide visit saw 247 Dark and 44 Pale-bellied Brent Goose feeding on the mudflats, with three Common Scoter, four Great Northern and Red-throated Diver offshore in millpond conditions and a Firecrest and four Chiffchaff in the Entrances Bushes.

Other Wildlife: A warm, sunny afternoon was productive for late autumn insects, possibly the last records of the year for some. Heading the list were six Common Darter basking in the sunshine.

Common Darter - Alan Keatley

Potential migrants were four Marmalade Hoverfly and a Silver Y that flew in over the seawall. On the Hebe were several Common Dronefly and Buff-tailed Bumblebee, with Honey Bee and Common Wasp on Gorse.

Other active invertebrates included the leaf beetle Chrysolina banksii and a couple of Invisible Spider Drapetisca socialis. 

Invisible Spider - Alan Keatley

Chrysolina banksii - Alan Keatley

The Grey Squirrel was in trees by the First Pond.

Tuesday 21st November

A redhead Goosander south close offshore, before heading high inland near Langstone Rock, was the highlight, the first Warren record since Oct 2020. 

Elsewhere 260 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 23 Ringed and 16 Grey Plover were in the Bight, 25 Skylark foraged around the strandline, the lone Bar-tailed Godwit continued to feed on the beach; and a Great Northern Diver was off Warren Point.

Other Wildlife: A Rusty-dot Pearl at Langstone Rock showed continuing insect migration. 

Rusty-dot Pearl - Alan Keatley

Monday 20th November

A Lapwing in the estuary was only the second record of the year, with a good count of 11 Rock Pipit, many showing littoralis characteristics, also showing new arrivals. Counts from the Bight at high tide included 2019 Dunlin, 222 Dark and 34 Pale-bellied Brent Goose, 134 Curlew, 81 Bar-tailed Godwit, 77 Grey and 34 Ringed Plover, 28 Knot and 19 Sanderling. In Shutterton Creek, 1233 Wigeon, 162 Teal, 70 Shelduck and an adult Mediterranean Gull floated out high water.

Elsewhere a Firecrest was in Dead Dolphin Wood with nine Chiffchaff, six Goldcrest, three Siskin and two Lesser Redpoll in the scrub; and an hour seawatch first thing saw three Great Northern Diver offshore with 99 Gannet, 71 Kittiwake and 61 Razorbill south.

Other Wildlife: A pod of seven Common Dolphin headed south distantly offshore.

Sunday 19th November

An hour 15 m sea watch first thing saw some S passage with 367 Kittiwake, 284 Razorbill and 114 Gannet the main counts along with seven Guillemot, two Great Northern and a Red-throated Diver, a Fulmar and a Wigeon.

Counts from the estuary included 1805 Dunlin, 1291 Wigeon, 938 Oystercatcher, 367 Dark and 22 Pale bellied Brent Geese, with 13 juv Dark-bellied, 229 Redshank, 166 Curlew, 165 Teal, 108 Bar-tailed Godwit, 82 Grey and 35 Ringed Plover, 77 Snipe, 75 Shelduck, 66 Common and two Mediterranean Gull, 47 Knot, 14 Sanderling, 14 Greenshank and a Little Grebe.

Elsewhere two Water Pipit were in the saltmarsh (no access),  two Redwing flew through ahead of a squall and just two Chiffchaff and two Goldcrest could be found in the blown out scrub.