Monday 13th August

A visit over the evening tide showed the Black Tern and Little Ringed Plover were still present in the Bight with 210 Ringed Plover, c200 Dunlin, 26 Sanderling, three Bar-tailed Godwit and two Knot. Also in the estuary 227 Redshank, 60+ Sandwich and 42 Common Tern, 22 Whimbrel, four Greenshank, a Common Sandpiper and the Slavonian Grebe.

Sunday 12th August

As the remnants of Storm Debbie passed through early morning seawatching produced a single Sooty and at least 19 Balearic Shearwater south with four large shearwater sp, 30+ Fulmar, three Arctic and two Great Skua all heading south.

Elsewhere the first Curlew Sandpiper of the year, a moulting adult, was in the Bight on the evening tide with the Little Stint making a return visit. Other counts from the estuary included 290 Dunlin, 223 Ringed Plover, 65+ Sandwich, 20+ Common and the Black Tern, 40 Mute Swan, seven Bar-tailed Godwit, three Grey Plover, two Greenshank, two Common Sandpiper, two Knot, a Little Ringed Plover and the Slavonian Grebe.

Saturday 11th August

The change in weather saw little change in numbers but an increased variety with 78 species recorded on site today. Seawatching during the day saw three Balearic Shearwater south early evening with two Little Tern, a Pomarine and two Arctic Skua feeding offshore, three Teal in off and two early Red-breasted Merganser south.

Counts from the estuary included 260 Dunlin, 246 Ringed Plover, 10 Sanderling, five Greenshank, three Grey and two Golden Plover, two Knot, two Bar and a Black-tailed Godwit, the Black Tern and the Little Ringed Plover. Elsewhere four Mediterranean Gull were around the site, a Common Sandpiper on the seawall, the Treecreeper was in the Entrance Bushes and migrants included a Swift, six Willow and a Garden Warbler, a Meadow Pipit and a Wheatear.

Wildlife News: A Basking Shark, only the second Warren record, was offshore with a small pod of dolphin sp. A Grey Seal was in the estuary.

Friday 10th August

The first Little Stint of the year was in the Bight this morning but relocated to the north end of the estuary on the evening tide. Other waders included 294 Dunlin, 271 Ringed Plover, 25+ Sanderling, eight Turnstone, five Whimbrel, three Grey Plover, two Greenshank, a Common Sandpiper, a Knot and a Little Ringed Plover. Also in the estuary 50 Sandwich and 20 Common Tern, five Mediterranean Gull and the Slavonian Grebe.

Elsewhere three Pomarine and two Arctic Skua flew south early morning and migrants included single Sedge and Garden Warbler.

Thursday 9th August

Two Ruff were present on the morning tide with the juvenile Black Tern present briefly over the evening tide with a single Little Ringed Plover. Peak counts from the estuary during the day included 227 Ringed Plover, 194 Dunlin, 51 Common and c50 Sandwich Tern, 20 Whimbrel, 17 Sanderling, 12 Mediterranean Gull, seven Black and seven Bar-tailed Godwit, three Grey Plover, a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull and the Slavonian Grebe.

Black Tern - Lee Collins

Elsewhere over 100 House Martin were feeding over the site late afternoon, half a dozen Willow Warbler were in the bushes and an Osprey was in the estuary late morning. The potential bird of the day however slipped the net, a probable Great White Egret flew east offshore at 7.30 this morning. It was too distant to clinch but may have been the bird that later dropped onto the Fleet at Abbotsbury, Dorset.

Wildlife News: A new hoverfly for the recording area was found today Eristalinus sepulchralis - the small Spotty-eyed Dronefly. A Wall Brown was on Warren Point and a Painted Lady was watched coming in off the sea early evening.

 Eristalinus sepulchralis - Alan Keatley

Wall Brown - Alan Keatley

Wednesday 8th August

A juvenile Black Tern was present over the evening tide before heading to Mudbank, also from the hide two juvenile Little Ringed Plover and the first two juvenile Black-tailed Godwit of autumn. Counts from the estuary included 153+ Dunlin, 104 Ringed Plover, 28 Common Tern, 14 Mediterranean Gull, 10 Turnstone, seven Sanderling, three Greenshank and the Slavonian Grebe.

Elsewhere two Arctic Skua were offshore, a Wheatear was in front of the hide and 11 Swift were overhead.

 juvenile Common Tern - Lee Collins

juvenile Little Ringed Plover - Lee Collins

Tuesday 7th August

Counts from the estuary included 108 Ringed Plover, 100+ Dunlin, 32 Common Tern, 26 Sanderling, 12 Mediterranean Gull, a juvenile Little Ringed Plover, single Turnstone, Bar-tailed Godwit and Greenshank and the Slavonian Grebe. Elsewhere two Teal were offshore, a juvenile Green Woodpecker was on site and 11 House and a single Sand Martin flew through.

Gull sp - Dave Jewell

 

 Gull sp - Lee Collins

This is thought to be a leucistic Mediterranean Gull, but a hybrid couldn't be ruled out.

Ringing News: This Sandwich Tern KDB has been present since 18th July. It was ringed in mid Wales in September 2015 and has been present here during the last three July/ August periods, showing great site fidelity. A large percentage of ringed Sandwich Terns are recorded here in multiple years, reinforcing the importance of the Warren as a  post breeding stopover site.

Sandwich Tern - Lee Collins

Sunday 5th August

A Pied Flycatcher on the Golf Course was presumably yesterday's bird relocated with the Treecreeper still present by the First Pond. Also in the bushes a Garden and at least five Willow Warbler and a mix of Blackcap, Whitethroat, Chiffchaff and Reed Warbler. Some of the latter may have been migrants but a few recently fledged birds were also obvious.

Over the high tide a Little Tern was with 140 Sandwich and 22 Common Tern whilst wader numbers picked up considerably with a minimum of 492 Curlew, 372 Redshank, 110+ Dunlin, 107 Ringed Plover, 51+ Sanderling, 15 Mediterranean Gull, nine Whimbrel, four Greenshank, two Turnstone, a summer plumaged Grey Plover and the Slavonian Grebe.

Wildlife News: The highlight was the finding of at least two Purple Hairstreak, only the second Warren record. There is no data on the first record other than it was before 1980. also present a single Clouded Yellow but no sign of any fritillaries.

Saturday 4th August

A brief Pied Flycatcher by the Main Pond and a juvenile Treecreeper in the Entrance Bushes were the pick of a small fall of migrants with two Garden, a Sedge and five Willow Warbler also present and 62 Swallow, a Sand and six House Martin overhead.

In the estuary counts included 557 Oystercatcher, 416 Curlew, 171 Sandwich and 12 Common Tern, 146 Redshank, 27 Mute and a Black Swan, 23 Ringed Plover, 22 Whimbrel, 16 Sanderling, 10 Dunlin, a Little Ringed Plover and the Slavonian Grebe. Elsewhere the immature Eider and a Common Scoter were offshore

Wildlife News: Two Silver-washed Fritillary were only the fourth site record with good numbers of other butterflies on the wing including lots of Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Common Blue, Large and Small White with a few Speckled Wood, Small Copper, Brown Argus and Holly Blue, two Red Admiral and single Comma and Painted Lady.

Friday 3rd August

The first Marsh Harrier of the year, a juvenile, flew SW early morning but other migrants were limited to the estuary where at least 21 Common Tern were with the Sandwich Tern flock. Also in the estuary 50+ Dunlin, 20+ Ringed Plover, 13 Mediterranean Gull, two Black-tailed Godwit, two Turnstone, a Sanderling and the Slavonian Grebe.