Monday 14th October

A mostly wet and miserable day but even in drier periods there was little to be found in the bushes with just three Goldcrest and a Chiffchaff noted, although the Cetti's Warbler was again by the Main Pond. Elsewhere the Slavonian Grebe was in the estuary with 17 Sandwich Tern.

Slavonian Grebe 09/10/19 - Lee Collins

Sunday 13th October

The Siberian Lesser Whitethroat presumed blythi remained around the Entrance Bushes with eight Blackcap, five Chiffchaff and two Wheatear also on site. Other migrants included a mobile flock of 170 Goldfinch and 40 Greenfinch feasting on Evening Primrose, no doubt helping to attract a passing Merlin.

Siberian Lesser Whitethroat - Lee Collins

Elsewhere two Shoveler and an Arctic Skua were offshore and records from the estuary included a Curlew Sandpiper, 290 Redshank, 161 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 47 Dunlin, 33 Bar and a Black-tailed Godwit, 28 Sandwich Tern, 23 Ringed, 20 Grey and a Golden Plover, 16 Knot, eight Greenshank, a Whimbrel and the Slavonian Grebe.

Saturday 12th October

A Siberian Lesser Whitethroat, presumed blythi, was around the Entrance Bushes most of the day, a first for the Recording Area. It arrived along with at least eight Blackcap and four Song Thrush, with a Wheatear, four Chiffchaff and three Goldcrest also on site and 13 House Martin overhead.

 Lesser Whitethroat blythi  - Alan Keatley

Lesser Whitethroat blythi  - both Luke Harman

Counts from the estuary included 875 Wigeon, 264 Redshank, 139 Teal, 86 Turnstone, 32 Bar and a Black-tailed Godwit, 28 Dunlin, 21 Sandwich and two Common Tern, eight Grey, four Ringed and a Golden Plover, seven Pale-bellied Brent Geese, six Greenshank and the Slavonian Grebe. Elsewhere a Red-throated Diver, three Arctic and a Pomarine Skua were offshore.

Wildlife News: Three Harbour Porpoise and a Grey Seal were offshore.

Parasol - Alan Keatley. With the recent rain fungi are out in abundance on site.

Friday 11th October

Seawatching from just after 8am saw 17 Arctic, three Pomarine, a Great and the year's first Long-tailed Skua head south along with a Puffin, three Red-throated and two Great Northern Diver.

Elsewhere there was no sign of the Long-billed Dowitcher in the estuary but species present included seven Golden Plover, 100 Turnstone, 85 Sandwich, five Common and two Arctic Tern, 40 Dunlin, 35 Ringed Plover, four Red-breasted Merganser and the Slavonian Grebe.

Thursday 10th October

The first Long-billed Dowitcher for the Warren was discovered associating with Oystercatcher on the afternoon's rising tide. It was soon flushed by a Merlin but was eventually relocated in front of the hide and occasionally feeding on the Golf Course. The hide should be accessible along the beach throughout the tide cycle tomorrow, there is no access to the Golf Course.

Long-billed Dowitcher - Alan Keatley

Long-billed Dowitcher - Luke Harman

Also in the estuary a good total of 1401 Wigeon, 165 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 67 Sandwich, five Common and an Arctic Tern, 17 Grey and two Golden Plover, 15 Mediterranean Gull, six Greenshank, four Red-breasted Merganser, a Pintail and a Slavonian Grebe.

Cirl Bunting - Alan Keatley

Wednesday 9th October

The feeding flock offshore was still present and estimated to comprise of 1,700 birds.  Two Arctic Skua in attendance chased around the Kittiwake and terns. Large numbers of terns remain on site with 112 Sandwich and a Common Tern in the estuary along with 82 Turnstone, 24 Dunlin, 14 Ringed Plover, 12 Bar-tailed Godwit, six Mediterranean Gull, five Grey Plover, three Knot, a Red-breasted Merganser and the Slavonian Grebe.

A Cetti's Warbler called a few times from reed-beds around the Main Pond. The bushes and dunes were quieter than yesterday, holding six Blackcap, five Chiffchaff, five Goldcrest and a Wheatear.  Overhead there were 162 Meadow Pipit, 41 alba Wagtail, 25 Jackdaw, 18 Skylark, 10 Chaffinch and three Siskin.

Tuesday 8th October

A Great White Egret leisurely flew along the coastline and headed up the spit at dawn. The massive seabird melee was still present far offshore, comprising mostly of Black-headed Gull, Kittiwake, Gannet, four Mediterranean Gull and terns, which totaled 141 Sandwich, seven Common and two adult Arctic Tern. In addition, passage south included two Balearic Shearwater. 

The first Red-breasted Merganser of the winter was in the estuary with 189 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 71 Turnstone, 36 Dunlin, 27 Ringed Plover, eight Grey Plover and four Sanderling.

Movement overhead 470 Meadow Pipit, 35 Skylark, 20 Swallow, four Rook, three Grey Wagtail and a Jackdaw with a clear arrival of 21 Blackcap in the bushes.

Wildlife news: two pods of four and five Common Dolphin joined the feeding frenzy offshore.

Monday 7th October

Good feeding conditions remain offshore attracting at least 96 Sandwich, two Common and an Arctic Tern with at least 10 Arctic and four Great Skua passing south. Elsewhere a Ruff was a new arrival in the Bight with counts from the estuary including 366 Wigeon, 217 Teal, 100+ Great Black-backed Gull, 63 Turnstone, 48 Ringed Plover, 37 Dunlin, two Greenshank and the Slavonian Grebe.

Due to the significant ongoing erosion, Teignbridge District Council is advising extreme caution when visiting. The dune path between groyne 10 – 18 is unsafe and a section of this path has been washed away, so is completely closed with no access. Access to the Hide and Warren Point is only possible via the beach with the risk of being cut off for a period either side of any high tide. The only access to these areas is along the beach at lower states of tide.

Sunday 6th October

A Short-toed Lark was reportedly seen briefly along the Dune Ridge before flying to the Golf Course mid afternoon, but there was no further sign. Grounded migrants were limited to 12 Goldcrest, six Chiffchaff and three Blackcap, although overhead passage picked up with a late Tree Pipit amongst good number of Meadow Pipit, 115 alba Wagtail and a steady movement of Greenfinch, Goldfinch and Linnet. The year's first Merlin also passed through.

In the estuary numbers of terns increased considerably with a minimum of 159 Sandwich and five Common Tern on Bull Hill, with a juvenile Curlew Sandpiper, 374 Curlew, 143 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 24 Dunlin, seven Greenshank, eight Mediterranean Gull and two Pintail also present. Elsewhere at least six Arctic Skua were off the seawall harrying the terns and hundreds of gulls feeding offshore.