Sunday 26th January

A wet start to the day saw estimated counts of 200 Snipe, 200 Grey Plover, 180 Bar-tailed Godwit and 150 Knot in the estuary with 249 Brent Geese, 62 Teal, 28 Ringed Plover, two Mediterranean Gull, three Greenshank and the Slavonian Grebe. Elsewhere just four Great-crested Grebe and the female Eider were offshore.

Saturday 25th January

Counts from the estuary over the morning high tide included 2770 Dunlin, 202 Brent Geese, 174 Grey Plover, 128 Bar and five Black-tailed Godwit, 128 Common Gull, 119 Knot, 98 Redshank, 94 Teal, 54 Shelduck,  12 Wigeon, three Greenshank, a female Shoveler and the Slavonian Grebe. 

Elsewhere an Eider, a single Red-throated Diver and 28 Great-crested Grebe were offshore and five Shoveler were on the Main Pond. 

Friday 24th January

The first Black Redstart of the year was on Warren Point, presumably the male currently wintering in Exmouth. It was seen from a Stuart Line Cruise, the same trip also saw the Slavonian Grebe off Cockwood.

Thursday 23rd January

A morning visit saw the first two Black-tailed Godwit of the year off Cockwood with 79 Brent Geese and 43 Shelduck also in the estuary. Elsewhere three Red-throated Diver and three Pintail, also new for the year, were offshore, 13 Snipe and two Teal were in the flooded Greenland Lake and a pair of Collared Dove were in Dead Dolphin Wood. 

Wednesday 22nd January

The Slavonian Grebe and eight Sanderling were off Cockwood but no other news was received. 

Sunday 17th January

A cold sunny day with a flat calm sea, the conditions helped confirmed there was very little offshore, with no divers, a handful of Great-crested Grebe and the returning female Eider. Counts of the high tide included 172 Snipe, 131 Grey Plover, 108 Teal, 85+ Shelduck, 84 Dark and a Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 82 Common Gull, 79 Knot, six 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.

17/01/20

28/11/19

02/10/19

Saturday 18th January

Cattle Egret remain a feature with a couple of birds again in the Railway Saltmarsh early morning but late afternoon a new record flock of 26 were present on the mudflats. The estuary fog limited visibility all morning but cleared by early afternoon and counts on the receding tide included 950 Dunlin, 878 Oystercatcher, 168 Knot, 164 Grey Plover, 87 Teal, 76 Bar-tailed Godwit, 71 Redshank, 69 Brent Geese, 55 Shelduck, just 18 Wigeon, three Greenshank and the Slavonian Grebe. 

Elsewhere 46 Great-crested Grebe, two Red-throated and a Great Northern Diver were offshore with both Green and Great-spotted Woodpecker vocal on site and the first Kingfisher of the year in Eales Dock. 

Friday 17th January

Three Cattle Egret were again in the estuary early morning with 1500 Dunlin, 190 Grey and 34 Ringed Plover, 180 Bar-tailed Godwit, 134 Knot, 90 Common Gull, 80 Teal, 73 Shelduck, 30 Dark and a Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 21 Sanderling and the Slavonian Grebe. Elsewhere three Great Northern Diver and a Common Scoter were offshore.

 Cattle Egret - Lee Collins. A record shot but award winning compared to the only other Dawlish Warren Cattle Egret photo from February 2008.

Pale-bellied Brent Goose - Alan Keatley

Wednesday 15th January

Four Cattle Egret were again in the Railway Saltmarsh early morning with 330 Dark and two Pale-bellied Brent Geese. 80+ Snipe and the Slavonian Grebe in the estuary amd single Great Northern and Red-throated Diver off the seawall. 

Wildlife News: A very early Early Bumblebee Bombus pratorum queen was on the flowering Hebe by the seawall.