Saturday 12 August 2017

Saturday 12th August

Sea defence works along on the dune ridge continue to restrict access to the hide and Warren Point.  The golf course is not a public right of way.  Please follow signs and access guidance from staff.

The juv White-winged Black Tern was offshore early morning, relocated foraging on the estuary off Powderham to 10:30 and then perched on Bull Hill where it remained until c.14:00 when it flew south over The Bight and continued to forage close off Exmouth beach.  It associates with other terns and on site today were 185 Sandwich Tern (57 juv), 40 Common Tern, a juv Arctic Tern and the juv Little Tern again sporting its Irish darvic ring.

While shivering in the cold northerly, counts made during the morning high tide were 974 Oystercatcher, 407 Curlew, 226 Dunlin, 218 Redshank, 92 Ringed Plover, 30 Cormorant, 28 Sanderling, 25 Mute Swan (incl. 5 swimming offshore), 24 Bar-tailed Godwit, 23 Whimbrel, 14 Common Gull, 12 Mediterranean Gull, nine Little Egret, five Greenshank, four Black-tailed Godwit, three Turnstone, three Grey Heron and the ever faithful (and flightless) Slavonian Grebe (released here in spring 2008 after rehabilitation).

Quiet overhead, nine Swift and only a few Swallow.  Nothing of note at sea.  Four Wheatear and single figures of the regular warblers in the bushes including two Willow Warbler.

Wildlife News: Grey Seals in the main estuary channel and offshore among the sandbars; speed limits for boating traffic exist.  Two Red Admiral and a single Migrant Hawker near the Main Pond.

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