Tuesday 22nd April

A continuing small arrival of migrants, although the highlight were actually departures, with two Spoonbill south mid morning presumably the birds present at the north end of the estuary for several weeks. 

The low high tide saw, with the notable exception of at least 66 Whimbrel, few waders in the estuary with just eight Bar and a Black-tailed Godwit, seven Ringed Plover and a Greenshank on the exposed mudflats, with a Common Sandpiper with three Turnstone at Langstone Rock. 

Great Crested Grebe - Dave Jewell

Elsewhere the first Common Tern of the year was offshore with 115 Black-headed Gull, eight Sandwich Tern, eight Eider, seven Common Scoter, four Red-throated and three Great Northern Diver. The only other obvious migrants were two Wheatear on site and single Sand Martin and Swallow overhead. 

Year list additions:

138. Spoonbill

137. Common Tern 

Other Wildlife: An increasing selection of insects alongside the greening and flowering of scrubby areas. New emergences for the year included a Dark-edged Bee-fly Bombylius major, Green Furrow Bee Lasioglossum morio, Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana moth and a nettle weevil Nedyus quadrimaculatus. Also on nettles, a new dung fly for the Recording Area, a Many-bristled Timothy Fly Cleigastra fasciata.

Dark-edged Bee-fly Bombylius major - Alan Keatley

Green Furrow Bee Lasioglossum morio - Alan Keatley

Many-bristled Timothy Fly Cleigastra fasciata - Alan Keatley

Also on the wing the hoverfly Stripe-backed Fleckwing Dasysyrphus albostriatus and a Common Buff Snailkiller Tetanocera ferruginea. 

Common Buff Snailkiller Tetanocera ferruginea - Alan Keatley

Small Copper - Dave Jewell

Beetles were represented by the ground beetle Common Heart-shield Nebris brevicollis, the pea weevil Sitona lineatus and the seed beetle Oulema melanopus s.l., the latter both surprisingly found on the seawall lifeguard post.

Common Heart-shield Nebris brevicollis - Alan Keatley

Oulema melanopus s.l. - Alan Keatley

Monday 21st April

A welcome arrival of migrants was seemingly limited to a Grasshopper and the first three Sedge Warbler of the year, three Wheatear and a second Reed Warbler singing at the Main Pond, with numbers of Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Whitethroat similar to recent days. Overhead, 20 Swallow, a Buzzard and a Yellow Wagtail. 

The lone arrival offshore was a single Little Tern with just a single Sandwich Tern for company. Also present eight Eider, two Great Northern and a Red-throated Diver, two Mediterranean Gull and single Common Scoter and Great Crested Grebe.

In the estuary, the highlight was the year's first Great White Egret feeding off Cockwood on the rising tide, although now anticipated each year this is only the 22nd record for the Warren. Other records included 304 Oystercatcher, 37 Whimbrel, 29 Dunlin, 20 Bar-tailed Godwit, 10 Turnstone, seven Ringed Plover, two Dark-bellied Brent Geese and single Greenshank, Red-breasted Merganser and Sanderling.

Year list additions:
136. Great White Egret
135. Sedge Warbler 

Other Wildlife: The first Green-veined White of the year was on the wing with half a dozen Orange-tip and a couple of Small Copper. A couple of St Mark's Fly Bibio marci and a Gossamer Hoverfly Baccha elongata were also flying for the first time. 

Sunday 20th April

An Arctic Tern was offshore with just four Sandwich Tern along with 40 Gannet, eight Eider (five female, two adult and an immature male), four Manx Shearwater, two Common Scoter and two Great Northern Diver.

Counts from the estuary included 44 Whimbrel, 17 Bar-tailed Godwit, 13 Dunlin, two Dark-bellied Brent Geese, two Redshank, single Great Crested Grebe, Knot and Red-breasted Merganser and a lost Common Scoter that flew low over The Bight. 

The first Lesser Whitethroat of the year was the pick of the migrants with other counts including 11 Chiffchaff, five Blackcap, four Whitethroat, two Reed and a Willow Warbler and a Wheatear with six Swallow, a Sand Martin and a Siskin overhead. 

Year list addition:
134. Lesser Whitethroat

Green-winged Orchid - Kevin Rylands

Saturday 19th April

A noticeable arrival of birds in the estuary after yesterday's wet weather, the highlight of which was a very smart summer plumaged Spotted Redshank, just the third April record after birds on 19th April 1971 and 23rd April 1983. It was also the first black adult since a moulting bird on 20th July 2011. It associated with a flock of godwits, before the flock left on the dropping tide, although the godwits later returned.

Spotted Redshank - Lee Collins

Other counts over high tide included 91 Dunlin, 73 Whimbrel, 63 Bar and a Black-tailed Godwit, 22 Ringed and eight Grey Plover, 13 Sanderling, eight Turnstone, two Dark-bellied Brent Geese, two Redshank and single Greenshank, Knot and Avocet, the latter just the seventh April record.

Also in the estuary, but outside the Recording Area, c85 Pale-bellied Brent Geese and five Little Tern were on Cockle Sands, Exmouth. 

Earlier at least two Little Tern had been feeding offshore with at least 51 Sandwich Tern, eight Mediterranean Gull (seven 2cy & a 3cy) and an albino Herring Gull. Single Arctic and Great Skua flew south along with 27 Common Scoter, four Fulmar, three Great Northern Diver and a pair of Tufted Duck. A summer plumaged Great Northern Diver, eight Eider and a Red-breasted Merganser were on the sea. 

At least 60 Swallow and nine Sand Martin flew through with five Blackcap, two Whitethroat, two Reed and a Willow Warbler not suggesting any arrivals in the bushes. 

Year list additions:
133. Spotted Redshank
132. Little Tern
131. Great Skua
130. Arctic Skua

Friday 18th April

Little reward for those braving the rain this morning with a 2h 45 min seawatch recording just 61 Gannet, 47 auk sp., 20 Kittiwake, 18 Common Scoter, nine Fulmar, two Red-throated and a diver sp. south. 

Counts from the estuary included 262 Oystercatcher, 31 Whimbrel, 30 Bar-tailed Godwit, six Sandwich Tern, five Grey Plover, a Knot and a Dark-bellied Brent Goose.

Migrants were limited to three Sand Martin and two Swallow with nine Chiffchaff, two Blackcap and single Reed and Willow Warbler still present.

Thursday 17th April

Highlights from an early morning visit included four Sandwich Tern, three Common Scoter, two female Eider and two Red-throated Diver offshore with two Little Egret heading south.

Overhead two Chaffinch, two Jackdaw and a Swallow with nine Chiffchaff, four Blackcap, three Whitethroat and single Reed and Willow Warbler in the bushes. 

Early afternoon 17 Dunlin, eight Whimbrel and seven Ringed Plover were in The Bight at low tide with at least 40 Sandwich Tern offshore and a flock of 11 Mute Swan flew east.

Other Wildlife: An increase in invertebrate activity with several species appearing for the first time this year including Coastal Silver-stiletto Acrosathe annulata, Batman Hoverfly Myathropa florea and the picture-winged fly Euleia heraclei, although the latter's leafmining larvae are recorded through the winter. 

Coastal Silver-stiletto Acrosathe annulata - Alan Keatley

Mining bees were well represented with Black Andrena pilipes, Sandpit A. barbilabris, Buffish A. nigroaenea, Orange-tailed A. haemorrhoa, Chocolate A. scotica and Yellow-legged A. flavipes on the wing.

In the sand dunes the nationally scarce ground spider Zelotes electus was active with the woodlouse spider Dysdera crocata and the red ant Myrmica ruginodis also enjoying the warming sands.

Zelotes electus - Alan Keatley

Myrmica ruginodis - Alan Keatley

Dysdera crocata - Alan Keatley

Wednesday 16th April

Three Arctic and 20 Sandwich Tern were offshore early morning along with three Eider and singles of Common Scoter, Great Crested Grebe, Manx Shearwater, Great Northern and Red-throated Diver. 

Counts from the estuary included 31 Bar-tailed Godwit, 15 Dunlin, 14 Whimbrel, nine Ringed and a Grey Plover, five Turnstone, a Knot and a Sanderling.

Elsewhere a Common Sandpiper was on the Main Pond and other migrants included four Wheatear, a Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Willow Warbler with two Swallow and the year's first Yellow Wagtail overhead.

Year list additions:
129. Common Sandpiper
128. Yellow Wagtail

Tuesday 15th April

After overnight rain a reeling Grasshopper Warbler near the Visitor Centre early morning was a good start but other new migrants were limited to two Wheatear and a Swallow with two Reed Warbler and Whitethroat holding territory. 

Further arrivals in the estuary included the first two Arctic Tern of the year, a flock of 21 Pale-bellied Brent Geese that flew north mid-morning were off Exmouth on Cockle Sands in the evening and a flock of 11 Dark-bellied Brent Geese included a family party of five, something not seen on the Exe this winter.

Other counts from the estuary included 30 Bar and a migrant flock of 15 Black-tailed Godwit, 17 Ringed and six Grey Plover, 16 Dunlin, 16 Whimbrel, four Sanderling and a Greenshank.

Offshore 17 Sandwich Tern, three Eider, two Manx Shearwater and a Great Northern Diver.

Year list additions:
127. Arctic Tern
126. Grasshopper Warbler

Other Wildlife: The Grey Squirrel was by the First Pond. Late news of the ground beetle Pteriostichus anthracinus found in the Entrance Bushes on 29th March. A first for the Recording Area and the first Devon record since 2004 for this nationally scarce species. 

Pterostichus anthracinus - Alan Keatley

Pterostichus anthracinus - Alan Keatley

Monday 14th April

Counts from the estuary on the receding morning tide included 330 Oystercatcher, 32 Pale and eight Dark -bellied Brent Geese, 27 Bar-tailed Godwit, 15 Whimbrel, eight Dunlin, seven Sanderling and four Grey Plover. Looking the other way 26 Sandwich Tern, two Eider and a Great Northern Diver were offshore.

Migrants included a Wheatear, three Whitethroat, single Reed and Willow Warbler by the Main Pond with Blackcap and Chiffchaff proclaiming territories in the wooded areas. 

Other Wildlife: Due to a chilly morning ,there wasn't much in the way of flying insects, although the hoverfly Common Twist-tail Sphaerophoria scripta on Cuckoo-flower was the first of the year, with several species of beetle found in the woods and the sand dunes.

Common Twist-tail Sphaerophoria scripta - Alan Keatley

In the woodland habitat were the ground beetles Dromius meridionalis, Great Blackclock Pterostichus niger and the willow beetle Crepidodera fulvicornis.

Great Blackclock Pterostichus niger - Alan Keatley

Dromius meridionalis - Alan Keatley

In the dunes were the rove beetle Philonthus cognatus, the ground beetles Calathus mollis and Harpalus anxius and a shining flower beetle Olibrus affinis.

Harpalus anxius - Alan Keatley

Philonthus cognatus - Alan Keatley Note yellow on the underside of the first antennae segment

Flowering Green-winged Orchid were on Warren Point and near the north end of Dead Dolphin Wood.

Green -winged Orchid - Alan Keatley

Sunday 13th April

A continuing trickle of migrants was headlined by a male Redstart around the Main Pond this afternoon with nine Chiffchaff, four Blackcap, three Willow Warbler, two Whitethroat and single Reed Warbler and Wheatear also on site. Overhead there were 25 Sand Martin, seven Swallow, four Jackdaw, two Rook and a Chaffinch.  

Counts from the estuary included 36 Whimbrel on the evening tide after just 12 in the morning, 24 Bar-tailed Godwit, nine Dunlin, eight Sanderling and Turnstone, seven Dark and two Pale-bellied Brent Geese, five Ringed Plover, a Greenshank and a Knot.

Offshore 35 Manx Shearwater, 11 Red-throated and four Great Northern Diver, eight Sandwich Tern, the three Eider, three Fulmar and a Red-breasted Merganser.

Saturday 12th April

The first three Whitethroat of the year arrived with other migrants including two Reed and a Willow Warbler on site and nine Swallow and a Sand Martin flew through.  

Counts from the estuary included 417 Oystercatcher, 37 Curlew, 24 Bar-tailed Godwit, 12 Redshank, 11 Whimbrel, 10 Sanderling, nine Dunlin, six Turnstone, four Grey and a Ringed Plover, a Greenshank and a Knot. Peak counts were mostly on the morning tide with a Pale-bellied Brent Goose in the evening. 

Offshore two Manx Shearwater flew south late evening, with 103 Black-headed Gull, eight Sandwich Tern, four Great Crested Grebe, four Great Northern and three Red-throated Diver, three Eider and two Common Scoter.

Year list addition:
125. Whitethroat

Friday 11th April

Flat calm conditions offshore revealed an evening roost of divers with small groups distantly spread across the horizon. A single Black-throated Diver was amongst 24 Great Northern and eight Red-throated Diver, with two probable Black-throated amongst five others too distant to identify. Also offshore 17 Sandwich Tern, six Great Crested Grebe and three Eider. 

Counts from estuary over the evening high tide included 25 Bar-tailed Godwit, eight Dunlin, five Grey Plover, five Sanderling, three Whimbrel, three Turnstone and single Greenshank, Knot and Redshank. 

The roosting waders were frequently disturbed by a lone Carrion Crow trying to predate Oystercatcher, both on the ground and trying to knock them out of the air in flight. 

Elsewhere the first Reed Warbler of the year was at the Main Pond, five Wheatear were on site, a Magpie was killed in a territorial fight on the Golf Course and the resident pair of Great Black-backed Gull were enjoying a dead Rabbit in the car park, a victim of disease rather than predation. 

Year list addition:
124. Reed Warbler

Thursday 10th April

Little change in the estuary with counts from the evening tide including 21 Bar-tailed Godwit, 13 Dunlin, seven Dark-bellied Brent Geese, five Redshank, four Sanderling and single Greenshank, Grey and Ringed Plover. 

Elsewhere 23 Sandwich Tern, three Eider, two adult summer Mediterranean Gull and a Red-throated Diver were offshore, two Swallow flew through and three Wheatear and a Willow Warbler were on site. 

Wheatear - Lee Collins

Other Wildlife: A Water Vole showed well on the Main Pond at dusk.

Water Vole - Lee Collins

Wednesday 9th April

Counts from the estuary over the evening tide included 73 Curlew, 24 Bar-tailed Godwit, 13 Dunlin, four Turnstone, three Greenshank, three Ringed Plover, two Dark-bellied Brent Geese, two Knot and single Redshank, Sanderling and Whimbrel.

Elsewhere nine Sandwich Tern, three Great Crested Grebe and the immature male Eider were offshore and other migrants included a female Black Redstart near the Visitor Centre, the first of the year, two Wheatear and a Willow Warbler. 

Black Redstart - John Kirkland

Year list addition:
123. Black Redstart

Other Wildlife: The highlight was a new bug for site, a Straw Stiltbug Neides tipularius found by chance, well camouflaged amongst the Marram, on Warren Point, At the opposite end of the Recording Area, the tortoise beetle Cassida vibex near Langstone Rock, was another new species. A Spear Thistle Lacebug Tingis cardui, was appropriately on Spear Thistle by the new path onto the nature reserve.

Straw Stiltbug Neides tipularius - Alan Keatley

Spear Thistle Lacebug Tingis cardui - Alan Keatley

Cassida vibex - Alan Keatley

Other finds included a Small Copper amongst five butterfly species, a Green Shieldbug and several Common Nettle Bug Liocoris tripustulatus. A female Sand Lizard on the Dune Ridge was trying to avoid the attention of a hunting male Kestrel.

Small Copper - Alan Keatley

Tuesday 8th April

Counts from The Bight on the evening tide included 414 Oystercatcher, 24 Bar-tailed Godwit, three Dunlin, two Sanderling and a Whimbrel. 

At least 23 Sandwich Tern were split between the estuary and offshore with five Common Scoter, five Great Crested Grebe, four Great Northern and two Red-throated Diver, three Eider and two Red-breasted Merganser on the sea.

Other migrants were limited to three Swallow, two Wheatear  and two Willow Warbler.

Monday 7th April

A relatively quiet day with little on the move and a low high tide. Migrants were limited to three Willow Warbler, a Wheatear and a single Swallow, whilst counts from the estuary included 27 Curlew, 22 Bar-tailed Godwit, 12 Dunlin, nine Redshank and Teal, three Greenshank and a Whimbrel. 

Elsewhere a pair of Teal and the first Mallard brood were on the Main Pond and 11 Sandwich Tern, two Eider, two Great Crested Grebe and a Red-throated Diver were offshore.

Other Wildlife: Insects are still responding well to the sunny weather, albeit with a chilly onshore wind. Five species of butterfly were on the wing including the first Small Copper of the year, two Comma and four Orange-tip.

Speckled Wood - Dave Jewell

Nectar seeking mining bees included the first Orange-tailed Andrena haemorrhoa, Buffish A. nigroaenea, Sandpit A. barbilabris and Yellow-legged A. flavipes. Amongst the numerous Buff-tailed Bumblebee was a single Tree Bumblebee.

Orange-tailed Mining Bee Andrena haemorrhoa - Alan Keatley

Beetles and bugs on the beach included a Copper Greenclock Poecilus cupreus, a Sea Rocket Flea Beetle Psylliodes marcida and the planthoppers Anaceratagallia ribauti and Muirodelphax aubei.

Anaceratagallia ribauti - Alan Keatley

Copper Greenclock Poecilus cupreus - Alan Keatley

The resident Grey Squirrel was watched carrying an acorn across the Golf Course from the Turkey Oaks alongside the estuary to the Entrance Bushes.

Sunday 6th April

A female Redstart around Dead Dolphin Wood was a welcome record for this increasingly scarce migrant, the first here since Aug 2023 and just the third since Sep 2021. Other migrants included 10 Willow Warbler and four Blackcap with 24 Swallow, four Sand and two House Martin, two Siskin and a Buzzard heading east along with single figures of Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch and Goldfinch.

Redstart - Lee Collins

Robin - Dave Jewell

Counts from the estuary included 57 Dunlin, 31 Bar-tailed Godwit, 13 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 13 Teal, eight Turnstone, six Sanderling, four Red-breasted Merganser, three Ringed and a Grey Plover, three Greenshank and a 2cy Mediterranean Gull. 

Elsewhere 17 Sandwich Tern, 11 Common Scoter, five Great Northern Diver (four south) and three Eider offshore with a Reed Bunting and a Water Rail at the Main Pond. 

Year list addition:

122. Redstart

Other Wildlife: Fewer flying insects in the cooling wind with just Peacock and Speckled Wood butterflies noted. The conditions were however ideal for Sand Crocus, with a single Fritillary in flower in Greenland Lake. 

Saturday 5th April

The first Red Kite of the year flew east over site at 10am, with a second bird north offsite along Eastdon Ridge at 11.10am. Between these sightings an Osprey flew north over Starcross at 10.50am.

 

Also overhead 38 Swallow, seven Sand and the first three House Martin of the year, 12 Meadow Pipit

and a Siskin. Grounded migrants included 11 Chiffchaff, 10 Willow Warbler, two Wheatear and a female Blackcap.

Wheatear - Lee Collins

Willow Warbler - Dave Jewell

Elsewhere 13 Sandwich Tern, two Great Northern Diver and an Eider were offshore and counts from the high tide included 315 Oystercatcher, 61 Dunlin, 37 Bar-tailed Godwit, nine Sanderling, eight Redshank, eight Grey and five Ringed Plover, six Teal and a Greenshank.

Reed Bunting - Lee Collins

Year list additions:

121. Red Kite
120. House Martin

Ringing News: Although most wintering waders are long gone the wintering Swedish ringed Turnstone is still present. Ringed in August 2021 on passage on Nidingen in the SW of the country, it has been present each winter since. 

Turnstone - Lee Collins

Other Wildlife: The warm weather and cloudless sky provided ideal conditions for Sand Crocus, with thousands likely in flower across the site, with hundreds easily viewable in the Crocus Compound behind the Visitor Centre. 

Sand Crocus - Kevin Rylands

Insects also responded with ten species of mining bee on the wing, with Cliff Andrena thoracica and Small Sallow A. praecox new for the year and Sandpit A. barbilabris the most numerous. A female Tawny Mining Bee A. fulva in the car park was the first for the Recording Area, the 78th bee species recorded on the Warren. 

The Grey Squirrel was in the Entrance Bushes, with a couple of Orange-tip outnumbered by Peacock, Small White and Speckled Wood.