There was no sign of the Ring-billed Gull in the estuary amongst 350+ Black-headed and 70 Common Gull, although a pair of Gadwall were an overdue first for the year. Also present c500 Black-tailed Godwit, 260 Teal, six Greenshank, two Avocet and a Pale-bellied Brent Goose.
Elsewhere single Buzzard, Coal Tit and Firecrest were on site with at least three Chiffchaff and Goldcrest.
Year list addition:
189. Gadwall
With 47 species recorded, similar to last year but down from 55 noted in 2023. Two new species were added to the list, Tawny Mining Bee Andrena fulva and Orange-vented Mason Bee Osmia leaiana. A discovery of a nesting aggregation of the scarce Red-girdled Mining Bee Andrena labiata was a welcome surprise. Missing mining bees included Ashy Andrena cineraria, Grey-patched A. nitida and Hairy Colletes C. fodiens and Painted Nomad Bee Nomada fucata. The Colletes may have just been overlooked, however the shrub nectaring spring flying mining bees may have been weather affected.
Colletes - Plaster bees
The summer flying Bare-saddled Colletes C. similis appeared from 17th July into September, coinciding with flowering Ragwort, and was common in the meadows. Less so was Heather Colletes C. succinctus, confined to small patches of Heather, it appeared for a few weeks from 28th July. The other plant specialist Ivy Bee C. hederae was found from 11th September, persisting until 23rd October with the last of the flowering Ivy.
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| Bare-saddled Colletes C. similis - Alan Keatley |
Hylaeus - Yellow-faced bees
Mostly tiny, easily overlooked black solitary bees. Only one species is commonly found in the Recording Area, the appropriately named Common Yellow-faced Bee H. communis, first noted on 2nd June, this 4mm sized bee flavours umbellifers. No other Hylaeus were found this year.
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| Common Yellow-faced Bee Hylaeus communis - Alan Keatley |
Andrena - Mining bees
As mentioned above, a few missing spring flying species this year and fewer overall. Faring better were Yellow-legged Mining Bee A. flavipes with nesting aggregations in the Buffer Zone and Langstone Rock from 20th March. This two generation mining bee is one of commonest on site.
Less common were the single generation Buffish Mining Bee A. nigroaenea from 16th March, Trimmer's Mining Bee A. trimmerana from 24th March, Chocolate Mining Bee A. scotica and Short-fringed Mining Bee A. dorsata from 29th March. Other spring emerging Andrena mining bees included the first of many Sandpit A. barbilabris around bare sand areas from 29th March into the summer, Common Mini-miner A. minutula from 31st March, Gwynne's A. bicolor from 4th April, Small Sallow A. praecox and Tawny A. fulva on 5th April, the first for the Recording Area, with Orange-tailed A. haemorrhous from 7th April, and the scarce Black A. pilipes from 17th April.
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| Black Mining Bee Andrena pilipes - Alan Keatley |
New mining bee emergences in May included the scarce Catsear A. humilis from 14th May and Red-girdled A. labiata was found from 16th. This scarce mining bee is usually found on Forget-me-nots and Speedwells with a small aggregation found in Skipper Meadow around abundant Germander Speedwell.
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| Red-girdled Mining Bee Andrena labiata - Alan Keatley |
Panurgus - Shaggy bees
Just one species recorded this year, Small Shaggy Bee P. calcaratus on 16th and 21st June.
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| Small Shaggy Bee Panurgus calcaratus - Alan Keatley |
Halictus - End-banded Furrow bees
Small metallic looking bees inhabiting flower meadows, with the commonest species Bronze Furrow Bee H. tumulorum first noted on 16th May. Females appear in spring with males later from end of June. Just a few females recorded this year.
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| Bronze Furrow Bee Halictus tumulorum - Alan Keatley |
Lasioglossum - Base-banded Furrow bees
Another family of small bees. By far the most numerous on site is Green Furrow Bee L. morio with aggregations near to Langstone Rock. Females can appear in March, although the first this year was not until 22nd April, males appear later in June and can be equally numerous lasting through to October. Common Furrow Bee L. calceatum also have a long flight period; the first female was noted on 31st March with the last on 25th August.
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| Common Furrow Bee Lasioglossum calceatum - Alan Keatley |
Less frequent were White-zoned Furrow Bee L. leucozonium with a female on 19th May; both sexes are usually found on cat's ear and fleabane in the summer. A scarcer species, Long-faced Furrow Bee L. punctatissimum was noted on 16th and 21st July.
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| Long-faced Furrow Bee Lasioglossum punctatissimum - Alan Keatley |
Sphecodes - Blood bees
Small black and red cuckoo bees, laying eggs in host bee nests. Sandpit Blood Bee S. pellucidus is the commonest on site, usually found close to its host Sandpit Mining Bee Andrena barbilabris. The first record this year was on 20th May. The other species recorded was a Geoffroy's Blood Bee S. geoffrellus; tiny at just 5 mm it's a cuckoo bee of Lasioglossum furrow bees. One was noted on 10th July.
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| Geoffroy's Blood Bee Sphecodes geoffrellus - Alan Keatley |
Dasypoda - Pantaloon bees
Only one British species, the Pantaloon Bee Dasypoda hirtipes easily recognised by the female pollen collecting brushes, invariably found on yellow composite flowers. The first record this year was on 16th June.
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| Pantaloon Bee Dasypoda hirtipes - Alan Keatley |
Osmia - Mason bees
Red Mason Bee O. bicornis utilises holes and cracks in fencing to build their nests. The first was noted on 30th May. Also using holes in wooden fencing an Orange-vented Mason Bee O. leaiana was found on 30th June in Skipper Meadow, a new species for the Recording Area.
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| Orange-vented Mason Bee Osmia leaiana - Alan Keatley |
Megachile - Leafcutter bees
By far the commonest leafcutter on site, found in large numbers in all loose sand areas, Silvery Leafcutter M. leachella. The first of many was noted on 17th May. The larger Coast Leafcutter M. maritima was found from 17th June but in lower numbers.
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| Silvery Leafcutter Megachile leachella - Alan Keatley |
Coelioxys - Sharp-tail bees
Black and white cuckoo bees, the Large Sharp-tail C. conoidea, a cuckoo bee of Coast Leafcutter Megachile maritima is the most frequently encountered with the first noted on 14th May. A Shiny- vented Sharp-tail C. inermis, a cuckoo of various leafcutter bees was found on 1st September.
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| Shiny- vented Sharp-tail Coelioxys inermis - Alan Keatley |
Nomada - Nomad bees
Another family of cuckoo bees, usually Andrena bees as hosts. Colourful with a combination of yellow, black and red marking. Appearances coincided with their hosts. The first of the year was Marsham's Nomad Bee N. marshamella on 21st April, with Flavous Nomad Bee N. flava on 2nd May and Gooden's Nomad Bee N. goodeniana on 3rd.
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| Marsham's Nomad Bee Nomada marshamella - Alan Keatley |
Epeolus - Variegated cuckoo bees
Cuckoo bee of Colletes bees, Black-thighed Epeolus E. variegatus was noted from 14th June.
Anthophora - Flower bees
The fast-flying Hairy-footed Flower Bee A. plumipes with male and females noted around Dead-nettle and Rosemary flowers from 24th March. Little Flower Bee A. bimaculata, found around flower meadows and Bramble patches from 19th May with their distinctive green eyes and high-pitched buzz.
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| Little Flower Bee Anthophora bimaculata - Alan Keatley |
Bombus - Bumblebees
The first of the year was the hardy Buff-tailed Bumblebee B. terristris on 13th January with records in every month of the year. The next species on the wing was, not unexpectedly, an Early Bumblebee B. pratorum on 24th February with a Tree Bumblebee B. hypnorum on 22nd March. Another spring species, Garden Bumblebee B. hortorum was noted from 29th March.
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| Early Bumblebee Bombus pratorum - Kevin Rylands |
Fewer Red-tailed Bumblebee B. lapidarius were noted this year with the first on 4th April. Much commoner Common Carder Bee B. pascuorum were frequent from 2nd April. Flight season is over two generations until October. The only cuckoo bumblebee noted this year was Vestal Cuckoo Bumblebee B. vestalis with the first on 2nd June.
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| Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum - Alan Keatley |
Apis - Honey bees
Honey Bee Apis mellifera is a resourceful feral species that utilises a wide range of pollen and nectar sources starting with gorse early in the year. The first was noted on 29th March, although found until November, numbers appeared to be down this year.
An early present in the form a 1CY Ring-billed Gull in the estuary with 71 Common Gull, before flying upriver just before midday. The 11th site record but the first since February 2003.
Also in the estuary c900 Black-tailed Godwit, 208 Curlew, 103 Knot, 27 Sanderling, three Avocet, the Spotted Redshank and a Lapwing, with 11 Lapwing overhead in two small flocks.
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| Chiffchaff - Kim Summers |
A redhead Goosander flew towards estuary corner early morning but there was no sign later on the dropping tide. Counts from the estuary included 910 Black and 85 Bar-tailed Godwit, 110 Common Gull and 87 Knot with two Great Northern Diver offshore.
At least 860 Black-tailed Godwit were in the estuary corner on the dropping tide with 88 Common and two Mediterranean Gull, the two Avocet and a Spotted Redshank.
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| Presumed Scandinavain littoralis Rock Pipit |
Still large numbers of Black-tailed Godwit present over the afternoon high tide with at least 700 packed into the saltmarsh along with a coupe of Avocet, with 220 Dark, including 18 juveniles, and a Pale-bellied Brent Geese in The Bight.
Offshore a roost of at least 1,210 Herring Gull in calm conditions with five Common Scoter, two Red-throated and two Great Northern Diver also on the sea.
Great Northern Diver - Dean Hall
Elsewhere the Cetti's Warbler gave a burst of song on the Golf Course, the Dartford Warbler briefly in gorse along the Back Path, four Chiffchaff and four Goldcrest were on site and a Kingfisher was checking out the floodwater around the Entrance Bushes.
Other Wildlife: This time of year, everything seems to be in miniature with the springtail Dicyrtomina ornata and the 2mm wide snail Paralaoma servilis found under wood.
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| Dicyrtomina ornata - Alan Keatley |
Only slightly larger, the shore fly Limnellia quadrata and a Rusty-dot Pearl were on the wing.
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| Rusty-dot Pearl - Alan Keatley |
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| Limnellia quadrata - Alan Keatley |
Caspian Gull was again nearly the highlight with two probables, 1 & 2CY, in the gloom on Bull Hill pre-roost, along with at least 43 Rook and 15 Jackdaw. Also in the estuary counts over the afternoon high tide included 541 Black-tailed Godwit, 106 Common and an adult Mediterranean Gull, 75 Knot, 48 Turnstone, 39 Ringed Plover, 19 Sanderling, 11 Greenshank, two Red-breasted Merganser and two Avocet.
Elsewhere three Common Scoter, two Great Northern and a Red-throated Diver were offshore.
Counts from the estuary at high tide included 400 Black and 64 Bar-tailed Godwit, 128 Redshank, 125 Shelduck, 89 Grey and 37 Ringed Plover, 68 Knot, 22 Sanderling, 10 Greenshank, nine Avocet, two Red-breasted Merganser, a Kingfisher and a Pintail.
Sanderling - Elizabeth Mulgrew
Offshore at least 21 Great Crested Grebe, five Great Northern and four Red-throated Diver, three Common Scoter and three Pintail with six Wigeon.
Elsewhere the Dartford Warbler was on the Golf Course with at least seven Chiffchaff, four Goldcrest and a Coal Tit in the bushes.
With the improvement in the weather the Yellow-browed Warbler was again reported along with the first Siberian Chiffchaff of the autumn, a Firecrest and the wintering Dartford Warbler.
In the estuary the Pale-bellied Brent Goose was present with the Lesser Crested Tern remaining up river, last seen here on Saturday.
The 18th Caspian Gull of the year, a 1CY, was in The Bight briefly on the rising tide, prior to this autumn there had only been 17 previous Warren records.
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| Caspian Gull - Lee Collins |
Also in the estuary 300+ Black-tailed Godwit, 133 Shelduck, 12 Greenshank and six Red-breasted Merganser with two immature Spoonbill that flew in off the sea and SW down the spit.
The high tide saw near record numbers of Black-tailed Godwit were 950 roosting in the Railway Saltmarsh with a single Avocet. Around The Bight the usual waders including 1100 Dunlin, 78 Grey Plover, 77 Bar-tailed Godwit, 35 Knot, 15 Turnstone and a Sanderling.
Also in the estuary 176 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 111 Shelduck, eight Red-breasted Merganser and single Mediterranean Gull and a Kingfisher.
Elsewhere surprisingly quiet in the bushes, with 10 Long-tailed Tit, two Chiffchaff and two Goldcrest, 28 Meadow Pipit in Greenland Lake and offshore a Great Northern Diver, but no Velvets amongst the twenty Common Scoter.
Other Wildlife: In the winter sunshine a queen German Wasp and a tiny ribwort plantain feeding weevil Trichosirocalus troglodytes.
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| German Wasp - Alan Keatley |
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| Trichosirocalus troglodytes - Alan Keatley |
No sign of the tern on site, it remained off Turf for much of the day. The same weather that has presumably seen in seek shelter up north saw an influx of 740 Black-tailed Godwit to the saltmarsh, along with 66 Common Gull. Elsewhere two Great Northern Diver were offshore and the five Velvet Scoter were reported.
With no sign of the Lesser Crested Tern in the Recording Area, although it remained in the estuary north of Starcross, the highlight was the first December record of Storm Petrel with one individual lingering off the seawall mid afternoon. Also offshore 28 Common Scoter, nine Great Crested Grebe and a Great Northern Diver.
Elsewhere 345 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 16 Great Crested Grebe, three Red-breasted Merganser and a second Great Northern Diver were in estuary, with at least seven Chiffchaff and four Goldcrest in the bushes and the Dartford Warbler on the Golf Course.
The Lesser Crested Tern was still present early morning, but left would-be admirers in the lurch by relocating to the Turf, Exminster before giving people the run around as it fed or roosted at distance between Starcross and Lympstone. It eventually returned to Cockwood mid afternoon were it showed well, briefly returning to the Recording Area before heading back towards Lympstone.
After a few hours we finally had good views of the Lesser Crested Tern, it touched down on the shoreline off Cockwood Steps. We watched it for an hour with about 50 other birders. #UKBirding
— Rob Murphy (@robmurphy.bsky.social) 6 December 2025 at 17:03
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Also around the estuary 87 Knot, 32 Ringed Plover, 11 Great Crested Grebe, four Greenshank, four Red-breasted Merganser, two Avocet and a drake Goosander which flew west,
Elsewhere a Great Northern Diver offshore, eight Skylark around The Bight and four Jackdaw on Bull Hill.
The Lesser Crested Tern remained around the estuary with 250 Dark and a Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 30 Grey Plover, 10 Bar-tailed Godwit and two Greenshank around The Bight.
Elsewhere a 3CY Scandinavian argentatus Herring Gull on the beach, the Yellow-browed Warbler at the Main Pond and off Langstone Rock about 30 Common Scoter.
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| Lesser Crested Tern - Grahame Madge The picture that started it all yesterday |
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| Lesser Crested Tern - Dave Boult |
One bird was the centre of attention, an orange-billed tern that was seen from the Stuart Line Cruise as it passed Warren Point late morning. Soon picked up roosting on a buoy mid estuary before making occasional feeding trips to the estuary mouth. Its identity remained unresolved with but as the tide rose it moved to a buoy nearer Cockwood and even fed in The Bight, confirming it to be a Lesser Crested Tern, just the tenth UK record.
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| Lesser Crested Tern - Kevin Rylands |
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| Lesser Crested Tern - Dave Boult |
A completely unexpected second for the Recording Area and Devon, following a bird here on 17-20 July 1985. A record of a Lesser Crested or Royal Tern here on 19 Dec 1987 is an interesting parallel to the days events.
Earlier in the day there were 17 Common Scoter and four Pintail were offshore, a Grey Wagtail and a Shoveler were on the Main Pond and the Yellow-browed Warbler was still present and elusive.
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| Shoveler - Jim Summers |
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| Yellow-browed Warbler - Jim Summers |
Seawatching early morning until 9.20 saw c700 Kittiwake and Gannet head south along with 12 Red-throated and 10 Great Northern Diver, three Fulmar and a Mediterranean Gull, with the five Velvet Scoter still present on the sea.
Over a wet and windy high tide two 1CY Caspian Gull briefly joined 60+ Great Black-backed Gull on Finger Point with 86 Knot, 59 Bar and a Black-tailed Godwit, 42 Cormorant and a Kingfisher also present.
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| Caspian Gull - Lee Collins |
Elsewhere the Yellow-browed Warbler was reported but no other news was received.
