Thursday 19th March

Little change around the Warren with migrants still absent, excepting the Blackcap in the Entrance Bushes. Counts from high tide included 42 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, c40 Bar-tailed Godwit, 18 Grey and two Ringed Plover, 17 Knot, 15 Sanderling, 13 Dunlin, 12 Teal and six Red-breasted Merganser.

Elsewhere 20 Common Scoter, 19 Great Crested Grebe, a Great Northern and a Red-throated Diver were offshore and a Swan x Greylag hybrid flew past the seawall with two Canada Geese.

Skylark - Dean Hall

Other Wildlife: The warm early spring weather saw increasing insect activity with first appearances from Comma, Garden Bumblebee, Common Carder Bee, Hairy-footed Flower Bee, Ichneumon sarcitorius, Marmalade Hoverfly and the moth Early Longhorn Adela cuprella. Also on the wing  at least eight Peacock, Buffish, Chocolate and Yellow-legged Mining Bee.

Comma - Dean Hall

Peacock - Dean Hall

Elsewhere the water beetle Agabus bipustulatus was in a puddle on the main track and various beetles were on the beach including the ground beetles Bembidion lampros and Syntomus foveatus, the clown beetles Hypocaccus dimidiatus and H. crassipes, the water scavenger Helophorus grandis and the darkling Phaleria cadaverina.

 Agabus bipustulatus - Alan Keatley

Hypocaccus dimidiatus - Alan Keatley

Helophorus grandis - Alan Keatley

 Bembidion lampros - Alan Keatley

Syntomus foveatus - Alan Keatley

Over 100 Sand Crocus were in flower behind the Visitor Centre, along with the first Early Forget-me-not. 

Sand Crocus - Dean Hall

Wednesday 18th March

The first migrant Blackcap of the year was singing in the Entrance Bushes, with four Chiffchaff and the Cetti's Warbler also in good voice with several resident species nest building. 

Counts from the estuary included 110 Curlew, 62 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 41 Bar-tailed Godwit, 38 Redshank, 25 Sanderling, 18 Grey and three Ringed Plover, 17 Knot, 13 Dunlin, 12 Teal, five Greenshank and five Red-breasted Merganser. 

Elsewhere seven Great Crested Grebe and three Common Scoter were offshore and a flock of 12 summer plumaged adult Black-headed Gull in off late afternoon. 

Other Wildlife: The first Brimstone of the year was around the Entrance Bushes to Main Pond area, one wanderer or possibly two, also on the wing at least five Peacock.The bright sunshine also brought out a minimum 30 Sand Crocus by midday.

Sand (Warren) Crocus - Alan Keatley

Sand (Warren) Crocus - Dave Jewell

Several beetles were found stranded on the beach, swept along by drifting sand, including a new ground beetle for the Recording Area, Bembidion biguttatum, a relatively common species.

Bembidion biguttatum - Alan Keatley

Also, on the beach a Strawberry Root Weevil Otiorhychus ovatus, Marram Weevil Philopedon plagiatum, a water scavenger beetle Helophorus brevipalpis. a rove beetle Anotylus rugosus and a mud beetle Heterocerus fossor, a nationally scarce saltmarsh specialist. 

 Heterocerus fossor - Alan Keatley

In Marram were the ground beetle Clivina fossor, a 16-spot Ladybird and the ground bugs Scolopostethus affinis and Trapezonotus arenarius.

Clivina fossor - Alan Keatley

Scolopostethus affinis - Alan Keatley

Tuesday 17th March

Increasing signs of spring with five Sandwich Tern offshore and 34 Pale and 16 Dark-bellied Brent Geese arriving in off and heading up the estuary. Also offshore 12 Great Crested Grebe, nine Common Scoter and five Red-throated Diver.

A colour-ringed Golden Plover was present over the high tide along with 176 Dark and a Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 48 Redshank, 39 Bar-tailed Godwit, 30 Turnstone, 25 Sanderling, 19 Grey and three Ringed Plover, 14 Knot, seven Greenshank and five Dunlin.

Other Wildlife: A Common Seal was in the estuary. 

Monday 16th March

Counts from the estuary and afternoon high tide included 108 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 74 Curlew, 42 Bar-tailed Godwit, 28 Redshank, 23 Sanderling, 22 Turnstone, 17 Grey and five Ringed Plover, 15 Knot, nine Teal, eight Greenshank, three Red-breasted Merganser and a Dunlin. 

Elsewhere six Great Crested Grebe, three Common Scoter and a Great Northern Diver were offshore with two Chiffchaff and the Cetti's Warbler in song. 

Other Wildlife: Overcast conditions saw few insects on the wing but on the beach there were several Black Marram Weevil Otiorhychus atroapterus and Dune Scarab Aegialia arenaria with single Marram Weevil Philopedon plagiatum and the rove beetle Xantholinus linearis. 

Black Marram Weevil Otiorhychus atroapterus - Alan Keatley

A range of other invertebrates found elsewhere, including a flightless female Dotted Border moth, the springtail Orchesella villosa, the planthopper Eurysa lineata, a Bristly Millipede and the flightless wasp Callitula pyrrhogaster.

Dotted Border - Kevin Rylands

 Eurysa lineata - Kevin Rylands

Orchesella villosa - Alan Keatley

Sunday 15th March

Counts from the estuary included 112 Dark and two Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 106 Oystercatcher, 34 Turnstone, 26 Redshank, 23 Sanderling, 17 Teal, 14 Shelduck, 11 Dunlin, eight Curlew, six Red-breasted Merganser, five Greenshank, two Grey Plover and a Jack Snipe.

Elsewhere the first Sandwich Tern of the year was offshore with 90 Kittiwake, three Common Scoter, three Great Crested Grebe, a Great Northern and a Red-throated Diver, a flock of 60 Linnet were in Greenland Lake and a roost of 34 Magpie were in the Entrance Bushes.

Year List addition:
113. Sandwich Tern

Other Wildlife: Sand Crocus flowers to continue to emerge although the lack of sunshine meant few were open.

Sand Crocus - Kevin Rylands

Saturday 14th March

The Cetti's Warbler was still blasting out its song around the Buffer Zone, but no other news was received.

Other Wildlife: An unexpected early appearance of flowering Sand Crocus behind the Visitor Centre, the joint earliest date with 2007. The average first flowering over the last 20 years has been 25th March. 

Friday 13th March

Counts from the estuary over the lowest high tide of the year included 46 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 28 Bar-tailed Godwit, 27 Turnstone, 25 Redshank, eight Shelduck, six Curlew, six Oystercatcher, five Teal, three Dunlin and two Red-breasted Merganser. 

Elsewhere seven Great Northern Diver, six Common Scoter and four Great Crested Grebe were offshore, 40+ Linnet, 14 Oystercatcher and a Greenshank were in Greenland Lake and the Cetti's Warbler and four Chiffchaff were in the bushes.

Greenshank - Jim Summers

Thursday 12th March

A short seawatch early morning saw hundreds of Gannet heading south along with smaller numbers of Kittiwake and auks, with both Guillemot and Razorbill closer in. On the sea six Common Scoter and three Great Northern Diver.

Wednesday 11th March

The first Redpoll of the year was with a flock of 72 Linnet in Greenland Lake although other migrants were limited to two Chiffchaff. Elsewhere the Cetti's Warbler was singing by the Car Park and a Great Northern Diver was offshore.

Cetti's Warbler - James Marshall

Year List addition:
112. Redpoll

Other Wildlife: The sunshine brought out a good selection of spring bees for the first time this year, mostly nectaring in sheltered areas. Yellow-legged Mining Bee Andrena flavipes were eager to start a new generation, also on the wing Chocolate A. scotica and Buffish Mining Bee A. nigroaenea. Green Furrow Bee Lasioglossum morio were nectaring on small flowers adding to the mix.

Yellow-legged Mining Bee Andrena flavipes - Alan Keatley

Chocolate Mining Bee A. scotica - Alan Keatley

A selection of wind-blown beetles on the beach included Marram Weevil Philopedon plagiatum, Common Sun Beetle Amara aenea and the dung beetles Calamosternus granarius and Melinopterus prodromus.

Calamosternus granarius - Alan Keatley

Away from the beach, the first Nursery Web Spider of the year, the weevil Mecinus pascuorum, the bedstraw feeding sawfly Red-belted Cleaver Aglaostigma aucupariae and, by the Main Pond, the aquatic Saucer Bug Ilyocoris cimicoides.

Saucer Bug Ilyocoris cimicoides - Alan Keatley

Tuesday 10th March

The first Golden Plover of the year was in The Bight over high tide along with 73 Dunlin, 26 Knot, 20 Grey and six Ringed Plover, nine Greenshank, five Red-breasted Merganser and single Continental sinesis Cormorant, Pale-bellied Brent Goose and Sanderling.

Golden Plover - Lee Collins

Golden & Grey Plover - Dave Jewell

Continental Cormorant - Lee Collins

Elsewhere 27 Great Crested Grebe, eight Great Northern and seven Red-throated Diver and seven Common Scoter were offshore with the Cetti's Warbler by the Car Park. 

Year List addition:
111. Golden Plover

Other Wildlife: The change in weather saw a Sand Lizard basking on Warren Point, with an increase in invertebrate activity on the warming sand, including a new ground beetle for the Recording Area, Bembidion obtusum.

Sand Lizard - Jim Summers

Bembidion obtusum - Alan Keatley

Active groundbugs included Plinthisus brevipennis, Beosus maritimus and Scolopostethus thomsoni, with the tachinid fly Macquartia tenebricosa looking out for a leaf beetle host.

Beosus maritimus - Alan Keatley

Macquartia tenebricosa - Alan Keatley

Dock Bug - Alan Keatley

Monday 9th March

Another fog bound day saw at least 153 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 38 Black-tailed Godwit, 13 Shelduck, six Teal, three Greenshank and three Red-breasted Merganser appear occasionally in the estuary.

Elsewhere the Cetti's Warbler was singing from the Golf Course with 12 Meadow Pipit, six Chiffchaff and four Goldcrest on site.

The Bight looking towards Warren Point & Exmouth early afternoon - Kevin Rylands

The fog finally lifted later afternoon revealing 20 Common Scoter and a Kittiwake offshore.

Dark-bellied Brent Geese - Jim Summers

Kittiwake - Jim Summers

Ringing News: Details received on a metal ringed Oystercatcher which was recorded yesterday. It was ringed as a nestling at Fell Beck, North Yorkshire on 19 Jun 2024.

Sunday 8th March

A foggy day although limited visibility did allow for wader counts from The Bight over high tide including c150 Oystercatcher, 143 Dunlin, 28 Sanderling, 24 Knot, 22 Grey Plover, 11 Bar-tailed Godwit and eight Ringed Plover. 

Saturday 7th March

The slow arrival of spring is currently more obvious in departures rather than arrivals, with counts from the estuary over high tide including 330 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 167 Oystercatcher, 150 Dunlin, 141 Curlew, 33 Sanderling, 26 Turnstone, 21 Grey and eight Ringed Plover, 13 Bar-tailed Godwit, 12 Knot, four Greenshank, four Red-breasted Merganser and the wintering Whimbrel.

Elsewhere 15 Great Crested Grebe, 13 Common Scoter, five Great Northern and five Red-throated Diver were offshore, at least 100 Chaffinch and a Siskin flew NE, with nine Stonechat and the Cetti's Warbler on site.

Shag - Lee Collins

Other Wildlife: The overcast conditions meant the strandline was again the best place for invertebrates,  spiders included Sand-bear Spider Arctosa perita, Dune Jumper Marpissa nivoyi and Clubionia phragmitidis with a Strandline Burrower Broscus cephalotes under driftwood.

Sand-bear Spider Arctosa perita - Alan Keatley

Clubionia phragmitidis - Alan Keatley

Strandline Burrower Broscus cephalotes - Alan Keatley

Two Field Vole were under sheeting and a Grey Seal was off Warren Point. 

Field Vole - Alan Keatley

Friday 6th March

Counts from the estuary on the dropping tide included 155 Dunlin, 32 Curlew, 30 Sanderling, 15 Knot, eight Grey and Ringed Plover and three Bar-tailed Godwit.

Elsewhere five Great Crested Grebe, three Great Northern and two Red-throated Diver and two Common Scoter were offshore. 

Thursday 5th March

A low tide visit saw 143 Dark-bellied Brent Goose and 30 Sanderling on the beach and offshore sandbars and at least six Teal in Shutterton Creek.

Elsewhere seven Stonechat were on site with two Chiffchaff and two Goldcrest in the flooded bushes with the Cetti's Warbler in song on the Golf Course.

Other Wildlife: Once the early morning fog lifted, a few more insects were on the wing during the sunny spells including the first Yellow-legged Mining Bee Andrena flavipes and Honey Bee of the year, an increase in Common and Tapered Dronefly, a Spotted Thintail Meliscaeva auricollis and a Peacock.

A good selection of beetles were along the strandline, the best being an Enochrus melanocephalus, a water scavenger beetle with few Devon records, although was previously recorded here in 2020. 

Enochrus melanocephalus - Alan Keatley

Other species included the first Harlequin Ladybird of the year and the ground beetles Acupalpus exiguus, Harpalus tardus and Philorhizus melanocephalus.

Harpalus tardus - Alan Keatley

Philorhizus melanocephalus - Alan Keatley

Wednesday 4th March

A new 2CY Caspian Gull was on Finger Point on the morning tide with 22 Great Black-backed and the wintering 4CY Yellow-legged Gull.

Caspian Gull - Lee Collins

Wader numbers continue to drop as wintering birds continue to leave, with counts on the dropping tide including 260 Oystercatcher, 240 Dunlin, 93 Curlew, 59 Bar-tailed Godwit, 43 Grey and eight Ringed Plover, 18 Sanderling and the Whimbrel. 

Elsewhere a probable Black-throated Diver flew south offshore. 

Tuesday 3rd March

A low tide visit with little to report in the estuary, although 60 Dark-bellied Brent Geese were feeding on the beach shoreline. Elsewhere the Merlin shot low through the Buffer Zone before heading over the Entrance Bushes towards the estuary, the Cetti's Warbler was singing around the Car Park and migrants included a small increase in Stonechat with six Goldfinch and a Chaffinch overhead. 

The 2025 Recording Group Bird Report is now available 

Other Wildlife: The spring weather saw the first Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax of the year on the wing, but the majority of the other insects today were ground based. 

Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax - Alan Keatley

A good selection of beetles were found along the beach with some out of place species including the water beetle Haliplus lineatocollis and the water scavenger beetles Hydrobius fuscipes and Helophorus grandis, normally found near fresh water. The latter is new for the Recording Area.

Hydrobius fuscipes - Alan Keatley

Haliplus lineatocollis - Alan Keatley

Helophorus grandis - Alan Keatley

Other beetles on the drying sand included the leaf beetle Prasocuris phellandrii and the ground beetle Syntomus forveatus, as well as Red Marsh Ladybird, Black Marram Weevil and Dune Scarab.

Syntomus forveatus - Alan Keatley

Prasocuris phellandrii - Dean Hall

Also in the dunes the woodlouse hunting spider Harpactea hombergi and on gorse, the orbweb spider Agalenatea redii and the weevil Exapion ulicis. 

Harpactea hombergi - Alan Keatley

Agalenatea redii - Alan Keatley

Exapion ulicis - Dean Hall