Saturday, 16 May 2026

Saturday 16th May

Counts from the estuary included 340 Dunlin156 Oystercatcher100+ Sanderling51 Ringed Plover, 21 Whimbrel, seven Grey Plover, six Knot, three Turnstone and two Greenshank

The female Eider was offshore along with 11 Manx Shearwater, eight Common Scoter, four Black-headed Gull, three Sandwich Tern and two summer plumaged Great Northern Diver.

A female Eider still on the end of groyne 9 at Dawlish Warren today. #UKBirding

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— Rob Murphy (@robmurphy.bsky.social) 16 May 2026 at 14:52


Elsewhere 20 Starling fledglings were in the Buffer Zone, the two Red-legged Partridge were on the Golf Course and six House Martin and two Swift were overhead.

Other Wildlife: A nationally scarce jewel beetle (Buprestidae),Agrilus angustulus was found on small oak sapling in the Buffer Zone. There are just a few Devon records, including one found in Topsham in May 2025.

Agrilus angustulus - Alan Keatley

Also, in the Buffer Zone Gastrolepta anthracina, a parasitoid fly of the beetle Lagria hirta, Large Longhorn Nematopogon swammerdamella, a Tree Bumblebee and several nymph Meadow Grasshopper

Meadow Grasshopper - Alan Keatley

Large Longhorn Nematopogon swammerdamella - Alan Keatley

Gastrolepta anthracina - Alan Keatley

Elsewhere the longhorn beetle Grammoptera ruficornis and Turnip Sawfly were on the Hemlock Water-dropwort, a Portland Ribbon Wave was on the Golf Course and the tachinid, Thelaira nigrina was basking on Sycamore, its larvae develop in tiger moth caterpillars.

Thelaira nigrina - Alan Keatley

Small Black Ant Lasius niger with a grass fly Chloropidae - Alan Keatley

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