Saturday 14th March

Counts from the estuary included 374 Oystercatcher, 200 Dunlin, 196 Curlew, 146 Dark and a Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 81 Knot, 73 Bar-tailed Godwit, 63 Common Gull, 52 Grey Plover, 25 Turnstone and three Greenshank. Elsewhere four Chiffchaff were on site and 42 Common Scoter were offshore with six Red-throated and two Great Northern Diver.

 Teal - Alan Keatley

Ringed Plover - Dave Jewell

Wildlife News: An early Plain-faced Dronefly Eristalis arbustorum was the pick of the few insects on the wing. 

Plain-faced Dronefly - Alan Keatley

Friday 13th March

The Slavonian Grebe was in the estuary with 250 Oystercatcher, 110 Dunlin, 61 Bar-tailed Godwit, 48 Redshank, 41 Grey Plover, 25 Knot, 10 Teal, six Greenshank and a Pale-bellied Brent Goose. Elsewhere the female Eider was still offshore but migrants remain elusive. 

Thursday 12th March

Black-tailed Godwit continue to favour this end of the estuary for a change with 530 in the Railway Saltmarsh, the second ever highest count. Also in the estuary 90 Knot, 63 Bar-tailed Godwit, 62 Redshank, 61 Grey Plover, 55 Brent Geese and 48 Snipe.

Knot, Grey Plover, Sanderling & Dunlin - Alan Keatley

Elsewhere a Firecrest was in brambles along the Back Path. three Chiffchaff were on site and the female Eider was off John's Watch. 

Long-tailed Duck - Alan Keatley

Wildlife News: The warming Spring saw the first mining bee of the year around the car park, a male Buffish Mining Bee Andrena nigroaenea. Also new for the year two hoverflies Slender Melanostoma Melanostoma scalare and several male Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax defending territory.

Tapered Dronefly - Alan Keatley

Wednesday 11th March

A Pale-bellied Brent Goose was on the Golf Course with 306 Dark-bellied Brent Geese and a pair of Shoveler were on the Main Pond but no other news was received.

Monday 9th March

Two Great Northern and two Red-throated Diver were offshore with 15 Great-crested Grebe but aside from the Slavonian Grebe off Cockwood, no other news was received. 

Sunday 8th March

Counts from the estuary included an impressive 152 Snipe pushed into view on the edge of the Saltmarsh by the high tide along with 145 Brent Geese, 124 Black and 123 Bar-tailed Godwit, 104 Grey Plover, 77 Knot, 15 Teal, four Greenshank, three Goldeneye and two sinensis Cormorant. 

Bar-tailed Godwit, Grey Plover, Dunlin & Sanderling - Lee Collins

Elsewhere two Red-throated and a Great Northern Diver were offshore with 13 Great-crested Grebe and six Common Scoter, two Raven were a rare sight foraging in the Saltmarsh, 14 Meadow Pipit flew north with another displaying on Warren Point and two Mute Swan were in the flooded Greenland Lake. 

Saturday 7th March

Counts from the estuary included at least 159 Black-tailed Godwit on the Railway Saltmarsh, only the second record of the year, also with them 106 Curlew, at least 76 Bar-tailed Godwit and five Greenshank. Other counts included 505 Dunlin, 420 Oystercatcher, 156 Brent Geese, 140 Knot, 103 Grey and 14 Ringed Plover, 75 Snipe, the highest March count since 1987, 70 Teal, 15 Sanderling, 10 Red-breasted Merganser and a Jack Snipe. 

Elsewhere two Chiffchaff were singing in the bushes, a Red-throated Diver, 10 Common Scoter and the female Eider were offshore, a Raven was overhead and Little Grebe were nest building on the Main Pond. 

Chiffchaff - Alan Keatley

Wildlife News: Insects remain in short supply but at least five Buff-tailed Bumblebee queens were on the wing. A Grey Seal was again below Langstone Rock and Sand Lizard were along the Dune Ridge. 

Early Meadow-grass - Alan Keatley

Friday 6th March

An evening visit saw 241 Brent Geese roosting in the estuary corner along with 32 Teal and a single Greenshank. Elsewhere a Red-throated Diver was offshore with a Chiffchaff in the bushes, 64 Carrion Crow around the Bight and 55 Linnet roosting in the Buffer Zone. 

Monday 2nd March

Counts from the estuary included 160 Curlew, 146 Grey and 13 Ringed Plover, 111 Knot, 60 Brent Geese, a Greenshank and the Slavonian Grebe. Elsewhere a Red-throated Diver and the female Eider were offshore and a Firecrest was along the Back Path.

Firecrest - Alan Keatley

Wildlife News: Early Spring insects around the car park included a couple of Buff-tailed Bumblebee, several Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax, a Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus and a Dock Bug Coreus marginatus. 

Dock Bug - Alan Keatley

Several Scarlet Elfcup have emerged along the flooded path by the First Pond.

Scarlet Elfcup - Alan Keatley

Sunday 1st March

An immature Pomarine Skua harrying gulls around a distant trawler was the first of the year and presumably one of the birds that has wintered around Torbay. Also offshore two Great Northern and a Red-throated Diver, 16 Great-crested Grebe, four Common Scoter and the female Eider. 

Elsewhere two Chiffchaff were on site, a Rook was a very rare sight on the 7th fairway and the Slavonian Grebe was in the estuary.