Friday 13th October

A morning seawatch lacked any large shearwaters even on the distant horizon but it was still busy with 564 Gannet south in 2.25 hours along with 268 Kittiwake, seven Arctic Skua, four Sandwich Tern, three Balearic Shearwater and two Mediterranean Gull. Also passing south two different Merlin, a flock of 10 Swallow, and small numbers of waders including Dunlin, Sanderling and a Golden Plover which dipped on sea but managed to continue.

In the estuary a further influx of wildfowl with 848 Wigeon and c250 Teal , the latter count interrupted by the discovery of the Warren's long awaited first Green-winged Teal, a moulting drake. 

Elsewhere the Red-legged Partridge was flushed on the Golf Course and flew over to the Railway Saltmarsh, four Goldcrest and three Chiffchaff were in the bushes and a Bullfinch flew NE.

Thursday 12th October

Large numbers of birds foraging offshore included 10 Balearic Shearwater, 225 Kittiwake, 32 Gannet, three Arctic Skua, two adult Mediterranean Gull, the two ♂ Eider and a Sandwich Tern.

Wildfowl numbers are beginning to increase with counts of 467 Wigeon, 417 Teal, 94 Dark and a Pale-bellied Brent Goose in the estuary. With them over high tide 344 Redshank, 276 Curlew, 227 Dunlin, 57 Ringed and a Grey Plover, 24 Bar-tailed Godwit, 18 Greenshank, two Knot and a Sanderling. A single ♂ Ruff and the Spotted Redshank last reported on 16 Sep were also present over the evening tide.

An Egyptian Goose that flew over the spit and headed down the coast early morning was shaping up to be the exotic of the day, but it was trumped by the year’s first Red-legged Partridge on the Golf Course early evening.

Also overhead today c25 Meadow Pipit, 13 Goldfinch, three Chaffinch, two Skylark, Jackdaw and Rook and single Great Spotted Woodpecker, Buzzard, Golden Plover and Snipe. Grounded migrants included five Siskin and four Lesser Redpoll in the Entrance Bushes, two Wheatear, a Coal Tit, the injured Whitethroat and the first Bullfinch since 18 Feb.

Other Wildlife: The same shoals that attracted in seabirds also fed at least two Common Dolphin and the first Atlantic Blue-finned Tuna of the year. Fewer flying insects but 20+ Red Admiral and a Painted Lady were still noted.

Wednesday 11th October

Seawatching for 1.5 hours early morning saw a Balearic Shearwater, two Arctic Skua, 563 auk sp., 167 Gannet, 105 Black-headed Gull and 15 Kittiwake head south with the two drake Eider offshore. All the auks close enough to identify were Razorbill. 

In the estuary counts over the high tide included 347 Wigeon, 320 Redshank, 296 Curlew, 271 Teal, 197 Dunlin, 78 Ringed and three Grey Plover, 54 Great Black-backed Gull, 51 Dark and a Pale-bellied Brent Goose, 24 Bar and four Black-tailed Godwit, 23 Turnstone, 10 Greenshank, eight Sanderling and three Sandwich Tern. A late juv Yellow-legged Gull was on Bull Hill as the tide dropped.

Elsewhere the year's first Mistle Thrush paused briefly at the Cuckoo's Nest with the first Merlin (fem/imm) heading over the Entrances Bushes a short while later. There was little else moving overhead with two Redpoll and single figure counts of, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Skylark and Siskin. 

Cirl Bunting - Dave Jewell One of nine on site today

Grounded migrants included 10 Chiffchaff, four Goldcrest and a Blackcap, a Song Thrush along the Dune Ridge may have been new in as were some of the high count of 15 Stonechat.

Other Wildlife: Migration still in action with both Clouded Yellow and Hummingbird Hawkmoth in Greenland Lake. 

Clouded Yellow - Lee Collins

Hummingbird Hawkmoth - Lee Collins

Tuesday 10th October

A short afternoon visit, with sunny and warm conditions after the mist finally cleared. Overhead 13 Meadow Pipit and a Siskin despite the late hour, with the exception of the first Dartford Warbler of the autumn, grounded migrants were similarly in short supply with just three Chiffchaff and a Goldcrest.

The tide was only half way in but 37 Ringed Plover, 18 Dunlin and two Turnstone were in the Bight, with three Sandwich Tern also in the estuary.

Other Wildlife: The Ivy continues to attract numbers of Common Wasp, Honey and Ivy Bee along with several hoverfly species, including the first Pale-knobbed Didea D. fasciata of the year. 

Honey Bee (left) & Ivy Bee - Alan Keatley

Other hoverflies included Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax, Glass-winged S. vitripennis and Humming Syrphus S. ribesii, and Long Sphaerophoria scripta, Marmalade Episyrphus balteatus, Tiger Helophilus pendulus and Large Tiger Hoverfly H. trivittatus.

Long Hoverfly - Alan Keatley

Also on the wing the cranefly Tipula confusa, five species of butterfly including Red Admiral and three dragonfly species; Common Darter, Migrant and Southern Hawker.

Tipula confusa - Alan Keatley

Sunday 8th October

Counts in the estuary over the low neap high tide included 99 Dunlin, 39 Ringed Plover, seven Sandwich Tern and four Grey Plover with a smart drake Common Scoter feeding in shallows of the Bight. Late afternoon 36 Cattle Egret gathered on the mudflats at low tide and disturbance of the corvid roost at Eastdon saw c140 Jackdaw and c60 Rook gather on Bull Hill. 

Elsewhere two drake Eider and a Great-crested Grebe were offshore, single Coal Tit and Whitethroat were in the bushes with four Goldcrest, four Chiffchaff and two Blackcap and overhead 62 Meadow Pipit, 15 Skylark, eight Pied Wagtail and single Siskin and Swallow.

Linnet - Alan Keatley

Ringing News: Despite the neap tide 44 DCWRG ringed Oystercatcher were recorded amongst the roosting birds. In addition a further five birds ringed during previous studies were present, all now over 20 years old. 

Other Wildlife: Migration was also ongoing amongst insects with Red Admiral passing S throughout  day, a three hour count of 64 indicated a rate of almost 20 per hour. Few other butterflies were on the wing, with three Painted Lady and a Common Blue also amongst the 10 species recorded.

Moths disturbed from roosting sites included several Silver Y and Rush Veneer, with singles of Vestal, Rusty-dot Pearl and Red Underwing. Also on the wing at least two Hornet and around the Ivy large numbers of Common Wasp, Ivy and Honey Bee but little else. 

Hornet - Alan Keatley

Eggcase of Wasp Spider - Kevin Rylands

Saturday 7th October

The only bird news received was of three Chiffchaff with the Long-tailed Tit flock and eight Jackdaw on the mudflats. 

Other Wildlife: The warmth of the day lingered into the late afternoon meaning good numbers of Ivy Bee were active along with several Migrant Hawker and half a dozen Small White.

Ivy Bee - Kevin Rylands

Elsewhere a Rusty-dot Pearl and the false blister beetle Oedemera femoralis were attracted to security lights, with other records including 24-spot Ladybird, the grass bug Notostira elongata and, new for the Recording Area, the garden escape Argentinian Vervain Verbena bonariensis.

24-spot Ladybird - Kevin Rylands

Argentinian Vervain - Kevin Rylands

Thursday 5th October

The surprise bird of the day was a single Egyptian Goose south over the Entrance Bushes early morning, also moving 51 Meadow Pipit, 25 Pied Wagtail, 23 Swallow, four Siskin and a Rook. 

 

Apart from the goose other sightings were more predictable, although strangely there were no small waders at high tide. Counts from the Bight included 208 Curlew, 19 Bar-tailed Godwit, 13 Turnstone, 12 Sandwich Tern and a Knot.

Elsewhere 60 Linnet and 12 Skylark were on Warren Point, with four Common Scoter, an immature Great Northern Diver and an Arctic Skua off the seawall.

Other Wildlife: The overcast morning subdued insect activity and even when it brightened up later there was an appreciable drop today in butterfly numbers with five Red Admiral the most numerous of the six species recorded. Bee and fly numbers were also reduced but a Common Furrow Bee Lasioglossum calceatum was still active at Langstone Rock.

Common Furrow Bee - Alan Keatley

Also recorded today the fantastically camouflaged Sand-bear Spider Arctosa perita on Warren Point and new for the Recording Area the scare ground bug Megalonotus dilatatus.

Sand-bear Spider - Alan Keatley

Megalonotus dilatatus - Alan Keatley

Tuesday 3rd October

A pleasant day in the warm sunshine with plenty of interest to be seen, 45 Skylark, 36 Meadow Pipit and two Siskin were on the move early morning with three Wheatear on the deck.

The summer plumaged Red-throated Diver remained offshore and at least five Arctic Skua were still hassling the gulls in the bay. Avoiding their intentions in the estuary, 44 Sandwich and two Common Tern, four Mediterranean and the 1cy Little Gull.

Elsewhere two Water Rail and a Kingfisher were at the Main Pond and counts from the high tide included 214 Wigeon, 206 Curlew, 27 Dunlin, 21 Bar-tailed Godwit, 15 Ringed Plover, 10 Greenshank and six Dark-bellied Brent Geese.

Other Wildlife: The warm weather prompted a steady movement of over 50 Red Admiral with others pausing on the flowering Ivy, with two Clouded Yellow and a Painted Lady other clear migrants. 

Clouded Yellow - Alan Keatley

The Ivy also attracted the first Noon Fly Mesembrina meridiana of the year, several Batman, Hornet and Marmalade Hoverfly and increasing numbers of Ivy Bee. Also present a Sickle-jawed Blood Bee Sphecodes puncticeps, the first site record since 1969.

Noon Fly - Alan Keatley

Sickle-jawed Blood Bee - Alan Keatley

Monday 2nd October

Large numbers of gulls remained feeding offshore late afternoon, amongst them at least seven Mediterranean and a 1cy Little Gull, 38 Sandwich and three Common Tern. The feeding flock attracted up to 10 Arctic Skua.

Sunday 1st October

An immature Pied Flycatcher in Dead Dolphin Wood was the highlight, the second of the autumn, other grounded migrants were however limited to  seven Chiffchaff, seven Blackcap and five Goldcrest. Passing through, 74 Swallow, 21 Meadow Pipit, two House Martin and a Siskin.

A massive feeding flock remained offshore with 885 Black-headed Gull, 530 Kittiwake, 93 Sandwich and four Common Tern, 68 Gannet, 16 Arctic Skua, seven Mediterranean Gull, three Red-throated Diver and the 2cy Little Gull in the bay and 66 Common Scoter and 16 Balearic Shearwater south.

A Curlew Sandpiper was in the Bight with Dunlin and Ringed Plover, but a Peregrine hampered attempts at counts. Elsewhere in the estuary counts included 342 Curlew, 295 Teal, 47 Pale and 30 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 17 Knot, 16 Turnstone, 13 Bar-tailed Godwit and nine Greenshank.