Monday 8th December

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.

Sunday 7th December

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.

Saturday 6th December

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

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— Rob Murphy (@robmurphy.bsky.social) 6 December 2025 at 17:03

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.

Friday 5th December

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.

Thursday 4th December

The Lesser Crested Tern remained in the lower estuary all day favouring the yellow wildlife refuge buoys. Best viewed from Cockwood or Warren Point, there is no access to the Golf Course. Many thanks for those visiting today, lots of positive comments from golfers and no issues reported. 

Lesser Crested Tern - Grahame Madge The picture that started it all yesterday

Lesser Crested Tern - Dave Boult

The Yellow-browed Warbler was still around the Main Pond with at least seven Chiffchaff and six Goldcrest, the first Fieldfare of the year was in Greenland Lake before flying N early morning, the Dartford Warbler was heard calling from the Golf Course and a drake Goosander flew W over Main Pond mid afternoon.

Elsewhere 32 Common Scoter, 12 Great Crested Grebe, three Red-throated and two Great Northern Diver were offshore with 52 Common Gull and six Greenshank. 

Year list addition:
187. Fieldfare

Wednesday 3rd December

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. 

Lesser Crested Tern - Kevin Rylands

Lesser Crested Tern - Dave Boult

No doubt the bird reported briefly on the Axe on Monday, it remained on the buoy until at least 4.40pm when the light had all but gone.There is no access to the Golf Course, so best viewed from Cockwood or Warren Point.

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. 

Shoveler - Jim Summers

Yellow-browed Warbler - Jim Summers

Year list addition:
186. Lesser Crested Tern

Monday 1st December

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. 

Caspian Gull - Lee Collins

Caspian Gulls - Lee Collins

Elsewhere the Yellow-browed Warbler was reported but no other news was received. 

Sunday 30th November

The five Velvet Scoter were off the seawall with 22 Common Scoter, 20 Great Crested Grebe, four Red-throated and two Great Northern Diver. 

The Yellow-browed Warbler remained around the Main Pond but was very elusive amongst at least 14 Chiffchaff and nine Goldcrest.

Cirl Bunting - Lee Collins

Counts from the estuary included 460 Teal, 125 Shelduck, 104 Grey and 45 Ringed Plover, 76 Knot, 24 Sanderling, seven Greenshank, four Red-breasted Merganser and an Avocet.

Other Wildlife: A Common Darter was still on the wing around the Entrance Bushes. 

Saturday 29th November

The five Velvet Scoter remained off the seawall with 26 Common Scoter, but most birds were on the move with hundreds of auks and Kittiwake heading south, closer in there were at least 35 Razorbill and two Guillemot. Also moving a briefly lingering 1CY Little Gull, 14 Red-throated, 11 Great Northern and a Black-throated Diver, with seven Great Northern and a Red-throated Diver on the sea early afternoon. 

The Yellow-browed Warbler was again elusive around the Main Pond, with 14 Chiffchaff, six Goldcrest and a Firecrest also in the bushes. A fem/imm Black Redstart was a brief new arrival moving along the exposed stones at Warren Point before it headed off high towards The Maer, Exmouth. 

Counts from the estuary over high tide included 150 Redshank, 97 Curlew, 81 Grey and 45 Ringed Plover, 76 Knot, 57 Turnstone, 55 Bar and 19 Black-tailed Godwit, 32 Sanderling, a Kingfisher and the Avocet.

Ringing News: Over 50 Exe ringed Dunlin were recorded along with the wintering Welsh ringed Knot, Hampshire ringed Ringed Plover, German ringed Brent Goose, Dorset ringed Great Black-backed Gull and Seaton ringed Shelduck. 

Friday 28th November

The Yellow-browed Warbler made a brief appearance late in the day by the Main Pond with at least 15 Chiffchaff and 10 Goldcrest also present. Also vocal the Cetti's Warbler gave a brief burst of song near the First Pond, the Dartford Warbler calling from the Golf Course and a Tawny Owl calling behind Crocus Compound

Wildfowl counts from the estuary on the dropping tide included 682 Wigeon, 608 Teal, 223 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 95 Shelduck and three Red-breasted Merganser with nine Black-tailed Godwit, seven Greenshank and five Great Crested Grebe. 

Elsewhere the five Velvet Scoter, 14 Common Scoter, 14 Great Crested Grebe, 12 Razorbill and two Red-throated Diver were off the seawall and a roost of 450 Starling, three Water Rail and two Shoveler were at the Main Pond.