Sunday 27th October

Another morning of vismig dominated by 15,050 Woodpigeon and 1026 Jackdaw, with a varied supporting cast including 225 Starling, 101 Lesser Black Backed Gull, 77 Chaffinch, 17 Meadow Pipit, 11 Skylark, five Buzzard, five Siskin, a site record four Egyptian Geese, two Sparrowhawk and single Great White Egret, Lesser Redpoll, Redwing and a Red Kite.

Elsewhere counts from The Bight included 215 Dunlin, 57 Turnstone, 47 Ringed and three Grey Plover, nine Sanderling and a Whimbrel, a female Marsh Harrier flew north late afternoon, the Cetti's Warbler, two Water Rail, a Grey Wagtail and a Reed Bunting were at the Main Pond, and two Bullfinch, two Goldcrest, a Coal Tit and a Jay were in the bushes.

Other Wildlife: A Weasel ran across the path in front of the Visitor Centre.

Saturday 26th October

Huge numbers of Woodpigeon on the move in the first two hours, an estimated 31,230 birds, with flocks in the thousands in the first hour, with flocks of several hundred later. Their line was mostly W offshore whereas 347 Jackdaw, largest flock 80, and 17 Rook took a more inland route.

Also against the clear blue sky, two flocks of 22 and five Redwing headed west with a lone Mistle Thrush east. at least 40 Skylark passed W, many too high to see, along with smaller numbers of Chaffinch and Linnet, seven Lesser Black-backed Gull, seven Siskin, two Reed Bunting and the first Lesser Redpoll of the year. 

Elsewhere an adult Spoonbill headed offshore, but shortly returned to the estuary, five Chiffchaff, two Goldcrest, single Coal Tit, Jay and a female Sparrowhawk were in the bushes with a vocal Cetti's Warbler and a Kingfisher at the Main Pond.

Year list addition:

179. Redpoll

Other Wildlife: With day long sunshine insects were obvious  including presumed migrants such as a late Southern Hawker, two Red Admiral, a Silver Y and a few Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus. 

Southern Hawker - Alan Keatley

Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus - Alan Keatley

Also on the wing a Speckled Wood, three Common Darter and the hoverflies; Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax, Humming Syrphus S. ribesii, Gossamer Hoverfly Baccha elongata and Tiger Hoverfly Helophilus pendulus.

The Grey Squirrel was in the Entrance Bushes. 

Silver Y - Alan Keatley

Friday 25th October

The Yellow-browed Warbler was by the Main Pond but no other news was reported. 

Other Wildlife: Late news of a new Warren species, a braconid wasp found on a gull carcass on Warren Point. An Alysia species, likely Alysia manducator, a parasitoid of blowflies and houseflies, but unfortunately confirmation requires examination of a specimen. 

Alysia sp. - both Alan Keatley

Thursday 24th October

Counts from the Bight at high tide included 110 Dunlin, 83 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 43 Turnstone, 30 Ringed and a Grey Plover, 14 Sanderling, 13 Bar-tailed Godwit and a Sandwich Tern.

Elsewhere the Yellow-browed Warbler remained around the Main Pond with five Chiffchaff, two Goldcrest and a Firecrest also in the bushes with single Great Northern Diver and Pomarine Skua offshore.

Other Wildlife: Dull and overcast, so not a day for insects with just a late Migrant Hawker on the wing in the Entrance Bushes.

Wednesday 23rd October

A Yellow-browed Warbler, the third of the autumn, was by the Main Pond but no other news was reported. 

Tuesday 22nd October

There was a noticeable Woodpigeon passage in the first couple of hours, with at least 1300 noted, despite little time spent watching the sky, also overhead 40 Jackdaw and a few Stock Dove.

Elsewhere 260 Curlew, 197 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 22 Bar-tailed Godwit and two Sandwich Tern were around the Bight with three Chiffchaff on site.

Other Wildlife: Fewer insects on the wing despite the warm conditions, but one was a new cranefly for the Recording Area by the Main Pond, Achyrolimonia decemmaculata, a widespread species of wetter areas.

Achyrolimonia decemmaculata - Alan Keatley

Out on Warren Point insects included the darkling beetle Nalassus laeviotostriatus and the ground beetle Calathus melanocephalus, with interesting fungi including Hairy Parachute Crinipellis scabella. 

Hairy Parachute Crinipellis scabella - Alan Keatley

Nalassus laeviotostriatus - Alan Keatley

Sunday 20th October

A two hour seawatch early morning showed kittle sign of much moving although highlights included at least three Arctic Skua, two Arctic and two Common Tern and a Storm Petrel. 

Around The Bight at high tide were 104 Dunlin, 74 Shelduck, 63 Turnstone, 17 Ringed and 11 Grey Plover, 10 Sanderling, six Sandwich Tern and three Pale-bellied Brent Geese, with six Avocet swimming mid channel. Elsewhere a Kingfisher and two Water Rail were at the Main Pond. 

Saturday 19th October

A Cetti's Warbler and half a dozen Chiffchaff were around the Main Pond but no other news was received.

Other Wildlife: The autumn sunshine saw five species of butterfly on the wing with a few Red Admiral and Large White moving through, several Speckled Wood still defending sheltered glades, two fresh Meadow Brown and a Wall. At least 25 Common Darter and six Migrant Hawker were also on the wing, with many unfortunately choosing to egg lay in recently flooded areas.

Wall - Kevin Rylands

The wet conditions have benefitted fungi with Butter Hygrocybe ceracea and Golden Waxcap H. chlorophana emerging on the golf course, Greyshank Bolete Leccinum cyaneobasileucum, new for the Recording Area, and Bearded Milkcap Lactarius pubescens by the Dune Pond and Yellow Stainer Agaricus xanthodermus, Blue Roundhead Stropharia caerulea and the parachute Marasmius anomalus in the dunes.

Butter Hygrocybe ceracea and Golden Waxcap H. chlorophana (top) - Kevin Rylands

Blue Roundhead Stropharia caerulea - Kevin Rylands

Elsewhere a few Ivy Bee were still flying, a/the Grey Squirrel was along the Back Path and single Rusty-dot Pearl and Rush Veneer were flushed in Greenland Lake.

Ivy Bee - Kevin Rylands

Friday 18th October

Early morning vismig saw large numbers of pigeons and corvids, many gathering as large swirling flocks over Exmouth before continuing high W over the estuary. At least 1870 Woodpigeon and 760 Jackdaw were joined by 85 Starling, 14 Rook and seven Stock Dove. Low numbers of small passerines overhead included 32 Skylark, 25 Meadow Pipit, five Chaffinch and a Siskin. 

Herons were also moving with a Great White Egret E along the back of the golf course, briefly circling Finger Point before continuing over Exmouth at 8.45; four Cattle Egret downriver, with two other high S with a Little Egret; and a Grey Heron flew high SW.

Counts from the estuary included 306 Redshank, 71 Dunlin, 52 Shelduck, 17 Greenshank, 11 Sandwich Tern, six Pintail, five Pale-bellied Brent Geese, five Sanderling, three Grey Plover, two Mediterranean Gull, a Knot and a Spotted Redshank. The Long-billed Dowitcher was last reported on Monday.

Elsewhere three Coal Tit moved through Dead Dolphin Wood with at least 75 Goldfinch, 25 Greenfinch and four Reed Bunting around Greenland Lake. 

Thursday 17th October

A visit to the evening tide saw a Spotted Redshank amongst the Redshank around The Bight, with counts including 970 Wigeon, 378 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 14 Greenshank, six Sanderling, five Great Crested Grebe, three Grey Plover, three Knot, three Sandwich Tern, two Mediterranean Gull and a Kingfisher.

Other Wildlife: Despite the warm sunny weather there has been a noticeable drop in insect numbers with just a few Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax, Tiger Hoverfly Helophilus pendulus and Humming Syrphus S. ribesii amongst the wasps on the flowering Ivy. Also attracted to this late season food source was the first Noon Fly Mesembrina meridiana of the year and a late Field Digger Wasp Mellinus arvensis. 

 Noon Fly Mesembrina meridiana - Alan Keatley

Field Digger Wasp Mellinus arvensis - Alan Keatley

Still on the wing five Speckled Wood, three Red Admiral, a Peacock, at least ten Common Darter and a couple of Migrant Hawker.

Two beetles were added to the annual audit, Bronze Leaf Beetle Chrysolina banksii and the first record of Catops grandicollis since 2017.  Thelatter is a carrion feeding beetle associated with bird carcasses, this one was found under a dead gull on Warren Point. 

Bronze Leaf Beetle Chrysolina banksii - Alan Keatley