Saturday 5th September

Two Spotted Redshank were in Shutterton Creek with 260 Redshank, 17 Greenshank, six Bar and two Black-tailed Godwit on the rising tide, with a juvenile Little Stint in The Bight amongst 194 Dunlin, 122 Ringed Plover, 11 Sanderling, 10 Knot and six Turnstone.

Also in the estuary, an Osprey late morning and a Black Tern was on Bull Hill with Common and Sandwich Tern early morning, but by high tide just 31 Sandwich Tern were still present. 

An increase in migrants on site saw minimum counts of 12 Chiffchaff, five Wheatear, five Willow Warbler, four Blackcap, three Whitethroat, three White and two Yellow Wagtail, with two Grey Wagtail and two Meadow Pipit, the first of the autumn, overhead. 

Other Wildlife: An increased number of Clouded Yellow feeding on site and heading west, with several Painted Lady, Red Admiral and a Holly Blue also moving along the Dune Ridge. Also on the wing two Wall Brown, and several Hummingbird Hawkmoth, Vestal and Silver Y. 

Clouded Yellow - Jim Summers

Friday 4th September

The last hour of light from Cockwood Steps saw at least 420 Common Tern arriving in the estuary, joining hundreds already present further upriver. Also arriving from offshore to roost 40+ Sandwich Tern, 250 Black-headed and five Mediterranean Gull.

Further roosting birds included 175 Canada Goose, 33 Mute and the Black Swan, with 140 Redshank, 12 Greenshank, two Bar and a Black-tailed Godwit on the rising tide and a Kingfisher was hunting from the Wreck.

Other Wildlife: A Grey Seal was on Bull Hill.

Thursday 3rd September

Two Little Stint were new arrivals in The Bight over high tide amongst 350 Dunlin and 110 Ringed Plover, later being seen off Topsham as the wader flocks departed on the dropping tide. 

Also around the estuary 270 Common, 120 Sandwich and a juvenile Little Tern, 18 Knot, 16 Greenshank, 14 Mediterranean Gull, 11 Black and two Bar-tailed Godwit, seven Whimbrel, a Kingfisher, and up river an Osprey offsite. 

Elsewhere a couple of Willow Warbler were in the bushes with a Grey Wagtail, 12 House and a Sand Martin overhead. 

Other Wildlife: Several Clouded Yellow were around Greenland Lake with a couple heading west across the estuary. 

Wednesday 2nd September

Over 300 Common Tern were on Bull Hill early evening, rising from just 36 present over the high tide, when 133 Sandwich and two juvenile Little Tern were also present. Wader counts from the estuary included 221 Dunlin, 205 Redshank, 131 Curlew, 130 Ringed Plover, 70 Canada Geese, 19 Knot, 16 Greenshank, eight Whimbrel, four Bar and four Black-tailed Godwit, two Common Sandpiper and the long-staying Black Swan. 

Elsewhere an Osprey was again present late morning, watched heading SW over the Visitor Centre after stirring up things in the estuary, a Balearic Shearwater and nine Mediterranean Gull flew south offshore, 70 Swallow were overhead but grounded migrants were limited to single Whitethroat, Reed and Willow Warbler. 

Other Wildlife: Although there was some clearance in the weather in the afternoon, flying insects were down on recent days with just a handful of butterflies, with several fresh Painted Lady the most noticeable. In addition to the many Rush Veneer being disturbed, a Mint Moth also ventured out.

Painted Lady - Alan Keatley

Mint Moth - Alan Keatley

Not particularly bothered by the weather, a Grey Seal on Bull Hill and social wasps, including German Wasp Vespula germanica, were busy either collecting wood pulp to build nests, or hunting for other insects.

German Wasp Vespula germanica - Alan Keatley

Tuesday 1st September

An Osprey over Shutterton Creek at high tide caused the usual consternation amongst the gulls, terns and waders with several flocks heading offshore, elsewhere in the estuary and some Oystercatcher heading towards Orcombe Point. 

Counts included 180 Dunlin, 150 Ringed Plover, 80 Sandwich and 50 Common Tern, 24 Sanderling, 19 Knot, 14 Greenshank, 12 Whimbrel, 10 Mediterranean Gull, seven Shelduck, four Bar and two Black-tailed Godwit, two Common Sandpiper and a Grey Plover.

Common Tern (juvenile) - both Jim Summers

Ringed Plover - Jim Summers

Elsewhere at least 15 Chiffchaff were on site with five Willow Warbler, four Whitethroat, two Wheatear and a Yellow Wagtail, three Common Scoter were offshore and three Teal and a Kingfisher were at the Main Pond. 

Other Wildlife: Clouded Yellow remain a feature with at least 10 across site along with a dozen Painted Lady, Small White and a Comma. Numbers of Rush Veneer disturbed from the grasslands were supplemented with half a dozen Silver Y and the first second generation Yellow Belle.

Migrant Hawker were conspicuous around the scrub with a few Common Darter at the ponds. Also on the wing the first Ivy Bee Colletes hederae of the year,  a couple of Hornet Plumehorn and a Star-winged Ragwort Fly Trupanea stellata.

Star-winged Ragwort Fly Trupanea stellata - Alan Keatley

Turning the tables for flying insects were the spider hunting was Anoplius infuscatus and the ichneumon Tromatobia lineatoria, a species that lays eggs in spider egg cases. 

Anoplius infuscatus - Alan Keatley

Tromatobia lineatoria - Alan Keatley

Monday 31st August

Two Curlew Sandpiper, an adult and a juvenile, were new arrivals in The Bight with 320 Dunlin, 110 Ringed Plover, 21 Knot, 18 Sanderling and a Grey Plover over high tide. Also around the estuary 15 Sandwich and a Common Tern, 14 Greenshank, 14 Whimbrel, nine Shelduck, six Mediterranean Gull, three Black-tailed Godwit, two Common Sandpiper and two Great Crested Grebe.

Elsewhere six Willow Warbler and a Wheatear were on site, the year's first Grey Wagtail was overhead and five Teal were at the Main Pond.  

Year List addition:
167. Grey Wagtail

Other Wildlife: Three Clouded Yellow and a couple of Painted Lady were noted along with a Hummingbird Hawkmoth and still several dozen Rush Veneer. The last orchid of the season, Autumn Lady's-tresses, has responded well to the welcome rain with several hundred in flower, including in a couple of new locations. 

Autumn Lady's-tresses - Kevin Rylands

Sunday 30th August

Following yesterday's record numbers a clear out of terns from the estuary with just 30 Sandwich and five Common Tern present in the estuary over hight tide. Wader counts included 260 Dunlin, 170 Ringed Plover, 37 Sanderling, 31 Knot, 16 Greenshank, 14 Whimbrel, 11 Black and three Bar-tailed Godwit and three Grey Plover, with nine Mediterranean Gull, eight Shelduck and two Great Crested Grebe also present.

Black-tailed Godwit - Dean Hall

Elsewhere 50 Balearic Shearwater and two Arctic Skua offshore, with five Wheatear and at least four Willow Warbler on site.

Wheatear - Dean Hall

Saturday 29th August

Another very busy day with a record estimated count of 2,550 Common Tern. The majority, 2,050, flew south in the first 30 minutes of light before some starting doubling back towards the estuary. Later in the morning at least 400 were in estuary with constant movement offshore including an additional 500+ passing south at distance early afternoon.

Amongst these were at least 110 Sandwich Tern, five Arctic and two Black Tern offshore, with two Roseate Tern, an adult and a juvenile, and a juvenile Little Tern in the estuary mid morning. 

Also offshore, a Cory's Shearwater south at 11.45, at least 110 Balearic and 20 Manx Shearwater, with many other distant shearwater sp, 20 Mediterranean Gull, 11 Arctic and a Great Skua, 10 Common Scoter and a Fulmar. 

Mediterranean Gull - Jim Summers

Counts from the estuary included 302 Ringed Plover, 291 Redshank, 210 Dunlin, 22 Whimbrel, 21 Knot, 14 Sanderling, 13 Greenshank, six Teal, six Turnstone, five Bar-tailed Godwit, five Grey Plover, four Wigeon, two Common Sandpiper, two Ruff and a 1CY Yellow-legged Gull.

Elsewhere the Red-legged Partridge was on the Golf Course and the blown out scrub held at least three Blackcap and two Willow Warbler. 

Year List additions:
166. Cory's Shearwater

165. Great Skua

Friday 28th August

Still plenty of activity offshore and in the estuary with at least 790 Common and 45 Sandwich Tern with single juvenile Arctic and Little Tern occasionally picked out. Also present at least 40 Balearic and 15 Manx Shearwater, nine Mediterranean Gull, two Arctic Skua and a 1CY Yellow-legged Gull.

The highlight in the estuary was the first Spotted Redshank of the year with 370 Dunlin, 250 Ringed Plover, 41 Sanderling, 21 Knot, 16 Greenshank, 10 Bar-tailed Godwit, three Turnstone, a Kingfisher and a Ruff.

Knot - Jim Summers

Elsewhere a Wheatear and the Red-legged Partridge were on the Golf Course and a juvenile Hobby flew through early morning.

Sparrowhawk - Lee Collins

Red-legged Partridge - Lee Collins

Year List addition:

164. Spotted Redshank

Ringing News: A Hampshire colour-ringed Ringed Plover was recorded back in The Bight. First ringed as a chick in June 2025, it arrived here on 25th August last year before over-wintering. Since it was last recorded here in late February, it has returned to Hampshire and successfully raised a brood. 

Thursday 27th August

Early morning saw a new site record of the critically endangered Balearic Shearwater, with 638 heading east between 6.35 - 7.05, with c400 in just the first 10mins. Also offshore at least 700 Common Tern with several hundred also in the estuary, 12 Mediterranean Gull, three Arctic Skua, two juvenile Little Tern, two Arctic Tern, a Black Tern and an adult Roseate Tern. 

Roseate Tern - Lee Collins

Black Tern - Lee Collins

Counts from the estuary included at least 400 Ringed Plover, 292 Redshank, 250 Dunlin, 19 Knot, 14 Whimbrel, nine Greenshank, seven Grey Plover, four Black-tailed Godwit, four Teal, the first four Wigeon of autumn, a Common Sandpiper and a moulting adult Curlew Sandpiper.

Other records included two Kingfisher at the Main Pond, the Red-legged Partridge on the Golf Course and hunting the waders a male Peregrine and a migrant Sparrowhawk that came in high from east and took a Dunlin over high tide.

Ringing News: Eight ringed Common Tern were noted, four from the UK, (Cumbria, Leicestershire & Sussex), two from the Netherlands and two from Norway. Other recoveries included an Exe ringed Grey Plover back for another winter.

Other Wildlife: Three Grey Seal were on Bull Hill, with presumably one of the same offshore at high tide.

Great Green Bush Cricket - James Marshall