Saturday 17th October

 A varied morning of visible migration, although the clear blue skies mean that most of the smaller species pass unheard or too high overhead to identify. Woodpigeon were tallied at 5,700, most high W over the sea, Corvids were also on the move, mostly over the estuary, with 255 Jackdaw and 26 Rook. Amongst these 40+ Skylark, at least six Stock Dove and a Snipe.

Heading east the first Brambling of the year with 70 Linnet, 35 Goldfinch, 25 Greenfinch, 13 Chaffinch, three Reed Bunting, three Siskin, a Grey Wagtail and a Golden Plover, the latter circled calling overhead before dropping into The Bight, eventually heading up river.

Few counts from the estuary on a neap tide but 34 Dark-bellied Brent Geese and a Mediterranean Gull were in The Bight, 22 Sanderling were on Bull Hill and in Shutterton Creek, 16 Greenshank, nine Black-tailed Godwit, a female Pintail, a Spotted Redshank and a Whimbrel.

Elsewhere a Short-eared Owl was on Warren Point, a Kingfisher was at the Main Pond, with a reduction to four Chiffchaff and a Goldcrest in the bushes.

Short-eared Owl - Ethan Billing

Year List addition:
174. Brambling

Other Wildlife: Although bright and sunny throughout the day, cooler temperature suppressed flying insects, although these did include a new ichneumon for the Recording Area, Perithous scurra, a relatively common parasite wasp of wood nesting solitary wasps.

Also noteworthy, several tachinid Dune Bristlecheek Periscepsia carbonaria, a parasitoid fly of noctuid moths. A nationally scarce dune specialist with several pairs displaying on bare sand. The late date probably indicates a third-generation.

Dune Bristlecheek Periscepsia carbonaria - Alan Keatley

Also on the wing a Locust Blowfly, a dozen Common Darter and single Migrant and Southern Hawker, with seven butterfly species including four Clouded Yellow, two Red Admiral and single Holly Blue, Small Copper, Large and Small White.

Holly Blue - Alan Keatley

A late Common Lizard was basking under gorse near the Dune Pond.

Friday 16th October

Another early morning of overhead movement with over 8,900 Woodpigeon high W, amongst them at least 20 Stock Dove, with 30 Skylark, a few Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Linnet and a male Sparrowhawk also moving.

Sparrowhawk (the resident male) - Dean Hall

Records from the estuary included the juvenile Curlew Sandpiper and two Spotted Redshank with counts of 360 Redshank, 312 Curlew, 123 Canada and seven Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 66 Dunlin, 56 Ringed and nine Grey Plover, 50 Mute and the Black Swan, 26 Knot, 24 Greenshank, 22 Sanderling, 12 Black-tailed Godwit, a Sandwich Tern and a Whimbrel.

Elsewhere an immature Dartford Warbler and two Red-legged Partridge were on Warren Point, a Kingfisher at the Main Pond and six Chiffchaff, three Goldcrest and a Firecrest were in the bushes.

Green Woodpecker - Dean Hall

Other Wildlife: The sunny conditions saw a good range of late season insects including six species of butterfly with fresh 3rd generation singles of both Holly Blue and Small Copper, seven Clouded Yellow, including one helice, and single Common Blue, Red Admiral and Speckled Wood.

Also on the wing 25 Common Darter and three Migrant Hawker, a Locust Blowfly Stomorhina lunata and several Rush Veneer and Marmalade Hoverfly. 

Thursday 15th October

The Spotted Redshank was in estuary with 33 Knot, 23 Greenshank, six Black-tailed Godwit, a Sandwich Tern and a Whimbrel. 

Elsewhere 18 Skylark, six Rook, five Chaffinch and a Siskin were overhead, seven Chiffchaff and three Goldcrest were in the bushes and, at the Main Pond, single Grey Wagtail, Kingfisher and Water Rail. 

Other Wildlife: A few late insects remain on the wing including at least 20 Common Darter, the year's highest count, a few Common Carder Bee, a couple of Rush Veneer, a Vestal and a Red Admiral.

Wednesday 14th October

Another morning of Woodpigeon movement with 2,850 + west early morning with 70 Skylark, three Swallow and a Chaffinch also overhead. A Jay was briefly in Turkey Oaks on the Golf Course before flying (back?) to the mainland

The Spotted Redshank, 13 Pale-bellied Brent Geese an a Peregrine were in the estuary with counts including 880 Wigeon, 336 Curlew, 57 Dunlin, 34 Knot, 29 Bar and nine Black-tailed Godwit, 23 Greenshank, 16 Sanderling and single Sandwich Tern and Whimbrel.

Other Wildlife: An end of the season feeling (except for the masses of Common Wasp on flowering ivy, with fewer flying insects, just a couple of Specked Wood, a few Common Darter and a Migrant Hawker. Bucking the trend a late Dark-winged Woodlouse Fly Melanophora roralis.

Dark-winged Woodlouse Fly Melanophora roralis - Alan Keatley

At ground level on the Dune Ridge a predatory minute pirate bug Orius niger, a darkling beetle Phaleria cadaverina and a Devil's Coach Horse.

Orius niger - Alan Keatley

Phaleria cadaverina - Alan Keatley

Tuesday 13th October

Another busy high tide with a juvenile Osprey and four immature Spoonbill in The Bight, the 3CY Caspian Gull on Finger Point and, late morning, a juvenile Marsh Harrier over Warren Point.

The usual suspects were present in the estuary with counts including 860 Wigeon, 320 Redshank, 80 Dark and a Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 34 Knot, 26 Turnstone, 19 Greenshank, nine Grey Plover, four Black-tailed Godwit, two Sandwich Tern and a Whimbrel.

Elsewhere two Common Scoter were off the seawall, with nine Chiffchaff, three Goldcrest and a Blackcap in the bushes.

Monday 12th October

The first Jay of the year was briefly in Dead Dolphin Wood before flying north, with a widespread lack of acorns this year, part of a wider national influx. 

Jay - Alan Keatley

A juvenile Curlew Sandpiper was in The Bight with counts from the estuary including 61 Dark and five Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 55 Ringed Plover, 38 Knot, 36 Dunlin, 19 Greenshank, six Mediterranean Gull, four Black-tailed Godwit, three Sandwich Tern, two Whimbrel and a female Pintail.

Elsewhere two Grey Wagtail included one at the Main Pond, 60 Linnet were feeding in The Bight at low tide, a dozen skylark were overhead and the Red-legged Partridge was on the Golf Course.

Grey Wagtail - Alan Keatley

Year List addition:
173. Jay

Other Wildlife: With fewer flying insects on the wing, attention again switched to more terrestrial species, those noted included a nationally scarce Tawny Cockroach Ectobius pallidus, with an attached ootheca (egg case), the lacebug Acalypta parvula, a lacehopper Cixius nervosus and the leafhopper Kelisia sabulicola, and ladybirds included Meadow Rhyzobius litura, 16-spot and a Kidney-spot Ladybird nymph.

Tawny Cockroach Ectobius pallidus - Alan Keatley

16-spot Ladybird - Alan Keatley

Acalypta parvula - Alan Keatley

Cixius nervosus - Alan Keatley

A few Ivy Bee were still active despite the overcast conditions, the the same Ivy also busy after dusk with Pearly Underwing, Black Rustic, Sallow and at least five Oedemera femoralis false blister beetles.

Ivy Bee - Kevin Rylands

The bull Grey Seal was off Langstone Rock.

Sunday 11th October

The first two Avocet of the autumn flew east along the beach mid-morning, pausing briefly to consider landing near groyne 13 before continuing towards the estuary mouth. The first two juvenile Dark-bellied Brent Geese, amongst 106 birds, were also new arrivals.

In the estuary the regular Spotted Redshank was present along with 670 Wigeon, 70 Shelduck, 53 Ringed Plover, 51 Dunlin, 36 Turnstone, 34 Knot, 33 Greenshank, six Mediterranean Gull, four Black-tailed Godwit, the two Whimbrel and a Sandwich Tern. 

Elsewhere another 1,200 Woodpigeon few west early morning and, offshore, an Arctic Skua flew south.

Saturday 10th October

New arrivals in the estuary included a family group of five Pale-bellied Brent Geese, a moulting adult Spotted Redshank, with a few black feathers still on the breast and an eclipse male Shoveler.

Counts from the estuary included 520 Teal, 330 Curlew, 241 Canada Goose, 96 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 53 Shelduck, 49 Dunlin, 39 Ringed Plover, 35 Turnstone, 28 Bar and six Black-tailed Godwit, 27 Knot, 17 Sanderling, three Mediterranean Gull, two Sandwich Tern, two Whimbrel and the regular Spotted Redshank. 

Other migrants included 1,200 Woodpigeon high west in several flocks, an early start to their autumn movements and an immature Dartford Warbler on the Golf Course. also on site eight Chiffchaff and single Blackcap and Goldcrest. 

Elsewhere a Great Northern Diver and two Common Scoter were offshore, a Kingfisher was at the Main Pond and a Buzzard in the Entrance Bushes attracted the unwanted attention of at least 20 Carrion Crow and five Magpie. 

Other Wildlife: A largely overcast day saw few insects on the wing although a Migrant Hawker was active during a brighter spell. Attention instead was diverted groundwards with a tiny leafhopper Megophthalmus scabripennis, and even smaller at 2mm a minute scavenger beetle Cartodere bifasciata, both new for the year.

Cartodere bifasciata - Alan Keatley

 Megophthalmus scabripennis - Alan Keatley

Friday 9th October

A 1CY Caspian Gull dropped onto Finger Point late evening joining at least 55 Great Black-backed Gull with 14 Common and nine Mediterranean Gull roosting in the estuary. 

Caspian Gull - Lee Collins

Counts over the high tide included 91 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 60 Dunlin, 46 Mute Swan, 45 Ringed and 31 Grey Plover, 34 Knot, 20 Greenshank and two Sandwich Tern. Also present juvenile Osprey and Curlew Sandpiper with single Spotted Redshank and Whimbrel.

Elsewhere 12 Common Scoter and an Arctic Skua were offshore, a Kingfisher was off the seawall, a Buzzard was in the Entrance Bushes and a Snipe was at the Main Pond. 

Snipe - James Marshall

Ringing News: A colour-ringed Icelandic Oystercatcher, the sixth Iceland ringed individual recorded Warren. Four Exe ringed Oystercatcher have also been recorded in Iceland, one of which 8K was also recorded today. 

Since July a total of 174 Exe-ringed Oystercatcher have been recorded back for another winter on the estuary, including two new birds today.

Thursday 8th October

The Spotted Redshank remains in the estuary with 75 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 26 Greenshank, 20 Grey Plover, 12 Sanderling, three Sandwich Tern, two Pintail, a Kingfisher and a Whimbrel.

Elsewhere 11 Swallow flew over, a flock of nine east late morning and two north early evening, counts of seven Chiffchaff and three Great Spotted Woodpecker, both included one on Warren Point and the Red-legged Partridge was on the Golf Course.

Other Wildlife: The sunny morning increased insect activity with at least twenty Common Darter on the wing with several pairs ovipositing around the Main Pond, plus a couple of Migrant Hawker around the Entrance Bushes. Butterflies moving through including a few Clouded Yellow, Red Admiral and Small White.

Common Darter - Alan Keatley

Clouded Yellow - Alan Keatley

Also recorded a Grey Seal off Warren Point and in Greenland Lake, the Rhophalid bug Liorhyssus hyalinus.

Liorhyssus hyalinus - Alan Keatley