Thursday 4th June

A combination of heavy showers and an increased SW wind saw an increase in activity offshore with an Arctic Tern, 40 Manx Shearwater, eight Great Northern and a Red-throated Diver heading south early morning, along with four Great Northern Diver on the sea and the female Eider and two Mediterranean Gull around Langstone Rock. 

Elsewhere a Little and five Sandwich Tern were in the estuary with 11 Sanderling, six Curlew, four Whimbrel, three Ringed and two Grey Plover. 

Other Wildlife: Reduced insect numbers although the first Iris Weevil Mononychus punctumalbum of the year were near the First Pond with increased numbers of Marram Weevil Philopedon plagiatum on the Dune Ridge.

Iris Weevil Mononychus punctumalbum - Alan Keatley

Marram Weevil Philopedon plagiatum - Dean Hall

Also recorded the cranefly Nephrotoma guestfalica, the mirid Deraeocoris flavilinea and a 10-spot Ladybird, all in the Entrance Bushes.

Nephrotoma guestfalica - Alan Keatley

10-spot Ladybird - Alan Keatley

Deraeocoris flavilinea - Alan Keatley

Wednesday 3rd June

A low tide visit with little to report in the way of birds although a new brood of Mallard were at the Main Pond where the Canada Geese still have eight goslings and the Reed Bunting is still holding territory. 

Other Wildlife: The forecast of frequent showers didn't materialise on the Warren at least with most of the day dry with a variety of insects responding to the warm weather. The highlight being an Orchid Beetle Dascillus cervinus, a new species for the Recording Area. A rather large widespread species of grassland appearing mainly in June, the only connection with orchids is a shared habitat, it was found beside the Back Path near the Main Pond.

Orchid Beetle Dascillus cervinus - Alan Keatley

June is also a good month for solitary wasps with the nationally scarce Little Mason Wasp Microdynerus exilis, Slender Wood Borer Wasp Trypoxylon attenuatum and Sand Tailed Digger Wasp Cerceris arenaria all making first appearances of the year.

Little Mason Wasp Microdynerus exilis - Alan Keatley

Slender Wood Borer Wasp Trypoxylon attenuatum - Alan Keatley

Sand Tailed Digger Wasp Cerceris arenaria - Alan Keatley

Also, new for the year the micro-moth Red-barred Tortrix Ditula angustiorana, Spotted Regal Sawfly larvae Nematus septentrionalis on birch, the hoverflies Black-horned Smoothtail Epistrophe grossulariae, Hornet Plumehorn Volucella zonaria, plus a Small Skipper and a Dark Giant Horsefly Tabanus sudeticus in Skipper Meadow.

Spotted Regal Sawfly Nematus septentrionalis - Alan Keatley

Black-horned Smoothtail Epistrophe grossulariae - Alan Keatley

Small Skipper - Alan Keatley

Dark Giant Horsefly Tabanus sudeticus - Alan Keatley

Tuesday 2nd June

Counts from the estuary included 29 Sanderling, seven Grey Plover and six Whimbrel with five Black-headed and a 3CY Mediterranean Gull offshore.

Sanderling - Jim Summers

Other Wildlife: The first Golden-ringed Dragonfly of the year was by Langstone Rock with half a dozen Painted Lady and Rush Veneer on the wing. 

Broad-bodied Chaser - James Marshall

Monday 1st June

Wader counts from the estuary included 35 Sanderling, nine Turnstone, eight Grey and four Ringed Plover, eight Whimbrel and three Dunlin. Also present this evening at least 10 Black-headed Gull, eight Sandwich Tern and a 2CY Mediterranean Gull.

Sanderling - Jim Summers

Elsewhere 930 Manx Shearwater, 30 Gannet, 20 Kittiwake and a Fulmar flew south, a Kingfisher was at the Main Pond with at least one fledged Little Grebe and the 5CY Yellow-legged Gull was on the beach.

Little Grebe - Jim Summers

Other Wildlife: A change to wet overcast weather put a lid on most insect activity. A few day-flying moths were tucked in vegetation including a few Bramble Bronze Argolamprotes micella amongst the numerous Diamond-back.

Bramble Bronze Argolamprotes micella - Alan Keatley

Also noted in sheltered areas, the plant bug Capsodes sulcatus, the barkfly Mesopsocus immunis and Armed Crabro Digger Wasp C. peltarius.

Mesopsocus immunis - Alan Keatley

Armed Crabro Digger Wasp C. peltarius - Alan Keatley

Sunday 31st May

There was no sign of the Broad-billed Sandpiper in the estuary today with the first two Common Tern of the year scant compensation for those who travelled. Wader counts from the high tide included 79 Sanderling, 25 Oystercatcher, 14 Ringed Plover, seven Dunlin, six Grey Plover and five Whimbrel. 

Elsewhere nine Manx Shearwater and four Sandwich Tern were offshore.

Year List addition:
152. Common Tern

Other Wildlife: Late news of a third for Britain in the rockpools at Langstone Rock on Saturday, the nudibranch Corambe testudinaria, following the 1st record there last year.  This was one of 15 nudibranch (seaslugs) species seen, including Doris ocelligera, Edmundsella pedata,  Facelina auriculata and Palio nothus. Also of interest were Common Cuttlefish eggs on the Sargassum seaweed and juveniles of European Lobster and Conger Eel.

 Corambe testudinaria - Guy Freeman

Saturday 30th May

The Broad-billed Sandpiper remained for a second day, feeding and roosting around The Bight, although was absent at low tide. It associated with at least 18 Ringed Plover and 11 Dunlin, briefly joining a Sanderling flock before thinking better of it. 

Broad-billed Sandpiper - Lee Collins

Other counts from the estuary included 104 Sanderling, eight Grey Plover, six Turnstone and two Knot, with two Black-tailed Godwit flying south early morning. 

Elsewhere 45 Manx Shearwater, 12 Black-headed and two adult Mediterranean Gull, two Fulmar, two Sandwich Tern and a breeding plumaged Great Northern Diver were offshore. 

Other Wildlife: Migrant insects included a female Red-veined Darter on the seaward side of the Entrance Bushes and a Clouded Yellow in Greenland Lake, although numbers of Painted Lady and Diamond-back Moth were lower.

Clouded Yellow - Dean Hall

Four Bee Orchid were in flower near the Dune Pond and Greater Quaking-grass was found on the Golf Course, the first record for over 30 years. 

Greater Quaking-grass - Kevin Rylands

Friday 29th May

The spring wader passage delivered another late surprise with a Broad-billed Sandpiper around The Bight almost all day. The sixth record for the Warren and just the seventh for Devon, but the first for 20 years since one was found at Exminster Marshes before moving south on 1st May 2006. 

Broad-billed Sandpiper - all Luke Harman

Also present in the estuary 22 Ringed Plover, 18 Dunlin, 15 Whimbrel, 10 Grey Plover, two Knot and a Common Sandpiper. Elsewhere 82 Sanderling were on the beach, the Eider was offshore and a Red Kite drifted low east mid morning. 

Year List addition:
151. Broad-billed Sandpiper

Other Wildlife: Migrant insects included over 20 Painted Lady, several Red Admiral, a Silver Y, a few Marmalade Hoverfly and a Glass-winged Syrphus S. vitripennis. 

Thursday 28th May

No sign of any Curlew Sandpiper over the evening high tide amongst the 85 Sanderling, 22 Ringed Plover and 10 Dunlin in The Bight. Also present 38 Oystercatcher, nine Grey Plover, two Knot, a Whimbrel, a Kittiwake and a Red-legged Partridge.

Elsewhere the Eider was off the beach with 30 Manx Shearwater, 30 Black-headed and a Common Gull further offshore. 

Wednesday 27th May

A single Curlew Sandpiper was in The Bight over high tide with 43 Sanderling, 39 Ringed Plover, 15 Dunlin, nine Grey Plover, eight Turnstone, eight Whimbrel and two Knot also in the estuary.

Curlew Sandpiper - both Lee Collins 

Elsewhere the first fledged House Sparrow and Linnet were on site and 40 Manx Shearwater were offshore along with eight Sandwich Tern, 12 Black-headed, a Common and a 2CY Mediterranean Gull.

Ringing News: A Dunlin colour-ringed in Spain was in The Bight, details awaited.

Dunlin & Curlew Sandpiper - Lee Collins

Other Wildlife: A good selection of insects today with solitary wasps becoming more evident including new for the year White-lipped Digger Wasp Lindenius albilabris in the Entrance Bushes and the nationally scarce Silver Spiny Digger Wasp Oxybelus argentatus on the Back Path. 

White-lipped Digger Wasp Lindenius albilabris - Alan Keatley

The Hemlock Water-dropwort continued to attract nectaring insects including Figwort Blacklet Cheilosia variabilis and Glowing Cuckoo Wasp Hedychridium ardens, plus a hunting Common Awl Robberfly Neoitamus cyanurus.

Figwort Blacklet Cheilosia variabilis - Alan Keatley

Glowing Cuckoo Wasp Hedychridium ardens - Alan Keatley

Most notably an increasing emergence of Broad-bodied Chaser with at least 18, with only a couple of blue males. Also on the wing various butterflies including the now less than annual Small Tortoiseshell as well as several Painted Lady and Red Admiral. Also emerging several Silvery Leafcutter Bee Megachile leachella near the Dune Pond.

A small patch of Yellow Loosestrife by the Crocus Compound was a new plant for the Recording Area, whilst nearby a rarely encountered and quick moving Water Shrew was near the Main Pond.

Yellow Loosestrife - Kevin Rylands

Tuesday 26th May

The two Curlew Sandpiper reappeared in The Bight over the afternoon high tide with 22 Ringed Plover, 15 Dunlin, 10 Whimbrel, eight Grey Plover, four Bar-tailed Godwit, four Black-headed Gull, three Knot and a Sandwich Tern also in the estuary.

Curlew Sandpiper - Kevin Rylands

Elsewhere the female Eider remains offshore and the first fledged Chiffchaff were being fed below the station. 

Other Wildlife: At least half a dozen freshly emerged Broad-bodied Chaser and Meadow Brown were on the wing, with three Painted Lady and a couple of Red Admiral having travelled from further afield. Other new emergences included Striped Slender Robberfly Leptogaster cylindrica, Two-banded Spearhorn Chrysotoxum bicinctum and Small Signal Fly Rivellia syngenesiae.