Sunday 27th April

Coverage of both high tides saw significant differences but in weather, a fog bound morning and a bright sunny evening, rather than numbers. Counts included 54 Whimbrel, 16 Dunlin, 12 Bar-tailed Godwit, five Sanderling, five Turnstone, three Ringed and two Grey Plover, two Curlew and a Greenshank. 

A fogbow which occurred just as the sun started to come through and it started to lift over The Bight - David Flack

With counts from the estuary similar to those on yesterday's evening tide it was not surprising there were no obvious new migrants on site and just four Swallow, a Grey Heron and a House Martin flew through. It was also quiet offshore with just three Sandwich Tern present.

Other Wildlife: The highlight was the first Streamer for 24 years found roosting near security lights. 

Streamer - Kevin Rylands

Once the fog cleared, insects were active in the sunny conditions, with the second site record of Buff-tailed Bearfly Croirhina floccosa the pick of the hoverflies. Others included the first Superb Ant-hill Hoverfly Xanthogramma pedissequum of the year, Spring Epistrophe E. eligans and Batman Hoverfly Myathropa florea. 

Superb Ant-hill Hoverfly Xanthogramma pedissequum - Kevin Rylands

The sawfly Aglaostigma aucupariae, Dark-edged Beefly Bombylius major and Orange-tailed Mining Bee Andrena haemorrhoa were noted amongst a wide range of species.

Aglaostigma aucupariae - Kevin Rylands

Celery Fly Euleia heraclei - Kevin Rylands

Saturday 26th April

A day of migration, especially in the estuary, with waders often leaving north in small groups, this was reflected over the high tides with numbers much lower in the evening, although some new birds had also arrived. 

Minimum counts included 109 Whimbrel, 87 Dunlin, 41 Bar and 24 Black-tailed Godwit, 22 Ringed and three Grey Plover, nine Sanderling, seven Turnstone, three Knot, a Common Sandpiper and a Greenshank. Also in the estuary, nine Pale and two Dark-bellied Brent Geese and a pair of Shoveler.

Unseasonal wildfowl also appeared offshore with four Teal and a pair of Wigeon on the sea along with two Great Crested Grebe, two Great Northern Diver and the immature male Eider. Also offshore six Sandwich and a Common Tern with a second Common Sandpiper on the beach.

Elsewhere the first Swift of the year was overhead with 10 Swallow, two Sand and a House Martin and grounded migrants included at least six Wheatear, five Whitethroat and two Sedge Warbler.

Year list addition: 

141. Swift

Other Wildlife: The Early Purple Orchid that first appeared last year is again in flower at the eastern end of Greenland Lake. Late news of two new fly species for the Warren, the near threatened Sea Club-rush chloropod Eurina lurida and the widespread heleomyzid fly Tephrochlamys rufiventris.

Eurina lurida - both Alan Keatley

Tephrochlamys rufiventris - Alan Keatley

Friday 25th April

The first Little Ringed Plover of the year was briefly around the shore of The Bight on the evening tide with other records including 37 Whimbrel, 19 Dunlin, 13 Bar-tailed Godwit, six Ringed Plover, four Sanderling and a Greenshank. 

Elsewhere 99 Black-headed and a Common Gull were offshore with six Manx Shearwater, three Sandwich Tern, a Fulmar and the immature male Eider. Migrants included three Wheatear, two Swallow and a new Reed Warbler in the Golf Course Pond. Late news of the first Jay of the year which flew over on Monday.

Year list additions: 

140. Little Ringed Plover

139. Jay 

Thursday 24th April

Wader counts from The Bight on evening high tide included 51 Whimbrel, 12 Dunlin, nine Bar-tailed Godwit, six Ringed Plover and a Sanderling, with c150 Black-headed and a Common Gull also in estuary.

Elsewhere a summer plumaged Great Northern Diver, eight Eider and eight Sandwich Tern were offshore with summer migrants limited to those already on territory. 

Cirl Bunting (male) - Tim Dix

Linnet - Dean Hall

Other Wildlife: Variety continues to increase amongst invertebrates including a new muscid fly Grizzled Bristleshin Phaonia serva for the Recording Area, a widespread species favouring buttercups.

Grizzled Bristleshin Phaonia serva - Alan Keatley 

In Greenland Lake several Iris Flea Beetle Aphthona nonstriata were on emerging Yellow Iris leaves, along with the small cranefly Phylidorea ferruginea.

Phylidorea ferruginea - Alan Keatley

Iris Flea Beetle Aphthona nonstriata - Alan Keatley

Elsewhere the first nomad bee of the year, a Marsham's Nomada marshamella, was near Langstone Rock and two further Green-winged Orchid are now in flower, both on the Golf Course.

Marsham's Nomad Bee Nomada marshamella - Alan Keatley

Orange-tip - Alan Keatley

Wednesday 23rd April

Early morning counts from offshore included 32 Gannet, five Common Scoter, four Sandwich Tern, three Great Northern and three Red-throated Diver, two Swallow and a Fulmar.

Elsewhere no sign of new migrants with numbers in the bushes similar to recent days. 

Tuesday 22nd April

A continuing small arrival of migrants, although the highlight were actually departures, with two Spoonbill south mid morning presumably the birds present at the north end of the estuary for several weeks. 

The low high tide saw, with the notable exception of at least 66 Whimbrel, few waders in the estuary with just eight Bar and a Black-tailed Godwit, seven Ringed Plover and a Greenshank on the exposed mudflats, with a Common Sandpiper with three Turnstone at Langstone Rock. 

Great Crested Grebe - Dave Jewell

Elsewhere the first Common Tern of the year was offshore with 115 Black-headed Gull, eight Sandwich Tern, eight Eider, seven Common Scoter, four Red-throated and three Great Northern Diver. The only other obvious migrants were two Wheatear on site and single Sand Martin and Swallow overhead. 

Year list additions:

138. Spoonbill

137. Common Tern 

Other Wildlife: An increasing selection of insects alongside the greening and flowering of scrubby areas. New emergences for the year included a Dark-edged Bee-fly Bombylius major, Green Furrow Bee Lasioglossum morio, Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana moth and a nettle weevil Nedyus quadrimaculatus. Also on nettles, a new dung fly for the Recording Area, a Many-bristled Timothy Fly Cleigastra fasciata.

Dark-edged Bee-fly Bombylius major - Alan Keatley

Green Furrow Bee Lasioglossum morio - Alan Keatley

Many-bristled Timothy Fly Cleigastra fasciata - Alan Keatley

Also on the wing the hoverfly Stripe-backed Fleckwing Dasysyrphus albostriatus and a Common Buff Snailkiller Tetanocera ferruginea. 

Common Buff Snailkiller Tetanocera ferruginea - Alan Keatley

Small Copper - Dave Jewell

Beetles were represented by the ground beetle Common Heart-shield Nebris brevicollis, the pea weevil Sitona lineatus and the seed beetle Oulema melanopus s.l., the latter both surprisingly found on the seawall lifeguard post.

Common Heart-shield Nebris brevicollis - Alan Keatley

Oulema melanopus s.l. - Alan Keatley

Monday 21st April

A welcome arrival of migrants was seemingly limited to a Grasshopper and three Sedge Warbler, three Wheatear and a second Reed Warbler singing at the Main Pond, with numbers of Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Whitethroat similar to recent days. Overhead, 20 Swallow, a Buzzard and a Yellow Wagtail. 

The lone arrival offshore was a single Little Tern with just a single Sandwich Tern for company. Also present eight Eider, two Great Northern and a Red-throated Diver, two Mediterranean Gull and single Common Scoter and Great Crested Grebe.

In the estuary, the highlight was the year's first Great White Egret feeding off Cockwood on the rising tide, although now anticipated each year this is only the 22nd record for the Warren. Other records included 304 Oystercatcher, 37 Whimbrel, 29 Dunlin, 20 Bar-tailed Godwit, 10 Turnstone, seven Ringed Plover, two Dark-bellied Brent Geese and single Greenshank, Red-breasted Merganser and Sanderling.

Year list additions:
136. Great White Egret

Other Wildlife: The first Green-veined White of the year was on the wing with half a dozen Orange-tip and a couple of Small Copper. A couple of St Mark's Fly Bibio marci and a Gossamer Hoverfly Baccha elongata were also flying for the first time. 

Sunday 20th April

An Arctic Tern was offshore with just four Sandwich Tern along with 40 Gannet, eight Eider (five female, two adult and an immature male), four Manx Shearwater, two Common Scoter and two Great Northern Diver.

Counts from the estuary included 44 Whimbrel, 17 Bar-tailed Godwit, 13 Dunlin, two Dark-bellied Brent Geese, two Redshank, single Great Crested Grebe, Knot and Red-breasted Merganser and a lost Common Scoter that flew low over The Bight. 

The first Lesser Whitethroat of the year was the pick of the migrants with other counts including 11 Chiffchaff, five Blackcap, four Whitethroat, two Reed and a Willow Warbler and a Wheatear with six Swallow, a Sand Martin and a Siskin overhead. 

Year list addition:
135. Lesser Whitethroat

Green-winged Orchid - Kevin Rylands

Saturday 19th April

A noticeable arrival of birds in the estuary after yesterday's wet weather, the highlight of which was a very smart summer plumaged Spotted Redshank, just the third April record after birds on 19th April 1971 and 23rd April 1983. It was also the first black adult since a moulting bird on 20th July 2011. It associated with a flock of godwits, before the flock left on the dropping tide, although the godwits later returned.

Spotted Redshank - Lee Collins

Other counts over high tide included 91 Dunlin, 73 Whimbrel, 63 Bar and a Black-tailed Godwit, 22 Ringed and eight Grey Plover, 13 Sanderling, eight Turnstone, two Dark-bellied Brent Geese, two Redshank and single Greenshank, Knot and Avocet, the latter just the seventh April record.

Also in the estuary, but outside the Recording Area, c85 Pale-bellied Brent Geese and five Little Tern were on Cockle Sands, Exmouth. 

Earlier at least two Little Tern had been feeding offshore with at least 51 Sandwich Tern, eight Mediterranean Gull (seven 2cy & a 3cy) and an albino Herring Gull. Single Arctic and Great Skua flew south along with 27 Common Scoter, four Fulmar, three Great Northern Diver and a pair of Tufted Duck. A summer plumaged Great Northern Diver, eight Eider and a Red-breasted Merganser were on the sea. 

At least 60 Swallow and nine Sand Martin flew through with five Blackcap, two Whitethroat, two Reed and a Willow Warbler not suggesting any arrivals in the bushes. 

Year list additions:
134. Spotted Redshank
133. Little Tern
132. Great Skua
131. Arctic Skua

Friday 18th April

Little reward for those braving the rain this morning with a 2h 45 min seawatch recording just 61 Gannet, 47 auk sp., 20 Kittiwake, 18 Common Scoter, nine Fulmar, two Red-throated and a diver sp. south. 

Counts from the estuary included 262 Oystercatcher, 31 Whimbrel, 30 Bar-tailed Godwit, six Sandwich Tern, five Grey Plover, a Knot and a Dark-bellied Brent Goose.

Migrants were limited to three Sand Martin and two Swallow with nine Chiffchaff, two Blackcap and single Reed and Willow Warbler still present.