Wednesday 21st October

A 75 minute seawatch from first light saw many birds distantly passing SW across the bay, in the strong NW winds. Counts included 312 Kittiwake, 224 Gannet, 30+ Razorbill, with most/all 280 auk sp likely the same, 12 Common and four Mediterranean Gull, a Great Northern Diver and a diver sp. On the sea seven Common Scoter and the three Eider.

The Spotted Redshank was again in the estuary early afternoon, along with the ringed 1CY intermedius Lesser Black-backed Gull, 210 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 80 Dunlin, 34 Knot, 34 Ringed and three Grey Plover, 16 Greenshank, three Black-tailed Godwit, a Pintail and a Whimbrel.

Elsewhere a Bullfinch and a Firecrest were in Dead Dolphin Wood, 55 Linnet were in The Bight, six Chiffchaff were on site and 18 Goldfinch and a Chaffinch were overhead.

Other Wildlife: Two Red Admiral flew west.

Tuesday 20th October

Another day of arrivals with two Cattle Egret and an immature Marsh Harrier over the estuary, where there were counts of 97 Dunlin, 44 Ringed Plover, 44 Turnstone, 28 Knot, 20 Black-tailed Godwit, 17 Greenshank, five Pintail, a Whimbrel and the 1CY intermedius Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Offshore three fem/imm Eider arrived late morning, earlier seen at Hope's Nose, 60 Common Scoter were in several flocks across the bay and a Red-throated Diver circled before dropping in. 

Eider - Lee Collins

There was limited but varied movement overhead including the first Redpoll of autumn, 40 Goldfinch, 20 Greenfinch, 20 Skylark, six Swallow, two Siskin and single Golden Plover, House Martin and Redwing. 

Elsewhere the Cetti's Warbler was in the Buffer Zone, a Firecrest was by Dead Dolphin Wood with six Chiffchaff and two Goldcrest on site.

Monday 19th October

Overhead at least 5,770 Woodpigeon, with some flocks lost in the low cloud, also heading W, 151 Jackdaw, 32 Stock Dove and 16 Rook. Under the cloud, and heading east, the first seven Redwing and lone Mistle Thrush of the autumn, with at least 80 Goldfinch, 11 Swallow, six Chaffinch, three Reed Bunting and three Siskin.

Counts from the estuary included 326 Canada and 82 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 76 Shelduck, 74 Dunlin, 44 Ringed Plover, 27 Sanderling, 25 Knot, 18 Greenshank, four Mediterranean Gull and a Whimbrel.

Elsewhere the Cetti's Warbler was again singing in the Buffer Zone, 17 Common Scoter were offshore, a Kingfisher was at the Main Pond and six Chiffchaff and a Goldcrest were in the bushes.

Cirl Bunting - Lee Collins

Ringing News: A 1CY Lesser Black-backed Gull in The Bight had been ringed over a 1,000 Km away in Stavanger, SW Norway on 30th June. good to confirm one of the three intermedius present.

Lesser Black-backed Gull intermedius - Lee Collins

Other Wildlife: A new species for the Recording Area was found on the Golf Course, the minute scavenger beetle Corticarina minuta. It Is a common species in decaying vegetation, but at under 2mm, unsurprisingly has gone unnoticed until now.

Corticarina minuta - Alan Keatley

Amongst the fewer flying insects, a female Locust Blowfly Stomorhina lunata; a migrant species that has become more frequent in recent years in late summer and autumn, a helice Clouded Yellow and the hoverflies Many-tufted Sedgesitter Platycheirus scutatus, Common Tiger Helophilus pendulus and a few Marmalade Hoverfly Eristalinus balteatus. 

Marmalade Hoverfly Eristalinus balteatus - Alan Keatley

Locust Blowfly Stomorhina lunata - Alan Keatley

On the Dune Ridge, the ground spider Drassodes cupreus.

Drassodes cupreus - Alan Keatley

Sunday 18th October

Counts from the estuary included 1,150 Wigeon. 320 Teal, 97 Dunlin, 51 Dark and a Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 23 Greenshank, seven Pintail, five Black-tailed Godwit, two Mediterranean Gull, two Shoveler and single Lapwing, Spotted Redshank and Whimbrel.

Elsewhere the Cetti's Warbler was singing in the Buffer Zone, two Grey Wagtail, a Kingfisher, a Reed Bunting and squealing Water Rail were at the Main Pond, four Chiffchaff and two Goldcrest were in the bushes and five Swallow flew east along the Dune Ridge.

Other Wildlife: Sheltered areas still held a few Common Darter and a Southern Hawker, with six Clouded Yellow and a Common Blue also on the wing. A lone Carline Thistle by the Dune Pond was only the second since 2023 when coastal erosion finally removed the last of a previously widespread population.

Carline Thistle - Kevin Rylands

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.