Sunday 1st November

The first four Fieldfare of the year flew over late morning, part of a varied vismig that unusually extended into the afternoon  Also moving NE were at least 450 Woodpigeon, 145 Chaffinch, 54 Stock Dove, 45 Goldfinch, 18 Skylark, 10 Starling, nine Redwing, four Bullfinch, four Reed Bunting, three Siskin, two Brambling and single Mistle Thrush and Redpoll.

Once the cloud began to lift and the sun came through a further 200 Woodpigeon took their more typical route NW and 10 Lesser Black-backed Gull flew south. 

In the estuary over high tide,counts included 310 Dunlin, 190 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 75 Grey and 34 Ringed Plover, 24 Knot, 10 Greenshank, five Spoonbill on Finger Point, the sixth remained at Bowling Green Marsh, four Pintail, that flew in off the sea before joining the Wigeon, two Lapwing, and single Avocet, Mediterranean Gull and Whimbrel. 

Elsewhere the Eider and a Great Northern Diver were offshore, the Cetti's Warbler was at the Main Pond, the Dartford Warbler was on the Golf Course and seven Chiffchaff and a Firecrest were on site.

Year List addition:
176. Fieldfare

Other Wildlife: Four Common Darter and a Migrant Hawker were still active during brief sunny spells early afternoon.

Saturday 31st October

The six Spoonbill again roosted on Finger Point at high tide with other counts from the estuary including 1,970 Wigeon, 390 Teal, 280 Dunlin, 237 Curlew, 227 Black and 32 Bar-tailed Godwit, 47 Grey and 34 Ringed Plover, 40 Turnstone, 34 Sanderling, 16 Greenshank, three Mediterranean Gull, a Kingfisher and a Whimbrel.

Overhead at least 1,300 Woodpigeon, a couple of larger flocks totalling 950 W early morning, with smaller numbers heading N & E later in the day including one flock of 250; 175 Redwing, 25 Skylark, 14 Goldfinch, 12 Chaffinch, eight Stock Dove and a Golden Plover. 

Elsewhere grounded migrants included 30 Meadow Pipit, 10 Redwing, eight Song Thrush and five Siskin, the Cetti's Warbler was at the Main Pond and two Great Northern Diver and an Eider were offshore.

Friday 30th October

Six Spoonbill roosting on Finger Point over high tide were the highlight in the estuary where other counts included 252 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 180 Dunlin, 143 Black-tailed Godwit, 34 Ringed Plover, 28 Sanderling, 10 Greenshank and three Mediterranean Gull. Two Pintail and a Shoveler were amongst the Wigeon and a Whimbrel in the saltmarsh is presumably last year's wintering bird returning. 

Elsewhere a Jay was in Dead Dolphin Wood, at least one Dartford Warbler was on the Golf Course, a Cetti's Warbler was at the Main Pond with two Grey Wagtail, a Kingfisher and a squealing Water Rail; five Chiffchaff, four Goldcrest and a Firecrest were on site, over 2,000 Woodpigeon flew W early morning and single Eider and Great Northern Diver were offshore. 

Ringing News: The slight rise in Dunlin numbers included an increase to five Exe ringed birds back for the winter.

Other Wildlife: At least six Common Darter and a Migrant Hawker were on the wing with a high total of 15 Silver Y flushed across the site.

Common Darter - Kevin Rylands

Thursday 29th October

Counts from the estuary included 1,320 Wigeon, 480 Teal, 238 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 217 Black-tailed Godwit, 20 Knot, 11 Greenshank, three Mediterranean Gull and a Kingfisher.

Elsewhere a near adult Yellow-legged Gull was on the beach, two Great Northern Diver and a female Eider were off Warren Point, 45 Skylark flew over, just two Chiffchaff in the bushes and the Dartford Warbler on the Golf Course.

Yellow-legged Gull - Alan Keatley

Other Wildlife: The tiny rove beetle Phytosus balticus was found under seaweed along the beach, Dawlish Warren is the only site in South Devon for the species. The much commoner leaf beetle Chrysolina banksii was noted near Langstone Rock. 

Phytosus balticus - Alan Keatley

Chrysolina banksii - Alan Keatley

A drop in temperature meant there were fewer insects on the wing with single Common Darter, Speckled Wood and Red Admiral, plus a couple of Common Globetail Sphaerophoria scripta and Marmalade Hoverfly. 

Common Globetail Sphaerophoria scripta - Alan Keatley

Wednesday 28th October

Counts from the estuary included 325 Redshank, 270 Curlew, 136 Black and 48 Bar-tailed Godwit, 32 Sanderling, two Whimbrel and a Spotted Redshank.

Elsewhere a female Mandarin was at the Main Pond, just the ninth site record and the first since April 2023, 14,790 Woodpigeon flew west, with 12 Skylark and a Mistle Thrush, two Great Northern Diver were offshore and two Red-throated Diver flew south.

Year List addition:
175. Mandarin

Tuesday 27th October

A Firecrest around the Entrance Bushes had earlier been seen on the ground fighting with a Goldcrest, both ignoring the observer and having to be separated. 

Ringing News: The first two DCWRG Exe ringed Dunlin were back for the winter.

Other Wildlife: Good numbers of Common Darter still around the ponds, plus a couple of Migrant Hawker in sheltered areas. Little else on the wing apart from single Peacock and Small Copper, the latter on Sea Rocket. Also, on Sea Rocket several late Ivy Bee, switching to this nectar source as flowering Ivy goes over. 

Common Darter - Alan Keatley

Ivy Bee - Alan Keatley

At ground level a Common Springtail-stalker Notiophilus biguttatus and a few rove beetles including Tasgius ater and a tiny Aleochara bipunctatus. 

Common Springtail-stalker Notiophilus biguttatus - Alan Keatley

Tasgius ater - Alan Keatley

Monday 26th October

Counts from the estuary over the evening high tide included 1,200 Wigeon, 276 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 137 Turnstone, 130 Dunlin, 87 Black-tailed Godwit, 82 Shelduck, 65 Great Black-backed and 10 Mediterranean Gull, 53 Mute Swan, 26 Knot, 13 Greenshank, 10 Great Crested Grebe, a Whimbrel and a late Curlew Sandpiper. 

Off the estuary mouth the three Eider still, six Common Scoter and three Great Northern Diver.

Other Wildlife: A Grey Seal was on Bull Hill.

Friday 23rd October

Seawatching from sunrise saw 329 Gannet and 209 Kittiwake head south in 50 minutes before the rain returned and just two Gannet passed in 30 minutes. Also heading south a 1CY Yellow-legged Gull, eight Great Northern Diver, eight Common Scoter, two Wigeon and 90 Oystercatcher, the latter presumably heading for the Teign after a rough night. 

Counts from the estuary included 194 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 115 Dunlin, 78 Great Black-backed Gull, 27 Sanderling, 26 Grey Plover, 14 Greenshank, 11 Black-tailed Godwit, two Mediterranean Gull, a Pintail and a Snipe, which flew and landed on Finger Point amongst the roosting gulls. 

Thursday 22nd October

Counts from the estuary included over 1,000 Wigeon, 680 Teal, 208 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, including just two juveniles, 120 Dunlin, 56 Shelduck, 48 Mute Swan, 24 Sanderling,18 Greenshank, 18 Grey Plover, 12 Bar-tailed Godwit and single Mediterranean Gull and Whimbrel. 

Elsewhere the three Eider and five Common Scoter were offshore.

Kestrel - Dean Hall

Other Wildlife: Two Grey Seal were in the estuary and the sunny morning still saw a few active insects, including a Hornet, a scarce sighting this year. 

Migrant Hawker - Dean Hall

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.