Tuesday 10th November

Counts from the estuary on a wet, misty day included 355 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 326 Black-tailed Godwit, 52 Shelduck, eight Avocet, seven Greenshank, four Common Scoter, a Scandinavian Herring Gull and the first Red-breasted Merganser of the winter. 

Scandinavian (argentatus) Herring Gull - Lee Collins

A Cattle Egret flew west over Greenland Lake mid afternoon, despite there being c250 around the Exe at present, they remain very scarce on site. Elsewhere two Bullfinch were in the Entrance Bushes, with two Siskin and a Firecrest in Dead Dolphin Wood. 

Monday 9th November

Counts from the evening high tide included 377 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 124 Black-tailed Godwit, 110 Redshank, 66 Shelduck, 13 Avocet, the most since August 2022, nine Greenshank, three Shoveler, two Mediterranean Gull and a Pintail. 

Elsewhere in blown out conditions, a Water Rail at the First Pond, a Dartford Warbler along the Back Path, two Chiffchaff and a Goldcrest in the bushes and 25 Common Scoter offshore.

Ringing News: Eight new DCWRG Dunlin were recorded for the winter, at total of 27 have now been recorded since the first returning birds on 27 October.  Five colour-ringed Great Black-backed Gull were present early morning, four from Portland Harbour with the fifth from The Netherlands, just the second Dutch recovery for the Warren.

Sunday 8th November

A Dartford Warbler was again present along the Back Path with c40 Linnet, four Reed Bunting, three Chiffchaff and two Bullfinch on site.

Elsewhere counts from the estuary included 186 Black-tailed Godwit, 48 Shelduck, 43 Turnstone, 28 Sanderling and 11 Greenshank, with 26 Great Crested Grebe, eight Common Scoter, three Great Northern and two Red-throated Diver and the Eider. 

Other Wildlife: Two Common Darter were still on the wing with a female Grey Seal in the estuary.

Saturday 7th November

Counts from the estuary included 368 Dark and a Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 351 Black-tailed Godwit, 64 Grey Plover, two Avocet and a Lapwing. 

Migrants included four Fieldfare in bushes by the Main Pond, 12 Meadow Pipit in Greenland Lake and a few Chaffinch heard overhead in the morning mist. Also on site two Dartford Warbler, along the Back Path and on Warren Point, two Firecrest in the Entrance Bushes, three Chiffchaff and a Bullfinch.

Elsewhere a pair of Shoveler, a Little Grebe and squealing Water Rail were at the Main Pond, with eight Great Crested Grebe, three Red-throated Diver and the Eider offshore.

Other Wildlife: After the morning fog had cleared a few insects ventured out, including three Clouded Yellow, in an exceptional year November records are not unusual. A single Common Darter was finding some warmth on a bramble bush. A late Box Moth and a Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea were on the wing with a couple of Nalassus laeviotostriatus darkling beetle on Warren Point.

Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea - Alan Keatley

Nalassus laeviotostriatus - Alan Keatley

Friday 6th November

The highlight of a busy day came late on when two Tundra Bean Goose flew down river and SE across The Bight, carrying on towards Exmouth at 3.50pm. The first record for the Warren.

Other arrivals in the estuary included five Pintail, five Shoveler and an sharp increase to at least 700 Dunlin. Also present 1,480 Wigeon, 720 Teal, 280 Black-tailed Godwit, 276 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 250 Curlew, 172 Redshank, 60 Grey and 39 Ringed Plover, 39 Sanderling, 27 Knot, 11 Greenshank, seven Avocet and the Whimbrel.

Elsewhere a Short-eared Owl was on Warren Point, along with one of two Dartford Warbler, the other by the Visitor Centre, two single Red Kite flew east at 11.55 & 2.15, the latter briefly harrying waders over The Bight, 21 Long-tailed Tit were in the Entrance Bushes and offshore, single Eider and Red-throated Diver.

Year List addition:
177. Tundra Bean Goose

Ringing News: The rise in Dunlin saw an increase in ringing recoveries, with 19 birds recorded, all from the Exe scheme except a Welsh ringed bird for its third winter.

Other Wildlife: A second new species for the Recording Area was found on the Golf Course, a flowering Marrow Cucurbita pepo on the estuary bank. 

Marrow Cucurbita pepo - Kevin Rylands

Thursday 5th November

A Merlin was the highlight over the evening high tide, perched up on fencing on Warren Point. Its presence, along with a football being moved by waves along the shoreline of the main roost, kept the waders unsettled. The early start to fireworks in Exmouth then flushed all the wildfowl in The Bight.

Merlin - Lee Collins

Counts included 286 Dark and a Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 43 Sanderling and 41 Ringed Plover, 32 Pied Wagtail roosing on a barge mid channel, three Mediterranean Gull and single Whimbrel and an adult Yellow-legged Gull. 

Elsewhere 40 Common Scoter and single Eider and Great Northern Diver were offshore and two Red-legged Partridge were on the Golf Course.

Other Wildlife: A Grey Seal was offshore.

Wednesday 4th November

Counts from  the estuary included 420 Dunlin, 420 Teal, 247 Black-tailed Godwit, 156 Dark and a Pale-bellied Brent Goose, 72 Grey Plover, 68 Shelduck, 36 Knot, 34 Turnstone, 17 Sanderling, three Avocet and a Mediterranean Gull. 

Curlew - Dave Jewell

Elsewhere the Eider was offshore, 

Other Wildlife: After a non-appearance flowering the spring drought Cut-leaved Dead-nettle is in flower along the Back Path.

Cut-leaved Dead-nettle - Steve Edwards

Tuesday 3rd November

Over a low high tide visit two Avocet were in Shutterton Creek with counts from estuary including 280 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 250 Dunlin, 248 Black-tailed Godwit, 58 Shelduck, 30 Sanderling, 24 Knot, 12 Greenshank, a Pintail and a Spotted Redshank.

Elsewhere a vocal Cetti’s Warbler was singing from bushes by the Car Park. single Bullfinch and Firecrest were in the Entrance Bushes, an immature Eider and a Great Northern Diver were off groyne 12, with 15 Common Scoter and nine Great Crested Grebe also offshore and a single flock of seven Stock Dove flew east early afternoon.

Other Wildlife: Late fly species included two Locust Blowfly Stomorhina lunata, a late Sieve-winged Snailkiller Coremacera marginata in the Entrance Bushes, plus hoverflies Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax and Tiger Marsh Hoverfly Helophilus pendulus. Also, on the wing two Common Darter, a Red Admiral and a helice Clouded Yellow.

Locust Blowfly Stomorhina lunata - Alan Keatley

Sieve-winged Snailkiller Coremacera marginata - Alan Keatley

Tiger Marsh Hoverfly Helophilus pendulus - Alan Keatley

Monday 2nd November

Counts from the estuary included 1,470 Wigeon, 740 Teal, 405 Dunlin, 353 Black-tailed Godwit, 177 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 32 Ringed Plover, 31 Sanderling, 22 Knot, 12 Greenshank, an Avocet, a Pintail and a Whimbrel.

Elsewhere 35 Common Scoter and the Eider were offshore with two Redwing and a Fieldfare overhead along with single figures of Chaffinch, Goldfinch and Skylark. 

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.