Friday 31st May 2013

Wader numbers were much reduced today with 37 Sanderling, 24 Dunlin, 11 Ringed Plover and a Bar-tailed Godwit over the high tide. Elsewhere a pale phase Arctic Skua was lingering offshore early morning.

Thursday 30th May 2013

Over high tide a summer plumaged Grey Plover, 140+ Dunlin, c120 Sanderling, 30+ Ringed Plover and five Whimbrel were in the Bight.

Grey Plover 26/05/13 © Tony Marchese

 

Today's colour ringed Sanderling was from Ghana, more details awaited. Coincidentally yesterday details from a Sanderling recorded in June 2012 arrived. It had been rung at Asenko, Ghana in February 2011. Another recent recovery recorded at the Warren in July 2011 was also rung at Asenko but in October 2010.

Sanderling June 1st - 3rd 2012. View this in a larger map 

 

Wildlife News: The first Brown Argus of the year were flying.

Wednesday 29th May 2013

An Arctic Skua,13 Common Scoter and a Great-crested Grebe were offshore, with 114 Dunlin, 70 Sanderling, 18 Ringed Plover and Slavonian Grebe in the estuary.
 

Tuesday 28th May 2013

Wader counts over the evening tide remained high with 174+ Dunlin, 68+ Sanderling, 53+ Ringed Plover and a Turnstone, with them a new colour ringed Sanderling demonstrating a continuing turnover. The Slavonian Grebe was also in the estuary.
 

Wildlife News: The Common Seal was on Bull Hill.
 

Monday 27th May 2013

The first Balearic Shearwater of the year flew south early morning with 290+ Manx Shearwater, 65+ Kittiwake, 40+ Fulmar, 12 Common Tern and a Little Gull also flew south during the day. Elsewhere a Pomarine Skua flew north up the estuary, 100+ Dunlin, 100+ Sanderling, 40+ Ringed Plover and two Bar-tailed Godwit were present over the high tide and the Slavonian Grebe was in the estuary. A white-flagged Sanderling seen yesterday had come from Mauritania but the full combination was not noted.

 

Wildlife News: The Common Seal was in the estuary.

 

Sunday 26th May 2013

The evening saw a full adult pale phase Pomarine Skua offshore with two first summer Little Gull, 50+ Common Scoter and a Red-throated Diver. There are still good numbers of wader around the site with 251+ Dunlin, 195+ Sanderling, 25+ Ringed Plover, a Knot and a Bar-tailed Godwit on the beach over high tide. Elsewhere at least seven Jay and a Jackdaw flew east, two Wheatear were in Greenland Lake and the Cuckoo continues to hold territory.

Cuckoo 26/05/13 © Lee Summersby

 

Wildlife News: The first Common Blue, Large White and Orange Tip of the year were on the wing with the six other butterfly species recorded yesterday. The first Broad-bodied Chaser and Cinnabar Moth of the year were also on the wing. Elsewhere the Common Seal was in the estuary.

 

Saturday 25th May 2013

A SHORT-TOED LARK that flew along the Dune Ridge before settling in the Desert on Warren Point late morning was the highlight. The fourth site record but the first in spring. Unfortunately it was not seen after 11.30. 

Short-toed Lark  25/05/13 © Lee Collins

There were still plenty of waders  but they were very mobile with 200+ Dunlin, 100+ Sanderling and 78+ Ringed Plover present. Offshore in the evening there single Arctic and Little Tern with 29 Common Tern,17 Manx Shearwater and a first summer Little Gull. Elsewhere two Wheatear and c15 Swallow were the only other migrants.

The colour ringed Dunlin first seen yesterday was still present this morning. It was rung in northern Spain on 4/5/13 and this is the first sighting since ringing.


View Dunlin in a larger map

Dunlin 25/05/13 © Lee Collins

 

Wildlife News: Six species of butterfly (Wall Brown, Small Copper, Speckled Wood, Peacock, Green-veined and Small White) were on the wing for the first time this year and Azure Damselflies were out in number.

Friday 24th May 2013

A further arrival of waders with birds spread along the beach over both high tides. Minimum counts were 417 Dunlin, including a colour-ringed bird, 184 Sanderling, 91 Ringed Plover, three Turnstone, three Whimbrel and a Black-tailed Godwit. Offshore 150+ Manx Shearwater headed south in the evening with 127 Shag, 20 Common Scoter and five Common Tern also present. Elsewhere a second summer Mediterranean Gull was in the estuary and a Cuckoo was singing from Dead Dolphin Wood.

Turnstone 24/05/13 © Lee Collins

Thursday 23rd May 2013

No sign of the Temminck's Stint this morning but wader numbers had increased overnight and did so again by the evening tide, counts from the day included 323 Dunlin, c190 Sanderling, 112 Ringed Plover, four Grey Plover, two Bar-tailed Godwit and two Turnstone. Elsewhere two Shoveler were close inshore early morning with a Red-throated Diver, 10 Common Tern and a first summer Mediterranean Gull, a Wheatear was in Greenland Lake and a Siskin was blown south in the evening, the latest ever site record. A colour-ringed Sanderling on the beach today was ringed on her nest in eastern Greenland in July 2012. This is the first resighting outside of Greenland.
 

View Sanderling in a larger map

Wednesday 22nd May 2013

An unexpected highlight was a summer plumaged TEMMINCK'S STINT on the beach early evening. This is only the third site record and the first for 21 years! Also on the beach c100 Dunlin, 49 Ringed Plover and 30+ Sanderling. Elsewhere two Turtle Dove along the Dune Ridge before appearing to land in the Entrance Bushes were almost as unexpected, the first for two years and the first multiple record since 2004. In the morning at least one Roseate Tern and three Great Northern Diver were offshore.

Temminck's Stint (and Sanderling) 22/05/13 © Ivan Lakin 

 

Tuesday 21st May 2013

The summer plumaged Slavonain Grebe was off Cockwood, but no other news was received.
 

 Stonechats 06/05/13 © Colin Scott