Saturday 30th Septermber

A Firecrest near the Railway Station was the first record of the year with 14 Chiffchaff, eight Blackcap, three Wheatear and three Goldcrest the only other grounded migrants. Overhead there was a strong Linnet passage with 200+ heading west with 16 Meadow Pipit, 11 Swallow and a Grey Wagtail.

In the estuary there were 825 Wigeon, 407 Curlew, 87 Dunlin, 57 Dark-bellied and 20 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 28 Bar-tailed Godwit, 10 Knot, seven Mediterranean Gull,  a Curlew Sandpiper and the Slavonian Grebe. Offshore three Balearic Shearwater flew south with 20 Sandwich Tern and an Arctic Skua.

Friday 29th September

Two Ruff in the Bight were the first of the year, other waders  included a Curlew Sandpiper, a couple of Little Stint, 11 Knot and six Greenshank. Also in the estuary 177 Great Black-backed Gull, 66 Dark-bellied and 19 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, six Mediterranean Gull and the Slavonian Grebe.

Elsewhere the tailless Yellow Wagtail remains on the Golf Course, seven Goldcrest and three Wheatear were on site and 185 Goldfinch and 70 Linnet were feeding in Greenland Lake.

Thursday 28th September

Wildfowl numbers continue to highlight the arrival of autumn with 512 Wigeon, 121 Teal, 89 Dark-bellied and 20 Pale-bellied Brent Geese in the estuary. Wader counts included 461 Curlew, 354 Redshank, 119 Dunlin, 59 Ringed Plover, 14 Bar and a Black-tailed Godwit, six Greenshank, four Little Stint, three Grey Plover, two Sanderling and a Whimbrel. Also in the estuary the Slavonian Grebe, seven Sandwich Tern, 206 Great Black-backed and three Mediterranean Gull.  
Elsewhere eight Wheatear were on site with five Goldcrest and an increase up to 180 Goldfinch. Overhead single Grey and Yellow Wagtail, three Siskin and just two Swallow.  

 Little Stint - Alan Keatley

Wildlife News: Butterflies included a southern movement of Red Admiral during the day with an increasingly scarce Small Tortoiseshell the pick of the other species. Ivy Bee can now be seen foraging on an flowering Ivy on site.

Ivy Bee - Alan Keatley

Wednesday 27th September

Four Little Stint and a Curlew Sandpiper, all juveniles, were present over the high tide with 140 Dunlin, 61 Ringed Plover, five Knot and five Sanderling. Also estuary 11 Dark-bellied and nine Pale-bellied Brent Geese in the Bight with 566 Wigeon and 124 Teal in Shutterton Creek.

Tuesday 26th September

There were three juvenile Little Stint present over the morning tide with 149 Dunlin, 61 Ringed Plover and three Sanderling. Also in the estuary the Slavonian Grebe, 11 Brent Geese and just two Sandwich Tern. Elsewhere the Bonaparte's Gull was off Langstone Rock in the morning, a Great Northern Diver was offshore and overhead there were 45 Meadow Pipit, four Grey Wagtail and a Siskin.

Monday 25th September

A Little Stint was present in the Bight over high tide with 139 Dunlin, 83 Ringed Plover and two Sanderling.  Counts from the estuary included 346 Wigeon, 295 Curlew, 246 Redshank, 69 Teal, 19 Knot, 12 Bar-tailed Godwit, nine Mediterranean Gull, five Pintail, five Greenshank, four Brent Geese and the Slavonian Grebe. Elsewhere an Arctic Skua was offshore and migrants included the Yellow Wagtail and three Wheatear.

Sunday 24th September

A real autumnal feel to proceedings with wader passage especially evident. during the day several small flocks of Ringed Plover and Dunlin flew south with a single Knot and a flock of 33 Redshank also noted. Over the high tide at least one Curlew Sandpiper dropped in briefly into the Bight with 181 Dunlin, 83 Ringed Plover, 19 Knot, four Sanderling and a Common Sandpiper. Also in the estuary 484 Wigeon, 214 Redshank, 19 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, eight Sandwich and five Common Tern, a Pintail, two Kingfisher and the Slavonian Grebe.

Elsewhere six Pintail flew south and the first Redpoll of the autumn was overhead with two Siskin, three Grey Wagtail and a continuing trickle of Meadow Pipit. Two Yellow Wagtail were on the Golf Course and the bushes held 13 Chiffchaff, seven Blackcap and three Goldcrest. Offshore an Arctic Skua and a Red-throated Diver. 

Wildlife News: A Common Seal was on Bull Hill.

Saturday 23rd September

The moulting adult Bonaparte's Gull put in another brief appearance, flying south off the seawall early morning. Also offshore a Great Skua, 65 Common Scoter and two Red-throated Diver. In the estuary counts included 342 Oystercatcher, 227 Dunlin, 134 Redshank, 115 Great Black-backed Gull, 72 Sandwich and four Common Tern, 38 Ringed Plover, 22 Grey Plover, 12 Mediterranean Gull, eight Knot, seven Greenshank and a Dark-bellied Brent Goose. Elsewhere migrants were thin on the ground with three Goldcrest, nine Chiffchaff and five Blackcap in the bushes and the tailless Yellow Wagtail still around the Bight.

Sandwich Tern (Dutch ringed) - Alan Keatley

Wildlife News: A single Painted Lady and a dozen Red Admiral were the obvious migrants with Green-veined and Small White, Small Copper, Meadow Brown and Speckled Wood also on the wing.

Thursday 21st September

Wildfowl are starting to build up in numbers with the first Brent Geese of the autumn today with 15 Dark-bellied in the morning and two Pale-bellied on the evening tide. In the saltmarsh were 490 Wigeon and 94 Teal although these were flushed by a boast doing a circuit from Eels Dock.  Wader counts included 140 Dunlin, 35 Ringed Plover, 26 Grey Plover, 22 Knot, 17 Bar-tailed Godwit, seven Greenshank and a Snipe although numbers dropped in the evening. Elsewhere 11 Mediterranean Gull and the Slavonian Grebe were in the estuary and when the early morning rain moved through the offshore visibility improved to reveal four lingering Arctic Skua and a Black Tern.

Sunday 17th September

Two Mistle Thrush briefly in Dead Dolphin Wood were the pick of the migrants, and the first of the year, with two Kestrel on Warren Point, four Wheatear, a Goldcrest, a Willow Warbler and a tailless Yellow Wagtail also on site. Overhead a second Yellow Wagtail, 30 Swallow and 20 Meadow Pipit.

Elsewhere the summer plumaged Red-throated Diver remains offshore and counts from the estuary included 30 Sandwich and two Common Tern, 30 Dunlin, 25 Ringed Plover, five Mediterranean Gull, four Greenshank, two Grey Plover, a Whimbrel and the Slavonian Grebe. 

 Kestrel ( juvenile male) - Alan Keatley

Cirl Bunting (juvenile male) - Alan Keatley

Wildlife News: The population of Sand Lizard now confined to Warren Point, seemed to be easy pickings for the two Kestrel today.

Saturday 16th September

The northerly winds saw an arrival of wildfowl with 112 Teal, 41 Wigeon and the first Shoveler of the autumn, also in the estuary 1351 Oystercatcher, a good count of 414 Redshank, 333 Curlew, 71 Dunlin, 64 Ringed Plover, 19 Knot, seven Greenshank, a Snipe and the Slavonian Grebe. Offshore there were 135 Common Scoter, 35 Sandwich and an Arctic Tern.

Overhead a good easterly passage of hirundines included 350 Swallow, 300 House and 10 Sand Martin, with the first two Skylark of the autumn,  just 18 Meadow Pipit and three Grey Wagtail. Elsewhere the first two Greylag Geese of the year were with Canada Geese, a Yellow Wagtail was on the Golf Course with 17 Chiffchaff, three Wheatear, two Willow Warbler, a Whitethroat and a Garden Warbler also on site.

Friday 15th September

The Slavonian Grebe was off Cockwood with 240 Redshank and two Greenshank. Elsewhere a new Little Stint was with Dunlin in the Bight.

Thursday 14th September

Back to standard fayre today with only small flock of small waders in the Bight on a low high tide, counts included 27 Dunlin, 23 Ringed Plover, seven Bar-tailed Godwit, two Knot and a Sanderling. Offshore 120 Gannet, 92 Sandwich and 20 Common Tern, a Red-throated Diver and a Great Skua.

Wildlife sightings: A pod of c6 Bottle-nosed Dolphin and a Grey Seal were offshore. A dozen Red Admiral were around brambles feeding on the blackberries, with other butterflies on the wing including a few Meadow Brown, Speckled Wood, Small Copper, Small White, Peacock and a couple of Common Blue. Worryingly still no second generation Wall, hopefully the works on the Dune Ridge haven't done too much damage to the site's declining population.  Around the Main Pond five Common Darter, two Southern Hawker and a Emperor.

Wednesday 13th September

An evening seawatch was looking uneventful with just six Common Scoter and five Kittiwake on the sea but just after 7pm a single Storm Petrel flew south and in the next 45 minutes at least 270 Kittiwake, four Common, an Arctic and Black Tern, a summer plumaged Red-throated Diver, a second Storm Petrel and best of all a single Leach's Petrel flew south.

Off Cockwood earlier the Slavonian Grebe was still present with 240 Redshank, eight Bar and three Black-tailed Godwit, a Knot, a Greenshank and an adult Mediterranean Gull.

Wildlife News: A single Porpoise was off the seawall.

Tuesday 12th September

The fourth site record of Red-rumped Swallow flew east over the Bight at 9.10am, the first since May 2012 and the first autumn record. Also moving through 12 Swallow, 40 House and a Sand Martin, two Yellow and a Grey Wagtail. Elsewhere the Little Stint remains in the estuary with 204 Redshank, 128 Dunlin, 36 Sandwich, two Common and a Black Tern.

Monday 11th September

The strong winds were a bit too westerly to produce birds this far up Lyme Bay but the first hour of daylight saw 200 Gannet, a couple of Manx Shearwater, a Great Skua and a single Storm Petrel before things went quiet. Later in the day 170+ Redshank, 37 Mute Swan, 15 Bar-tailed Godwit and the Slavonian Grebe were off Cockwood and 30+ Sandwich and a Common Tern were offshore. 

Sunday 10th September

A Grey Phalarope around the Bight most of the morning was the highlight with other waders including the Little Stint, 137 Ringed Plover, 60 Dunlin, six Sanderling, five Common Sandpiper, three Knot and a Whimbrel. Tern numbers increased with a mix of birds in the estuary and passing south offshore, counts included 75 Sandwich, 21 Common, eight Black and two Arctic Tern; also offshore 50+ Kittiwake, single Great and Arctic Skua.

Elsewhere 18 Mediterranean Gull was a good count, the Bonaparte's Gull was reported and overhead there were 20+ Meadow Pipit, four Grey and three Yellow Wagtail.

Grey Phalarope - both Ian Teague

Saturday 9th September

The Bonaparte's Gull was on groyne seven early evening after no sign earlier in the day. Also still present on site the Little Stint but in a smaller flock of 128 Ringed Plover and 93 Dunlin. Also in the estuary three Black, an Arctic, 42 Sandwich and 10 Common Tern, nine Mediterranean Gull, the Slavonian Grebe and two Osprey. Wader counts included 352 Redshank, 294 Curlew, eight Common Sandpiper, six Greenshank, six Bar and three Black-tailed Godwit, three Knot and two Whimbrel.

Elsewhere a Spotted Flycatcher was in Dead Dolphin Wood, three Sedge Warbler were around the site with 30 Chiffchaff, 18 Blackcap, seven Whitethroat, three Wheatear, three Willow, a Reed and a Garden Warbler. Overhead 45 House and two Sand Martin, four Grey and a Yellow Wagtail, a Swift and a Barnacle Goose.

 Black & Sandwich Tern - Simon Thurgood

 Little Stint, Dunlin & Ringed Plover - Simon Thurgood

Arctic and Sandwich Tern - Simon Thurgood

Friday 8th September

A moulting adult Bonaparte's Gull was reported around groyne 1 this morning, presumably the regular bird returning for a sixth winter, but there was no sign late afternoon. From the hide the Little Stint remained in the Bight with wader counts including 335 Redshank, 302 Dunlin, 143 Ringed Plover, nine Knot and two Whimbrel. Also in the estuary three Black Tern, eight Mediterranean and a Yellow-legged Gull, 30 Teal, 15 Wigeon and the Slavonian Grebe. Elsewhere a Lesser Whitethroat, only the second of the year, was near the Dune Pond.

Thursday 7th September

Six Black Tern were in the estuary early morning with 17 Sandwich and two Common Tern, whilst the Little Stint remained in the Bight. Wader counts included 236 Dunlin, 136 Ringed Plover, 148 Redshank, 16 Bar and a Black-tailed Godwit, six Knot, five Greenshank, two Common Sandpiper and a Whimbrel. Other records included the Slavonian Grebe off Cockwood, three Wheatear and a Whitethroat were on site and two Grey Wagtail and a Sand Martin flew through.

Wednesday 6th September

The Wryneck was seen briefly but remained very elusive, with five Wheatear, three Whitethroat and two White Wagtail around Greenland Lake. Overhead 105 House Martin flew east in front of a squall with 10 Meadow Pipit and three Grey Wagtail also on the move, four Swift however lingered over the site most of the day.

Over high tide the Little Stint was around the Bight with 209 Dunlin, 118 Ringed Plover and 10 Sanderling with 334 Curlew, 124 Redshank, five Knot, four Greenshank and two Whimbrel on the Railway Saltmarsh. Also in the estuary at least five Black Tern, a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull, five Mediterranean Gull, 29 Teal and the Slavonian Grebe.

Tuesday 5th September

The first Little Stint of the year was present this morning with 268 Dunlin, 166 Ringed Plover, 17 Grey Plover, 12 Sanderling, four Knot and four Greenshank.  A Wryneck around Wryneck Plain and the Dune Ridge late afternoon was the highlight, with a Common Sandpiper and a Kingfisher in the estuary.

Monday 4th September

A Green Sandpiper on flooded areas in the Buffer Zone early morning was the highlight with counts of 306 Dunlin and 16 Grey Plover also showing an overnight wader arrival. Other counts included 1176 Oystercatcher, 172 Redshank, 167 Ringed Plover, nine Greenshank, three Whimbrel, two Common Sandpiper and a Black-tailed Godwit. Other records included a Balearic Shearwater offshore, two Swift and single Grey and Yellow Wagtail overhead with nine Mediterranean Gull and the Slavonian Grebe in the estuary.

Sunday 3rd September

An unpleasant autumn day with almost constant rain until late afternoon, but the weather did bring some good seawatching. Totals during the day include three Balearic Shearwater, two Pomarine and at least nine Arctic Skua, two Black Tern and a Storm Petrel. In the estuary at least six first winter Yellow-legged Gull arrived alongside 221 Great Black-backed Gull; also present 22 Common Tern, a Slavonian Grebe and 14 Wigeon. Wader counts included 134 Ringed Plover, 85 Dunlin, eight Sanderling, five Greenshank, three Knot and two Whimbrel.

Saturday 2nd September

Despite the warm and sunny conditions autumn continues to arrive with the first Osprey in the estuary this morning and two juvenile Curlew Sandpiper in the Bight this evening. Also arriving 33 Teal with wader counts of 536 Curlew, 340 Redshank, 154 Ringed Plover, 55 Dunlin, 20 Sanderling, 15 Bar and nine Black-tailed Godwit, nine Knot and seven Greenshank.

Elsewhere two Water Rail were on the Main Pond, with passerine migrants including two Goldcrest, 20 Chiffchaff, 10 Blackcap, nine Whitethroat, four Willow and single Sedge and Reed Warbler.

Friday 1st September

The Slavonian Grebe remains off Cockwood with seven Bar-tailed Godwit, five Knot, three Greenshank and two Whimbrel.