Thursday 30th November

Two Red-throated Diver were close in off the seawall with a few Great-crested Grebe and Gannet. Elsewhere a Common Snipe and the pair of Shoveler were on the Main Pond with Bullfinch, Chiffchaff and Goldcrest in the Bushes.

Red-throated Diver - Martin Rooney

Wednesday 29th November

The Jack Snipe was again on the Main Pond with a Common Snipe, a Little Grebe and the pair of Shoveler.

Tuesday 28th November

The Bonaparte's Gull was briefly offshore this morning having arrived from the Dawlish direction, also offshore 15 Great-crested Grebe and five Red-throated Diver but most were probably outside the recording area. Elsewhere three Chiffchaff were on site with a Great Northern Diver, the Slavonian Grebe and 250+ Dark and 17 Pale-bellied Brent Geese in the estuary.

Saturday 25th November

A continuing winter feel today with a site record 13 Collared Dove an unexpected highlight. In the estuary the cold weather perhaps lead to some increased counts with 1270 Dunlin, 244 Dark and 27 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 81 Shelduck, 76 Grey Plover, 48 Knot, 22 Sanderling, four Greenshank and the Slavonian Grebe. Elsewhere single Great Northern and Red-throated Diver were offshore, a Firecrest was in Dead Dolphin Wood, two Shoveler were on the Main Pond and five Chiffchaff and a Redwing were in the Entrance Bushes.

Wildlife News: at least six Buff-tailed Bumblebee were around the Boathouse.

Thursday 23rd November

The first visitors since the weekend saw five Great Northern Diver fly south early morning but there was surprisingly little else moving after yesterday's weather. There were few new arrivals in the estuary but a female Goldeneye was the first of the winter. Counts from the hide included 840 Wigeon, 800 Dunlin, 347 Dark and 29 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 186 Teal, 107 Grey Plover, 65 Shelduck, 54 Common Gull, 18 Knot, five Greenshank and the Slavonian Grebe.

Elsewhere the Cetti's Warbler remains at the Main Pond with two Chiffchaff, a Kingfisher and a Snipe.

Wildlife News: At least three Common Darter remain on the wing with a Common Banded Hoverfly Syrphus ribesii and a Honey Bee nectaring on flowering Gorse.

Syrphus ribesii - Alan Keatley

Sunday 19th November

A Black Redstart, a male and the first of the year, moved along the Dune Ridge past John's Watch but failed to linger. Other new arrivals were in the estuary with an increase to 1110 Dunlin over high tide along with 575 Wigeon, 378 Teal, 196 Dark and 20 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 140 Redshank, 136 Black and 74 Bar-tailed Godwit, 95 Grey Plover, 53 Turnstone, 17 Sanderling and four Greenshank.

Elsewhere the Bonaparte's Gull was around Langstone Rock early afternoon, three Red-throated and a Great Northern Diver were offshore and the pair of Shoveler remain on the Main Pond.

Ringing News: A Sandwich Tern seen here in four of the last five autumns was recently re-sighted in South Africa. https://midwalesringers.blogspot.co.uk/2017/11/a-very-well-travelled-sandwich.html

Wildlife News: In the sunny weather a queen Buff-tailed Bumblebee was still on the wing.
 

Saturday 18th November

A crisp early winter day with a good mix of expected species. Counts from the estuary included 850 Wigeon, 785 Dunlin, 391 Teal, 160 Dark and 13 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 121 Redshank, 71 Grey Plover, 62 Shelduck, 15 Knot, seven Sanderling, four Greenshank, a Great Northern Diver and the Slavonian Grebe.

Elsewhere a second Great Northern and two Red-throated Diver were offshore with a female Eider  12 Common Scoter and 12 Great-crested Grebe, the Cetti's Warbler, Jack Snipe and a pair of Shoveler were still at the Main Pond and two Mistle Thrush were overhead.

Thursday 16th November

Another quiet low tide visit although with single Red-throated Diver offshore, the Great Northern Diver and the Slavonian Grebe in the estuary and a late movement of at least 11 Bullfinch and three Redpoll overhead. Late afternoon the Bonaparte's Gull was in the estuary channel off Bull Hill, the first record since 29 October.

Tuesday 14th November

An early morning visit showed little in the way of movement as autumn draws to a close. The Cetti's Warbler was still at the Main Pond with a pair of Shoveler and a single visible Snipe. Elsewhere single Red-throated and Great Northern Diver were offshore, a second Great Northern Diver was in the estuary and a Cirl Bunting was in song along the Back Path.

Sunday 12th November

The WeBS count was over an hour before one of the lowest high tides of the month and the wader numbers, with a couple of exceptions, certainly reflect that. Counts included 1308 Oystercatcher, 313 Redshank, 155 Curlew, 84 Dunlin, 45 Turnstone, 22 Snipe, 16 Ringed and 13 Grey Plover, six Greenshank, four Black and three Bar-tailed Godwit, a Knot and a Sanderling.  Wildfowl numbers included 489 Wigeon, 358 Dark and four Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 276 Teal and 76 Shelduck, also in the estuary a Great Northern Diver and a Sandwich Tern.

Elsewhere a Firecrest was in the Entrance Bushes, three Red-throated and a Great Northern Diver were offshore and 40 Chaffinch, three Siskin and a Grey Wagtail were overhead.

Saturday 11th November

Counts from the estuary included 560 Dunlin, 266 Dark and 26 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 66 Shelduck, 54 Grey Plover and 16 Sanderling. Elsewhere a Merlin was on Warren Point, single Great Skua and Sandwich Tern were offshore and the Jack Snipe was on the Main Pond.

Friday 10th November

Counts in the Bight included 241 Dark-bellied and 28 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 67 Shelduck and 17 Sanderling but the majority of waders were sheltering from the strong wind in the Railway Saltmarsh. Elsewhere the Jack Snipe and Cetti's Warbler were almost equally elusive on the Main Pond with two Mistle Thrush and two Raven overhead.

Wildlife News: In sheltered sunny spots a few dragonfly were still on the wing with at least nine Common Darter and a Migrant Hawker.   

Common Darter - Lee Collins

Thursday 9th November

There was no sign of the Black Brant early morning with just 60 Dark-bellied Brent Geese in the Bight. There was also a lack of movement overhead with just three Redpoll and a couple of Siskin outnumbering the Chaffinch. Elsewhere the Cetti's Warbler was still present, two Firecrest were around the Main Pond, at least five Chiffchaff were on site and five Cirl Bunting were around Greenland Lake.

Wednesday 8th November

The Black Brant was again in the Bight with 290 Dark-bellied and two Pale-bellied Brent Geese, also in the estuary 530 Dunlin, 270 Redshank, a Great Northern Diver and the Slavonian Grebe. A Jack Snipe at the Main Pond was presumably a returning bird, also there six Reed Bunting, two Snipe, the Cetti's Warbler and a Shoveler.

 Black Brant - Lee Collins

Elsewhere 22 Long-tailed and a Coal Tit were in the bushes and a Red-throated Diver was offshore, but the clear skies meant any movement overhead largely escaped detection but single Brambling and Redpoll flew low enough to make the list, unlike further west there was no pigeon movement today.

Jack Snipe (& two Snipe) It did show better than this at times! - Lee Collins

Tuesday 7th November

The wet and windy conditions pushed the feeding groups in Lyme Bay closer inshore with 200+ Gannet and 160 Kittiwake in the first hour of light. Also offshore two Pomarine Skua (pale phase ad and pale headed juv) and single Red-throated and Great Northern Diver.

Counts from the hide included 200+ Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 176 Great Black-backed Gull and a fourth year Yellow-legged Gull (also sheltering from the weather), 90 Grey Plover, 68 Shelduck, 26 Pale-bellied Brent Goose, a Kingfisher on the wreck and the Slavonian Grebe.

Slavonian Grebe - Lee Collins

 

Ringing News: The Pale-bellied Brent below was ringed as a juvenile on Alftantes football pitch in Iceland on 11 May 2017, remaining there until the 22nd. This next sighting was at the Warren in October. Today's was the first record here since 23rd October.

 Pale-bellied Brent Goose - Lee Collins

Wildlife News: A Grey Seal was in the estuary.

Monday 6th November

The pigeon tap turned on again with 15,280 Wood Pigeon heading west before 9am, also overhead a Jack Snipe with two Snipe, three Redpoll and 11 Jackdaw. Elsewhere a Coat Tit moved through the bushes, the Cetti's Warbler was at the Main Pond and a Red-throated Diver was offshore.

Sunday 5th November

Counts from the estuary included 390 Dunlin, 336 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 217 Redshank, 197 Black-tailed Godwit, 78 Grey Plover, 38 Shelduck, nine Greenshank, six Red-breasted Merganser, two Pale-bellied Brent Geese and the Slavonian Grebe. Elsewhere 500 Wood Pigeon were overhead and a Red-throated Diver and an Arctic Skua were offshore.

Saturday 4th November

A fem/imm Marsh Harrier that headed north up the estuary was the highlight but little else was on the move overhead. There was more activity offshore with large feeding flocks distantly in the bay and 210+ Kittiwake, 160 Razorbill and 100 Gannet moving south early morning, a Pomarine Skua was attracted to these flocks and a single Red-throated Diver was on the sea. 

Counts from the estuary included 380 Dunlin, 300 Black-tailed Godwit, 257 Dark and 16 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 45 Turnstone, 44 Shelduck, six Mediterranean Gull, four Red-breasted Merganser, a first winter Yellow-legged Gull, a Greenshank and the Slavonian Grebe. Elsewhere the Cetti's Warbler was still at the Main Pond but remained impossible to see.

Wildlife News: Several Common Darter and Red Admiral were still on the wing but a late Meadow Brown was the highlight. This is the fourth year in the last six that Meadow Brown has been on the wing after mid October, with December records in 2015.

Friday 3rd November

Ringing News: A quick evening visit allowed 13 Oystercatcher ring reads to be made from the hide. The highlight was an adult ringed at Vardheia, Rogaland in Norway on 2nd July this year. This is only the second Norwegian ringed Oystercatcher recorded here but Warren ringed birds have been recovered in Norway, including one from an Eagle Owl nest.

The other recoveries this evening included several birds previously rung here, notably two from 1989; and a bird ringed this year as a chick in Warwickshire.

Thursday 2nd November

Birds continued to move overhead in small numbers before the cloud cleared late morning. Highlights included two Brambling, 17 Bullfinch, eight Redpoll, seven Reed Bunting, six Mistle Thrush, four Redwing and two Siskin. Other counts included 1090 Wood Pigeon, 42 Chaffinch, 19 Skylark, 18 Jackdaw, eight Greenfinch and two Rook. Some of the Greenfinch and Redpoll dropped into Greenland Lake to join a mobile flock of 110 Goldfinch, these in turn attracted the attention of two Sparrowhawk. Elsewhere the Cetti's Warbler was at the Main Pond and 50+ Black-tailed Godwit, 31 Shelduck and a Pintail were in the estuary.

 Lesser Redpoll - Alan Keatley

 

 Sparrowhawk - Alan Keatley

Wildlife News: The sunny weather during the afternoon brought out a few Red Admiral, four Common Darter and a Migrant Hawker with Buff-tailed Bumblebee and Honey Bee on the Gorse.

Wednesday 1st November

Still some limited movement overhead this morning with 21 Chaffinch, 19 Jackdaw, a flock of five Bullfinch, three Siskin, two Redpoll and a Brambling. Goldfinch were also passing with at least 80 counted in Greenland Lake but with birds seeming to drop in and move on with some regularity. Elsewhere the Cetti's Warbler was calling at the Main Pond and in the estuary there were 120 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, two Greenshank, a Kingfisher on the wreck, a Red-breasted Merganser and the Slavonian Grebe.