Wednesday 28th February

The Eider remains off Warren Point and a Great Northern Diver was off Cockwood but no other news was received.

Tuesday 27th February

The immature male Eider was off Warren Point but no other news was received.

Saturday 24th February

Another clear chilly day with the real cold yet to arrive. On a low high tide there was little to report in the estuary with c80 Wigeon, c40 Brent Geese, 22 Shelduck and 15 Teal along with the immature Eider and a Great Northern Diver. Elsewhere two more Great Northern Diver were offshore, four Shoveler were on the Main Pond, four Jackdaw were on Langstone Rock and a pair of Cirl Bunting were along the Back Path.

Thursday 22nd February

No sign of winter coming to an end today with a prevailing cold easterly wind, although an increase in Ringed Plover numbers may indicate some early wader movement and Great-crested Grebe numbers continue to decline. Counts from the estuary included 690 Dunlin, 95 Grey and 22 Ringed Plover, 55 Knot, 15 Turnstone and 12 Sanderling. Elsewhere 17 Great-crested Grebe and two Great Northern Diver were offshore, the year's first Green Woodpecker was on the Golf Course and two Raven and a Buzzard was overhead.

Wednesday 21st February

The Slavonian Grebe was off Cockwood with two Great Northern Diver and the immature drake Eider also still in the estuary.

Tuesday 20th February

Viewing over the high tide showed at least 46 of the colour-ringed Oystercatcher were still present along with single colour-ringed Icelandic and Norwegian birds. Elsewhere two Great Northern and a Red-throated Diver were offshore and three Raven were overhead but there was little else to report.

Oystercatchers inc P9 & V3 - Alan Keatley

Sunday 18th February

A real contrast to yesterday with a grey damp mizzle all day. Counts from the estuary included 905 Oystercatcher with 20 colour rings read from the hide, 70 Knot, 43 Redshank, 39 Bar-tailed Godwit, and 11 Sanderling. Elsewhere the Scandinavian Rock Pipit was in the Bight and three Great Northern Diver were offshore. 

Saturday 17th February

Spring like weather today at times but the lack of migrants was more typical for the time of year. Offshore the Long-tailed Duck was off John's Watch with the immature Eider, four Great Northern and a Red-throated Diver. Counts from the estuary included 900 Dunlin, 279 Brent Geese, 135 Grey Plover, 97 Wigeon, 75 Knot, 41 Redshank, 33 Bar-tailed Godwit, 20 Turnstone, seven Sanderling, two Greenshank and the Slavonian Grebe. Elsewhere one of the wintering Scandinavian Rock Pipit around the golf course has started to moult thereby showing its true colours and helping confirm its identity.

Wildlife News: The first hoverfly of the year was around the amusements an Eristalis tenax, also there one of the winter active Buff-tailed Bumblebee.

 Stripe-eyed Dronefly Eristalis tenax - Alan Keatley

Thursday 15th February

There was no sign of the Firecrest in a brief afternoon visit two Goldcrest and a female Bullfinch were in the Entrance Bushes. Elsewhere a Snipe, a Little Grebe and a Moorhen were on the Main Pond, the immature male Eider, three Great Northern Diver and a pair of Red-breasted Merganser were offshore on a low tide, and, as it is half term, lots of disturbance.

Sunday 11th February

The adult Bonaparte's Gull was off John's Watch on and off during the afternoon with the Long-tailed Duck and a Great Northern Diver also present. Also offshore 92 Great-crested Grebe, seven Red-throated and a second Great Northern Diver were off the sea wall. Elsewhere the immature drake Eider had moved into the estuary where on a very low high tide there were 50 Sanderling, 560 Oystercatcher, six Ringed Plover and two Greenshank.

Saturday 10th February

The Bonaparte's Gull was again in the estuary off Warren Point this morning although a first winter Caspian Gull in Shutterton Creek mid afternoon was more of a surprise. Elsewhere 54 Great-crested Grebe, an Eider, two Great Northern and a Red-throated Diver were offshore, six Siskin were in the Entrance Bushes and a Snipe was on Warren Point.

Friday 9th February

Since last weekend's ringing the Recording Group have only been able to make two visits to the Warren but at least 66 of the c150 colour-ringed Oystercatcher have been resighted.

The Warren Oystercatchers were all ringed with a blue ring with an alpha numeric code, eg A1, A2 on the right tarsus. Above this is a plain yellow ring with the metal ring on left tarsus. Please read the ring from the bottom (foot) up. This is important as there are also codes 1A, 2A etc.

Please use this email exeoystercatchers@gmail.com to report any ringed birds providing the following information: date, time, location (precise as possible, i.e. not Exe estuary), Grid reference, any behaviour (ie feeding, roosting) and of course the code on the ring.

Tuesday 6th February

The resident Slavonian Grebe, still the only one this winter, remains off Cockwood with a Great Northern Diver and two Greenshank also there. Elsewhere a Firecrest was reported in the car park but no other news was received.

Monday 5th February

The Cetti's Warbler made a reappearance today even showing well on occasion as it fed in brambles around Dead Dolphin Wood. Elsewhere two Firecrest were in the car park, at least four are wintering locally.

Ringing News: News has just been received of a Dunlin seen here on 24 February 2015. It had been ringed on the island of Nidingen in west Sweden on 20 August 2013. This recovery was only possible due to an infield read of its metal ring!

Sunday 4th February

The main focus today was an Oystercatcher ringing session so there was little time for birding. More details on the days activities and the Oystercatchers themselves will be available on the website later this week. Other species noted included an Eider and a Great Northern Diver off John's Watch with a single Siskin and the year's first Raven overhead.

 Oystercatcher - adult (red eye) - Lee Collins

Oystercatcher -  immature (dull eye) - Lee Collins

Saturday 3rd February

A quiet day but the regular Long-tailed Duck, Eider and Great Northern Diver remain off John's Watch.

Friday 2nd February

The Slavonian Grebe was off Cockwood but no other news was received.

Stonechat - Dave Jewell

 

Ringing News: This Stonechat, first seen in on 11th January, is now paired with a female so will hopefully remain to breed. It was ringed as a pullus (one of a brood of four) at Mansands, nr Brixham on 20 May 2017.

 



Thursday 1st February

Early morning the super moon was illuminating the pre dawn wader roost in the Bight, but the cold and brisk north-westerly wind meant there were choppy conditions both in the estuary and offshore. The Long-tailed Duck, two Great Northern Diver and an Eider were off John's Watch. Elsewhere two Little Grebe and a pair of Shoveler were on the Main Pond.

 Shoveler (& Little Grebe) - Alan Keatley

Long-tailed Duck - Alan Keatley