Saturday 16th March

Due to the significant erosion at Dawlish Warren, Teignbridge District Council is advising extreme caution when visiting. The dune path between groyne 10 – 18 is unsafe and a section of this path is completely closed with no access. Access to Warren Point and the bird hide is only possible via the beach with the risk of being cut off for a period either side of each high tide. The only access, up and back down, to these areas is along the beach at lower states of tide.

Seawatching during the day saw a Great Skua offshore with four Manx Shearwater head south along with 356 Gannet, 98 Fulmar, 25 Kittiwake and five Red-throated Diver. Also south c140 Black-tailed Godwit in three separate flocks; a Great Northern Diver was feeding on crabs off the seawall despite the conditions.

A drake Goldeneye was in the estuary with three Pale-bellied Brent Geese in the Bight and counts of 104 Turnstone, 83 Curlew, 48 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, a Greenshank and the Slavonian Grebe. Elsewhere two Chiffchaff were around the Main Pond and small numbers of Meadow Pipit passed over.

Great-spotted Woodpecker - Alan Keatley