Saturday 9th 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.

Two Swallow feeding around the seawall and Amusements early afternoon equalled the previous earliest ever arrival in 1997, with a Sand Martin over the Golf Course the second earliest record. Other migrants included two Chiffchaff, one in song, a Greenshank in off at the seawall and three Raven and two Rook overhead. Elsewhere the Cetti's Warbler and four Shoveler were at the Main Pond.

Swallow - Alan Keatley

Counts from the estuary included 380 Oystercatcher, including an Icelandic ringed bird, 147 Curlew, 132 Common Gull, 28 Redshank, three Eider, two Greenshank and the Slavonian Grebe.

Wildlife News: A Green Longhorn moth Adela reaumurella had emerged at least a month early with other spring insects such Tree Bumblebee and Green Shieldbug also noted. Elsewhere a Grey Seal was offshore.

Green Shieldbug - Alan Keatley

Aglaostigma aucupariae - Alan Keatley