Saturday 6th April

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.

The first Little Tern of the year was distantly offshore during the morning, the joint earliest record, matched only in 2014. Also new for the year were two Common Tern with two Great Northern and two Red-throated Diver, 15 Common Scoter, 14+ Fulmar, 12 Sandwich Tern and a second-summer Mediterranean Gull.

Osprey - Lee Collins

The Osprey was again on site early morning flushing all the aders over high tide; counts included 209 Oystercatcher, 80 Curlew, 29 Turnstone, including the Norwegian bird still, 13 Bar-tailed Godwit, 10 Grey Plover, four Whimbrel, the three Eider, two Dunlin, two Greenshank, a Knot and the Slavonian Grebe.

Teal - Lee Collins

 

Elsewhere a small fall of migrants included 10 Willow Warbler and at least three Wheatear with 10 Swallow, four House and two Sand Martin, three Meadow Pipit, three Jackdaw and a Rook overhead.

Wildlife News: The Sand Crocus remains in flower with an Orange-tip and several Peacock and Speckled Wood also out in sunny periods.