Tuesday 31st August

A total of 39 Sanderling were along the beach in two flocks, four Common Sandpiper were in the Bight and at least six Cirl Bunting on site, including two groups of juveniles.

Ringing News: One of the colour-ringed Exe Oystercatcher 'U9' was seen today at Musselburgh, nr Edinburgh, stopping off on its journey south from breeding grounds in Orkney. Further news on Sandwich Tern 'Yellow HP7', after being seen here as a juvenile in 2018, it had also been noted in Guinea-Bissau in West Africa before being resighted on the Warren on Friday. 

Monday 30th August

Wildlife News: A good afternoon for hoverflies including one new to the Recording Area, Riponnensia splendens, found on edge of the Crocus compound, also there Lesser Hornet Hoverfly Volucella inanis, Hornet Hoverfly Volucella zonaria and a Matt-backed Melangyna Melangyna labiatarum.

Riponnenisa splendens - Alan Keatley

Other species noted included Golden-tailed Hoverfly Xylota sylvarum, Fluffy Dronefly Eristalis intricaria, Thick-legged Hoverfly Syritta pipiens, Tiger Hoverfly Helophilus pendulus, Batman Hoverfly Myathropa florea, the migrants Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus, Long Hoverfly Sphaerophoria scripta and Large Tiger Hoverfly Helophilus trivittatus, with many Striped-faced Dronefly Eristalis nemorum and Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax.

Lesser Hornet Hoverfly - Alan Keatley

Other insects on the wing included Common Darter, Migrant Hawker, Beewolf Philanthus triangulum, Black Mining Bee Andrena pilipes, Common Yellow-faced Bee Hylaeus communis and the micromoth Silver-dot Metal-mark Prochoreutis sehestediana.

Silver-dot Metal-mark - Alan Keatley

Sunday 29th August

Counts from the late morning tide included 382 Dunlin, 357 Curlew, 245 Redshank, 173 Ringed Plover, 37 Sanderling, 25 Sandwich and four Common Tern, 11 Knot, nine Greenshank, nine Mediterranean Gull, six Knot, three Bar and a Black-tailed Godwit.

Overhead 28 Swallow, three House and a Sand Martin, with two Wheatear on site.

Ringing News: A Sandwich Tern 'Yellow HP7' had been previously recorded here as a juvenile in August 2018, showing incredible site fidelity, after at least one summer in southern Africa. It was ringed in the nest at Scheelhoek Ellanden, Holland. 

Wildlife News: An influx and/or emergence of Small White and Migrant Hawker, with good numbers of both present across site. Autumn Lady's-tresses remain out in number, including on new areas of the Golf Course where mowing has been relaxed. Sadly some flowering and yet to open plants have however succumbed to mowing in Greenland Lake. 

Saturday 28th August

An afternoon visit saw an Osprey, 20+ Common Tern, two Mediterranean Gull and the autumn's first Kingfisher in the estuary, with 24 Sanderling on the beach, two Yellow Wagtail and 30+ Swallow flew east with six Whitethroat and four Wheatear on site. No news was received from the morning high tide. 

Wildlife News: The long overdue first Holly Blue of the year was on the Golf Course with a Golden-ringed Dragonfly also present. A Sunflower on Warren Point was the first record since 2005, which was also a tideline dwarf.

Sunflower 

Friday 27th August

Counts from the estuary included 246 Redshank, 150 Ringed Plover, 140 Dunlin, 45 Sandwich Tern, six Greenshank, four Knot and an adult Mediterranean Gull. 

Thursday 26th August

The first Spotted Flycatcher of the autumn was the pick of the migrants with six Wheatear and a Whitethroat also present. Also on site 50+ Goldfinch and a high count of seven Collared Dove.

Spotted Flycatcher - Lee Collins

Elsewhere seawatching saw 17 Balearic Shearwater heading east early morning, a very approachable Kestrel was on the Golf Course and counts from the estuary included 520 Oystercatcher, 259 Dunlin, 181 Ringed Plover, 90 Sandwich and 16 Common Tern, 27 Sanderling, seven Greenshank, five Knot and six Black and two Bar-tailed Godwit. 

Kestrel - Dave Jewell

Spotted Flycatcher - Dave Jewell

Wildlife News: Three Painted Lady were on site.

Wednesday 25th August

Counts from the estuary showed a continuing turnover of waders with three Knot in the Bight new arrivals amongst 154 Ringed Plover and 70 Dunlin. Also over the morning high tide 326 Curlew, 110 Sandwich and three Common Tern, eight Whimbrel, four Mediterranean Gull with 500 Black-headed Gull, four Teal and three Bar-tailed Godwit.

Elsewhere 40 Swallow and eight Sand Martin flew through with five Wheatear and a Whitethroat the pick of the grounded migrants.

Wildlife News: The warm, sunny conditions brought out several solitary bee species and good numbers of hoverfly species out in good numbers. Most were on the flowering water mint but an area of Japanese Knotweed held several foraging species, an unexpected benefit.

Yellow-girdled Dasysyrphus - Alan Keatley

Amongst the hoverflies Yellow-girdled Dasysyrphus Dasysyrphus tricinctus was a new species for the Recording Area, seemingly a rare species in the southwest. Other species included a few migrant Large Tiger Hoverfly Helophilus trivittatus amongst good numbers of Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus, Hornet Hoverfly Volucella zonaria, Pied Hoverfly Volucella pellucens and Furry Dronefly Eristalis intricaria.

Large Tiger Hoverfly - Alan Keatley

The first of the autumn generation of Black Mining Bee Andrena pilipes was on the wing along with the second site record of Patchwork Leafcutter Megachile centuncularis and several Pantaloon Bee Dasypoda hirtipes.

Black Mining Bee - Alan Keatley

Patchwork Leafcutter - Alan Keatley

A Golden-ringed Dragonfly was the pick of the Odonata. 

Golden-ringed Dragonfly - Dave Jewell

Tuesday 24th August

An early Wryneck was the pick of the migrants, but was only seen briefly, with the first Lesser Whitethroat and Garden Warbler of the autumn also present, at least seven Wheatear and overhead 12 Sand Martin and three Yellow Wagtail.

The first nine Wigeon of the autumn were in the estuary with a Little Ringed Plover, 250 Redshank, 120+ Ringed and six Grey Plover, 100+ Grey Plover, 54 Sandwich and a Common Tern, 32 Whimbrel, seven Bar-tailed Godwit, six Greenshank and two Turnstone. 

Elsewhere six Teal and five Common Scoter were offshore and 75 Linnet roosted in the Golf Course pond. 

Wildlife News: The sunshine brought out good numbers of insects with Brown Argus and the third generation of Small Copper on the wing with several Migrant Hawker. Grasshoppers were well represented with Long-winged Conehead, Meadow Grasshopper, Common Groundhopper and Great Green Bush-cricket all noted. the highlight was a second Wasp Spider record with one found in the Back Meadow. 

Sunday 22nd August

Seawatching early morning saw at least 241 Balearic Shearwater south in just over an hour, a new site record, with another c40 shearwater sp further out also likely to be this species. This is between 1-2% of the global population and the absence of seawatching conditions indicates this was a feeding movement, highlighting the importance of Lyme Bay for the survival of this species. 

In the estuary the first autumn Osprey lingered for 10 minutes mid morning with a juvenile Ruff in the Bight another first for the season. Counts included 345 Redshank, 320 Curlew, 230 Dunlin, 190 Ringed Plover, including one ringed in Belgium, 12 Whimbrel, nine Sanderling, eight Greenshank, seven Bar-tailed Godwit, six adult Mediterranean Gull, four Turnstone and three Teal.

Elsewhere migrants included four Wheatear and single Sedge and Willow Warbler. 

Wildlife News: Autumn Lady's-tresses are now coming into flower in Greenland Lake with the appearance, after the recent rain, of Blackening Waxcap and Brown Roll-rim further indicators of the change of season.

Saturday 21st August

A juvenile Yellow-legged Gull was offshore in the evening with two juvenile Mediterranean Gull, seven Common Tern, 18 Common Scoter and a Great-crested Grebe. No other news was received. 

Thursday 19th August

The Curlew Sandpiper remained in the estuary with a French ringed Great Black-backed Gull also present.

Curlew Sandpiper - Lee Collins

Wildlife News: Moth trapping overnight saw further additions to the list in the form of Black-tipped Ermine Yponomeuta plumbella and Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella. Also recorded the nationally scarce species Beautiful Groundling Caryocolum marmoreum, Hoary Knot-horn Gymnancyla canella and Gorse Knot-horn Pempelia genistella.

Gorse Knot-horn - Paul Bowyer

Wednesday 18th August

The juvenile Curlew Sandpiper remained in the Bight with 140 Ringed Plover, 70 Dunlin and 11 Sanderling. Elsewhere 17 Sandwich and a Common Tern fishing in the estuary and another 33 Sanderling on the beach.

Tuesday 17th August

Records from the high tide included the juvenile Curlew Sandpiper, 21 Sanderling, 14 Sandwich Tern, two Mediterranean and a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull.

Monday 16th August

The Curlew Sandpiper remained jn the estuary amongst 125 Dunlin, with other counts including 336 Curlew, 252 Redshank, 19 Whimbrel, six Mediterranean Gull, six Greenshank and five Bar-tailed Godwit. Elsewhere three Wheatear were on the Golf Course.

Sunday 15th August

Seawatching saw eight Balearic Shearwater head south with five Arctic Skua, a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull, 220 Gannet, 20 Kittiwake, nine Common Scoter and three Common Tern.

Counts from the estuary included the juvenile Curlew Sandpiper, exactly 1000 Oystercatcher, 370 Curlew, 176 Ringed Plover, 96 Dunlin, 66 Sandwich and a Common Tern, 46 Whimbrel, 19 Sanderling, 12 Mediterranean Gull, four Bar-tailed and a Black-tailed Godwit, three Teal and two Greenshank. 

Elsewhere 32 Lesser Black-backed Gull flew south with 26 Swallow and two House Martin also overhead, four Wheatear were on the Golf Course with two Willow Warbler and a Coal Tit in the bushes.

Saturday 14th August

The juvenile Curlew Sandpiper remained in the Bight, with 255 Curlew, 142 Ringed Plover, 76 Dunlin, 66 Sandwich and six Common Tern, 19 Sanderling, including the first juvenile, 13 Mediterranean Gull, six Whimbrel and single Bar-tailed Godwit and Turnstone also in the estuary.

Sanderling - Lee Collins

Elsewhere 11 Swallow and four Sand Martin were overhead, 29 Gannet, 12 Kittiwake, three Common Scoter offshore, a Wheatear on the seawall and three Willow Warbler and three broods of Cirl Bunting in the bushes.

Cirl Bunting - Lee Collins

Wildlife News: Moth trapping overnight recorded 116 species including no less than six new species for the Recording Area. These included the nationally scarce Horse Chestnut, Ribwort Slender Aspilapteryx tringipennella, Little Slender Calybites phasianipennella and New Oak Slender Caloptilia robustella. Other species recorded in included the nationally scarce Narrow Groundling Caryocolum asinella, Old Lady, Archer's Dart, August Thorn and the migrants Dark Sword Grass, White-point, Diamondback and Silver Y. 

Thursday 12th August

The first Curlew Sandpiper of the year, an early juvenile, was in the Bight on the morning tide with 136 Ringed Plover, 67 Dunlin, 25 Sanderling and two Turnstone. Also in the estuary 244 Redshank, 32 Sandwich and three Common Tern, eight Greenshank, five Mediterranean Gull, five Common Sandpiper and a Snipe. Passerine migrants were limited to four Wheatear.

Curlew Sandpiper - Alan Keatley

Wildlife News: A Slow-worm was a welcome find on the Golf Course with a noticeable increase in Red Admiral. 

Tuesday 10th August

Sightings included the juvenile Little Ringed Plover in the Bight with 128 Ringed Plover, 43 Dunlin, 14 Common Tern, 14 Sanderling and the first juvenile Bar-tailed Godwit of the autumn. Single Sedge Warbler and Wheatear were on Warren Point.

Monday 9th August

Highlights today included 20 Balearic Shearwater south early morning, with 380 Curlew, 44 Sandwich and five Common Tern, a high count of 13 Common Sandpiper and a Little Ringed Plover in the estuary.

Little Ringed Plover - Dave Jewell

Sunday 8th August

Single Hobby, Pomarine and an Arctic Skua flew south offshore early morning with a Little Ringed Plover leaving the Bight and also heading south. Counts from the estuary included 701 Oystercatcher, 394 Curlew, 252 Redshank, 103 Ringed and a Grey Plover, 90 Sandwich and nine Common Tern, 47 Whimbrel, 35 Dunlin, 22 Sanderling, nine Mediterranean Gull, five Bar-tailed Godwit and single Greenshank and Turnstone.

Elsewhere eight Sand Martin were over the saltmarsh, four Swift flew through and single Wheatear and Willow Warbler were on site.

Wildlife News: A Grey Seal was in the estuary and two Harbour Porpoise were offshore. Butterflies included Small Tortoiseshell and Brown Argus, with good numbers of Beewolf on the wing.

Saturday 7th August

Counts from the Bight over the evening tide included 120 Ringed Plover, 64 Sandwich and 22 Common Tern, 40 Dunlin, 10 Mediterranean Gull, two Bar-tailed Godwit, two Grey Plover and two Whimbrel. Offshore the first juvenile Kittiwake of the year, along with 30 Gannet and a Common Scoter. 

Ringed Plover (Dutch ringed) - Lee Collins

Friday 6th August

A low tide visit with little to report but a late brood of Mallard on the Main Pond and Cirl Bunting still feeding young in the nest show the breeding season has not yet finished, despite the presence of over 70 returning Exe ringed Oystercatcher in the estuary.

Wildlife News: A Wasp Spider on the Golf Course was the highlight, only the second record in four years, it was feared this species had been lost from the Recording Area.

Wasp Spider - Lee Collins

Thursday 5th August

Seawatching early morning saw eight Balearic Shearwater head south along with 48 Manx Shearwater,  two Arctic Skua, 30 Kittiwake, 22 Gannet, 11 Common and four Sandwich Tern, nine Common Scoter, eight Fulmar, a juvenile Mediterranean Gull and a Whimbrel. 

Elsewhere 26 Sanderling were on the beach with 26 Sandwich and two Common Tern, 21 Ringed Plover, five Dunlin and a Turnstone in the Bight at low tide.

Sunday 1st August

A Wood Sandpiper flying around the saltmarsh was the highlight, and the 44th site record, with other sightings from the estuary including 71 Sandwich and nine Common Tern, 30 Ringed and a Little Ringed Plover, 27 Whimbrel, 15 Sanderling, 12 Dunlin, 12 Mediterranean Gull, nine Greenshank, six Bar-tailed Godwit and a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull.

Elsewhere a Nuthatch and six Willow Warbler were on site, three Great-crested Grebe were offshore and overhead there were 49 Swift, 25 Swallow, six House and a Sand Martin.