Tuesday 1st October

There was no sign of the Yellow-browed Warbler but a Pied Flycatcher in the Entrance Bushes mirrored one on the same date last year. There have only been two other October records, both on the 3rd in 1974 & 1980. 

Pied Flycatcher - Jim Summers

Elsewhere five Chiffchaff were on site, the Long-billed Dowitcher was again in an area with no general access, five Sandwich and a juvenile Common Tern were on Finger Point and a Buzzard flew low over Dead Dolphin Wood, mobbed by the resident Kestrel. 

Other Wildlife: In the warm weather a total of nineteen Common Lizard were basking in a favoured area, mostly small immatures, suggesting a good breeding season on site. Also active in the warm weather, a “late” Early Mason Wasp Ancistrocerus nigricornis, several Common Darter, a few Migrant Hawker, a Comma and a Clouded Yellow.

Early Mason Wasp Ancistrocerus nigricornis - Alan Keatley

Other records included the first attempted breeding of Rosemary Beetle, and on the beach, Black Marram Weevil Otiorhynchus atroapterus and hundreds of cockles deposited by the recent gale.

Rosemary Beetle - Alan Keatley

Black Marram Weevil Otiorhynchus atroapterus - Alan Keatley

Cockles - Alan Keatley

The only Clouded Yellow butterfly I’ve seen this year. Fantastic to see. Dawlish Warren nature reserve Devon @WarrenBirding @savebutterflies @ukbutterflies @Natures_Voice @WildlifeMag #butterflies #devon #dawlish pic.twitter.com/JidvPqNfCc

— Tim Ridgeway (@TimTim292) October 1, 2024