Saturday 30th November

The wintering Spotted Redshank made one of its infrequent visits on the rising evening tide, hidden amongst 169 Redshank and seven Greenshank. Other counts included 567 Wigeon, 316 Dark and a Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 100 Teal, 77 Common and a Mediterranean Gull, 71 Shelduck, a Kingfisher and a Great Northern Diver, with it or another sadly found dead later on. 

Elsewhere two Snipe and a Jack Snipe were in Greenland Lake, 11 Cirl Bunting, six Chiffchaff and three Goldcrest were on site and 11 Common Scoter, five Great Northern Diver and four Eider were offshore.

Other Wildlife: The Grey Squirrel was seen again around the Crocus Compound mid morning with presumably the same collecting acorns on the Golf Course. An adult Common and juvenile Grey Seal were on Finger Point early morning with a gingery juvenile Common Seal there later in the day.

Friday 29th November

The eastern Chiffchaff was around the Main Pond occasionally joined by a roving flock of 14 Long-tailed Tit, five Chiffchaff and three Goldcrest. The resident male Sparrowhawk was more interested in the Linnet flock on Warren Point.

Sparrowhawk - Jim Summers

Elsewhere eight Great Crested Grebe were in the estuary at low tide with four Great Northern Diver and an Eider offshore.

Monday 25th November

Interest in the estuary included a Golden Plover roosting with 73 Grey Plover, a Great Northern Diver and three Pale-bellied Brent Geese, with other counts including 65 Bar-tailed Godwit, 56 Shelduck, 41 Knot and 11 Sanderling.

Pale-bellied Brent Geese - Alan Keatley

Elsewhere there was little offshore except for two Great Northern Diver, it was also quiet in the bushes, although there was a candidate for an eastern Chiffchaff amongst with three other standard Chiffchaff around the Main Pond, although it didn't seem quite right on call or plumage for a pure tristis. 

Other Wildlife: The return to sunny dry weather encouraged a few insects on to the wing with a couple of Honey Bee and Common Wasp on the Gorse and several Buff-tailed Bumblebee on ornamental Hebe. Less expected was a very late Painted Lady briefly along the Back Path. 

More terrestrial insects included Lesser Cockroach and Kelisia sabulicola, a planthopper, in the dunes.

Kelisia sabulicola - Alan Keatley

Lesser Cockroach - Alan Keatley

Sunday 24th November

Bert delivered an even wetter and windier day with counts from a morning seawatch including 181 Kittiwake, 26 Gannet, seven Fulmar and single Common Scoter and a Great Northern Diver. 

Elsewhere 22 Sanderling were on the beach with four Chiffchaff, two Goldcrest and two Bullfinch were in the bushes. 

Beach changes - David Flack

Saturday 23rd November

Bert's arrival saw a very wet and windy day on site, but there was little passing offshore with an hour early morning only revealing a few Kittiwake heading S or foraging with an adult Mediterranean and several Common Gull. A Great Northern Diver on the sea was occasionally glimpsed between the waves.

Common Gull - Jim Summers

Counts from The Bight over high tide included 340+ Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 102 Shelduck, 74 Bar-tailed Godwit, 58 Knot, 24 Sanderling, five Ringed Plover, three Red-breasted Merganser and a Great Northern Diver. 

Ringing News: Another good day for Dunlin, with 15 colour-ringed birds noted, all from the Exe scheme and including several new for the winter, a couple of Oystercatcher were also new for the winter, with an Exe ringed Bar-tailed Godwit recorded for the first time since February 2021. 

Friday 22nd November

Counts from the estuary included at least 1420 Dunlin, 152 Dark and three Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 83 Shelduck,  81 Bar and two Black-tailed Godwit, 76 Grey and 38 Ringed Plover, 64 Knot, 27 Sanderling, six Greenshank, three Red-breasted Merganser and a Pintail.

Elsewhere 18 Great Crested Grebe, eight Great Northern and a Red-throated Diver and four Eider were offshore with at least two Chiffchaff in the bushes.

Ringing News: A total of 16 colour-ringed Dunlin were recorded today including the first Polish ringed bird of the winter. 

Wednesday 20th November

The first local ground frost of the winter brought few obvious changes except a reduction to five Chiffchaff on site, with the Dartford Warbler still on the Dune Ridge towards Warren Point. 

Counts from the estuary included 76 Shelduck, 63 Bar and a Black-tailed Godwit, 53 Grey and 18 Ringed Plover, 40 Great Black-backed Gull, three Red-breasted Merganser, two Shoveler and two Pale-bellied Brent Geese.

Elsewhere three Shoveler were at the Main Pond with four Great Northern and a Red-throated Diver offshore.

Ringing News: Three new Great Black-backed Gull were recorded, two 1cy from Portland and northern France and a 3cy from Norway. Three new Exe ringed Dunlin were also recorded, along with nine others.

Monday 18th November

An afternoon visit saw 339 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 61 Shelduck and three Greenshank in the estuary at low tide, with a pair of Shoveler and the Cetti's Warbler at the Main Pond.

Elsewhere eight Chiffchaff, two Goldcrest and a Siskin were in Dead Dolphin Wood and a Common Scoter was offshore.

Sunday 17th November

The first Dartford Warbler of the autumn was on the Dune Ridge above groyne 14, with 12 Chiffchaff and two Firecrest showing further arrivals. Also on site a Swallow around the seawall, five Shoveler, four Water Rail and a Kingfisher at the Main Pond and two Goldcrest and a Coal Tit in the bushes.

Dartford Warbler - Jim Summers

Swallow - Jim Summers

Counts from the estuary included 1105 Dunlin, 1020 Oystercatcher, 797 Wigeon, 313 Dark and three Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 227 Teal, 103 Turnstone, 62 Shelduck, 33 Knot, 21 Sanderling, five Greenshank and single Black-tailed Godwit, Cattle Egret and Pintail.

Pale and Dark-bellied Brent Geese - Jim Summers

Three Eider and a single Great Northern Diver were close in off Langstone Rock, with 11 Common Scoter, two Red-throated and a second Great Northern Diver also offshore.

Other Wildlife: A Grey Seal was fishing the shallows off Warren Point at low tide.

Saturday 16th November

An increase in waders was apparent in the estuary where counts included 1045 Dunlin, 899 Wigeon, 413 Teal, 220 Dark and four Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 190 Redshank, 65 Shelduck, 59 Knot, 55 Grey, 24 Ringed and nine Golden Plover, 55 Bar and four Black-tailed Godwit, four Greenshank, five Pintail and three Cattle Egret. 

Elsewhere 25 Great Crested Grebe, three Eider, two Great Northern and a Red-throated Diver were offshore, with another five Great Northern Diver flying S, two late Swallow and two Grey Wagtail were overhead and single Mistle Thrush and Fieldfare were in the bushes with six Chiffchaff, three Bullfinch, two Goldcrest and the Coal Tit.

Friday 15th November

Two Lesser Redpoll around the back of the Main Pond were the highlight, the first grounded birds of the year. Also around the bushes at least six Chiffchaff, three Goldcrest and a Coal Tit. 

Elsewhere singles of Grey Heron, Kingfisher, Little Grebe and Water Rail were on the Main Pond, with 12 very distant Common Scoter and three Eider offshore.

Grey Heron - Jim Summers

Thursday 14th November

A low tide visit so not much to record from the estuary, with several hundred Dark-bellied Brent Geese and 38 Shelduck feeding across the exposed mudflats. 

Offshore an apparent increase in Great Crested Grebe, with eight alongside a Great Northern Diver and four Eider, the latter on sandbars off Warren Point.

Eider - Dean Hall

Elsewhere two Kingfisher were seen on the Main Pond, with two pairs of Teal, a couple of Water Rail and a Little Grebe, with four Chiffchaff, three Goldcrest and a pair of Bullfinch in Dead Dolphin Wood.

Kingfisher - Dean Hall

Wednesday 13th November

Counts from the estuary on the afternoon high tide included 800 Dunlin, 415 Wigeon, 220 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 209 Curlew, 39 Grey and 38 Ringed Plover, 21 Bar and a Black-tailed Godwit, 15 Knot, 14 Turnstone, 10 Sanderling and a Red-breasted Merganser.

Elsewhere a Cetti's Warbler showed well at the Main Pond, presumably the same was heard earlier along the Back Path, two Water Rail and a Kingfisher were also at the pond, with eight Chiffchaff and three Goldcrest on the sunny side of the bushes.

Other Wildlife: A Red Admiral was by the Dune Pond.

Tuesday 12th November

A busy high tide around The Bight with counts including 302 Curlew, 172 Dark and four Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 67 Shelduck, 40 Bar-tailed Godwit, 38 Ringed and 31 Grey Plover, 24 Knot, 21 Sanderling, a Pintail and a Whimbrel. These flocks attracted the attention of the immature female Peregrine.

Elsewhere a Snow Bunting flew along the beach, 37 Common Scoter and five Eider were offshore, a Kingfisher was at the Main Pond and the Cetti's Warbler, three Chiffchaff and a Coal Tit in the bushes.

Year list addition:

183. Snow Bunting

Ringing news: Another good return with 15 colour-ringed Dunlin recorded, 14 locally ringed and the Welsh bird, three headstarted Curlew, an Exe ringed Grey Plover and several Oystercatcher including a Welsh individual and five new birds for the winter. 

One of these 9N was ringed on 4 February 2018 but last seen in October 2020. It was identified by reading the BTO metal ring, the colour-ring is heavily worn and this is no doubt the reason for the recorded 'absence'. 

Monday 11th November

The Sun made its first appearance of the month, bringing with it a smart male Black Redstart, actively flycatching around the sea defence boulders by the railway footbridge. The first redstart of any kind this year. 

Black Redstart - both Alan Keatley

Elsewhere 450 Dunlin, 145 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 34 Ringed and four Grey Plover, 13 Bar-tailed Godwit and five Sanderling were in the estuary with three Chiffchaff and a Coal Tit in the bushes and a couple of Water Rail squealing from the Main Pond.

Year list addition:

182. Black Redstart

Other Wildlife: The arrival of sunshine saw a few more active insects today with several Honey Bee and Buff-tailed Bumblebee on flowering Gorse. Warming up on the wooden rail in Skipper Meadow, a Red Admiral and the muscid fly Phaonia tuguriorum.

Phaonia tuguriorum - Alan Keatley

On the beach, a couple of Hypocassus dimidiatus clown beetle were below the geotubes.

Hypocassus dimidiatus - Alan Keatley

Sunday 10th November

Some light but varied vismig early morning with the highlight 24 Fieldfare, the first of the year, also overhead 170 Woodpigeon, 22 Chaffinch, 22 Skylark, 19 Jackdaw, 12 Redwing, seven Lapwing, two Bullfinch and single Grey Wagtail, Jay and Rook.

The Spotted Redshank made a reappearance in the estuary where counts included 1063 Wigeon, 220 Teal, 43 Turnstone, 29 Ringed and two Grey Plover, 14 Greenshank, 13 Sanderling, three Knot, two Black-tailed Godwit, two Mediterranean Gull, a Kingfisher and a Pintail.

Elsewhere five Common Scoter, five Eider and a Red-breasted Merganser were offshore with three Chiffchaff, three Goldcrest and single Blackcap, Coal Tit and Firecrest in the bushes.

Year list addition:

181. Fieldfare

Saturday 9th November

Counts from the estuary included 560 Dunlin, 62 Turnstone, 46 Shelduck, 41 Ringed Plover, 28 Sanderling, 11 Greenshank, three Pintail and single Black-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel and Red-breasted Merganser. 

Elsewhere two Egyptian Geese flew in off the sea, with 49 Chaffinch, 49 Goldfinch, five Siskin and a Grey Wagtail overhead and two Firecrest in the bushes, along with six Chiffchaff, three Goldcrest, two Redwing and a Blackcap.

Ringing News: A total of nine colour-ringed Dunlin were noted today, seven Exe ringed birds, a Welsh bird that was here last winter and a new Spanish ringed bird that is presumably still on its way south...

Friday 8th November

Counts from the estuary included 830 Dunlin, 225 Curlew, 36 Grey and 31 Ringed Plover, 22 Bar-tailed Godwit, 22 Knot, 13 Sanderling and the late/overwintering? Whimbrel.

Elsewhere the five Eider, two Common Scoter, a Great Northern Diver and an adult Mediterranean Gull were offshore with seven Chiffchaff, five Goldcrest and a Coal Tit in the bushes.

Other Wildlife: The continuing dull overcast weather has effectively put a lid on flying insects with just a few Common Wasp hanging on to the remaining Ivy flowers. Not particularly affected by the weather a seaweed rove beetle Cafius xantholoma was found under driftwood and under a log in the dunes, a Coastal Groundbug Beosus maritimus. 

Coastal Groundbug Beosus maritimus - Alan Keatley

Cafius xantholoma - Alan Keatley

Ever present, but only occasionally spotted, a Stoat ran across the carpark.

Giant Willow Aphid - Alan Keatley

Wednesday 6th November

A Yellow-browed Warbler was found in the Entrance Bushes, the autumn's fourth, with a Lapwing in the estuary the only other news received. 

Tuesday 5th November

Counts from the estuary included 306 Dark-bellied Brent Geese around The Bight (with c600 on Cockle Sands, Exmouth), 46 Turnstone, 32 Sanderling, 29 Bar-tailed Godwit, 16 Knot, 16 Grey Plover, the first Red-breasted Merganser of the winter off Cockwood and a Avocet swimming with wildfowl in The Bight.

Elsewhere the five Eider and the Great Northern Diver were offshore, five Siskin were overhead, the Cetti's Warbler was at the Main Pond and the bushes held 10 Chiffchaff, five Goldcrest and a Coal Tit.

Other Wildlife: A late Migrant Hawker was still active around the Main Pond. 

Sunday 3rd November

Any hopes of vismig were largely dashed by the wind, but the easterlies had brought in new arrivals, including a juvenile Little Gull briefly in the Bight before heading out to sea, a Golden Plover on the Golf Course, five Lapwing in The Bight, an overnight doubling to c500 Dunlin and the first juvenile Dark-bellied Brent Goose, the only one amongst 423 birds.

Less bothered by the wind, a juvenile Marsh Harrier flew over just after 8am with the year's first Short-eared Owl doing the same two hours later. 

Other counts from the estuary included 1172 Wigeon, 1016 Oystercatcher, 371 Teal, 311 Curlew, 62 Great Black-backed and a Mediterranean Gull, 46 Turnstone, 34 Bar and two Black-tailed Godwit, 11 Sanderling, 10 Greenshank, eight Knot, eight Cattle Egret, two Shoveler, a Whimbrel and a Pale-bellied Brent Goose.

Elsewhere the summer plumaged Great Northern Diver, 19 Common Scoter and five Eider were offshore, a Cetti's Warbler was on the Golf Course and nine Chiffchaff, five Goldcrest and a Coal Tit were on site. 

Year list addition:

181. Short-eared Owl

Ringing News: Unfortunately the cannon was not fired so there are no additional DCWRG birds to look out for on the Exe. 

Over 40 previously ringed Oystercatcher were recorded though including E1, rung here in Feb 2018 but since only ever seen in late winter. 

Other recoveries included a 1cy Great Black-backed Gull from Looe, Cornwall and a fourth returning DCWRG Dunlin. 

Saturday 2nd November

Counts from the estuary at high tide included 957 Wigeon, 367 Dark and five Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 306 Curlew, 270 Redshank, 251 Teal, 240 Dunlin, 83 Great Black-backed, 19 Common and a Mediterranean Gull, 76 Turnstone, 30 Bar-tailed Godwit, 15 Ringed and 10 Grey Plover, eight Sanderling, seven Greenshank and single Kingfisher, Knot, Pintail, Shoveler and Whimbrel.

Elsewhere five immature Eider and two Great Northern Diver, one in summer plumage, were offshore, 203 Carrion Crow and three Jackdaw were on the mudflats preroost and five Chiffchaff, three Bullfinch, two Goldcrest and a Coal Tit.

Ringing News: Ahead of a new cannon-netting session tomorrow, ring reading was productive including five Curlew, three from the Exe and headstarted birds from Dorset and Suffolk, three Exe ringed Dunlin back for another winter and two regular Great Black-backed Gull from Looe, Cornwall and Portland, Dorset.