Wednesday 30th April

Single Swift and Yellow Wagtail were overhead with other migrants limited to a Sedge Warbler at the Main Pond and two Chiffchaff and a Willow Warbler on Warren Point.

Willow Warbler - Dave Jewell

Counts from the estuary on the morning tide included 18 Shelduck, 18 Dunlin, 15 Bar-tailed Godwit, nine Ringed Plover, six Whimbrel and two Sanderling.

Offshore there were six Eider, four Sandwich Tern, two Common Scoter and two Great Crested Grebe, with evening counts of 245 Black-headed and a 2cy Mediterranean Gull, 54 Manx Shearwater and 21 Great Northern Diver.

Other Wildlife: The continuing warm and sunny conditions saw the year's first Brimstone, a site scarcity, head east along the Dune Ridge, with Cinnabar, Large White, Red-banded Sand Wasp Ammophila sabulosa and, having presumably emerged at the Main Pond, an teneral Azure Damselfly in the Crocus Meadow, all on the wing for the first time.  

The highlights were two new ground beetles for the Warren, a springtail hunting Loricera pilicornis and a Bluish Plate-jaw Leistus fulvibarbis in the damp areas in the Entrance Bushes. Enjoying the same conditions in Greenland Lake, the second record of Fleabane Tortoise Beetle Cassida murraea.

Bluish Plate-jaw Leistus fulvibarbis - Alan Keatley

Loricera pilicornis - Alan Keatley

Fleabane Tortoise Beetle Cassida murraea - Alan Keatley

Bugs included the first Hawthorn Shieldbug Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale and the black and red Corizus hyoscyami of the year, with Orthoptera represented by Common and Slender Groundhopper. 

Slender Groundhopper - Alan Keatley

Tuesday 29th April

The unseasonably warm and sunny weather again seemed to limit migration with two of five singing Reed Warbler and two Wheatear all that could be found on site. However as the temperatures cooled early evening a small easterly movement of hirundines with at least 25 Swallow, 14 Swift and nine House Martin. 

Also heading east, but well offsite, were four Crane high over the upper estuary north of Powderham, picked up thanks to news of them heading south over Exminster Marshes. 

Whimbrel numbers also increased over the evening tide with at least 110 birds present as well as a brief staying flock of five Greenshank which left high north on the rising tide. Aside from Oystercatcher, other waders around The Bight were limited with 11 Bar-tailed Godwit, eight Ringed Plover, six Turnstone, four Dunlin and two Sanderling.

Whimbrel - Lee Collins

A pale phase adult Arctic Skua close inshore also appeared late evening with five Sandwich Tern, two Great Northern Diver and single Common Scoter, Great Crested Grebe and Eider offshore.

Great Crested Grebe - Lee Collins

Elsewhere a pair of Great Crested Grebe were displaying in the estuary and a Little Grebe was carrying two tiny chicks at the Main Pond. 

Other Wildlife: The weather encouraged the early appearance of two day-flying moths, a Yellow Belle in Greenland Lake was the third earliest for Devon and a Mother Shipton along the railway seawall is the earliest, and first April, Devon record. It was also only the second Recording Area sighting after one on 22 May 2022. A female Muslin Moth at Langstone Rock was a more typical date but just the third record. 

Monday 28th April

Mirror calm conditions offshore this evening again allowed a count of roosting divers with at least 25 Great Northern Diver present, mostly in breeding plumage and distant. Also present seven Common Scoter, five Manx Shearwater, three Sandwich Tern, a Great Crested Grebe and the immature male Eider.

Counts from the estuary over the evening tide included 54 Whimbrel, 41 Bar-tailed Godwit, 16 Dunlin, four Sanderling and single Greenshank, Grey Plover and a very late Snipe. 

The only noticeable passerine migrants were two Sedge Warbler, one singing in scrub by the railway footbridge and a Wheatear in Greenland Lake.

Wheatear - Alan Keatley

Other Wildlife: Increasing activity and variety amongst the insects, with Dark-edged Beefly and Early Bumblebee and the first Green Longhorn Adela reaumurella of the year around the Entrance Bushes. Other day-flying moths included increasing numbers of Grey Gorse Piercer Cydia ulicetana, Wood-rush Casebearer Coleophora otidipennella and Swan-feather Dwarf Elachista argentella on the wing.

Early Bumblebee - Alan Keatley

Swan-feather Dwarf Elachista argentella - Alan Keatley

Other new emergences for the year included the dagger fly Empis tessellata, the anthomyiidae fly Hydrophoria lancifer and a willow gall weevil Archarius salicivorus. 

Archarius salicivorus - Alan Keatley

Empis tessellata - Alan Keatley

Sunday 27th April

Coverage of both high tides saw significant differences but in weather, a fog bound morning and a bright sunny evening, rather than numbers. Counts included 54 Whimbrel, 16 Dunlin, 12 Bar-tailed Godwit, five Sanderling, five Turnstone, three Ringed and two Grey Plover, two Curlew and a Greenshank. 

A fogbow which occurred just as the sun started to come through and it started to lift over The Bight - David Flack

With counts from the estuary similar to those on yesterday's evening tide it was not surprising there were no obvious new migrants on site and just four Swallow, a Grey Heron and a House Martin flew through. It was also quiet offshore with just three Sandwich Tern present.

Other Wildlife: The highlight was the first Streamer for 24 years found roosting near security lights. 

Streamer - Kevin Rylands

Once the fog cleared, insects were active in the sunny conditions, with the second site record of Buff-tailed Bearfly Croirhina floccosa the pick of the hoverflies. Others included the first Superb Ant-hill Hoverfly Xanthogramma pedissequum of the year, Spring Epistrophe E. eligans and Batman Hoverfly Myathropa florea. 

Superb Ant-hill Hoverfly Xanthogramma pedissequum - Kevin Rylands

The sawfly Aglaostigma aucupariae, Dark-edged Beefly Bombylius major and Orange-tailed Mining Bee Andrena haemorrhoa were noted amongst a wide range of species.

Aglaostigma aucupariae - Kevin Rylands

Celery Fly Euleia heraclei - Kevin Rylands

Saturday 26th April

A day of migration, especially in the estuary, with waders often leaving north in small groups, this was reflected over the high tides with numbers much lower in the evening, although some new birds had also arrived. 

Minimum counts included 109 Whimbrel, 87 Dunlin, 41 Bar and 24 Black-tailed Godwit, 22 Ringed and three Grey Plover, nine Sanderling, seven Turnstone, three Knot, a Common Sandpiper and a Greenshank. Also in the estuary, nine Pale and two Dark-bellied Brent Geese and a pair of Shoveler.

Unseasonal wildfowl also appeared offshore with four Teal and a pair of Wigeon on the sea along with two Great Crested Grebe, two Great Northern Diver and the immature male Eider. Also offshore six Sandwich and a Common Tern with a second Common Sandpiper on the beach.

Elsewhere the first Swift of the year was overhead with 10 Swallow, two Sand and a House Martin and grounded migrants included at least six Wheatear, five Whitethroat and two Sedge Warbler.

Year list addition: 

141. Swift

Other Wildlife: The Early Purple Orchid that first appeared last year is again in flower at the eastern end of Greenland Lake. Late news of two new fly species for the Warren, the near threatened Sea Club-rush chloropod Eurina lurida and the widespread heleomyzid fly Tephrochlamys rufiventris.

Eurina lurida - both Alan Keatley

Tephrochlamys rufiventris - Alan Keatley

Friday 25th April

The first Little Ringed Plover of the year was briefly around the shore of The Bight on the evening tide with other records including 37 Whimbrel, 19 Dunlin, 13 Bar-tailed Godwit, six Ringed Plover, four Sanderling and a Greenshank. 

Elsewhere 99 Black-headed and a Common Gull were offshore with six Manx Shearwater, three Sandwich Tern, a Fulmar and the immature male Eider. Migrants included three Wheatear, two Swallow and a new Reed Warbler in the Golf Course Pond. Late news of the first Jay of the year which flew over on Monday.

Year list additions: 

140. Little Ringed Plover

139. Jay 

Thursday 24th April

Wader counts from The Bight on evening high tide included 51 Whimbrel, 12 Dunlin, nine Bar-tailed Godwit, six Ringed Plover and a Sanderling, with c150 Black-headed and a Common Gull also in estuary.

Elsewhere a summer plumaged Great Northern Diver, eight Eider and eight Sandwich Tern were offshore with summer migrants limited to those already on territory. 

Cirl Bunting (male) - Tim Dix

Linnet - Dean Hall

Other Wildlife: Variety continues to increase amongst invertebrates including a new muscid fly Grizzled Bristleshin Phaonia serva for the Recording Area, a widespread species favouring buttercups.

Grizzled Bristleshin Phaonia serva - Alan Keatley 

In Greenland Lake several Iris Flea Beetle Aphthona nonstriata were on emerging Yellow Iris leaves, along with the small cranefly Phylidorea ferruginea.

Phylidorea ferruginea - Alan Keatley

Iris Flea Beetle Aphthona nonstriata - Alan Keatley

Elsewhere the first nomad bee of the year, a Marsham's Nomada marshamella, was near Langstone Rock and two further Green-winged Orchid are now in flower, both on the Golf Course.

Marsham's Nomad Bee Nomada marshamella - Alan Keatley

Orange-tip - Alan Keatley

Wednesday 23rd April

Early morning counts from offshore included 32 Gannet, five Common Scoter, four Sandwich Tern, three Great Northern and three Red-throated Diver, two Swallow and a Fulmar.

Elsewhere no sign of new migrants with numbers in the bushes similar to recent days. 

Tuesday 22nd April

A continuing small arrival of migrants, although the highlight were actually departures, with two Spoonbill south mid morning presumably the birds present at the north end of the estuary for several weeks. 

The low high tide saw, with the notable exception of at least 66 Whimbrel, few waders in the estuary with just eight Bar and a Black-tailed Godwit, seven Ringed Plover and a Greenshank on the exposed mudflats, with a Common Sandpiper with three Turnstone at Langstone Rock. 

Great Crested Grebe - Dave Jewell

Elsewhere the first Common Tern of the year was offshore with 115 Black-headed Gull, eight Sandwich Tern, eight Eider, seven Common Scoter, four Red-throated and three Great Northern Diver. The only other obvious migrants were two Wheatear on site and single Sand Martin and Swallow overhead. 

Year list additions:

138. Spoonbill

137. Common Tern 

Other Wildlife: An increasing selection of insects alongside the greening and flowering of scrubby areas. New emergences for the year included a Dark-edged Bee-fly Bombylius major, Green Furrow Bee Lasioglossum morio, Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana moth and a nettle weevil Nedyus quadrimaculatus. Also on nettles, a new dung fly for the Recording Area, a Many-bristled Timothy Fly Cleigastra fasciata.

Dark-edged Bee-fly Bombylius major - Alan Keatley

Green Furrow Bee Lasioglossum morio - Alan Keatley

Many-bristled Timothy Fly Cleigastra fasciata - Alan Keatley

Also on the wing the hoverfly Stripe-backed Fleckwing Dasysyrphus albostriatus and a Common Buff Snailkiller Tetanocera ferruginea. 

Common Buff Snailkiller Tetanocera ferruginea - Alan Keatley

Small Copper - Dave Jewell

Beetles were represented by the ground beetle Common Heart-shield Nebris brevicollis, the pea weevil Sitona lineatus and the seed beetle Oulema melanopus s.l., the latter both surprisingly found on the seawall lifeguard post.

Common Heart-shield Nebris brevicollis - Alan Keatley

Oulema melanopus s.l. - Alan Keatley

Monday 21st April

A welcome arrival of migrants was seemingly limited to a Grasshopper and three Sedge Warbler, three Wheatear and a second Reed Warbler singing at the Main Pond, with numbers of Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Whitethroat similar to recent days. Overhead, 20 Swallow, a Buzzard and a Yellow Wagtail. 

The lone arrival offshore was a single Little Tern with just a single Sandwich Tern for company. Also present eight Eider, two Great Northern and a Red-throated Diver, two Mediterranean Gull and single Common Scoter and Great Crested Grebe.

In the estuary, the highlight was the year's first Great White Egret feeding off Cockwood on the rising tide, although now anticipated each year this is only the 22nd record for the Warren. Other records included 304 Oystercatcher, 37 Whimbrel, 29 Dunlin, 20 Bar-tailed Godwit, 10 Turnstone, seven Ringed Plover, two Dark-bellied Brent Geese and single Greenshank, Red-breasted Merganser and Sanderling.

Year list additions:
136. Great White Egret

Other Wildlife: The first Green-veined White of the year was on the wing with half a dozen Orange-tip and a couple of Small Copper. A couple of St Mark's Fly Bibio marci and a Gossamer Hoverfly Baccha elongata were also flying for the first time. 

Sunday 20th April

An Arctic Tern was offshore with just four Sandwich Tern along with 40 Gannet, eight Eider (five female, two adult and an immature male), four Manx Shearwater, two Common Scoter and two Great Northern Diver.

Counts from the estuary included 44 Whimbrel, 17 Bar-tailed Godwit, 13 Dunlin, two Dark-bellied Brent Geese, two Redshank, single Great Crested Grebe, Knot and Red-breasted Merganser and a lost Common Scoter that flew low over The Bight. 

The first Lesser Whitethroat of the year was the pick of the migrants with other counts including 11 Chiffchaff, five Blackcap, four Whitethroat, two Reed and a Willow Warbler and a Wheatear with six Swallow, a Sand Martin and a Siskin overhead. 

Year list addition:
135. Lesser Whitethroat

Green-winged Orchid - Kevin Rylands

Saturday 19th April

A noticeable arrival of birds in the estuary after yesterday's wet weather, the highlight of which was a very smart summer plumaged Spotted Redshank, just the third April record after birds on 19th April 1971 and 23rd April 1983. It was also the first black adult since a moulting bird on 20th July 2011. It associated with a flock of godwits, before the flock left on the dropping tide, although the godwits later returned.

Spotted Redshank - Lee Collins

Other counts over high tide included 91 Dunlin, 73 Whimbrel, 63 Bar and a Black-tailed Godwit, 22 Ringed and eight Grey Plover, 13 Sanderling, eight Turnstone, two Dark-bellied Brent Geese, two Redshank and single Greenshank, Knot and Avocet, the latter just the seventh April record.

Also in the estuary, but outside the Recording Area, c85 Pale-bellied Brent Geese and five Little Tern were on Cockle Sands, Exmouth. 

Earlier at least two Little Tern had been feeding offshore with at least 51 Sandwich Tern, eight Mediterranean Gull (seven 2cy & a 3cy) and an albino Herring Gull. Single Arctic and Great Skua flew south along with 27 Common Scoter, four Fulmar, three Great Northern Diver and a pair of Tufted Duck. A summer plumaged Great Northern Diver, eight Eider and a Red-breasted Merganser were on the sea. 

At least 60 Swallow and nine Sand Martin flew through with five Blackcap, two Whitethroat, two Reed and a Willow Warbler not suggesting any arrivals in the bushes. 

Year list additions:
134. Spotted Redshank
133. Little Tern
132. Great Skua
131. Arctic Skua

Friday 18th April

Little reward for those braving the rain this morning with a 2h 45 min seawatch recording just 61 Gannet, 47 auk sp., 20 Kittiwake, 18 Common Scoter, nine Fulmar, two Red-throated and a diver sp. south. 

Counts from the estuary included 262 Oystercatcher, 31 Whimbrel, 30 Bar-tailed Godwit, six Sandwich Tern, five Grey Plover, a Knot and a Dark-bellied Brent Goose.

Migrants were limited to three Sand Martin and two Swallow with nine Chiffchaff, two Blackcap and single Reed and Willow Warbler still present.

Thursday 17th April

Highlights from an early morning visit included four Sandwich Tern, three Common Scoter, two female Eider and two Red-throated Diver offshore with two Little Egret heading south.

Overhead two Chaffinch, two Jackdaw and a Swallow with nine Chiffchaff, four Blackcap, three Whitethroat and single Reed and Willow Warbler in the bushes. 

Early afternoon 17 Dunlin, eight Whimbrel and seven Ringed Plover were in The Bight at low tide with at least 40 Sandwich Tern offshore and a flock of 11 Mute Swan flew east.

Other Wildlife: An increase in invertebrate activity with several species appearing for the first time this year including Coastal Silver-stiletto Acrosathe annulata, Batman Hoverfly Myathropa florea and the picture-winged fly Euleia heraclei, although the latter's leafmining larvae are recorded through the winter. 

Coastal Silver-stiletto Acrosathe annulata - Alan Keatley

Mining bees were well represented with Black Andrena pilipes, Sandpit A. barbilabris, Buffish A. nigroaenea, Orange-tailed A. haemorrhoa, Chocolate A. scotica and Yellow-legged A. flavipes on the wing.

In the sand dunes the nationally scarce ground spider Zelotes electus was active with the woodlouse spider Dysdera crocata and the red ant Myrmica ruginodis also enjoying the warming sands.

Zelotes electus - Alan Keatley

Myrmica ruginodis - Alan Keatley

Dysdera crocata - Alan Keatley

Wednesday 16th April

Three Arctic and 20 Sandwich Tern were offshore early morning along with three Eider and singles of Common Scoter, Great Crested Grebe, Manx Shearwater, Great Northern and Red-throated Diver. 

Counts from the estuary included 31 Bar-tailed Godwit, 15 Dunlin, 14 Whimbrel, nine Ringed and a Grey Plover, five Turnstone, a Knot and a Sanderling.

Elsewhere a Common Sandpiper was on the Main Pond and other migrants included four Wheatear, a Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Willow Warbler with two Swallow and the year's first Yellow Wagtail overhead.

Year list additions:
130. Common Sandpiper
129. Yellow Wagtail

Tuesday 15th April

After overnight rain a reeling Grasshopper Warbler near the Visitor Centre early morning was a good start but other new migrants were limited to two Wheatear and a Swallow with two Reed Warbler and Whitethroat holding territory. 

Further arrivals in the estuary included the first two Arctic Tern of the year, a flock of 21 Pale-bellied Brent Geese that flew north mid-morning were off Exmouth on Cockle Sands in the evening and a flock of 11 Dark-bellied Brent Geese included a family party of five, something not seen on the Exe this winter.

Other counts from the estuary included 30 Bar and a migrant flock of 15 Black-tailed Godwit, 17 Ringed and six Grey Plover, 16 Dunlin, 16 Whimbrel, four Sanderling and a Greenshank.

Offshore 17 Sandwich Tern, three Eider, two Manx Shearwater and a Great Northern Diver.

Year list additions:
128. Arctic Tern
127. Grasshopper Warbler

Other Wildlife: The Grey Squirrel was by the First Pond. Late news of the ground beetle Pteriostichus anthracinus found in the Entrance Bushes on 29th March. A first for the Recording Area and the first Devon record since 2004 for this nationally scarce species. 

Pterostichus anthracinus - Alan Keatley

Pterostichus anthracinus - Alan Keatley