Saturday 31st May

With no news from the estuary the most notable records were eight Sandwich Tern and three breeding plumaged Great Northern Diver offshore and a Tawny Owl being mobbed in the Entrance Bushes. 

Other Wildlife: The day's highlight was the discovery of a Brimstone caterpillar on the site's only Alder Buckthorn, the first confirmed breeding for the Recording Area. 

Brimstone - Kevin Rylands

Other lepidopteran finds included three new moth species for the Warren, White-barred Gold Micropterix aruncella, Italian Tubic Metalampra italica and Thistle Case-bearer Coleophora peribenanderi. 

Italian Tubic Metalampra italica - Kevin Rylands

Thistle Case-bearer Coleophora peribenanderi - Kevin Rylands

Thistle Case-bearer feeding signs on Creeping Thistle - Kevin Rylands

Friday 30th May

Counts from the estuary included 86 Sanderling, 37 Dunlin, 29 Ringed and a Grey Plover, eight Whimbrel, a Bar-tailed Godwit and a Turnstone. 

Elsewhere 15 Common Scoter, four Sandwich Tern and three Mediterranean Gull, a smart adult and two less striking 2cy, were offshore. 

Other Wildlife: The highlight was a new beetle for the Recording Area, the Withy Weevil Cryptorhynchus lapathi, just the fourth Devon record for the scarce species. Other beetles recorded today included the darkling beetle Isomira murina and the click beetle Athous haemorrhoidalis.

Withy Weevil Cryptorhynchus lapathi - Alan Keatley

The fencing around Skipper Meadow saw a range of species searching out old screw holes, including Red Mason Bee Osmia bicornis, Willow Mason-wasp Symmorphus bifasciatus and a spider wasp, probably Variable Spider Wasp Dipogon variegatus.

Red Mason Bee Osmia bicornis - Alan Keatley

Willow Mason-wasp Symmorphus bifasciatus - Alan Keatley

A good day for other spider wasps included Potter Spider Wasp Auplopus carbonarius and Wall Spider Wasp Agenioideus apicalis near the station and Leaden Spider Wasp Pompilus cinereus on the Dune Ridge.

Elsewhere a Common Dolphin was offshore, three Painted Lady were on site and the first Black-tailed Skimmer of the year was in Greenland Lake.

Mullein Moth - Kevin Rylands

Thursday 29th May

Counts from The Bight over the evening high tide included 106 Sanderling, 47 Dunlin, 32 Ringed and a Grey Plover, 11 Whimbrel, 10 Sandwich Tern and two Turnstone. 

Ectophasia crassipennis -  Kevin Rylands

Bumblebee Plumehorn Volucella bombylans var. bombylans - Kevin Rylands 

Wednesday 28th May

A good number of passage waders around The Bight and beach on both high tides with minimum counts of 116 Sanderling, 65 Dunlin, 41 Ringed and a Grey Plover, 14 Whimbrel, eight Bar-tailed Godwit and four Turnstone.

Elsewhere 10 Great Northern Diver, five Sandwich Tern, four Manx Shearwater and the immature male Eider were offshore with at least 17 Swift over mid evening. 

Blue Tit - Lee Collins

Other Wildlife: The first Red-eyed Damselfly of the year were oviposting on the Main Pond, with a rain-battered Small Yellow Underwing and the cuckoo wasp Chrysis impressa in the Skipper Meadow.

Small Yellow Underwing - Alan Keatley

Chrysis impressa - Alan Keatley

It was a good day for longhorn beetles with three species recorded including the nationally scarce Golden-haired Longhorn (Hornet Beetle) Leptura aurulenta egg laying on a rotting log on the golf course, Black and Yellow Longhorn Rutpela maculata and Fairy-ring Longhorn Pseudovadonia livida.

Golden-haired Longhorn Leptura aurulenta - Lee Collins

Fairy-ring Longhorn Pseudovadonia livida - Alan Keatley

Black and Yellow Longhorn Rutpela maculata - Alan Keatley

Also recorded the ground bug Megalonotus praetextatus, an early Yellow-barred Peat Hoverfly Sericomyia silentis and a Painted Lady.

Megalonotus praetextatus - Alan Keatley

Monday 26th May

An Arctic Tern was offshore with three Sandwich Tern early morning along with 54 Kittiwake, 18 Great Northern Diver, five Common Scoter and a Manx Shearwater. 

Elsewhere counts from the estuary at high tide included 111 Sanderling, 84 Dunlin and 27 Ringed Plover.

Sunday 25th May

Five Great Northern Diver and four Mediterranean Gull were offshore early morning, with 12 Canada Geese heading S and a Grey Heron in off. Also moving today 57 Swift overhead and a Cuckoo through the bushes.

Elsewhere counts from the estuary included 352 Oystercatcher, 183 Sanderling, 55 Dunlin, 18 Ringed Plover and six Bar-tailed Godwit.

Other Wildlife: A single spike of Bee Orchid was in flower near the Dune Pond, and a Buff-tip was found in Greenland Lake.

Buff-tip - David Flack

Saturday 24th May

A morning of wader migration headlined by a very brief summer plumaged American Golden Plover on Finger Point before it headed high NW up the estuary just before 6am, the third site record. Unfortunately news was not shared with other observers on site, or around the Exe, for several hours.

Waders were arriving in off throughout the early morning high tide with counts including 147 Sanderling, 65 Dunlin, 29 Ringed Plover, 12 Bar-tailed Godwit, 11 Whimbrel, four Turnstone and a Grey Plover.

Elsewhere 11 Common Scoter, three Great Northern Diver, a Sandwich Tern and a 3cy Mediterranean Gull were offshore

Other Wildlife: At least two Common Dolphin were offshore. 

Friday 23rd May

A Great White Egret in the saltmarsh was the highlight over the afternoon high tide, with wader counts including 62 Sanderling, 41 Dunlin, 16 Ringed Plover, 14 Whimbrel, three Curlew and a Turnstone.

Great White Egret - both Lee Collins

Offshore 20 Manx Shearwater, 10 Common Scoter, two Great Crested Grebe, two Sandwich Tern and a Fulmar. 

Thursday 22nd May

Continuing signs of migration in the estuary at least with counts of 43 Sanderling, 29 Ringed Plover, 17 Dunlin and a Whimbrel on the dropping tide. The two Egyptian Geese that flew north over the seawall and into the estuary were presumably more local in origin along with the three Rook and Buzzard overhead.

Elsewhere at least 50 Manx Shearwater were feeding offshore with five Common Scoter, three Common and two Mediterranean Gull, all 2cy, and a breeding plumaged Great Northern Diver.

Other Wildlife: The nationally scarce weevil Pselactus spadix was recorded again around the shore of The Bight, the Warren is the only known extant site for this species in Devon. The larvae are only found on sea-water soaked wood, the same piece of driftwood was also hosting the first two Wharf Borer Nacerdes melanura of the year.

 Pselactus spadix - Alan Keatley

Wharf Borer Nacerdes melanura - Kevin Rylands

Away from the beach other beetles included the longhorn beetle Grammoptera ruficornis, the soldier beetle Cantharis rustica and the Iris Weevil Mononychus punctumalbum.

Iris Weevil Mononychus punctumalbum - Alan Keatley

Cantharis rustica - Alan Keatley

The first Meadow Brown of the year were on the wing with at least four seen in the flower meadows along with a couple of migrant Painted Lady and a Grey Seal was offshore.

Flower Crab Spider - Dean Hall

Tipula oleracea - Dean Hall

Wednesday 21st May

A continuing midsummer feel to proceedings. Wader counts over the high tide were, with the exception of Oystercatcher, limited to 14 Ringed Plover, 12 Dunlin, four Sanderling and four Whimbrel.

Elsewhere 20 Manx Shearwater, 14 Sandwich Tern and a Great Northern Diver were offshore and the local male Kestrel was hunting over site, presumably with chicks to feed back on the mainland. 

Tuesday 20th May

Counts from The Bight at high tide included 17 Sanderling, eight Dunlin, three Bar-tailed Godwit, two Whimbrel and a Sandwich Tern, but there was no sign of the Curlew Sandpiper.

Monday 19th May

The Curlew Sandpiper was reported over the high tide, with 16 Sanderling and six Dunlin still in The Bight at low tide.

Offshore 34 Manx Shearwater, five Common Scoter, two Great Northern Diver and single Eider and Sandwich Tern. 

Other Wildlife: It was another good day for insects with Hymenoptera well represented, bees included White-zoned Furrow Bee Lasioglossum leucozonium, Green-eyed Flower Bee Anthophora bimaculata and Silvery Leafcutter; with the solitary wasps Red-banded Grasshopper Grabber Tachysphex pompiliformis and the ruby-tailed wasp Chrysis ignita and the first Alder Sawfly Eriocampa ovata all on the wing.

Green-eyed Flower Bee Anthophora bimaculata - Alan Keatley

White-zoned Furrow Bee Lasioglossum leucozonium - Alan Keatley

Alder Sawfly Eriocampa ovata - Alan Keatley

New hoverfly emergences were also to the fore, including the first Banded Meliscaeva M. cinctella for the Recording Area, along with Striped-backer Glimmer Riponnensia splendens, Common Pipiza P. noctiluca, Bumblebee Blacklet Cheilosia illustrata and Bumblebee Plumehorn Volucella bombylans.

Striped-backer Glimmer Riponnensia splendens - Alan Keatley

 Ferruginous Fly-grabber Sicus ferrugineus - Alan Keatley

Sunday 18th May

The Curlew Sandpiper remained for the monthly WeBS with other counts from the estuary including 301 Oystercatcher, 43 Sanderling, 13 Whimbrel, 11 Ringed Plover, nine Dunlin, five Curlew and four Bar-tailed Godwit. 

Elsewhere the breeding season is in full swing and three Great Northern Diver, two Sandwich Tern and a Manx Shearwater were offshore.

Linnet - Martin Overy

Stonechat - Martin Overy

Saturday 17th May

The Curlew Sandpiper was present for fourth day joining eight Dunlin, seven Ringed Plover, four Sanderling and three Bar-tailed Godwit in The Bight at high tide.

Curlew Sandpiper & Dunlin - Lee Collins

Curlew Sandpiper - Lee Collins

Elsewhere new migrants were limited to a Spotted Flycatcher in the Entrance Bushes with a Hobby and two House Martin overhead, with counts offshore including 20 Common Scoter, five Sandwich Tern, twos of Great Northern Diver, Manx Shearwater and Mediterranean Gull and an Eider.

Other Wildlife: The first Emperor Dragonfly of the year was on the Main Pond. 

Friday 16th May

The Curlew Sandpiper was again present over the evening tide, but was absent earlier in the day. Counts from the estuary included 275 Oystercatcher ,15 Whimbrel, 14 Sanderling, 10 Ringed Plover, seven Dunlin, four Bar-tailed Godwit and a Turnstone.

Whimbrel - Lee Collins

Ringed Plover & Dunlin (demonstrating rhynchokinesis) - Lee Collins

At least 11 Great Northern Diver were offshore, five distantly south early morning and six on the sea early evening. Also offshore 64 Manx Shearwater, six Common and three Mediterranean Gull, all 2cy, five Sandwich Tern, three Common Scoter and the Eider. 

Elsewhere aside from a passage of 15 Swallow east along the coast, there were only breeding birds on site including six Canada Goose goslings on the Main Pond, joining the young Mallard, Moorhen and Little Grebe. 

Linnet - Dave Jewell

Canada Geese - Alan Keatley

Other Wildlife: The summer-type weather continues with a wide variety of insects making their first appearance of the year. Leading the way were several Red-girdled Mining Bee Andrena labiata on Germander Speedwell in Skipper Meadow, a scarce species rarely recorded on site. 

Red-girdled Mining Bee Andrena labiata - Alan Keatley

A good selection of butterflies, eight species, included a few Painted Lady and Red Admiral, a Wall Brown along the Dune Ridge and a Brimstone by the Visitor Centre. Day time moths on the wing were a Common Tubic Alabonia geoffrella and several Yellow Shell.

Common Tubic Alabonia geoffrella - Alan Keatley

Yellow Shell - Dean Hall

Blue-eyed Grass is emerging alongside the many Southern Marsh Orchid in damper areas, with four Broad-bodied Chaser and a Hairy Dragonfly at the Main Pond.

Blue-eyed Grass - Dean Hall

More firsts for the year included Broad Centurion Chloromyia formosa, Heather Ladybird Chilocorus bipustulatus, a Ribwort Plantain weevil Mecinus pascuorum, Armed Crabro Digger Wasp Crabro peltarius and Bronze Furrow Bee Halictus tumulorum. 

 Heather Ladybird Chilocorus bipustulatus - Alan Keatley

Armed Crabro Digger Wasp Crabro peltarius - Alan Keatley

Other sightings included Wasp Beetle, Fan-bristled Robberfly Dysmachus trigonus, Bramble Sawfly Arge cyanocrocea, Downlooker Snipefly Rhagio scolopaceus and the Flower Crab Spider Misumena vatia.

Bramble Sawfly Arge cyanocrocea - Alan Keatley

Tiger Hoverfly Helophilus pendulus - Dean Hall

Fan-bristled Robberfly Dysmachus trigonus - Dean Hall

Thursday 15th May

The Curlew Sandpiper was again present on the evening tide, along with the red Knot, 17 Sanderling, eight Dunlin, five Bar-tailed Godwit, three Ringed Plover and a Greenshank. The roosting Oystercatcher are still being targeted by a predatory Carrion Crow with a couple of lucky escapes noted. 

Curlew Sandpiper - Kevin Rylands

Elsewhere 90 Black-headed and two 2cy Mediterranean Gull were offshore with six Manx Shearwater and an Eider; and a Little Egret was watched arriving in off the sea before continuing high N up the estuary.

Wednesday 14th May

A brick red Curlew Sandpiper was in The Bight over the evening high tide, only the second spring record since 2017 after a bird last year. Competing in looks if not rarity a red Knot was also a new arrival, with counts including 26 Sanderling, 17 Whimbrel, eight Dunlin, three Bar-tailed Godwit, three Ringed Plover and a Turnstone.

Offshore 18 Manx Shearwater, 14 Great Northern Diver, 12 in breeding plumage, an Eider and a 2cy Mediterranean Gull.

Year list addition: 

146. Curlew Sandpiper

Other Wildlife: A good start to the day with a new beetle for the Recording Area found on the brick wall by the railway station, an Ivy-boring Beetle Ochina ptinoides.

Ivy-boring Beetle Ochina ptinoides - Alan Keatley

Wasps were well represented in the summer conditions with Red-legged Spider Wasp Episyron rufipes, Four-spotted Digger Wasp Crossocerus quadrimaculatus, Mournful Wasp Pemphredon lugubris, Common Spiny Digger Wasp Oxbelus uniglumis and Small Shieldbug Stalker Dryudella pinguis, all recorded for the first time this year.

Red-legged Spider Wasp Episyron rufipes - Alan Keatley

Bees included a Large Sharp-tailed Bee Coelioxys conoidea searching out Sandpit Mining Bee nests in Greenland Lake and Catsear Mining Bee Andrena humilis, digging a nest hole on the Back Path and collecting pollen near Langstone Rock. 

Catsear Mining Bee Andrena humilis - Alan Keatley

The first two Brown Argus of the year were on the wing as were several Broad-bodied Chaser, with ovipositing observed on the Main Pond, and a Hairy Dragonfly in the Entrance Bushes. Five Common Dolphin were offshore early morning with at least one still present in the evening. 

Broad-bodied Chaser - Alan Keatley

Wasp Beetle - Alan Keatley