Thursday 4th December

The Lesser Crested Tern remained in the lower estuary all day favouring the yellow wildlife refuge buoys. Best viewed from Cockwood or Warren Point, there is no access to the Golf Course. Many thanks for those visiting today, lots of positive comments from golfers and no issues reported. 

Lesser Crested Tern - Grahame Madge The picture that started it all yesterday

Lesser Crested Tern - Dave Boult

The Yellow-browed Warbler was still around the Main Pond with at least seven Chiffchaff and six Goldcrest, the first Fieldfare of the year was in Greenland Lake before flying N early morning, the Dartford Warbler was heard calling from the Golf Course and a drake Goosander flew W over Main Pond mid afternoon.

Elsewhere 32 Common Scoter, 12 Great Crested Grebe, three Red-throated and two Great Northern Diver were offshore with 52 Common Gull and six Greenshank. 

Year list addition:
187. Fieldfare

Wednesday 3rd December

One bird was the centre of attention, an orange-billed tern that was seen from the Stuart Line Cruise as it passed Warren Point late morning. Soon picked up roosting on a buoy mid estuary before making occasional feeding trips to the estuary mouth. Its identity remained unresolved with but as the tide rose it moved to a buoy nearer Cockwood and even fed in The Bight, confirming it to be a Lesser Crested Tern, just the tenth UK record. 

Lesser Crested Tern - Kevin Rylands

Lesser Crested Tern - Dave Boult

No doubt the bird reported briefly on the Axe on Monday, it remained on the buoy until at least 4.40pm when the light had all but gone.There is no access to the Golf Course, so best viewed from Cockwood or Warren Point.

Lesser Crested Tern - Dave Boult

A completely unexpected second for the Recording Area and Devon, following a bird here on 17-20 July 1985. A record of a Lesser Crested or Royal Tern here on 19 Dec 1987 is an interesting parallel to the days events. 

Earlier in the day there were 17 Common Scoter and four Pintail were offshore, a Grey Wagtail and a Shoveler were on the Main Pond and the Yellow-browed Warbler was still present and elusive. 

Shoveler - Jim Summers

Yellow-browed Warbler - Jim Summers

Year list addition:
186. Lesser Crested Tern

Monday 1st December

Seawatching early morning until 9.20 saw c700 Kittiwake and Gannet head south along with 12 Red-throated and 10 Great Northern Diver, three Fulmar and a Mediterranean Gull, with the five Velvet Scoter still present on the sea. 

Over a wet and windy high tide two 1CY Caspian Gull briefly joined 60+ Great Black-backed Gull on Finger Point with 86 Knot, 59 Bar and a Black-tailed Godwit, 42 Cormorant and a Kingfisher also present. 

Caspian Gull - Lee Collins

Caspian Gulls - Lee Collins

Elsewhere the Yellow-browed Warbler was reported but no other news was received.