A total of 191 species were recorded on site this year (194 in 2024 & 187 in 2023), with 35 species confirmed breeding (39 in 2024 & 36 in 2023), including seven pairs of Cirl Bunting, five pairs of Stonechat, two pairs of Little Grebe and single pairs of Bullfinch and Reed Bunting. A pair of Swallow nested on the Visitor Centre for the first time although with the absence of regular male, the female Mute Swan only incubated a clutch of unfertilised eggs. Present throughout there were also no confirmed breeding Pheasant with Starling and Whitethroat both low in number.
After last year’s exceptional five species, there were no North American waders this year but an eastern vagrant, Marsh Sandpiper, was a new species for the Warren.
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| Cirl Bunting 21st April - Tim Dix |
Other rarities included the 2nd records of Chough, Common Rosefinch, Laughing Gull, Lesser Crested Tern and 6th record of Woodchat Shrike. Last year’s returning Green-winged Teal and 6th Goshawk were again present in 2025 and two notable influxes saw at least 30 Glossy Ibis, just five previous individuals, and after just 17 previous records at least 19 different Caspian Gull.
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| Caspian Gull 11th December - Lee Collins |
Both Caspian Gull and Glossy Ibis were seen in record numbers, with a new vismig peak for Chaffinch in March. Conversely numbers of wintering birds offshore and in the estuary continue to decline with especially low counts in the second winter.
January
A wet and windy start to the year saw a low total of 56 species were recorded on 1st (72 in 2025 & 85 in 2023). The first scarcity was present the next day, a Red-necked Grebe in the estuary, the first since Mar 2023, and after a blank end to 2024 the first Goldeneye of the winter appeared on 3rd. The wintering Cetti's Warbler revealed itself briefly on 7th and the Green-winged Teal reappeared for a few days from 11th
After occasional birds at the start of the year, Siskin peaked at 170 on 22nd, a winter record count for the Warren, after 124 in Feb last year and 100 in Jan 1994.
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| Kingfisher 19th January - Martin Overy |
Many counts from the estuary remained low with peaks of 925 Oystercatcher, 140 Bar-tailed Godwit, 161 Grey Plover and 11 Red-breasted Merganser all down on 2024. Offshore Great-crested Grebe peaked at just 52 late month, when stormy conditions saw 107 Great Black-backed Gull in the estuary on 26th, the first three-fig count since October 22.
Scarcer species included single Golden Plover on 9th & 22nd, an Avocet on 11th, with two on 30th when the first two Lapwing of the year few over, an Egyptian Goose and a Water Pipit on 15th. The first Purple Sandpiper for twelve months at Langstone Rock on 25th was the 100th species of the year.
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| Avocet 30th January - Lee Collins |
February
The year’s only Greylag Goose, the first since October 2023 flew past the seawall on 8th with a Goshawk around the Entrance Bushes on 15th presumably the same bird as in December 2024.
Early spring migration saw Lesser Black-backed Gull peak at 114 north overhead on 16th with 65 Jackdaw on 22nd along with small numbers of Rook, Skylark and Meadow Pipit also overhead.
Seawatching towards the end of the month saw over 1,950 auk sp south on 23rd along with a record count of 137 Red-throated Diver, following 76 on 2nd March 2014, and the year’s first Tufted Duck. Up to four Eider remained offshore with the year’s peaks of 58 Common Scoter and 57 Great Crested Grebe both on 28th.
Elsewhere an Avocet on 9-10th, the Cetti’s Warbler remained very elusive with Firecrest, from 15th, and Water Pipit making occasional appearances.
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| Firecrest 27th February - Dean Hall |
March
Three Black-necked Grebe offshore on 6th were the first since December 2022, with four Velvet Scoter east on the 9th almost as scarce.
Spring migration was slow to get going but a joint site record 290 Lesser Black-backed Gull flew north on 9th, matching the tally south on 4th November 2007. The first Sandwich Tern was offshore on 13th peaking at just 15 by the end of the month.
The first two Wheatear eventually made landfall on 20th along with an early Blackcap with spring vis mig on 23rd including a site record 2,393 Chaffinch, the first Woodlark since March 2018, 104 Jackdaw and the first three Sand Martin of the year.
Two Water Pipit were present on 23rd, a Black-throated Diver was offshore on 26th when the Eider flock increased to seven and the month ended, as usual, with the first Willow Warbler, two days later this year on 28th rising to four on 30th.
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| Chiffchaff 13th March - Dave Jewell |
Offsite a White-tailed Eagle from the IoW reintroduction, was over Powderham on 15th, the previous four all between 17th-27th March.
April
New migrants arrived through the month with first dates including Swallow and Whimbrel on 4th, House Martin on 5th, Redstart on 6th & 13th, just the 3rd & 4th since September 2021, Reed and Sedge Warbler on 11th, Whitethroat on 12th, Grasshopper Warbler on 15th, Yellow Wagtail on 16th, Lesser Whitethroat on 20th and Swift on 26th.
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| Redstart 6th April - Lee Collins |
The first Arctic Tern was offshore on 15th, with Little Tern, Arctic and Great Skua on 19th, the latter the only spring record, and Common Tern on 22nd. Sandwich Tern passage peaked at just 51 on 19th with four Arctic, three Little and just three Common Tern during the month.
Also offshore Black-throated Diver on 11th, and maximum of nine Eider on 19th and 25 Great Northern Diver spread across the bay on 28th.
In the estuary a summer plumaged Spotted Redshank, on 19th was 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.
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| Spotted Redshank 19th April - Lee Collins |
Other waders included a migrant flock of Black-tailed Godwit on 15th, the seventh ever April Avocet on 19th, the only spring Little Ringed Plover around The Bight on 25th and peaks of 110 Whimbrel on 29th and 63 Bar-tailed Godwit on 19th.
Further scarcities included Red Kite overhead on 5th, Black Redstart by the Main Pond on 9th, Great White Egret in the estuary off Cockwood on 21st, a Jay over on 21st and two Spoonbill south on 22nd.
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| Black Redstart 9th April - John Kirkland |
May
The first Cuckoo of the year arrived on the 1st the same day as 12 Whitethroat, the year’s peak and a Red Kite, with four next day and another on the 3rd. Further migrants included a Hobby on the 3rd, a male Redstart in off over the seawall on 4th, three Spotted Flycatcher on 12th, with one on 17th and another Cuckoo on 25th, either a late arrival or more likely, an early autumn migrant.
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| Whitethroat 1st May - Dean Hall |
Offshore a summer plumaged Red-necked Grebe on 2nd was just the third May record after birds in 1987 & 2010, with a 2CY Little Gull on 7th and sightings of breeding plumaged Great Northern Diver throughout was a max count of 18 on 26th and a calling bird on 8th.
Tern numbers were low continuing recent poor springs, with two single Little and an Arctic Tern but no Common Tern and a peak of just 14 Sandwich Tern.
In the estuary wader passage included peak counts of 183 Sanderling on 25th and 41 Ringed Plover on 28th with a breeding plumaged Curlew Sandpiper, the second spring record since 2017, on 14-19th and a Great White Egret on 23rd.
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| Curlew Sandpiper & Dunlin 17th May - Lee Collins |
June
Little Grebe, Mallard and Moorhen all fledged young from the Main Pond with the lone female Mute Swan forlornly incubating a clutch. At least seven Cirl Bunting were holding territory, with five pairs of Stonechat, Reed Warbler holding territory at the Main and Golf Course ponds and a pair of Sparrowhawk again bred. Post-breeding flocks of Starling indicated a decent first brood but the drought impacted later broods with Song Thrush also negatively affected. Greenfinch and Whitethroat were down in number.
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| Stonechat 18th May - Martin Overy |
Northerly migration continued in the estuary with a peak of 102 Sanderling on the 1st with other waders starting to return mid-month, with two Redshank on 12th, a count of 42 Curlew on 15th rapidly climbing to 135 by 29th, the day after the first Black-tailed Godwit of autumn. A Green Sandpiper calling at night on 26th was just the fourth site record for the month after birds on 13th June 2006, 26th June 2012 & 27th June 1987.
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| Turnstone, Dunlin & Sanderling 2nd June - Dave Jewell |
Up to five Great Northern Diver were present throughout, wing moult rendering them flightless for a while, with a Pomarine Skua on 3rd and the first five Balearic Shearwater offshore on 8th. Later in the month gull and tern numbers started to pick up with a peak of 52 Mediterranean Gull on 21st, a 2CY Little Gull on 23rd and the first fledged Black-headed Gull and Sandwich Tern on 28th.
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| Sandwich Tern 29th June - Lee Collins |
Post-breeding/autumn migration was also picked up in terrestrial habitats, with a couple of Coal Tit, an early Kingfisher at the Main Pond on 3rd and a Nuthatch on 15-17th, the ninth June record in the last 20 years for this increasing visitor.
Nuthatch 15th June - Lee Collins
The highlight though was from further afield, a first summer male Woodchat Shrike around Greenland Lake and later Warren Point on the 20th, the sixth Warren record and the first since Sep 2014.
Woodchat Shrike 20th June - Lee Collins
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