Gulls are continuing to move through with a minimum of 259 Common Gull in the estuary, where a low high tide saw counts of 490 Dunlin, 60 Redshank, 58 Turnstone, eight Greenshank and six Red-breasted Merganser, with two Stock Dove in the saltmarsh.
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| Herring Gull (2CY) - both Jim Summers |
Other Wildlife: The first Red Admiral of the year was on the wing.
A pair of Shoveler in The Bight were the highlight of a low high tide with many waders roosting on uncovered sandbars elsewhere in the estuary. Counts included 145 Common and a Mediterranean Gull, 77 Redshank, 59 Turnstone, 14 Ringed and a Grey Plover, eight Teal and seven Greenshank.
The 2CY Little Gull was still offshore with 16 Great Crested Grebe, eight Common Scoter, three Great Northern and two Red-throated Diver. Elsewhere eight Lesser Black-backed Gull flew north, the Cetti's Warbler was around the Car Park with five Goldcrest and three Chiffchaff around the flooded scrub.
Other Wildlife: With warmer temperatures Small Sand Ant Lasius psammophilus activity is increasing on the Dune Ridge. The small entrance burrows are often visible on open sand, although the species was overlooked until last year. Other dune specialists included Dune Scarab Aegialia arenarius and the small ground beetle Amara tibialis.
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| Small Sand Ant Lasius psammophilus - Alan Keatley |
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| Amara tibialis - Alan Keatley |
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| Dune Scarab Aegialia arenarius - Alan Keatley |
A couple of Peacock butterflies were on the wing along with the hoverfly Spotted Thintail Meliscaeva auricollis and a Green Shieldbug.
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| Spotted Thintail Meliscaeva auricollis - Alan Keatley |
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| Green Shieldbug - Alan Keatley |
Elsewhere a Harbour Porpoise was off Langstone Rock and Common Toad were chorusing at the First Pond.
The improved weather saw a wintering Firecrest emerge from the flooded sallows, being seen in scrub along the Back Path, three Chiffchaff were also active with the Cetti's Warbler singing by the Car Park.
Elsewhere 120 Common Gull, 11 Greenshank and a Red-breasted Merganser were in the estuary, with two of the presumed Scandinavian littoralis Rock Pipit starting to reveal their true colours in The Bight.
Other Wildlife: A continuing increase in insect activity with several Buff-tailed Bumblebee on the wing along with a few Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax, a Hairy-eyed Syrphus S. torvus and the scarcely seen adult of the Oak Marble Gall Wasp Andricus kollari.
Oak Marble Gall Wasp Andricus kollari - Alan Keatley %20240226.JPG)
Hairy-eyed Syrphus S. torvus - Alan Keatley
At ground level a Weasel ran across the Buffer Zone with even smaller hunters including Turf Ant Tetramorium caespitum, the jumping spider Euophryum frontalis, Sand-bear Arctosa perita and Leopard-bear Spider A. leopardus and the wolf spider Alopecosa cuneata.
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| Alopecosa cuneata - Alan Keatley |
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| Turf Ant Tetramorium caespitum - Alan Keatley |
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| Euophryum frontalis - Alan Keatley |
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| Leopard-bear Spider Arctosa leopardus - Alan Keatley |
A range of beetles included the sun beetle Amara equestris, the darkling beetle Phaleria cadaverina plus Red Dock Weevil Apion frumentarium and Black Marram Weevil Otiorhynchus atropterus.
Red Dock Weevil Apion frumentarium - Alan Keatley 
Phaleria cadaverina - Alan Keatley %20240226.JPG)
Black Marram Weevil Otiorhynchus atropterus - Alan Keatley
At least 170 Common Gull were in the estuary on the dropping tide along with 88 Knot, 13 Teal, 12 Shelduck, 10 Greenshank and five Red-breasted Merganser.
Elsewhere a 2CY Little Gull was offshore along with 15 Great Crested Grebe, 14 Common Scoter and a Great Northern Diver with the Cetti's Warbler around the Car Park.
Other Wildlife: A couple of hours light trapping produced the first Chestnut and Common Quaker of the year along with two Parsnip Moth Depressaria radiella and a Brown-spot Flat-body Agonopterix alstromeriana.
Common Quaker - Kevin Rylands
The wintering Whimbrel was again present over high tide, with counts from the estuary including 267 Dark and a Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 200 Common, eight Lesser Black-backed and two Mediterranean Gull, 88 Knot, 87 Bar and 34 Black-tailed Godwit, 86 Grey and 25 Ringed Plover, 32 Sanderling, five Greenshank, four Teal and a Great Northern Diver.
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| Whimbrel - Lee Collins |
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| Knot - Lee Collins |
Elsewhere a Chiffchaff was in song by the Main Pond with a presumed migrant on Warren Point, with at least two 2CY Little Gull offshore along with eight Common Scoter, five Great Northern and four Red-throated Diver.
Year List addition:
110. Pheasant
Ringing News: A recovery milestone today with 105 different colour-ringed birds recorded, albeit including 48 Oystercatcher from yesterday's catch.
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| Grey Plover - Lee Collins. Ringed at the Warren in October 2021. |
Wildlife News: A Peacock was on the wing in the afternoon sunshine and a bull Grey Seal was in the estuary.
Counts from the estuary included 1,300 Dunlin, 223 Common Gull, 126 Curlew, 92 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 83 Knot, 82 Grey and 20 Ringed Plover, 57 Bar-tailed Godwit, 25 Sanderling, seven Teal, five Shelduck, four Greenshank and two Red-breasted Merganser.
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| Bar-tailed Godwit & Grey Plover - Dave Jewell |
Elsewhere 16 Great Crested Grebe, eight Great Northern Diver and seven Common Scoter were offshore, 34 Magpie left the roost and the Cetti's Warbler was still present.
Ringing News: A successful DCWRG cannon-netting saw 96 Oystercatcher and two Curlew released with new colour-rings. Away from the ringing a total of 53 previously ringed Dunlin were recorded along with the wintering Welsh ringed Knot and Hampshire Ringed Plover.
Other Wildlife: The first two Peacock butterfly of the year were on the wing along with a probable Painted Lady. Other species were also active in the warmer conditions with beetles prominent including 24-spot Ladybird and Pointed-keeled Rhyzobius R. litura, the rove beetles Cafius xantholoma and Xantholinus linearis and several Hypocaccus crassipes clown beetles.
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| Cafius xantholoma - Alan Keatley |
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| Xantholinus linearis - Alan Keatley |
The first Turtle Shieldbug Podops inuncta and Zebra Jumping Spider Salticus scenicus were also enjoying the conditions with a female Grey Seal in the estuary.
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| Turtle Shieldbug Podops inuncta - Alan Keatley |
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| Zebra Jumping Spider Salticus scenicus - Alan Keatley |
A Curlew Sandpiper was a surprise find when searching the Dunlin flocks for ringed birds, only the second winter record for the Warren after one on 1st January 1987. Also in the estuary 169 Common Gull, 92 Knot, 16 Lesser Black-backed Gull and single Avocet, Greenshank, Peregrine and the 4CY Yellow-legged Gull.
Elsewhere 73 Dark-bellied Brent Geese were feeding in the Golf Course with a separate flock of c100 that flew high east from estuary late afternoon, 18 Common Scoter, two Great Northern Diver and a Fulmar were offshore, 45 Linnet and a Snipe were on Warren Point and the Cetti's Warbler was by the Car Park.
Year List addition:
109. Curlew Sandpiper
A low tide visit, so no meaningful estuary counts, the Cetti's Warbler remains around the car park, 16 Common Scoter were off the seawall and a pair of Mute Swan were by the Main Pond was a welcome sighting; the previous breeding male disappeared in November 2024 with the female remaining single throughout 2025, even incubating an unfertilised clutch.
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| Mute Swan - Alan Keatley |
Other Wildlife: Despite a sunny start the wind and temperature was keeping insects under cover including two black ground beetles; Mitten Blackclock Pterostichus nigrita and Great Blackclock Pterostichus niger on the edge of Dead Dolphin Wood.
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| Mitten Blackclock Pterostichus nigrita - Alan Keatley |
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| Great Blackclock Pterostichus niger - Alan Keatley |
Two 2CY Little Gull were feeding offshore mid afternoon with 34 Great Crested Grebe, seven Common Scoter, five Great Northern and four Red-throated Diver.
Continuing signs of spring passage with 310 Black-headed, 85 Common, 16 Lesser Black-backed and two adult Mediterranean Gull, with 25 Shelduck, 23 Teal, 12 Greenshank, three Red-breasted Merganser, two Avocet, two Wigeon and a hunting Peregrine also in the estuary.
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| Oystercatcher - Jim Summers |
Elsewhere the Cetti's Warbler was around the Buffer Zone and car park, 12 Siskin, four Chiffchaff and two Goldcrest were in the bushes and, on the Main Pond single Cormorant, Little Grebe, Shoveler and Water Rail.
Year List addition:
108. Feral Pigeon
Other Wildlife: A dry day but the drop in temperature limited insect activity with most finds sheltering under logs or driftwood, including the coastal specialist ground beetle Calathus cinctus and the darkling beetle Nalassus laevioctostriatus.
Calathus cinctus - Alan Keatley 
Nalassus laevioctostriatus - Alan Keatley
Counts from the evening high tide included 310 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 140 Common Gull, 22 Teal, 20 Snipe which left the saltmarsh at dusk, 10 Greenshank, seven Black-tailed Godwit, four Wigeon, three Avocet and two Red-breasted Merganser.
Counts from the estuary high tide included 270 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 130 Common Gull, 100 Bar-tailed Godwit, 29 Sanderling, 25 Ringed Plover, 14 Teal, 12 Greenshank, five Red-breasted Merganser and four Avocet.
Elsewhere eight Great Northern Diver were offshore with at least 45 Magpie to roost and the Cetti's Warbler was still in good voice around the car park.
A welcome springlike day saw increased activity around the bushes, the Cetti's Warbler was singing in the carpark, seemingly unfazed by the increase in visitors, with the Dartford Warbler near the Visitor Centre and at least five Chiffchaff and three Goldcrest on site. Many resident species were also in song including the Little Grebe on the Main Pond with two Chaffinch and a Siskin flying north.
Elsewhere three Great Northern Diver were offshore and the usual waders and wildfowl were in the estuary including 137 Curlew, 28 Shelduck, 12 Greenshank, 11 Teal, four Wigeon and a Great Northern Diver.
Other Wildlife: The sunny conditions saw enough warmth for the first hoverflies of year, a couple of Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax on the Alexanders along with at least half a dozen fly species, including the first Orange-bearded Bluebottle Calliphora vomitoria of the year.
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| Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax - Alan Keatley |
Also emerging in the sunshine, a few Gorse Shieldbug, and with the sand drying out, the nationally scarce Dune Jumper Marpissa nivoyi and the not so rare money spider Stemonyphantes lineatus amongst the Marram and a Cucumber Spider Araniella cucurbitina lurking in Holly.
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Dune Jumper Marpissa nivoyi - Alan Keatley 
Gorse Shieldbug - Alan Keatley
Counts from the estuary over the afternoon high tide included 1,740 Dunlin, 75 Bar and 42 Black-tailed Godwit, 42 Grey and 28 Ringed Plover, 30 Sanderling, 14 Greenshank, five Red-breasted Merganser and a Great Northern Diver.
Elsewhere 12 Great Northern and four Red-throated Diver were offshore with 18 Great Crested Grebe, 18 Wigeon and 10 Common Scoter.
Ringing News: A total of 59 birds of seven species were recorded this afternoon; 33 Dunlin, 18 Oystercatcher and four Grey Plover from DCWRG projects, and single wintering Brent Goose from the Netherlands, Great Black-backed Gull from Looe, Cornwall, Knot from Wales, and Ringed Plover from Hampshire.
Elsewhere Oystercatcher 2C was recorded on Tiree, Argyll today for the third spring in a row, although it has not been recorded on the Exe since April 2020.
Oystercatcher 2C back from Dawlish Warren, Devon today at Kirkapol, Tiree for the third spring running - in amongst hundreds of Oystercatchers now back to breed on the island #BirdingScotland
— John Bowler (@tireebirder.bsky.social) 13 February 2026 at 14:54
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A minimum of 153 Common Gull were in the estuary on the rising tide, a welcome sign of spring passage. Also present 236 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 107 Knot, 20 Greenshank, 11 Teal, nine Avocet, four Red-breasted Merganser, two Wigeon, an adult Mediterranean Gull and the wintering Merlin.
Elsewhere a 2CY Little Gull was offshore with 10 Common Scoter, eight Red-throated and six Great Northern Diver, and the Dartford Warbler was on the Golf Course.
The Merlin was hunting waders around The Bight over the low high tide, with counts from the estuary including 144 Redshank, 118+ Common Gull, 57 Turnstone, 55 Bar and 40 Black-tailed Godwit, 23 Ringed Plover, 22 Greenshank, 21 Avocet, 16 Teal, five Red-breasted Merganser and a Great Northern Diver.
Elsewhere the Cetti's Warbler was in fine song today, maybe this year will see the first bird breeding territory, the first two Stock Dove of the year dropped into the saltmarsh with six Common Scoter and two Great Northern Diver offshore.
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| Greenland Lake - both Dean Hall Probably the most extensive flooding since the area was tidal. With the erosion from recent storms if we get another winter like this one it may be tidal again by next year. |
Year List addition:
107. Stock Dove
Other Wildlife: An increasing variety of invertebrates in the drier conditions including a Lesne's Earwig in the dunes, along with the ground spider Micaria micans and a Hedgehog Slug Arion intermedius, and more flies on the Alexanders.
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| Lesne's Earwig - Alan Keatley |
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| Micaria micans - Alan Keatley |
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| Hedgehog Slug Arion intermedius - Alan Keatley |
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| Phaonia tuguriorum - Alan Keatley |
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| Suillia variegata - Alan Keatley |
The first Cattle Egret of the year flew S from Cockwood early morning with a Greylag Goose doing the same a couple of hours later, briefly landing in Shutterton Creek. Also in the estuary 329 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 100+ Bar-tailed Godwit, 31 Ringed Plover, 16 Avocet, 11 Teal, six Greenshank, two Red-breasted Merganser and a Great Northern Diver.
An adult Little Gull was offshore along with 10 Great Crested Grebe, eight Common Scoter and eight Great Northern Diver with two Mute Swan in off the sea. Elsewhere the Cetti's Warbler was singing from the car park, two Cirl Bunting were in Greenland Lake, the species has been very scarce this winter, and 10 Long-tailed Tit, two Chiffchaff and two Goldcrest were in the bushes.
Cirl Bunting - Dean Hall
Year List additions:
106. Greylag Goose
105. Cattle Egret
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| Great Northern Diver - Lee Collins |
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| Warren Point 7th February - Kim Summers |
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| View looking east from the seawall 7th February - Kevin Rylands |
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| Dune Ridge looking west by Groyne Nine 4th February - Kevin Rylands |
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| Buffer Zone flooding 6th February - James Marshall |
The drake Goldeneye was off Cockwood briefly late afternoon with counts from the estuary including 820 Black and 101 Bar-tailed Godwit, 138 Knot, 85 Grey and 29 Ringed Plover, 21 Sanderling, 18 Avocet, six Greenshank and two Red-breasted Merganser.
Elsewhere the Little Grebe was trilling from the Main Pond, with four Common Scoter, two Great Northern and two Red-throated Diver offshore.
Ringing News: Today turned out to be a big recovery day. Ongoing labour intensive monitoring allows evaluation of both short and long term survivability rates for species like Dunlin, the 64 identified today adding to a burgeoning dataset. Oystercatcher numbers have begun to dwindle, signalling migratory movement, with birds already arriving back on breeding grounds in Scotland. Keeping an eye on those that remain holds added value, one seen and noted today may potentially be found several hundred miles away a few days later, or even the next day as happened in February 2019. Today 27 wintering individuals were noted, one ringed way back in 2004. Adding a bit of glamour and variety, one of the Netherlands ringed Avocet brought sparkle and culminated in a hugely rewarding bout of intensely watching our wintering wader residents.
Other Wildlife: A few more active insects despite the continuing showers. Alexanders continued to attract a few flies including Geomyza tripunctata, Tephritis vespertina and new for the Recording Area, the common Suillia affinis.
Suillia affinis - Alan Keatley
Beetles included Trechus quadristriatus, the weevil Hypera conmaculata and Rosemary Beetle with Buff-tailed Bumblebee and the moth Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana on the wing.
Trechus quadristriatus - Alan Keatley 
Hypera conmaculata - Alan Keatley %20070226.JPG)
Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana - Alan Keatley
