Saturday 29th August

Another very busy day with a record estimated count of 2,550 Common Tern. The majority, 2,050, flew south in the first 30 minutes of light before some starting doubling back towards the estuary. Later in the morning at least 400 were in estuary with constant movement offshore including an additional 500+ passing south at distance early afternoon.

Amongst these were at least 110 Sandwich Tern, five Arctic and two Black Tern offshore, with two Roseate Tern, an adult and a juvenile, and a juvenile Little Tern in the estuary mid morning. 

Also offshore, a Cory's Shearwater south at 11.45, at least 110 Balearic and 20 Manx Shearwater, with many other distant shearwater sp, 20 Mediterranean Gull, 11 Arctic and a Great Skua, 10 Common Scoter and a Fulmar. 

Mediterranean Gull - Jim Summers

Counts from the estuary included 302 Ringed Plover, 291 Redshank, 210 Dunlin, 22 Whimbrel, 21 Knot, 14 Sanderling, 13 Greenshank, six Teal, six Turnstone, five Bar-tailed Godwit, five Grey Plover, four Wigeon, two Common Sandpiper, two Ruff and a 1CY Yellow-legged Gull.

Elsewhere the Red-legged Partridge was on the Golf Course and the blown out scrub held at least three Blackcap and two Willow Warbler. 

Year List additions:
166. Cory's Shearwater

165. Great Skua

Friday 28th August

Still plenty of activity offshore and in the estuary with at least 790 Common and 45 Sandwich Tern with single juvenile Arctic and Little Tern occasionally picked out. Also present at least 40 Balearic and 15 Manx Shearwater, nine Mediterranean Gull, two Arctic Skua and a 1CY Yellow-legged Gull.

The highlight in the estuary was the first Spotted Redshank of the year with 370 Dunlin, 250 Ringed Plover, 41 Sanderling, 21 Knot, 16 Greenshank, 10 Bar-tailed Godwit, three Turnstone, a Kingfisher and a Ruff.

Knot - Jim Summers

Elsewhere a Wheatear and the Red-legged Partridge were on the Golf Course and a juvenile Hobby flew through early morning.

Sparrowhawk - Lee Collins

Red-legged Partridge - Lee Collins

Year List addition:

164. Spotted Redshank

Ringing News: A Hampshire colour-ringed Ringed Plover was recorded back in The Bight. First ringed as a chick in June 2025, it arrived here on 25th August last year before over-wintering. Since it was last recorded here in late February, it has returned to Hampshire and successfully raised a brood. 

Thursday 27th August

Early morning saw a new site record of the critically endangered Balearic Shearwater, with 638 heading east between 6.35 - 7.05, with c400 in just the first 10mins. Also offshore at least 700 Common Tern with several hundred also in the estuary, 12 Mediterranean Gull, three Arctic Skua, two juvenile Little Tern, two Arctic Tern, a Black Tern and an adult Roseate Tern. 

Roseate Tern - Lee Collins

Black Tern - Lee Collins

Counts from the estuary included at least 400 Ringed Plover, 292 Redshank, 250 Dunlin, 19 Knot, 14 Whimbrel, nine Greenshank, seven Grey Plover, four Black-tailed Godwit, four Teal, the first four Wigeon of autumn, a Common Sandpiper and a moulting adult Curlew Sandpiper.

Other records included two Kingfisher at the Main Pond, the Red-legged Partridge on the Golf Course and hunting the waders a male Peregrine and a migrant Sparrowhawk that came in high from east and took a Dunlin over high tide.

Ringing News: Eight ringed Common Tern were noted, four from the UK, (Cumbria, Leicestershire & Sussex), two from the Netherlands and two from Norway. Other recoveries included an Exe ringed Grey Plover back for another winter.

Other Wildlife: Three Grey Seal were on Bull Hill, with presumably one of the same offshore at high tide.

Great Green Bush Cricket - James Marshall

Wednesday 26th August

Seawatching early morning saw distant rafts of c100 Balearic Shearwater offshore with several birds heading south along with at least four Manx Shearwater. Also offshore four Arctic Skua, two Common Scoter, a juvenile Little Tern and an adult and juvenile Arctic Tern, with an adult Spoonbill heading south. 

Records from the estuary included four juvenile Curlew Sandpiper and a juvenile Little Tern with counts including 650 Dunlin, 550 Ringed Plover, 315 Curlew, 200 Common Tern, 21 Knot, a notable 19 Grey Heron, the highest number ever on the ground, 11 Whimbrel, 10 Bar-tailed Godwit, nine Greenshank, seven Mediterranean Gull and a Grey Plover. 

Elsewhere a Tawny Owl was in the Entrance Bushes, where a flock of tits and warblers included at least six Willow Warbler and a Great Spotted Woodpecker, five Teal and two Kingfisher were at the Main Pond and Common Sandpiper flew along the beach. 

Other Wildlife: Migrants on the wing included half a dozen Clouded Yellow, two Hummingbird Hawkmoth and a Silver Y, with a Brown Argus amongst the usual butterflies. 

Hummingbird Hawkmoth - Alan Keatley

Brown Argus - Alan Keatley

Elsewhere a Grey Seal was in the estuary, Autumn Lady's-tresses are in flower in Greenland Lake, where there are plenty of grasshoppers benefiting from the apparent absence of Wasp Spider webs.

Meadow Grasshopper - Alan Keatley

Flower Crab Spider - Alan Keatley

Tuesday 25th August

Another busy evening high tide with an adult Roseate Tern and a juvenile Little Tern joining c200 Common and 40 Sandwich Tern around The Bight, with eight Mediterranean and three 1CY Yellow-legged Gull. 

Minimum wader counts included 738 Dunlin, 505 Ringed Plover, 20 Knot, eight Greenshank, eight Sanderling, two Bar-tailed Godwit, two Turnstone and a Grey Plover. 

Greenshank - Lee Collins

Elsewhere a Yellow Wagtail was on the Golf Course, the first Pintail of the year flew in off late evening when a flock of 16 Grey Heron flew NE over the reserve. 

Year List addition:

163. Pintail

Ringing News: A Norwegian ringed Ringed Plover hinted at the source of the high tide influx, with another juvenile Dutch Common Tern.

Monday 24th August

The strong onshore wind saw a gathering of gulls in The Bight on the rising tide including 55 Great and 14 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 19 Mediterranean and two Yellow-legged Gull. 

Large numbers of terns and waders joined them over the high tide including juvenile Black Tern and Little Ringed Plover with minimum counts of 352 Dunlin, 349 Ringed Plover, 243 Common and 108 Sandwich Tern, 28 Bar and three Black-tailed Godwit, 23 Knot, 10 Sanderling, five Turnstone and a Grey Plover. 

Black & Common Tern - Kevin Rylands

Also in the estuary 260 Redshank, 206 Curlew, 12 Greenshank, 11 Whimbrel, three Teal, two White and a Yellow Wagtail. 

The wind also reduced bird activity in the bushes with a lone Willow Warbler the only noted migrant.

Other Wildlife: In sheltered areas, the hoverflies Striped-winged Dronefly Eristalis horticola and Hornet Plumehorn Volucella zonaria, with two Clouded Yellow, plus Field Digger Wasp Mellinus arvensis and the ant-like flower beetle Anthicus antherinus.

Hornet Plumehorn Volucella zonaria - Alan Keatley

Striped-winged Dronefly Eristalis horticola - Alan Keatley

Field Digger Wasp Mellinus arvensis - Alan Keatley

Resting on the pond dipping platform the male Ruddy Darter and a Common Darter and a brood of final instar Parent Bug Elasmucha grisea were found on the Golf Course. 

Ruddy Darter - Alan Keatley

Parent Bug Elasmucha grisea - Kevin Rylands

Sunday 23rd August

No sign of the Little Stint or Ruff on today's neap tide with lower numbers of many wader species as some presumably continue south. Counts included 279 Redshank, 140 Ringed Plover, c50 Dunlin, 36 Sanderling, 27 Knot, 11 Whimbrel, 10 Greenshank, five Turnstone and three Bar-tailed Godwit.

Also in the estuary, 83 Common and 73 Sandwich Tern, 14 Mediterranean Gull, a Teal and an Osprey.

Elsewhere a juvenile Little Gull flew east offshore with 35+ Kittiwake with seven Balearic Shearwater also heading east, a flock of 15 House Martin flew through and single Wheatear and Yellow Wagtail were on the Golf Course. 

Ringing News: A Dutch ringed juvenile Common Tern was a new recovery, with six newly returned Exe-ringed Oystercatcher.

Other Wildlife: The injured Grey Seal was on Bull Hill once the many boats and dogs had departed and single Clouded Yellow and Painted Lady flew through. 

Saturday 22nd August

A Little Stint was a new arrival in The Bight on the dropping tide with the Ruff still present alongside at least 180 Ringed Plover, 170 Common and 85 Sandwich Tern, 110 Dunlin,14 Knot, nine Turnstone, eight Sanderling and three Bar-tailed Godwit.

Also in the estuary 294 Redshank, 10 Greenshank, five Mediterranean Gull, a Kingfisher and an immature Peregrine, which eventually took a Redshank after 15+ attempts.

Elsewhere grounded migrants included eight Whitethroat, four Willow Warbler, two Yellow Wagtail and a Wheatear.

Willow Warbler - Jim Summers

Other Wildlife: After several days apparent absence three Clouded Yellow were on site with a late/migrant Black-tailed Skimmer on the Golf Course and a Grey Seal on Bull Hill. 

Friday 21st August

A Ruff was a new arrival in The Bight over high tide with 320 Dunlin, 230 Ringed Plover, 65 Sandwich and 20 Common Tern, 28 Knot, 10 Sanderling and a Turnstone. Other counts from the estuary included 300 Redshank, 14 Greenshank, eight Teal, six Mediterranean Gull, five Bar and a Black-tailed Godwit.

Elsewhere a Great Northern Diver and seven Common Scoter were offshore, two Teal were at the Main Pond, two Wheatear were on the Golf Course and two Willow Warbler and a Coal Tit were in the Entrance Bushes. 

Other Wildlife: At least 30 Rush Veneer and a couple of Painted Lady were on the wing along with the first Heather Colletes C. succinctus of the year. 

Thursday 20th August

A noticeable arrival of migrants on site with a Grasshopper Warbler on the Dune Ridge a highlight, along with 12 Willow Warbler, five Whitethroat and two Wheatear. Feeding overhead at least 25 Swallow and five House Martin.

Grasshopper Warbler - Jim Summers

Willow Warbler - Jim Summers

Swallow - Jim Summers

Counts from the estuary included 260 Redshank, 255 Dunlin, 230 Ringed Plover, 70 Sandwich and 30 Common Tern, 19 Sanderling, 14 Greenshank, 13 Mediterranean Gull, 10 Knot, two Bar-tailed Godwit and a Turnstone.

Elsewhere a Great Northern Diver was off the seawall, the Red-legged Partridge was on the Golf Course, three Kestrel were over Greenland Lake and the Teal was at the Main Pond. 

Other Wildlife: Another autumn migrant, the year's first Grey Squirrel, was heading east along the estuary bank at the back of the Golf Course. Elsewhere two Grey Seal were on Bull Hill.

Wednesday 19th August

Still good numbers of terns and waders around the estuary, although the welcome overnight rain did not bring much change. Counts included 120 Common and 118 Sandwich Tern, with 89 Common Tern south early morning, some returning soon after.

Also present over high tide 286 Ringed Plover, 230 Dunlin, 45 Whimbrel, 16 Sanderling, 14 Greenshank, eight Mediterranean Gull, seven Knot, six Black and two Bar-tailed Godwit, a Common Sandpiper and the juvenile Little Ringed Plover.

Little Ringed Plover - Lee Collins

Other Wildlife: A Grey Seal again on Bull Hill, unfortunately with a large scar/wound on back, suggesting propeller damage.

Tuesday 18th August

A Roseate Tern was on Bull Hill early morning along with 175 Common Tern, 20 Sandwich Tern and a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull. Just 35 Common Tern remained over high tide although there were 85 Sandwich Tern, the former leave the estuary during the day, returning to roost in the evening.

Over high tide an increase in small waders with 326 Ringed Plover and 250 Dunlin in The Bight, where there was also a juvenile Little Ringed Plover, 48 Whimbrel, 10 Sanderling, eight Knot, three Bar-tailed Godwit, two Grey Plover and a Turnstone.

Also in the estuary 14 Greenshank, 10 Mediterranean Gull and a Kingfisher. Elsewhere two Kingfisher were at the Main Pond and the Red-legged Partridge was on the Golf Course.

Other Wildlife: A good day with two new insects for the Recording Area. First the hydrophilid beetle Sphaeridium scarabaeoides on Dune Ridge and second, a female Bat-winged Phasia P. hemiptera, a shieldbug parasite. With the two main hosts, Green and Forest Shieldbug, both common on site this species is likely to reappear. 

Sphaeridium scarabaeoides - Alan Keatley

Bat-winged Phasia P. hemiptera - Kevin Rylands

Bat-winged Phasia P. hemiptera - Alan Keatley

A range of species were active in the cooler weather including a few more Nysius senecionis groundbugs on Common Fleabane, Small Beegrabber Thecophora atra, the spider wasp Auplopus carbonarius, the rove beetle Bledius spectabilis on the tide line, plus the usual butterflies including five Clouded Yellow and a Jersey Tiger.

Bledius spectabilis - Alan Keatley

Auplopus carbonarius - Alan Keatley

Small Beegrabber Thecophora atra - Alan Keatley

Miltogramma germari - Alan Keatley

Monday 17th August

Counts from the estuary included 240 Ringed Plover, 160 Dunlin, 125 Sandwich and 103 Common Tern, 31 Whimbrel, 10 Greenshank, 10 Sanderling, nine Knot, eight Mediterranean Gull, two Grey Plover, two Turnstone and a Bar-tailed Godwit.

Sunday 16th August

Another day of arrivals in the estuary with the first Great White Egret and Black Tern of the year present. The egret was distant in the Railway Saltmarsh and the tern was on Finger Point mid morning, relocating to Turf on the dropping tide and on Bull Hill late evening. 

 Great White Egret - Kevin Rylands

Also in the estuary 155 Sandwich and 120 Common Tern, 116 Ringed Plover, 69 Dunlin, 15 Sanderling, nine Knot, seven Mediterranean and an adult Yellow-legged Gull, three Grey Plover, including a new summer plumaged bird, a Black-tailed Godwit and the Black Swan.

Elsewhere two other firsts for the year flew over early morning, a Green Sandpiper and a Tree Pipit, with 10 Balearic Shearwater offshore, two Willow Warbler and a Wheatear on site and a Kingfisher and a Teal at the Main Pond. 

Year List additions:

162. Great White Egret

161. Black Tern

160. Tree Pipit

159. Green Sandpiper

Other Wildlife: Migrants included a Ruddy Darter at the Main Pond, the first since 5 Oct 2013, at least 15 Rush Veneer, four Clouded Yellow and three Painted Lady.

Ruddy Darter - Kevin Rylands

The remaining Water Mint was attracting numerous pollinators including the first Locust Blowlfly Stomorhina lunata and Stripe-winged Dronefly Eristalis horticola of the year, Twist-winged Parasite Fly Ectophasia crassipennis and Tree Bumblebee. 

Tree Bumblebee - Kevin Rylands

Saturday 15th August

Counts from the estuary included 110 Sandwich and 79 Common Tern, 85 Dunlin, 55 Whimbrel, 14 Sanderling, 10 Greenshank, three Bar-tailed Godwit, three Mediterranean and the first juvenile Common Gull, two Grey Plover and two Turnstone. 

Elsewhere a Tufted Duck flew south offshore early morning, a Teal and a Sedge Warbler were at the Main Pond with other migrants including single Wheatear and Willow Warbler.

Sedge Warbler - Jim Summers

Teal - Jim Summers

Other Wildlife: In Greenland Lake five Clouded Yellow, a Painted Lady and a Hummingbird Hawkmoth. On Common Fleabane, a couple of Hairy Shieldbug and Bronze Furrow Bee Halictus tumulorum but little else on the wing. 

Hairy Shieldbug (nymph) - Alan Keatley

Hairy Shieldbug - Alan Keatley

Many bramble bushes are turning brown before the berries have ripened reducing availability of food for birds and insects.

Friday 14th August

A small arrival of migrants was headlined by a Grasshopper Warbler on Warren Point with single Sedge and Willow Warbler, Wheatear and Yellow Wagtail on the reserve.

In the estuary arrivals included an Osprey north at 10.15, a Ruff off Cockwood and at least 78 Common Tern. Other counts included 240 Redshank, 138 Dunlin, 105 Sandwich Tern, 14 Sanderling, 11 Greenshank, six Knot, two Common Sandpiper and two Grey Plover.

Elsewhere four Balearic Shearwater, 40 Gannet, a Common Scoter and a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull were offshore and two Teal were at the Main Pond.

Thursday 13th August

Counts from the estuary included 259 Ringed Plover, 133 Dunlin. 60 Sandwich and 23 Common Tern, with another 47 'commic' tern distantly offshore, and six Teal with a Wheatear and a Yellow Wagtail around The Bight.

Yellow Wagtail - Lee Collins

Quiet in the bushes, with just a few Chiffchaff, Blue and Great Tit trying to find food in the trees and a juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker tapping on a branch. Elsewhere two Great Crested Grebe were offshore and the Teal remains on the Main Pond with Mallard, and a Kingfisher passed through.

Teal - Alan Keatley

Other Wildlife: The hot weather seems to have suppressed insect activity with fewer butterflies; just a single Clouded Yellow and Painted Lady, with a few Small White passing through. At the Main Pond a couple of Migrant Hawker, Emperor and a pair of Small Red-eyed Damselfly.

Hoverflies included the migrant Large Stripe-back Helophilus trivittatus on Water Mint. 

New for the Recording Area were a pair of Nysius senecionis groundbug, associated with Common Fleabane and Ragwort, first UK record was in 1992; it is now common and widespread in southern Britain so therefore not unexpected new addition.

Nysius senecionis - Alan Keatley