Thursday 5th March

A low tide visit saw 143 Dark-bellied Brent Goose and 30 Sanderling on the beach and offshore sandbars and at least six Teal in Shutterton Creek.

Elsewhere seven Stonechat were on site with two Chiffchaff and two Goldcrest in the flooded bushes with the Cetti's Warbler in song on the Golf Course.

Other Wildlife: Once the early morning fog lifted, a few more insects were on the wing during the sunny spells including the first Yellow-legged Mining Bee Andrena flavipes and Honey Bee of the year, an increase in Common and Tapered Dronefly, a Spotted Thintail Meliscaeva auricollis and a Peacock.

A good selection of beetles were along the strandline, the best being an Enochrus melanocephalus, a water scavenger beetle with few Devon records, although was previously recorded here in 2020. 

Enochrus melanocephalus - Alan Keatley

Other species included the first Harlequin Ladybird of the year and the ground beetles Acupalpus exiguus, Harpalus tardus and Philorhizus melanocephalus.

Harpalus tardus - Alan Keatley

Philorhizus melanocephalus - Alan Keatley

Wednesday 4th March

A new 2CY Caspian Gull was on Finger Point on the morning tide with 22 Great Black-backed and the wintering 4CY Yellow-legged Gull.

Caspian Gull - Lee Collins

Wader numbers continue to drop as wintering birds continue to leave, with counts on the dropping tide including 260 Oystercatcher, 240 Dunlin, 93 Curlew, 59 Bar-tailed Godwit, 43 Grey and eight Ringed Plover, 18 Sanderling and the Whimbrel. 

Elsewhere a probable Black-throated Diver flew south offshore. 

Tuesday 3rd March

A low tide visit with little to report in the estuary, although 60 Dark-bellied Brent Geese were feeding on the beach shoreline. Elsewhere the Merlin shot low through the Buffer Zone before heading over the Entrance Bushes towards the estuary, the Cetti's Warbler was singing around the Car Park and migrants included a small increase in Stonechat with six Goldfinch and a Chaffinch overhead. 

The 2025 Recording Group Bird Report is now available 

Other Wildlife: The spring weather saw the first Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax of the year on the wing, but the majority of the other insects today were ground based. 

Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax - Alan Keatley

A good selection of beetles were found along the beach with some out of place species including the water beetle Haliplus lineatocollis and the water scavenger beetles Hydrobius fuscipes and Helophorus grandis, normally found near fresh water. The latter is new for the Recording Area.

Hydrobius fuscipes - Alan Keatley

Haliplus lineatocollis - Alan Keatley

Helophorus grandis - Alan Keatley

Other beetles on the drying sand included the leaf beetle Prasocuris phellandrii and the ground beetle Syntomus forveatus, as well as Red Marsh Ladybird, Black Marram Weevil and Dune Scarab.

Syntomus forveatus - Alan Keatley

Prasocuris phellandrii - Dean Hall

Also in the dunes the woodlouse hunting spider Harpactea hombergi and on gorse, the orbweb spider Agalenatea redii and the weevil Exapion ulicis. 

Harpactea hombergi - Alan Keatley

Agalenatea redii - Alan Keatley

Exapion ulicis - Dean Hall

Monday 2nd March

Counts over the evening high tide included 453 Dark and a Pale-bellied Brent Goose, 101 Redshank, 62 Common Gull, 22 Teal, 21 Grey Plover, eight Greenshank and three Red-breasted Merganser. The Merlin was again present unsuccessfully hunting Dunlin. 

Elsewhere 10 Common Scoter and four Great Northern Diver were offshore with bird song on the increase, including at least three Cirl Bunting back on territory.

Cirl Bunting - Jim Summers

Other Wildlife: The first lizards of the year were seen out basking with a Sand Lizard on Warren point and six Common Lizard by the Visitor Centre.

Sunday 1st March

Counts from the evening high tide included 426 Dark and a Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 310 Dunlin, 205 Common and 45 Great Black-backed Gull, 86 Redshank, 59 Bar-tailed Godwit, 23 Sanderling, 22 Shelduck, 15 Teal, 14 Knot, 11 Red-breasted Merganser - the winter peak, down from a max of 204 in December 2000, 11 Ringed Plover and nine Greenshank.

Elsewhere 10 Great Crested Grebe and two Great Northern Diver were offshore, with a migrant Chiffchaff feeding in the dunes and Skylark in song on Warren Point some of the limited signs of spring.

Other Wildlife: A few Scarlet Elfcup provided some colour in still very damp woodland near the First Pond. 

Scarlet Elfcup - Alan Keatley

Saturday 28th February

A 2CY Caspian Gull on Bull Hill late afternoon was the highlight over the high tide, along with another appearance from the wintering Merlin. With Cockle Sands at Exmouth being covered by the higher tide, wader counts were also higher with 300 Dunlin, 272 Oystercatcher, 157 Curlew, 55 Bar-tailed Godwit, 36 Knot, 30 Sanderling, 26 Grey and 10 Ringed Plover and eight Greenshank.

Caspian Gull - Lee Collins

Merlin - Kevin Rylands

Also in the estuary 202 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 130 Common Gull, 26 Teal, two Red-breasted Merganser and a Great Northern Diver. Elsewhere 21 Great Crested Grebe, seven Common Scoter, six Great Northern and six Red-throated Diver.

Other Wildlife: The first Early Bumblebee of the year was on the wing along with several Buff-tailed Bumblebee. 

Friday 27th February

An adult Little Gull was feeding distantly off the seawall early afternoon, with 28 Common Scoter, c20 Razorbill, six Great Northern and three Red-throated Diver. 

Counts from the estuary on the low high tide included 390 Dunlin, 139 Common, 26 Great and six Lesser Black-backed Gull, 90 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 86 Turnstone, 82 Redshank, 20 Teal, 13 Ringed and four Grey Plover, eight Curlew, eight Greenshank, six Red-breasted Merganser, four Knot, a Bar-tailed Godwit and a Sanderling.  

Elsewhere a Pheasant was on Finger Point with the Oystercatcher and the Cetti's Warbler was around the Car Park. 

Thursday 26th February

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.

Elsewhere 10 Common Scoter and two Great Northern Diver were offshore.

Herring Gull (2CY) - both Jim Summers

Ringing News: A  ringed Black-headed Gull in the estuary was the first Norwegian recovery of this species from the Warren.

Other Wildlife: The first Red Admiral of the year was on the wing. 

Wednesday 25th February

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.

Small Sand Ant Lasius psammophilus - Alan Keatley

Amara tibialis - Alan Keatley

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.

Spotted Thintail Meliscaeva auricollis - Alan Keatley

Green Shieldbug - Alan Keatley

Elsewhere a Harbour Porpoise was off Langstone Rock and Common Toad were chorusing at the First Pond. 

Tuesday 24th February

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

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.

Alopecosa cuneata - Alan Keatley

Turf Ant Tetramorium caespitum - Alan Keatley

Euophryum frontalis - Alan Keatley

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

Black Marram Weevil Otiorhynchus atropterus - Alan Keatley

Monday 23rd February

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

Sunday 22nd February

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. 

Whimbrel - Lee Collins

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. 

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.

Saturday 21st February

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.

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.

Cafius xantholoma - Alan Keatley

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.

Turtle Shieldbug Podops inuncta - Alan Keatley

Zebra Jumping Spider Salticus scenicus - Alan Keatley

Friday 20th February

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.

Curlew Sandpiper & Dunlin - Lee Collins

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

Thursday 19th February

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. 

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.

Mitten Blackclock Pterostichus nigrita - Alan Keatley

Great Blackclock Pterostichus niger - Alan Keatley

Tuesday 17th February

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.

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

Monday 16th February

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. 

Sunday 15th February

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. 

Saturday 14th February

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. 

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.

Dune Jumper Marpissa nivoyi - Alan Keatley

Gorse Shieldbug - Alan Keatley