Tuesday 8th September

The overnight rain seemed to do little to drop in any migrants with just a few Chiffchaff and a Willow Warbler noted around the bushes, however a flock of at least 110 Linnet, seven White Wagtail and a couple of Wheatear were feeding in The Bight.

Wader numbers did increase with a juvenile Curlew Sandpiper amongst 305 Dunlin and 180 Ringed Plover over the evening high tide, with other counts including 260 Curlew, 14 Greenshank, 14 Knot, 12 Bar and five Black-tailed Godwit, 10 Turnstone, nine Sanderling and three Whimbrel. 

Dunlin & Ringed Plover - Kevin Rylands

Also over high tide, a 1CY Caspian Gull on Finger Point, a day earlier than the first of last year's record influx, 65 Sandwich and six Common Tern, eight Mediterranean Gull and seven Shelduck. 

Caspian Gull - Lee Collins

Ringing News: A busy high tide with over 60 Exe-ringed Oystercatcher recorded, plus birds from Hampshire and Yorkshire. In addition the Hampshire Ringed Plover and five Sandwich Tern, from Poland, Belgium, Netherlands and Hampshire (two). 

Other Wildlife: A better afternoon with rain clearing by midday and warm sunshine later on. In sheltered areas a couple of Heather Colletes C. succinctus on its foodplant by the Visitor Centre. Hiding in the heather a Common Groundhopper and close by the cranefly Tipula paludosa. 

Heather Colletes C. succinctus - Alan Keatley

Tipula paludosa - Alan Keatley

A drop in butterfly numbers, but a few Clouded Yellow and Painted Lady still on the wing along with a few late hoverflies including a Lesser Roundface Eumerus funeralis by the station and a couple of Superb Ant-hill Hoverfly Xanthogramma pedissequum.

Lesser Roundface Eumerus funeralis - Alan Keatley