Saturday 13th December

Counts from the estuary at high tide included 400 Black and 64 Bar-tailed Godwit, 128 Redshank, 125 Shelduck, 89 Grey and 37 Ringed Plover, 68 Knot, 22 Sanderling, 10 Greenshank, nine Avocet, two Red-breasted Merganser, a Kingfisher and a Pintail. 

Offshore at least 21 Great Crested Grebe, five Great Northern and four Red-throated Diver, three Common Scoter and three Pintail with six Wigeon. 

Elsewhere the Dartford Warbler was on the Golf Course with at least seven Chiffchaff, four Goldcrest and a Coal Tit in the bushes.

Friday 12th December

With the improvement in the weather the Yellow-browed Warbler was again reported along with the first Siberian Chiffchaff of the autumn, a Firecrest and the wintering Dartford Warbler. 

In the estuary the Pale-bellied Brent Goose was present with the Lesser Crested Tern remaining up river, last seen here on Saturday. 

Thursday 11th December

The 18th Caspian Gull of the year, a 1CY, was in The Bight  briefly on the rising tide, prior to this autumn there had only been 17 previous Warren records.

Caspian Gull - Lee Collins

Also in the estuary 300+ Black-tailed Godwit, 133 Shelduck, 12 Greenshank and six Red-breasted Merganser with two immature Spoonbill that flew in off the sea and SW down the spit. 

Wednesday 10th December

The high tide saw near record numbers of Black-tailed Godwit were 950 roosting in the Railway Saltmarsh with a single Avocet. Around The Bight the usual waders including 1100 Dunlin, 78 Grey Plover, 77 Bar-tailed Godwit, 35 Knot, 15 Turnstone and a Sanderling.

Also in the estuary 176 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 111 Shelduck, eight Red-breasted Merganser and single Mediterranean Gull and a Kingfisher. 

Elsewhere surprisingly quiet in the bushes, with 10 Long-tailed Tit, two Chiffchaff and two Goldcrest, 28 Meadow Pipit in Greenland Lake and offshore a Great Northern Diver, but no Velvets amongst the twenty Common Scoter.

Other Wildlife: In the winter sunshine a queen German Wasp and a tiny ribwort plantain feeding weevil Trichosirocalus troglodytes.

German Wasp - Alan Keatley

Trichosirocalus troglodytes - Alan Keatley

Monday 8th December

No sign of the tern on site, it remained off Turf for much of the day. The same weather that has presumably seen in seek shelter up north saw an influx of 740 Black-tailed Godwit to the saltmarsh, along with 66 Common Gull. Elsewhere two Great Northern Diver were offshore and the five Velvet Scoter were reported.

Sunday 7th December

With no sign of the Lesser Crested Tern in the Recording Area, although it remained in the estuary north of Starcross, the highlight was the first December record of Storm Petrel with one individual lingering off the seawall mid afternoon. Also offshore 28 Common Scoter, nine Great Crested Grebe and a Great Northern Diver.

Elsewhere 345 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 16 Great Crested Grebe, three Red-breasted Merganser and a second Great Northern Diver were in estuary, with at least seven Chiffchaff and four Goldcrest in the bushes and the Dartford Warbler on the Golf Course.

Saturday 6th December

The Lesser Crested Tern was still present early morning, but left would-be admirers in the lurch by relocating to the Turf, Exminster before giving people the run around as it fed or roosted at distance between Starcross and Lympstone. It eventually returned to Cockwood mid afternoon were it showed well, briefly returning to the Recording Area before heading back towards Lympstone. 

After a few hours we finally had good views of the Lesser Crested Tern, it touched down on the shoreline off Cockwood Steps. We watched it for an hour with about 50 other birders. #UKBirding

[image or embed]

— Rob Murphy (@robmurphy.bsky.social) 6 December 2025 at 17:03

Also around the estuary 87 Knot, 32 Ringed Plover, 11 Great Crested Grebe, four Greenshank, four Red-breasted Merganser, two Avocet and a drake Goosander which flew west, 

Elsewhere a Great Northern Diver offshore, eight Skylark around The Bight and four Jackdaw on Bull Hill.

Friday 5th December

The Lesser Crested Tern remained around the estuary with 250 Dark and a Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 30 Grey Plover, 10 Bar-tailed Godwit and two Greenshank around The Bight. 

Elsewhere a 3CY Scandinavian argentatus Herring Gull on the beach, the Yellow-browed Warbler at the Main Pond and off Langstone Rock about 30 Common Scoter.

Thursday 4th December

The Lesser Crested Tern remained in the lower estuary all day favouring the yellow wildlife refuge buoys. Best viewed from Cockwood or Warren Point, there is no access to the Golf Course. Many thanks for those visiting today, lots of positive comments from golfers and no issues reported. 

Lesser Crested Tern - Grahame Madge The picture that started it all yesterday

Lesser Crested Tern - Dave Boult

The Yellow-browed Warbler was still around the Main Pond with at least seven Chiffchaff and six Goldcrest, the first Fieldfare of the year was in Greenland Lake before flying N early morning, the Dartford Warbler was heard calling from the Golf Course and a drake Goosander flew W over Main Pond mid afternoon.

Elsewhere 32 Common Scoter, 12 Great Crested Grebe, three Red-throated and two Great Northern Diver were offshore with 52 Common Gull and six Greenshank. 

Year list addition:
187. Fieldfare

Wednesday 3rd December

One bird was the centre of attention, an orange-billed tern that was seen from the Stuart Line Cruise as it passed Warren Point late morning. Soon picked up roosting on a buoy mid estuary before making occasional feeding trips to the estuary mouth. Its identity remained unresolved with but as the tide rose it moved to a buoy nearer Cockwood and even fed in The Bight, confirming it to be a Lesser Crested Tern, just the tenth UK record. 

Lesser Crested Tern - Kevin Rylands

Lesser Crested Tern - Dave Boult

No doubt the bird reported briefly on the Axe on Monday, it remained on the buoy until at least 4.40pm when the light had all but gone.There is no access to the Golf Course, so best viewed from Cockwood or Warren Point.

Lesser Crested Tern - Dave Boult

A completely unexpected second for the Recording Area and Devon, following a bird here on 17-20 July 1985. A record of a Lesser Crested or Royal Tern here on 19 Dec 1987 is an interesting parallel to the days events. 

Earlier in the day there were 17 Common Scoter and four Pintail were offshore, a Grey Wagtail and a Shoveler were on the Main Pond and the Yellow-browed Warbler was still present and elusive. 

Shoveler - Jim Summers

Yellow-browed Warbler - Jim Summers

Year list addition:
186. Lesser Crested Tern