Thursday 16th October

With an improvement in the weather there was hope for some new arrivals and overhead migration but with the exception of 101 Skylark, c30 Meadow Pipit, 13 Chiffchaff and 11 Rook migrants were in low single figures. These included four Blackcap, three Siskin, three Jackdaw, a Swallow and a Wheatear. The finch flock in Greenland Lake included 60+ Greenfinch, 60+ Goldfinch, 15+ Linnet, four Reed and two Cirl Bunting with another 70+ Linnet in the Bight. Elsewhere a Tawny Owl was in the Entrance Bushes, a Great Northern Diver was offshore and counts from the estuary included 1301 Wigeon, 439 Curlew, 357 Redshank, 330 Dunlin, 93 Brent Geese, 37 Ringed Plover, 32 Turnstone, 30 Black and 25 Bar-tailed Godwit, 10 Sanderling, a Sandwich Tern and a Red-breasted Merganser.

Tawny Owl - Dave Jewell

Wednesday 15th October

Early morning the site was blown out with little in the bushes or overhead but passage offshore was limited to single Great Northern Diver and a Razorbill. The same winds no doubt accounted for the Grey Phalarope reported off Groyne 11 late morning. A look from Cockwood Steps early evening produced counts of 276 Brent Geese, 252 Great Black-backed Gull, four Greenshank and the Slavonian Grebe.

Wildlife News: A Fox was watched foraging on the mudflats early evening.

Tuesday 14th October

The presence of four Dartford Warbler along the Dune Ridge and on Warren Point was unexpected as was the autumn's fourth record of Wryneck, also on Warren Point. Other grounded migrants were limited to a couple of Wheatear, six Chiffchaff and a Blackcap, although some of the Blackbird, Dunnock and Wren were probably also migrants. Overhead mostly heading east 108 Goldfinch, 46 alba Wagtail, 44 Meadow Pipit, 35 Skylark, 17 Chaffinch, 15 Rook, five Redpoll, four Reed Bunting, three Swallow and two Jackdaw. Counts from the estuary included 428 Redshank, 334 Curlew, 264 Dunlin, 238 Brent Geese, 28 Black and 20 Bar-tailed Godwit, two Greenshank, a first winter Yellow-legged Gull and the Slavonian Grebe. Elsewhere three Great Northern Diver and a Tufted Duck were offshore.

 Oystercatcher - spot the odd one out...

a noticeably browner backed individual, such oddly plumaged birds are occasionally noted.

Both pictures - Ivan Lakin

Wildlife News: A fresh late (second generation?) Meadow Brown was on the wing along with Red Admiral and Speckled Wood, more typical autumn butterflies.

Sunday 12th October

The first Dartford Warbler of the year, an immature, was in brambles around the Cuckoo's Nest early morning but other grounded migrants were limited to seven Chiffchaff and a couple of Blackcap. Overhead however visible migration continued with 197 Skylark, 154 alba Wagtail, 58 Meadow Pipit, 34 Jackdaw, 11 Rook, nine Swallow, six Reed Bunting, four Siskin, two Snipe and a Golden Plover mostly heading west. Elsewhere the adult Bonaparte's Gull reappeared offshore for its third winter (assuming out lingers), the Arctic Tern was again present, three Great Northern Diver included a summer plumaged adult that flew high south from upriver, the first Water Rail of the autumn were at the Main Pond and the Slavonian Grebe remained off Cockwood.

Bonaparte's Gull - Lee Collins

Saturday 11th October

Visible migration today included a good count of 305 Skylark in off the sea along with 19 Swallow, 18 House Martin and single Mistle Thrush and Redpoll. Grounded migrants inclded 12 Blackcap, 10 Chiffchaff and two Wheatear. Elsewhere a juvenile Arctic Tern and a Great Northern Diver were offshore with counts from the estuary including 1430 Wigeon, 481 Curlew, 420 Redshank and the Slavonian Grebe.

Wildlife News: A Field Vole was observed on Warren Point and continuing the theme of visible migration over 30 Red Admiral were counted heading south.

Friday 10th October

The Slavonian Grebe was in the estuary with 207 Dunlin, 10 Sanderling and a Black-tailed Godwit, elsewhere three Wheatear and seven Chiffchaff were on site with Linnet and Goldfinch numbers on the rise.

 Goldfinch - Dave Jewell

Wheatear - Dave Jewell

Thursday 9th October

Seawatching early morning before 9.30 saw the first record of Sooty Shearwater for two years, with one bird lingering distantly offshore. Also offshore five Balearic Shearwater, three Arctic Skua and four Skua sp headed south along with 80+ Gannet, 40+ Kittiwake, six Sandwich Tern and 47 Swallow. Elsewhere 1970+ Wigeon were in the estuary with the Slavonian Grebe and two Kingfisher with three Wheatear on site.

Brent Geese - Dave Jewell

 

Ringing News: This Brent Goose was ringed as an adult at Powderham in 1996 so is at least 19 years old. It has been recorded on the Exe most winters since.

Wednesday 8th October

Between the showers this morning 14 Chiffchaff, four Goldcrest and a couple of Blackcap were noted in the bushes with c50 Meadow and two Rock Pipit, 15+ alba Wagtail, four Raven, two Jackdaw and a Rook overhead. No other news was received.

Tuesday 7th October

The third Wryneck of the autumn was reported along the Back Path near Dead Dolphin Wood mid afternoon but no other news was received.

Monday 6th October

The overnight weather gave some hope for some decent seawatching, but although this was the case elsewhere once the weather cleared birds avoided this corner of Lyme Bay. In two hours there were just 12 Gannet south with most of those seen distantly after the rain, also south two very distant Arctic Skua, an adult Mediterranean Gull, 12 Sandwich Tern and a Curlew with 12 Common Scoter wheeling about way offshore.

 

Ringing News: This Ringed Plover NLE seen in the Bight on Saturday was ringed at Makkevika, Giske, Norway on 25/08/14. Thanks to Kjell Mork Soot of the Sunnmøre Ringing Group www.fugler.com for this information.

 

Ringed Plover - Lee Collins

View Ringed Plover 04/10/2014 in a larger map

 

This Sandwich Tern N09 was recorded in front of the hide on 13/07/14 and 28/08/14 showing the site fidelity of passage birds at the Warren. It was ringed as a chick at de Scheelhoekeilanden, Stellendam, Zuid-Holland, The Netherlands on 19/06/12 being seen again nearby once fledged on 12/07/12. It was then recorded overwintering in Namibia between 20/12/12 and 13/04/13. The sightings at the Warren were the first since.

Sandwich Tern - Lee Collins

View Sandwich Tern N09 in a larger map