Friday 24th October

The first Merlin of the autumn was the only reported news.

Thursday 23rd October

The arrival of wet weather prevented any vismig from getting going but a flock of 104 Jackdaw flew east with around 20 Linnet and smaller numbers of Goldfinch and Chaffinch also heading through. Counts from the estuary included 449 Curlew, 121 Brent Geese, 108 Teal, 38 Black-tailed Godwit, 20+ Turnstone, 12 Shelduck and the Slavonian Grebe. Elsewhere a Jay in the Spinney on the Golf Course was the only notable migrant on site and 40+ Gannet, 20+ Kittiwake and 16 Common Scoter were offshore.

Wednesday 22nd October

A quick visit late afternoon showed the return of the Bonaparte's Gull to Groyne 3, it had been seen  further south down the coast at Teignmouth on Sunday. Over the high tide a couple of Peregrine were in the Bight making waders counts impossible but six returning Shelduck were with the Brent Geese and a Greenshank was in Shutterton Creek. 

Bonaparte's Gull - Lee Collins

Monday 20th October

Visible migration before 11am saw a total of  714 Jackdaw head west; the second highest site count, also overhead 234 Linnet, 199 alba Wagtail, 186 Goldfinch, 106 Skylark, 100+ Meadow Pipit, 86 Starling, 71 Greenfinch, 15 Rook, 10 Reed Bunting, two Siskin, a Sparrowhawk and a Swallow. Elsewhere 415 Dunlin, 340+ Brent Geese, 46 Black-tailed Godwit, 40 Ringed Plover, six Greenshank and a Common Sandpiper were in the estuary and a Wheatear remained on Warren Point and two male Cirl Bunting were around Greenland Lake.

Wildlife News: A helice Clouded Yellow was in Greenland Lake.

Sunday 19th October

The humble Jackdaw was the day's highlight with a total of 327 flying west during the morning, the flocks occasionally pursued by single Sparrowhawk and Peregrine. Also moving west before 11am 110 Goldfinch, 86 Pied Wagtail, 44 Meadow Pipit, four Rook, four Raven, four Reed Bunting, two Chaffinch, two late House Martin and a Swallow. Elsewhere Great Northern Diver and 50+ Gannet flew south offshore and seven Redwing and six Chiffchaff were in the bushes.

Saturday 18th October

Seawatching up to 10am produced totals of 368 Gannet, 22 Kittiwake, 16 Common Scoter and 16 Sandwich Tern all south along with a Kestrel, three Great Northern Diver, a drake Velvet Scoter, five Arctic and a Pomarine Skua. Counts from the estuary included 256 Brent Geese, 141 Great Black-backed Gull, a good site count of 98 Black-tailed Godwit and single Greenshank, Slavonian Grebe and the first Lapwing of the autumn. Elsewhere a Swallow through early afternoon was the only hint of movement overhead, two Wheatear were on the beach and 250+ Linnet were in the Bight.

Friday 17th October

A Lapland Bunting that flew west over the Golf Course was the pick of the limited vismig, also overhead the first Redwing of the autumn, 30+ Meadow Pipit, 22 Jackdaw, 18 Rook and a couple of Swallow; the first Yellowhammer of the year dropped into Greenland Lake briefly where two Cirl Bunting remained with the finch flock. In the estuary counts included 141 Brent Geese, 114 Great Black-backed Gull, 52 Black-tailed Godwit, 39 Ringed Plover, seven Knot, two Sandwich Tern and the Slavonian Grebe. Elsewhere 149 Linnet were in front of the hide, a close juvenile Pomarine Skua flew south offshore from the seawall early afternoon as did another first for the year, a Short-eared Owl.

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.