Monday 27th October

Seawatching was initially quiet first thing with a handful of skua passing but a feeding flock appeared just after 8am with 400+ Gannet and Kittiwake closer in. This in turn attracted the passing skuas inshore. Totals in three hours going south included two Sooty Shearwater, 22 Pomarine, 13 Arctic and seven Great Skua with four skua sp, a Merlin and a Red-throated Diver. Elsewhere eight Shelduck, 16 Ringed and 15 Grey Plover were in the Bight.

Sunday 26th October

The mobile feeding flock remained offshore sometimes close but often several miles offshore with birds often strung across the whole bay from Budleigh to Torbay. This flock attracted a site record 22+ Pomarine Skua with 30+ Arctic, single Great and the first Long-tailed Skua of the year also heading south. In addition to these there were another distant 35+ skua sp most either Pom or Arctic, many of these were from the first scan of the morning so had presumably roosted far out into the bay. Also offshore and/or heading south a Sooty Shearwater, 525+ Gannet, 500+ Kittiwake, 104 Common Scoter, 100+ auk, five Great Northern, a Red-throated and a Black-throated Diver. Records from the estuary included a second winter Little Gull, 268 Dunlin, 146 Teal, 143 Brent Geese, 40 Black and 28 Bar-tailed Godwit, 37 Turnstone, 16 Grey Plover, six Mediterranean Gull, three Sandwich Tern and the Slavonian Grebe. Elsewhere a Tawny Owl was in the entrance Bushes an overhead migration had virtually ground to a halt with just 235 Wood Pigeon, 92 Jackdaw and a Grey Wagtail.

Saturday 25th October

Despite the lack of wind and rain today was perhaps the best of the year for activity at sea. A large feeding flock in Lyme Bay saw counts of 160+ Gannet and 80+ Kittiwake offshore, these were continually chased by gulls and skuas with a minimum of 20+ Arctic, two Pomarine and a Great Skua during the day. Also offshore at least five Great Northern Diver and a Merlin. There was also movement overhead with 1840 Wood Pigeon, 189 Jackdaw, 149 Skylark, 102 Linnet, 94 Goldfinch, 62 Pied Wagtail, 10 Stock Dove, three Sparrowhawk, two Swallow, two Redpoll and a Siskin. Elsewhere a Dartford Warbler and a Cirl Bunting were in Greenland Lake and 18 Black-tailed Godwit, five Mediterranean Gull, four Sandwich Tern and the Slavonian Grebe were in the estuary.

Wildlife News: A helice Clouded Yellow was in Greenland Lake and both Common Darter and Migrant Hawker were still on the wing.

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.