Wednesday 12th October

The first Merlin and third Yellow-browed Warbler of the autumn were the highlights; the latter moved along the Dune Ridge calling as it went. Elsewhere migrants included eight Chiffchaff and five Blackcap around the scrub with 56 Goldfinch, 25 Swallow, 24 Meadow Pipit, 17 Siskin, seven Chaffinch and three Redpoll overhead. Counts from the estuary included 1970 Wigeon, 770 Teal, 207 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 168 Redshank, 80 Knot, 32 Bar-tailed Godwit, two Sandwich Tern and single Osprey, Pale-bellied Brent, Greenshank and Dunlin.

Sunday 9th October

Counts from the estuary included 1720 Wigeon, 359 Teal, 892 Oystercatcher, 428 Curlew, 50 Knot, 23 Shelduck, 22 Bar and two Black-tailed Godwit, 19 Ringed Plover and just 16 Brent Geese and five Dunlin. Also present the first three Red-breasted Merganser of the winter, seven Pintail and a juvenile Osprey which caught a fish and flew off upriver. Elsewhere two Eider offshore were the first since 2014, vismig saw a Red Kite head north, 48 Lesser Black-backed Gull head south along with 128 Goldfinch, 36 Skylark, 35 Meadow Pipit, 15 Swallow, 12 House Martin, nine Rook, two Grey Wagtail and the first five Siskin of the autumn. Grounded migrants included 20 Chiffchaff, five Goldcrest, four Blackcap, four Wheatear and three Coal Tit.

Saturday 8th October

A calmer day saw visible passage pick up and a turn-over of passerines pausing on site before heading on, with counts of 90+ Linnet, 54 Meadow Pipit, 58+ Goldfinch, c.30 Pied Wagtail, 30 Chaffinch, 20 Skylark, 17 House Martin, 12 Rook, eight Song Thrush (highest count since Jan), three Jackdaw, two Grey Wagtail, two Lesser Redpoll (first of the autumn) and single Raven, Swallow and a Bullfinch.  The clear highlight was a Turtle Dove that flew NE low of the tree-tops at 09:10. the first on site since Apr 2014 and for one regular observer, his first in 11 years! 

On the estuary, during the neap tide, 1489 Oystercatcher, 269 Redshank, 243 Curlew, 60 Knot, 29 Dunlin, 27 Ringed Plover, 23 Cormorant including a sinensis; 21 Shelduck, 16 Turnstone, 14 Bar-tailed Godwit, seven Sandwich Tern, six Sanderling, five Black-tailed Godwit, three Kingfisher, two Mediterranean Gull, a Whimbrel, a Greenshank and the Slavonian Grebe.  In the estuary corner, 909 Teal was the highest congregation since Dec 2010.  The three jet-skiers who disturbed these and all other waterbirds there were later intercepted and politely made aware of their error.  More natural disturbance was caused by an Osprey that drifted down channel late morning then headed back up the estuary. 

Little at sea, 51 Common Scoter and two Grey Plover in off.  The bushes held 17 Chiffchaff, 11 Blackcap,  three Goldcrest, one or two each of Great Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, Jay, Wheatear, Cirl Bunting and a Whitethroat, the latest date since 2010.

Wildlife News: Red Admiral and numerous Small Copper still on the wing.  Sand Lizards were also seen out.

Friday 7th October

Counts from the estuary included 348 Dunlin, 69 Grey and 41 Ringed Plover, 51 Knot, 42 Bar and two Black-tailed Godwit, 22 Turnstone and two Greenshank. Elsewhere a Wheatear was on the beach and 13 Swallow flew through.

Thursday 6th October

A Yellow-browed Warbler briefly by the First Pond was almost to be expected considering the national influx but unfortunately it didn't linger. Other migrants were limited to eight Chiffchaff, two Blackcap and a Goldcrest. In the estuary an Osprey flew over towards Exmouth with counts of 410 Dunlin, 58 Grey and 45 Ringed Plover, 12 Shelduck and six Pintail. Elsewhere 60 Common Scoter and two skua sp were offshore, four Raven were overhead and a Jay remains in Dead Dolphin Wood.

Tuesday 4th October

The highlight was a Snow Bunting that flew along the Dune Ridge mid morning, before being relocated in the Bight an hour later. Also in the Bight two Curlew Sandpiper, 409 Dunlin, 91 Brent Geese, 73 Grey and 47 Ringed Plover and 14 Sanderling. Overhead there were 70 House and two Sand Martin.

Monday 3rd October

A clear, still start was soon interrupted by a fresh onshore breeze that persisted all day and evaporated passage overhead to reduce counts to 52 Swallow, 35 Meadow Pipit, 18 Pied Wagtail, five Grey Wagtail and three Jackdaw.   

Selected counts during the spring tide in The Bight were 324 Dunlin, 67 Grey Plover, 60 Ringed Plover, eight Sanderling, three Knot and a Curlew Sandpiper.  Also in the estuary or at sea, six Pintail, four Sandwich Tern, three Shelduck a Mediterranean Gull and an Arctic Tern. 

Blown out, among the bushes were found only a few Chiffchaff, also seven Greenfinch, three Blackcap, two Goldcrest, two Song Thrush and a Jay. 

Sunday 2nd October

A chilly start developed into a gloriously sunny and near cloudless day. Over the high tides, selected counts and estimates were 1400+ Wigeon, 4-figure count of Oystercatcher, 510 Dunlin, 3-figure counts Teal and Curlew, 259 Redshank, 80 Grey Plover, 80 Black-headed Gull, 45 Ringed Plover, 44 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 30+ Knot, 23 Turnstone, 16+ Bar-tailed Godwit, eight Sanderling, three juv Curlew Sandpiper, three Sandwich Tern, two Mediterranean Gull and a Greenshank.  Small waders were decidedly skittish with the presence of two Sparrowhawk and Peregrine, the latter departed with prey. 

The Bight still held 92 Linnet and a Rook landed on the wader island at dusk.  The raft of 37 Common Scoter was the only notable sighting at sea. 

High hopes for overhead passage were too high for our sea-level observations with only 25+ Meadow Pipit,12 Swallow, two Siskin, two Stock Dove and a House Martin through.  An all day total of 51 Lesser Black-backed Gull south was the highlight. 

From their roost in the Italian Alders of the car park departed 78 House Sparrow.  Elsewhere in bushes and dunes, 20+ Goldfinch, 12 Skylark, 12 Chiffchaff, eight Stonechat, four Wheatear, four Greenfinch, three Reed Bunting, two each of Jay, Goldcrest and Blackcap, a Coal Tit and a late Garden Warbler. 

Wildlife News: thanks to two curious and responsible dog-walkers, the position of a large moth in the dunes was marked, enabling it to be re-found and identified as a Convolvulus Hawk-moth (photo on Twitter post). 

Saturday 1st October

Totals from the morning and evening high tides were c.1910 Wigeon, the Oystercatcher roost, 374 Dunlin, 237 Curlew, 226 Redshank, 217 Teal, 173 Black-headed Gull with 19 Common Gull and two adult Mediterranean Gull; also 135 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 90 Ringed Plover, 43 Grey Plover, 36 Knot, 14 Bar-tailed Godwit, 10 Turnstone, seven Pintail, five Common Tern, single figures of Sanderling, a juv Curlew Sandpiper and single late Whimbrel and Common Sandpiper. A large, though reduced flock of Linnet remained in The Bight.

At sea, a raft of 28 Common Scoter, 25+ Gannet, 6 Sandwich Tern and five auk flew south. The summer-plumaged Red-throated Diver was again offshore and a Storm Petrel was glimpsed foraging far out.

Present for its seventh day, the Wryneck showed well in a small Sycamore along Warren Neck.

Wryneck (Alan Keatley)

The bushes and dunes also held, c.70 Goldfinch, 18 Chiffchaff, 13 Blackcap, three Goldcrest, two Wheatear, four Greenfinch and a Jay with the odd habit of calling like a Buzzard.

Chiffchaff (Alan Keatley)

Lighter passage overhead, with 135 Meadow Pipit, six Pied Wagtail, four Swallow, two Sand Martin and single Grey Wagtail and Chaffinch. A Kingfisher was heard on the golf course pond.

Wildlife News: a Painted Lady. Work began to remove remains of the beached Fin Whale, located just south of Langstone Rock.

Painted Lady (Alan Keatley) 

Friday 30th September

In the estuary, 4-figure counts of Oystercatcher and Wigeon, hundreds of Teal, 348 Curlew, 318 Dunlin, 229 Redshank, 81 Ringed Plover, 77 Grey Plover, 36 Knot, 31 Bar-tailed Godwit, 17 Turnstone, five Sanderling, three juv Curlew Sandpiper, two juv Little Stint and a single Golden Plover circling The Bight at dusk. On the morning tide, waterbirds scattered as a Peregrine stooped repeatedly into The Bight area, a Dunlin was caught but dropped as another Peregrine fought over the kill, later neatly plucked from the water's surface by the first bird.

The sea livened up in the early evening with 23 Sandwich Tern, single Balearic Shearwater and Common Tern.

Unusually, overhead passage picked up from late morning, as the wind strengthened, the total of 470 Meadow Pipit highest count here since Sep 2007.  Also 100+ Linnet (plus c.90 still in The Bight), 60 Swallow, 21 Skylark, 12 Pied Wagtail, five Grey Wagtail, three Chaffinch and single Greenfinch and Buzzard, mostly passed WSW. 

The Wryneck showed twice in the morning and perched up in brambles along Warren Neck, In the bushes and dunes, 20 Chiffchaff, 18 Goldfinch, 9 Blackcap. all five resident Stonechat present; two Wheatear, two Jay, a Goldcrest, a Reed Bunting and a Coal Tit on Warren Point.