Sunday 22nd October

Counts from the estuary included 307 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 271 Redshank, 171 Black-tailed Godwit, 34 Pale-bellied Brent, eight Mediterranean Gull, seven Knot, three Greenshank and a Pintail. With the new roost site now covered in fencing the small waders avoided the Warren but 330 Dunlin roosted on the seawall outside the Recording area.

Elsewhere a Jack Snipe was flushed from Dead Dolphin Wood, vis mig saw 1500 Wood Pigeon, 55 Goldfinch, 22 Swallow, 21 Chaffinch, three Redpoll, two Siskin, a Stock Dove and a Budgerigar head SW. Offshore the calm after the storm saw a single Great Skua with two Great Northern Diver but just 10 Gannet. 

Saturday 21st October

Storm Brian was the talk of the day with seawatching in the morning producing 350 Gannet, 50 auk sp, 25 Kittiwake, two Arctic Skua, three Great Northern and a Red-throated Diver south along with two Leach's Petrel, the first Long-tailed Skua of the year and an immature Long-tailed Duck. Elsewhere 311 Great Black-backed Gull sheltered in the estuary along with 40 Grey Plover and 26 Pale-bellied Brent Geese.

Pale-bellied Brent - Dave Jewell

Friday 20th October

A Ruff was in the Bight with the Slavonian Grebe also in the estuary with the usual mix of species but no counts were received. Elsewhere a Great Northern Diver was offshore and late migrants included single Swallow and Wheatear.

Wheatear - Alan Keatley

 

Wildlife News: Although it was a sunny and warm day it definitely had a end of season feel about it for insects. Ivy bees have all but disappeared, leaving a few social wasps and some flies on the Ivy, including this Noon Fly Mesembrina meridiana. Still plenty of Red Admiral passing through along with a couple of Migrant Hawker, a Southern Hawker and a few Common Darter.

 Noon Fly - Alan Keatley

Thursday 19th October

The Yellow-browed Warbler remained behind the Main Pond with six Goldcrest, four Chiffchaff and a Wheatear on site. Records from the estuary included 10 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, five Mediterranean Gull, four Greenshank and the Slavonian Grebe. Elsewhere a Merlin was on Warren Point and a Red-throated Diver was offshore.

Wednesday 18th October

Counts from the estuary included 2200 Wigeon, 402 Curlew, 190 Dunlin, 80 Turnstone, 61 Grey and 20 Ringed Plover, eight Mediterranean Gull, four Greenshank, a Lapwing, a Golden Plover and the Slavonian Grebe. Elsewhere the Yellow-browed Warbler was by the Back Meadow and the Whitethroat remains by the Dune Pond with nine Goldcrest, eight Chiffchaff, four Blackcap and a Wheatear on site.

Tuesday 17th October

The Yellow-browed Warbler and Siberian Chiffchaff were still in the bushes with at least five Goldcrest but there was little else to report with 43 Skylark and a Siskin overhead and two Cirl Bunting around Greenland Lake.

Monday 16th October

The weather was the main talking point today but despite the conditions and a lot of attention paid to the sea there was little passing offshore. Counts included two Balearic Shearwater, 300+ Gannet, just nine Kittiwake, a Great Skua, two Great Northern and a Red-throated Diver but the highlight was the first Short-eared Owl of the year that flew in off.

Elsewhere two Firecrest and a Siberian Chiffchaff were in the bushes and counts from the estuary included 330 Great Black-backed Gull, 35 Dunlin, 26 Grey Plover, 10 Black-tailed Godwit,10 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, eight Mediterranean Gull and a Little Stint.

Wildlife News: Portuguese Man O'war continue to be washed ashore on what remains of the beach.

Ringing News: A total of 14 ringed Great Black-backed Gull were recorded in the Bight with nine from France (six from the same Normandy scheme), two from Norway and the UK and a single from the Channel Islands.

Sunday 15th October

The Yellow-browed Warbler resurfaced as did the Whitethroat but new arrivals were thin on the ground and the Warren missed out on the record Firecrest influx. Overhead another miss as little could be done with a bunting flying through with a soft tic, but the first Brambling of the year was recorded along with 361 Linnet, 131 Meadow Pipit, 54 alba Wagtail, 29 Skylark, six Swallow and a Grey Wagtail.

Elsewhere counts from the estuary included 1598 Oystercatcher, 463 Curlew, 276 Teal, 120 Dark-bellied and seven Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 54 Black and 31 Bar-tailed Godwit, 11 Ringed Plover, five Sanderling, a Dunlin and the Slavonian Grebe. Offshore two Great Northern Diver.

Wildlife News: At least ten Portuguese Man O'War on the beach, possibly only the second site record.

Portuguese Man O'War - James Marshall

Saturday 14th October

The Bonaparte's Gull reappeared off groyne seven mid morning before flying to the estuary and feeding briefly with Black-headed and three Mediterranean Gull. Also in the estuary 211 Teal, a Sandwich Tern, 76 Great Black-backed Gull and the Slavonian Grebe.

Offshore three summer plumaged Great Northern Diver were on the sea, a Red-throated Diver flew south and a drake Tufted Duck, the first of the year, flew around. Elsewhere a late Sand Martin, c100 Linnet, 80 Meadow Pipit, 40 Pied Wagtail, four Chaffinch, three Reed Bunting and a Siskin were overhead and a Firecrest, a Coal Tit, five Goldcrest, four Chiffchaff and two Blackcap were in the bushes.

Kestrel - Alan Keatley

Friday 13th October

Seawatching early morning was hampered by the lack of visibility with six Great and four Arctic Skua, 60 Common Scoter and a Merlin south along with three skua sp and two shearwater sp (prob Sooty & Balearic). Elsewhere the second Golden Plover of the year and 20 Pale-bellied Brent Geese were in the Bight with 470 Curlew, 65 Black and 32 Bar-tailed Godwit and 10 Greenshank in the Railway Saltmarsh and the Slavonian Grebe off Cockwood.