Saturday 11th November

Counts from the estuary included 560 Dunlin, 266 Dark and 26 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 66 Shelduck, 54 Grey Plover and 16 Sanderling. Elsewhere a Merlin was on Warren Point, single Great Skua and Sandwich Tern were offshore and the Jack Snipe was on the Main Pond.

Friday 10th November

Counts in the Bight included 241 Dark-bellied and 28 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 67 Shelduck and 17 Sanderling but the majority of waders were sheltering from the strong wind in the Railway Saltmarsh. Elsewhere the Jack Snipe and Cetti's Warbler were almost equally elusive on the Main Pond with two Mistle Thrush and two Raven overhead.

Wildlife News: In sheltered sunny spots a few dragonfly were still on the wing with at least nine Common Darter and a Migrant Hawker.   

Common Darter - Lee Collins

Thursday 9th November

There was no sign of the Black Brant early morning with just 60 Dark-bellied Brent Geese in the Bight. There was also a lack of movement overhead with just three Redpoll and a couple of Siskin outnumbering the Chaffinch. Elsewhere the Cetti's Warbler was still present, two Firecrest were around the Main Pond, at least five Chiffchaff were on site and five Cirl Bunting were around Greenland Lake.

Wednesday 8th November

The Black Brant was again in the Bight with 290 Dark-bellied and two Pale-bellied Brent Geese, also in the estuary 530 Dunlin, 270 Redshank, a Great Northern Diver and the Slavonian Grebe. A Jack Snipe at the Main Pond was presumably a returning bird, also there six Reed Bunting, two Snipe, the Cetti's Warbler and a Shoveler.

 Black Brant - Lee Collins

Elsewhere 22 Long-tailed and a Coal Tit were in the bushes and a Red-throated Diver was offshore, but the clear skies meant any movement overhead largely escaped detection but single Brambling and Redpoll flew low enough to make the list, unlike further west there was no pigeon movement today.

Jack Snipe (& two Snipe) It did show better than this at times! - Lee Collins

Tuesday 7th November

The wet and windy conditions pushed the feeding groups in Lyme Bay closer inshore with 200+ Gannet and 160 Kittiwake in the first hour of light. Also offshore two Pomarine Skua (pale phase ad and pale headed juv) and single Red-throated and Great Northern Diver.

Counts from the hide included 200+ Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 176 Great Black-backed Gull and a fourth year Yellow-legged Gull (also sheltering from the weather), 90 Grey Plover, 68 Shelduck, 26 Pale-bellied Brent Goose, a Kingfisher on the wreck and the Slavonian Grebe.

Slavonian Grebe - Lee Collins

 

Ringing News: The Pale-bellied Brent below was ringed as a juvenile on Alftantes football pitch in Iceland on 11 May 2017, remaining there until the 22nd. This next sighting was at the Warren in October. Today's was the first record here since 23rd October.

 Pale-bellied Brent Goose - Lee Collins

Wildlife News: A Grey Seal was in the estuary.

Monday 6th November

The pigeon tap turned on again with 15,280 Wood Pigeon heading west before 9am, also overhead a Jack Snipe with two Snipe, three Redpoll and 11 Jackdaw. Elsewhere a Coat Tit moved through the bushes, the Cetti's Warbler was at the Main Pond and a Red-throated Diver was offshore.

Sunday 5th November

Counts from the estuary included 390 Dunlin, 336 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 217 Redshank, 197 Black-tailed Godwit, 78 Grey Plover, 38 Shelduck, nine Greenshank, six Red-breasted Merganser, two Pale-bellied Brent Geese and the Slavonian Grebe. Elsewhere 500 Wood Pigeon were overhead and a Red-throated Diver and an Arctic Skua were offshore.

Saturday 4th November

A fem/imm Marsh Harrier that headed north up the estuary was the highlight but little else was on the move overhead. There was more activity offshore with large feeding flocks distantly in the bay and 210+ Kittiwake, 160 Razorbill and 100 Gannet moving south early morning, a Pomarine Skua was attracted to these flocks and a single Red-throated Diver was on the sea. 

Counts from the estuary included 380 Dunlin, 300 Black-tailed Godwit, 257 Dark and 16 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 45 Turnstone, 44 Shelduck, six Mediterranean Gull, four Red-breasted Merganser, a first winter Yellow-legged Gull, a Greenshank and the Slavonian Grebe. Elsewhere the Cetti's Warbler was still at the Main Pond but remained impossible to see.

Wildlife News: Several Common Darter and Red Admiral were still on the wing but a late Meadow Brown was the highlight. This is the fourth year in the last six that Meadow Brown has been on the wing after mid October, with December records in 2015.

Friday 3rd November

Ringing News: A quick evening visit allowed 13 Oystercatcher ring reads to be made from the hide. The highlight was an adult ringed at Vardheia, Rogaland in Norway on 2nd July this year. This is only the second Norwegian ringed Oystercatcher recorded here but Warren ringed birds have been recovered in Norway, including one from an Eagle Owl nest.

The other recoveries this evening included several birds previously rung here, notably two from 1989; and a bird ringed this year as a chick in Warwickshire.

Thursday 2nd November

Birds continued to move overhead in small numbers before the cloud cleared late morning. Highlights included two Brambling, 17 Bullfinch, eight Redpoll, seven Reed Bunting, six Mistle Thrush, four Redwing and two Siskin. Other counts included 1090 Wood Pigeon, 42 Chaffinch, 19 Skylark, 18 Jackdaw, eight Greenfinch and two Rook. Some of the Greenfinch and Redpoll dropped into Greenland Lake to join a mobile flock of 110 Goldfinch, these in turn attracted the attention of two Sparrowhawk. Elsewhere the Cetti's Warbler was at the Main Pond and 50+ Black-tailed Godwit, 31 Shelduck and a Pintail were in the estuary.

 Lesser Redpoll - Alan Keatley

 

 Sparrowhawk - Alan Keatley

Wildlife News: The sunny weather during the afternoon brought out a few Red Admiral, four Common Darter and a Migrant Hawker with Buff-tailed Bumblebee and Honey Bee on the Gorse.