Thursday 17th March

The mini purple patch continued with a singing Cetti's Warbler near the Dune Pond most of the morning, just the 13th site record, but annual in recent autumns. Other arrivals were limited to a single Wheatear in Greenland Lake and seven Chiffchaff around site. 

Wheatear - Dean Hall

Elsewhere 292 Dark-bellied Brent Geese were feeding on the beach at low tide, four Shoveler and three Teal were on the Main Pond and the sunny weather saw single Sparrowhawk and Buzzard drift overhead. 

Wildlife News: The Sand Crocus resisted the sunshine, mean emergence for the last three years has been the 18th March, but it brought out a few more insects with Yellow-legged Mining Bee Andrena flavipes around the car park roundabout, a couple of Buffish Mining Bee Andrena nigroaenea on sallows near the Dune Pond and a selection of butterflies including a Red Admiral and a couple each of Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock and Comma. 

Yellow-legged Mining Bee - Alan Keatley

Hoverflies included single White-footed Hoverfly Platycheirus albimanus, Slender Melanostoma scalare and several Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax.

White-footed Hoverfly - Alan Keatley

Wednesday 16th March

A second winter Caspian Gull was a good find on Finger Point, just the eighth site record. Other welcome arrivals in the Bight included two Little Ringed Plover, the earliest ever arrivals, and a Wheatear with two Sand Martin overhead.

Caspian Gull - both Lee Collins

Counts from the estuary included 570 Dunlin, 85 Turnstone, 58 Grey and eight Ringed Plover, 32 Knot, 30 Redshank and 13 Sanderling.

Little Ringed Plover - Lee Collins

Tuesday 15th March

A Spotted Redshank was just outside the Recoding Area between Starcross and Cockwood but there were no reports of it south of Cockwood Harbour. 

Monday 14th March

Three Glossy Ibis were reported flying west over the Main Pond at 11am, before being found at Exminster Marshes 30 minutes later. The fourth site record and first multiple sighting.

Elsewhere a Great Northern Diver was offshore. 

Sunday 13th March

The highlight was the presence of at least two Little Gull, an adult and a first winter that spent most of their time feeding in the estuary but also moved offshore at times. A scarce bird in recent years. Also offshore two Great Northern and two Red-throated Diver with a small southerly passage of Kittiwake and northerly passage of Black-headed Gull.

Elsewhere WeBS counts on a low neap tide included 860 Dunlin, 101 Oystercatcher, 70 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 61 Knot, 48 Grey and five Ringed Plover, nine Red-breasted Merganser and two Sanderling, with two Shoveler on the Main Pond and offsite a Red Kite south over Eastdon.

Saturday 12th March

A Nuthatch in the Entrance Bushes early morning was the rarity highlight, the first March record for the Recording Area. Other arrivals included the first Sand Martin of the year overhead, five Chiffchaff on site and a smart male Wheatear in Greenland Lake.

Wheatear - Alan Keatley

Also on site three Shoveler on the Main Pond, a male Peregrine, a vocal Green Woodpecker and a noticeable increase in breeding activity.

Wildlife News: Despite the increasing wind a few insects were on the wing, especially around the early flowering sallows. These included the first Gwynne's Mining Bee Andrena bicolor for several years and the year's first Fluffy Dronefly Eristalis intricaria and Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax. 

Fluffy Dronefly - Alan Keatley

Tapered Dronefly - Alan Keatley

Friday 11th March

An hour's seawatch early morning show nothing more than 20 Gannet passing offshore in wet and windy conditions. Later on a site visit with the Environment Agency allowed a quick check of the dropping tide with 119 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, seven Red-breasted Merganser, four Great-crested Grebe and two Greenshank amongst the usual waders in the estuary. 

Elsewhere single Chiffchaff, Sparrowhawk, Green and Great-spotted Woodpecker were on site.

Wildlife News: Sand Crocus leaves are now easily visible with plants found in new areas on the Golf Course.

Ringing News: Details of a metal ringed Dunlin seen on 23 Feb 2022 have been received. It was ringed as an adult at Uosikaupunki, Varsinais-Suomi, SW Finland on 2 Aug 2021. The Warren is 1899 km WSW from the site of ringing.

This is only the second Finnish recovery from the Warren, the other was a Black-headed Gull.

Thursday 10th March

A slight rise in temperature, a relatively dry day and a south/south easterly wind brought its reward in the form of the first Wheatear of the year; briefly view along the shoreline of the Bight, before it disappeared over the ridge and towards Warren Point. What was presumably the same bird was on the Point later on. A Chiffchaff singing vigorously in the Entrance Bushes may also have been a fresh migrant.

It was a low high tide so numbers were similarly low but also reduced as many have already moved back towards breeding grounds. Counts included 850 Dunlin, 88 Bar-tailed Godwit, 87 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 82 Grey and 16 Ringed Plover, 57 Knot, 38 Turnstone, eight Sanderling, eight Wigeon and four Red-breasted Merganser.

Wildlife News: The first Comma and Peacock butterflies were on the wing.

Comma - Alan Keatley

Peacock - Alan Keatley

Sunday 6th March

The Water and a Scandinavian Rock Pipit were on the Golf Course with counts from the estuary including 1000 Dunlin, 413 Oystercatcher, 348 Dark and a Pale bellied Brent Geese, 163 Curlew, 107 Grey and 14 Ringed Plover, 94 Bar-tailed Godwit, 67 Common Gull, 33 Redshank, 26 Sanderling, 18 Knot, 10 Red-breasted Merganser, eight Wigeon, three Greenshank and a Pintail.

Turnstone and Ringed Plover - Dave Jewell

Elsewhere a single flock of 49 Stock Dove flew W early afternoon, with four Meadow Pipit and three Rook over in the morning, nine Cirl Bunting and a Goldcrest were on site, two Shoveler were at the Main Pond and offshore there was no sign of the Velvet Scoter with eight Red-throated Diver and three Common Scoter on the sea with a few Gannet and Kittiwake passing south.

Saturday 5th March

With a light north westerly wind there was some Spring vis mig with the second highest Spring count of 1234 Chaffinch, 82 Jackdaw, 767 Starling, seven Rook, five Stock Dove, two Brambling and single Redpoll, Siskin and Grey Wagtail, all were heading E and the vast majority were before 10am.

Counts from the estuary included 735 Dunlin, 410 Oystercatcher, 169 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 161 Curlew, 98 Bar-tailed Godwit, 90 Grey and 15 Ringed Plover, 27 Shelduck, 17 Knot, 16 Sanderling, 12 Teal, seven Red-breasted Merganser, six Wigeon and four Greenshank. 

Elsewhere the Velvet Scoter was offshore with 34 Common Scoter, two Red-throated and a Great Northern Diver; two Chiffchaff, including one briefly in song, were on site, seven Cirl Bunting and a Water Pipit on the Golf Course and at the Main Pond a female Shoveler, six Teal, two vocal Little Grebe, with two others presumed to be hidden away on their nests, and a Water Rail. 

Wildlife News: The strengthening wind reduced the number if insects on the wing but good numbers of Stripe-faced Dronefly were noted along with several Marmalade Hoverfly and Buff-tailed Bumblebee.