Wednesday 27th July

An Arctic Tern, the first of the year, was in the Bight with 16 Common Tern but no other news was received. 

Tuesday 26th July

In the estuary 468 Oystercatcher, 83 Sandwich and two Common Tern, 10 Ringed Plover, seven Dunlin, five Turnstone, four Sanderling, a Black-tailed Godwit and an unseasonal Dark-bellied Brent Goose, likely the summering bird from Exmouth rather than a new arrival.

Elsewhere at least 138 Swift were feeding above masses of gulls anting above the site and 26 Swallow flew through.

Sunday 24th July

Records from the estuary included 337 Oystercatcher, 328 Curlew, 198 Redshank, 146 Sandwich Tern, 83 Canada Geese, 22 Whimbrel, 20 Mediterranean Gull, 19 Dunlin, 18 Ringed Plover, 10 Greenshank, a Common Sandpiper and on Bull Hill a 4th year Yellow-legged Gull. 

Elsewhere 55 Gannet, 10 Common Scoter, nine Manx Shearwater, two Fulmar, two Great Crested Grebe and a Common Gull were offshore with passerines in the bushes including eight Cirl Bunting, seven Whitethroat and a Garden Warbler.

Saturday 23rd July

Offshore the first Balearic Shearwater of the autumn moved east with five Manx Shearwater ahead of rain, with 45 Gannet and 10 Common Scoter. 

Elsewhere the first Garden Warbler of the year was in Greenland Lake with 10 Blackcap, whilst a mobile tit flock included a Treecreeper, 25 Blue and 19 Long-tailed Tit.

Counts from the estuary included 377 Oystercatcher, 374 Curlew, 202 Redshank, 45 Sandwich and a Common Tern, 40 Whimbrel, 25 Mediterranean Gull, 17 Dunlin, 15 Ringed Plover, seven Greenshank, five Turnstone and four Bar-tailed Godwit with 51 Sanderling and three Common Sandpiper on the beach.

Wildlife News: The overcast weather and occasional light shower reduced insect activity, although a new fly for the Warren was discovered, the larvae nicely sheltered in a gall, Wild Carrot Gall Midge Kiefferia pericarpilcola.

Kiefferia pericarpilcola - Alan Keatley

A few more hoverflies, in so-far a poor year, included a couple of Marmalade Episyrphus balteatus and Tiger Helophilus pendulus along with Bumblebee Blacklet Cheilosia illustrata, Common Paragus P. haemorrhous, Common Twist-tail Sphaerophoria scripta, Furry Dronefly Eristalis intricaria and Slender Melanostoma M.scalare. 

Large Sharp-tail Bee Coelioxys conoidea - Alan Keatley

The dull weather hit the butterflies with only Gatekeeper in any numbers but a day-flying Jersey Tiger was noted. Late news of a Clouded Yellow yesterday. Offshore flat conditions allowed for sightings of  Harbour Porpoise, Bottle-nosed and Common Dolphin.

Thursday 21st July

At least 75 Sandwich Tern were around the estuary with 31 Sanderling, all adult, on the beach, two Common Sandpiper at Langstone Rock and eight Sand Martin overhead. 

Dunlin (front) and Sanderling - Alan Keatley

Wildlife News: Eight Small Red-eyed Damselfly were on the Main Pond with three Emperor and a Common Darter.

Black-thighed Epeolus E. variegatus - Alan Keatley

Tuesday 19th July

Wader counts from the estuary included 277 Curlew, 117 Redshank, 36 Dunlin, seven Black and a Bar-tailed Godwit, six Ringed Plover, five Whimbrel, four Sanderling, two Knot and a Turnstone.

Also present a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull, 316 Black-headed and 10 Mediterranean Gull, 140 Sandwich and a Common Tern.

Monday 18th July

Counts from the estuary included c180 Sandwich Tern, 170 Redshank, c50 Mediterranean Gull, 13 Dunlin, five Bar-tailed Godwit with the Curlew and Whimbrel, four Ringed Plover, two Knot, a Common Sandpiper and a Common Tern.

Ringing News: Four Sandwich Tern from the same Welsh scheme were present this morning, including Red KDB, rung in Sep 2015 it has been recorded annually here since 2016, with a couple of recoveries from Namibia in between.

Wildlife News: Overnight light trapping saw a total of 330 moths of 120 species in just three hours before 2am. The only recognised migrants were four Diamond-back, two Rush Veneer and a Four-spotted Footman, but no less than 10 new species for the Warren were recorded. 

Pine Hawkmoth - Kevin Rylands

Barred Hook-tip - Luke Harman

These fell into four neat categories; definite wanderers, Barred Hook-tip and Pine Hawkmoth; possible new residents, Barred Rivulet and Fen Wainscot.

Barred Rivulet - Luke Harman

Fen Wainscot - Luke Harman

Likely overlooked residents, Cherry-bark Moth Enarmonia formosana, Hawthorn Ermine Paraswammerdamia nebulella and Sallow Button Acleris hastiana; and establishing European species, Box-tree Moth Cydalima perspectalis, Dark-bordered Pearl Evergestis limbata and Southern Bell Crocidosema plebejana.

Box-tree Moth - Luke Harman

Swallow-tailed Moth - Kevin Rylands

Other highlights included the first Jersey Tiger of the year, Archer's Dart, Plain Pug, Sallow Kitten, Swallow-tailed Moth, Vapourer, Hook-tipped Grass-veneer Platytes alpinella, Little Slender Calybites phasianipennella and White-foot Bell Epiblema foenella.

White-foot Bell - Luke Harman

Hook-tipped Grass-veneer - Kevin Rylands

Little Slender - Kevin Rylands

Sunday 17th July

Counts from the estuary included 201 Sandwich Tern (at least 53 juv), 152 Redshank (including first juv), 75 Mediterranean Gull (21 ad, 50 juv, two 1s & two 2s 2), 13 Dunlin (one juv), eight Greenshank, six Whimbrel, four Bar-tailed Godwit, four Common Tern, two Knot and a Turnstone. 

Other records included two juvenile Yellow-legged Gull over the Bight, seven Common Scoter and two Shelduck offshore with a young Peregrine around the amusements early morning, the latter presumably attracted by the loop of continuously playing calls.

Wildlife News: Early morning out to sea at least 25+ Common and three Bottle-nosed Dolphin.

Saturday 16th July

Further arrivals in the estuary with counts of 184 Sandwich Tern (53 juv), 102 Mediterranean Gull (64 juv, 18 ad, 11 1s, eight 2s & a 3s), 293 Curlew, 127 Redshank, 14 Dunlin, 11 Whimbrel, six Greenshank, five Bar-tailed Godwit, three Common Tern, three Sanderling and single Ringed Plover, Knot and Turnstone.

Elsewhere 10 Gannet and eight Common Scoter were offshore and two Common Sandpiper were on the seawall. A juvenile Green Woodpecker was in the Entrance Bushes but aside from at least two singing Cirl Bunting little was active during the heat of the day

Wildlife News: At least two male Roesel's Bush-cricket in Greenland Lake, suggest this species has gained a foothold on site. A good total of eight dragonfly species were recorded including Black-tailed Skimmer, Golden-ringed Dragonfly and Small Red-eyed Damselfly. With the lack of lily pads this year, the latter are having to improvise and are therefore coming closer to the viewing platform.

Small Red-eyed Damselfy - Alan Keatley

Common Darter - Alan Keatley

Broad-bodied Chaser - Alan Keatley

Bees noted included Common and Green Furrow Bee, Silvery and Coastal Leafcutter, Shiny-vented Sharp-tail and Small Shaggy Bee. Several Honey Bee were seen being carried to Beewolf burrows, and the shieldbug wasp Astata boops was watched defending its territory.

Flies included the nationally scarce Tessellated Satellite Fly Miltogramma germari and Batman Hoverfly Myathropa florea, Bumblebee Blacket Cheilosia illustrata, Common Tubetail Sphaerophoria scripta and Superb Ant-hill Hoverfly Xanthogramma pedissequum. 

Friday 15th July

A quick visit over the evening tide saw counts of 336 Curlew, 93+ Sandwich Tern, 25 Mediterranean Gull in the Bight (15 ad, two sw, two fw, six juv), six Sanderling, four Bar-tailed Godwit, three Whimbrel, a Dunlin, a Ringed Plover, a Greenshank and a summer plumaged Knot.

Ringing News: A metal ringed Common Gull was a returning bird ringed as a pullus in Holland in 2008. It was recorded here in July 2011, 2013 & 2015, the recent lack of records is probably due to the fact it has lost a Darvic ring. 

Sandwich Tern Red KJB was also present this evening, another bird showing great site fidelity to the Warren. This was ringed as a juvenile at a high tide roost at Ynyslas, Ceredigion in August 2018 and was present here in Aug 2018, Sep 2019 & Jul-Sep 2020.