Counts from the estuary were difficult due to the presence of a juvenile Osprey which again landed in the Bight. The regular wader species were present, with at least 200 Wigeon, 37 Sandwich and a Common Tern, with 31 Sanderling on the beach.
Elsewhere the first Goldcrest of the autumn was in the Entrance Bushes, but other migrants were limited to six Chiffchaff and three Blackcap and a feeding flock of 332 Gannet was offshore.
An immature Marsh Harrier that flew west sometime today was the highlight, despite their regular presence at the top end of the estuary, this was the first of the year and just the 30th site record. Also overhead today the first Siskin of the autumn, an Osprey with fish, six Meadow Pipit and a Grey Wagtail.
The first Ruff of the year was on Finger Point with an adult Yellow-legged and a juvenile Little Gull, also in the estuary the Spotted Redshank but no counts were received. Elsewhere six Balearic Shearwater and six Sandwich Tern were offshore, 22 Teal were on the Main Pond and grounded migrants included 14 Chiffchaff, six Blackcap, three Willow Warbler, two Wheatear and in the car park, a Sedge Warbler.
Wildlife News: Seven species of butterfly included a couple of Red Admiral with a Silver Y also on the wing.
A Little Stint was in the Bight on the evening tide amongst c80 Ringed Plover and c60 Dunlin, with 237 Wigeon, 54 Great Black-backed Gull, 38 Bar and 24 Black-tailed Godwit, 18 Sanderling, 12 Greenshank and single Kingfisher, Knot, Whimbrel and Spotted Redshank. The hybrid Wigeon x Pintail was again present.
Off John's Watch at least 47 Balearic Shearwater were feeding close offshore with large numbers of gulls, including 950 Black-headed, two adult Mediterranean and two first winter Yellow-legged Gull as well as 24 Sandwich and a Common Tern.
Elsewhere a Hobby was over the Entrance Bushes.
Wildlife News: A Red Admiral was watched flying in off the sea and a further influx of Rush Veneer saw at least 30 kicked up underfoot.
Seawatching before 8.30am saw the first Grey Phalarope of the year head south with 73 Balearic Shearwater, a good (?) count of 690 Gannet, 62 Sandwich Tern, 15 Kittiwake, a Pomarine, a Great and three Arctic Skua.
In Shutterton Creek a distinctive hybrid Wigeon x Pintail was with 355 Wigeon and 171 Teal, the latter hosting an equally distinctive bird with white primaries. Also in the estuary the Spotted Redshank was in the Railway Saltmarsh with 355 Redshank, 15 Greenshank, 28 Bar and two Black-tailed Godwit.
An adult Curlew Sandpiper was in the Bight with 221 Ringed Plover, 112 Dunlin, 69 Great Black-backed and a juv/fw Yellow-legged Gull, 48 Sandwich, 12 Common and two Little Tern, 10 Sanderling, nine Knot, four Grey Plover and single Turnstone, Kingfisher, juvenile Peregrine and a sick Arctic Skua.
Elsewhere two Grey Wagtail were overhead, with three White Wagtail and two Wheatear feeding on the Golf Course fairways.
Seawatching from first light to 9am saw 230 Balearic Shearwater head south along with 259 Gannet, 153 Kittiwake and three Arctic Skua, with up to 32 Sandwich and three Little Tern also offshore.
In the estuary the first influx of wildfowl with 285 Wigeon and 112 Teal in Shutterton Creek with a Spoonbill present at low tide. In the Bight, a Little Stint and two Curlew Sandpiper were in with 194 Ringed Plover and 127 Dunlin, whilst other counts included 42 Mute Swan, eight Common Tern, seven Greenshank, four Knot, four Black-tailed Godwit and two Mediterranean Gull.
In the blown out conditions if there were more migrants than five Chiffchaff and a Wheatear they didn't show themselves and at least seven Cirl Bunting were with a large flock of c80 Linnet and c40 Goldfinch. A moribund Gannet was in Greenland Lake.
Ringing News: A Lesser Black-backed Gull Blue VLKO was present for a second day. This is an intermedius race bird ringed in Demark.
Wildlife News: A Clouded Yellow was struggling to find shelter in Greenland Lake.
Seawatching at various times during the day saw 17 Balearic and a large Shearwater, probably Cory's, head south with 45 Kittiwake, 12 Common Scoter, two first winter Mediterranean Gull, two Fulmar and a lingering Arctic Skua. Gannet numbers were difficult to estimate with up to 20 birds offshore circling the bay, numbers were much lower in the evening after at least 10 birds were found dead on the shoreline, the eventual fate of the one below. With crows and gulls scavenging the corpses the threat of this deadly poultry strain of Avian Flu grows each day.
Also offshore 24 Sandwich, three Little and a Common Tern, with birds also visiting the Bight.
In the estuary a group of 12 Curlew Sandpiper included five adults in various stages of moult, with counts of 374 Curlew, 307 Redshank, 186 Ringed Plover, 86 Dunlin, 83 Teal, 56 Great Black-backed Gull, 39 Bar and five Black-tailed Godwit, 26 Shag, 10 Greenshank, six Shelduck, six Knot, four Whimbrel, three Sanderling and single first winter Yellow-legged Gull, adult Mediterranean Gull, Turnstone and Snipe.
Passerine migrants were limited to four Chiffchaff and in the Entrance Bushes, a single Reed Warbler.
Ringing News: The gathering of Great Black-backed Gull included three familiar birds; Black JT288, a regular Norwegian ringed winterer; White P:87B, a Portland ringed bird that is now only a winter visitor having been seen regularly on site before returning to Portland to breed, it was last seen there two days ago; and White L:AJ6 a Looe ringed bird that was recorded 71 times between Sep 2012 & Nov 2015, but apart from three sightings in Sep-Oct 2019, this was its first return visit.
Wildlife News: The first Ivy Bee Colletes hederae of the year was nectaring on Fennel on the Golf Course with sheltered areas also holding Vestal Cuckoo Bee, Buff-tailed Bumblebee, Common Carder Bee, Batman Hoverfly and the digger wasp Ectemnius cavifrons.
A worn second generation Holly Blue was the best of the butterflies with Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Speckled Wood and Large White also on the wing.
Seawatching before 8am saw 28 Balearic Shearwater head south along with 38 Sandwich, five Common, a Black and a late Roseate Tern. The latter is the first reported this autumn in another poor year for the species.
Seawatching early morning saw the first Sooty Shearwater of the year south along with 67 Gannet, 29 Sandwich and 20 Common Tern, 26 Dunlin, 12 Manx and eight Balearic Shearwater, 10 Teal, six Kittiwake, four Fulmar, three Arctic Skua, two Common Scoter, two Mediterranean Gull and a Ringed Plover. A shorter afternoon watch saw two Arctic Skua, two Little and an Arctic Tern and two Mediterranean Gull.
Counts from the estuary included 987 Oystercatcher, 301 Curlew, 296 Redshank, 143 Dunlin, 131 Ringed Plover, 54 Great Black-backed Gull, 21 Bar and a Black-tailed Godwit, 17 Sandwich and a Common Tern, 14 Teal, 10 Knot, seven Greenshank, two Whimbrel, two Sanderling and single Grey Plover, Wigeon, Great Crested Grebe, Mediterranean Gull and Curlew Sandpiper.
Elsewhere a Willow Warbler was in the bushes with five Blackcap and five Chiffchaff, with a Common Sandpiper on the sea wall and a Grey Wagtail overhead.
The highlight was a juvenile/first winter Caspian Gull on Finger Point with 23 Great Black-backed Gull. The 11th site record but the fourth this year and the earliest ever record.
Also in the estuary the Spotted Redshank, 365 Curlew, 350 Redshank, 245 Ringed Plover, 111 Dunlin, 28 Sandwich Tern, 23 Sanderling, 19 Bar and four Black-tailed Godwit, 15 Wigeon, five Greenshank, two Knot, two Whimbrel, a Shelduck and an adult male Osprey.
Elsewhere a Balearic Shearwater flew south offshore with 78 Gannet, three Mediterranean Gull and an Arctic Skua, a Common Sandpiper was on the sea wall, the first three Tree Pipit of the year finally flew over, along with 70 Swallow, 50 House and a Sand Martin, four Meadow Pipit, two Grey Wagtail and two Great Spotted Woodpecker. Grounded migrants included a Reed Warbler, 10 Chiffchaff, four Blackcap and single Wheatear and White Wagtail.
Wildlife News: Sea Daffodil is flowering on Warren Point, the recent Mediterranean weather clearly to its benefit.
Today's weather was less suitable and reduced the numbers of insects on the wing although Plain-faced Dronefly Eristalis arbustorum and Common Twist-tail Sphaerophoria scripta were noted.
The Osprey was again present in the estuary along with a late Little and a juvenile Arctic Tern. Counts over the afternoon tide included 358 Curlew, 290 Redshank, 47 Ringed Plover, 28 Dunlin, 18 Wigeon, 16 Bar-tailed Godwit, 15 Sandwich Tern, five Greenshank, four Teal, three Sanderling and a Kingfisher.
Wildlife News: Single Painted Lady and Rush Veneer were seen along with a Golden-ringed Dragonfly.
