Saturday 26th November

Seawatching was rewarding either end of an overcast and windy day, with heavy rain coming in late afternoon. Combined totals included 629 Kittiwake (a rough 50/50 split), 250 auk sp and 154 Gannet (both mostly am), with eight Red-throated and a Great Northern Diver, four (1 & 3) late Manx and a Balearic Shearwater (pm), an adult Little Gull and a juv Arctic Skua (both pm).

Sanderling - Alan Keatley

Over the high tide a lone, vocal Barnacle Goose was in the estuary with counts including 480 Wigeon, 219 Dark-bellied and a Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 178 Black-headed, 65 Common, nine Lesser Black-backed and three Mediterranean Gull, 125 Grey and 25 Ringed Plover, 98 Redshank, 90 Bar-tailed Godwit, 72 Teal, 69 Turnstone, 48 Knot, 10 Sanderling, four Greenshank and four Red-breasted Merganser.

Turnstone - Alan Keatley

Elsewhere a Mistle Thrush flew over, a Jack Snipe was in Greenland Lake, a Cetti's Warbler was at the Main Pond, 21 Long-tailed Tit emerged from their roost, with five Goldcrest, three Chiffchaff and a Firecrest in the bushes. 

Friday 25th November

A single Storm Petrel and a Great Northern Diver flew south first thing but it was otherwise quiet offshore. Counts from the estuary included 646 Wigeon, 345 Dark-bellied and a Pale-bellied Brent Goose, 173 Snipe, 83 Grey and Ringed Plover, 19 Sanderling and 10 Greenshank.

Knot - Lee Collins

Thursday 24th November

Attention over the early morning high tide was focussed on legs rather than counts with 12 colour-ringed Dunlin present, along with several of the 200+ Oystercatcher previously recorded this autumn. The regular wader and wildfowl species were all present with a first winter Caspian Gull amongst the Great Black-backed Gull on Finger Point, and two adult Mediterranean Gull amongst 68 Common Gull in the estuary. The Caspian Gull was only the 15th site record, but the eighth this year.

After the tide dropped attention turned to the sea around 10.30; in a hour from the seawall 120+ Kittiwake flew south along with a fem/imm Eider, a Red-throated Diver and an Arctic Skua. The highlight however was the first Leach's Petrel since Oct 2017, lingering offshore for at least 20 minutes. 

Another watch from the seawall between 3 - 4pm saw very few birds moving with just a handful of Kittiwake and Gannet, mostly at distance, but a few storm driven birds were either lingering or making their way slowly south, the highlight was a Grey Phalarope that appeared from the estuary mouth and moved across the bay over the course of 5-10 minutes, regularly pitching on the sea, also five adult Little Gull, four lingering briefly and two Storm Petrel, only the seventh record in the last four years. Much rarer than Leach's at this time of the year, only the third November record for the Warren.

Wildlife News: A single Thorn-apple was discovered growing on the edge of the Buffer Zone, only the third Recording Area record after appearances in 1994 and 2006. 

Thorn-apple - Kevin Rylands

Tuesday 22nd November

Counts over the high tide were prevented due to a persistent kayaker who ignored the exclusion zone buoys and managed to illegally flush all the wildfowl and two of the three wader roosts, only Finger Point was spared. The final species to flush were Snipe with at least 90 coming out of the saltmarsh. 

No wildfowl returned to roost but 224 Dark-bellied Brent Geese arrived from Starcross, including the leucistic juvenile. Also roosting six Great Crested Grebe, 170 Black-headed, 48 Common and two adult Mediterranean Gull.

Elsewhere two Water Rail, a Kingfisher and a Little Grebe were at the Main Pond, the bushes were quiet with just three Goldcrest and two Chiffchaff, two Buzzard flew west and 45 Gannet were offshore.

Little Grebe (& Roach) - Alan Keatley

Wildlife News: Despite the sunny spells very few insects were on the wing with some Common Wasp, Yellow Dung-fly and a Marmalade Hoverfly the sum total. A Feathered Thorn was by clubhouse security light with the tenth Devon record of the non-native harvestman Opilio canestrinii nearby, the same wall as the fifth record two years ago. 

Opilio canestrinii - Kevin Rylands

Sunday 20th November

The only news received today came from the monthly WeBS count in the estuary, the highlight were 2810 Dunlin, the highest count for several years, clearly a large overnight arrival, 1773 Oystercatcher were also the highest numbers this year. 

Other counts included 650 Wigeon, 228 Dark-bellied Brent Geese (19 juvs), 147 Redshank, 108 Teal, 78 Shelduck, 75 Bar-tailed Godwit, 55 Grey and 22 Ringed Plover, 40 Knot, 21 Cattle Egret, 15 Sanderling, 10 Greenshank, the Spotted Redshank and a lone Red-breasted Merganser.

Ringed Plover - Lee Collins

Saturday 19th November

A late start meant any Woodpigeon movement overhead went unreported with just 380 W after 9.15am, blue skies kept passerines high but at least 20 Skylark, 15 Chaffinch, two Redpoll and a Siskin also went through, with 70 Linnet, 25 Greenfinch and two Bullfinch also on site. Around the bushes six Chiffchaff and three Goldcrest with five Water Rail, singing Little Grebe, a Kingfisher and a Cetti's Warbler at the Main Pond.

Counts over the afternoon high tide included 1450 Dunlin, with at least six new colour-ringed arrivals, 829 Wigeon, 248 Dark-bellied and three Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 155 Teal, 67 Bar-tailed Godwit, 62 Great Black-backed Gull, 55+ Turnstone, 54 Grey and 39 Ringed Plover, 28 Knot, 10 Sanderling, seven Greenshank and singles of Cattle Egret, Mediterranean Gull, Kingfisher, Red-breasted Merganser, Pintail and Lapwing, the latter only the fourth record this year. 

Pintail - Lee Collins

Despite the flat sea very little to be seen offshore with just two Eider off Exmouth and at least 31 Common Scoter in the bay.

Wildlife News: Three Grey Seal in the estuary, with the male's 'song' carrying across the water. 

Thursday 17th November

The first hour of light saw 1800 Woodpigeon head west, along with a single Mistle Thrush, whilst 70 Goldfinch and 42 Greenfinch were on site. The Fieldfare was still in the Entrance Bushes with four Chiffchaff and three Goldcrest.

Elsewhere a female Pintail and a Red-breasted Merganser were in the estuary with two Eider and two Great Northern Diver offshore, one in partial summer plumage.

Wednesday 16th November

A visit over the morning tide saw counts of 1100 Dunlin, 610 Wigeon, 223 Brent Geese, 146 Redshank, 66 Bar-tailed Godwit, 46 Shelduck, 43 Ringed and 41 Grey Plover, 10 Greenshank, eight Sanderling and three Red-breasted Merganser from the estuary.

Elsewhere four Chiffchaff, single Fieldfare and a male Blackcap were in the bushes.

Wildlife News: Very few insects on the wing but a Diamond-back Moth showed some migrants are still present. 

Diamond-back - Alan Keatley

Sunday 13th November

Despite the abundance of cloud locally, once again the Warren was blessed/cursed with blue skies. Early morning 4,360 Woodpigeon headed west with at least 23 Stock Dove able to be counted amongst them, other passage was limited with 10 Chaffinch, two Fieldfare, two Jackdaw and single Rook, Buzzard and Lesser Redpoll.

Counts from the estuary included 1003 Dunlin, 593 Wigeon, 313 Brent Geese, 246 Redshank, 209 Curlew, 186 Teal, 66 Grey, seven Ringed and three Golden Plover, 60 Turnstone, 50 Black and 31 Bar-tailed Godwit, 16 Greenshank, seven Knot, four Sanderling, three Red-breasted Merganser and a first winter Mediterranean Gull.

Elsewhere the Yellow-browed Warbler was still present but was heard only, with the Siberian Chiffchaff, seven Chiffchaff, three Goldcrest, the two Cetti's Warbler and a Blackcap also around the bushes. At least four Water Rail were at the Main Pond with a Kingfisher and 1050 Starling leaving the roost, a Dartford Warbler was on the Golf Course, 12 Cirl Bunting were on site and two Red-throated Diver were offshore. 

Wildlife News: A Feathered Thorn around security lights on the Golf Course was the 2,000th species to be recorded on the Warren this year. Two Grey Seal were in the estuary, with a Hornet and a Common Darter on the wing. Turning over logs was productive with two new species for the Recording Area, the Winter Semi-slug Vitrina pellucida and the globular springtail Dicyrtomina minuta.

Dicyrtomina minuta (above) & D. fusca - Kevin Rylands

Winter Semi-slug - Kevin Rylands

Saturday 12th November

The elusive Yellow-browed Warbler was in Dead Dolphin Wood briefly with a Siberian Chiffchaff, two Cetti's Warbler, 14 Long-tailed Tit, eight Chiffchaff, seven Goldcrest, four Water Rail and a Redwing around the Main Pond. Also on site the Dartford Warbler on the Golf Course with five Redwing and a Siskin overhead and a Merlin through. 

Counts from the estuary included 965 Dunlin, 903 Oystercatcher, 528 Wigeon, 262 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 200 Redshank, 166 Teal, 157 Curlew, 110 Black and 60 Bar-tailed Godwit, 94 Turnstone, 57 Grey and 11 Ringed Plover, 14 Sanderling, 10 Greenshank, three Shoveler and three Red-breasted Merganser.

Elsewhere five Red-throated and a Great Northern Diver were offshore with 70 Gannet, 53 Kittiwake and five Common Scoter.

Wildlife News: Evidence of insect migration with the first Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus for several weeks. A couple of Common Darter were at the Main Pond and a Common Seal was in the estuary. Turning over tideline debris revealed a new beetle for the Recording Area, Harpalus latus, a common ground beetle of sand dunes.

Harpalus latus - Alan Keatley