Sunday 25th August

Offshore a 1hr early morning seawatch saw 80 Gannet and 12 Balearic Shearwater, head SW with a similar number of distant shearwater sp. A total of 54 Common and 41 Sandwich Tern flew S out of estuary at dawn, with at least 1400 Herring Gull on Pole Sands as the tide dropped - feasting on Exmouth's sewage. 

Exmouth refused to share it's Osprey though, a distant bird again visible over Mudbank late morning. Also in the estuary a juvenile Little Tern, with 73 Sandwich and five Common Tern, presumably returning birds. Other counts included 246 Redshank, 180 Ringed Plover, 143 Dunlin, 12 Greenshank, nine Bar-tailed Godwit and Mediterranean Gull, six Eider, three Knot, two Sanderling, two Turnstone and a Kingfisher.

Elsewhere three Wheatear and two Yellow Wagtail were on the Golf Course fairways, a Willow Warbler was in Dead Dolphin Wood and three Sand Martin flew through.

Ringing News: Four colour-ringed Sandwich Tern were present over high tide, a juvenile from Holland and adults from Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. A metal ring was also read on a fifth bird, this individual was ringed as a chick on Inner Farne, Northumberland on 12/07/2013 and was here during Aug 2016, 2018 & 2019 but not subsequently. Since then it has survived Avian Flu, probably flown over 10,000 miles and lost its colour-ring!

Other Wildlife: Late news from Saturday of two other new species for the Recording Area audit, Crystal Jellyfish Aequorea vitrina, a species being more frequent in warming seas, and Holly Aphid Aphis ilicis.

Crystal Jellyfish Aequorea vitrina - Alan Keatley

Saturday 24th August

In contrast to recent days, there was little moving offshore during a wet start to the day, with 61 Kittiwake, 20 Gannet, seven Common Scoter, four Manx Shearwater and a skua sp, probably Arctic.

The Osprey was again in the estuary, although outside the Recording Area at Exmouth, with counts from the high tide including 216 Redshank, 187 Ringed Plover, 170 Dunlin, 58 Sandwich, 12 Common and a juvenile Little Tern, 17 Mediterranean Gull, 16 Sanderling, 13 Whimbrel, nine Greenshank, the six Eider, four Turnstone and a Knot.

Elsewhere two Swift were overhead, other migrants were limited to single Wheatear and Willow Warbler, with a Treecreeper in the Entrance Bushes and a Kingfisher was at the Main Pond. 

Other Wildlife: A new beetle for the Recording Area and South Devon (VC3) was discovered in damp seaweed and eelgrass on the strandline, the nationally scarce mud-loving beetle, Heterocerus fossor, amongst a few of the similar rare rove beetle Bledius spectabilis.

Heterocerus fossor - both Alan Keatley

Bledius spectabilis - Alan Keatley

Four Migrant Hawker were the first emergences of the year, also adding to the year list were a couple of arachnids; a Gorse Orb Weaver Agalenatea redii and the harvestman Dicranocephalus ramosus, plus the druid fly Clusiodes albimanus and Twin-spot Centurion Sargus bipunctatus.

Clusiodes albimanus - Alan Keatley

Gorse Orb Weaver Agalenatea redii - Alan Keatley

Elsewhere a Harbour Porpoise was offshore.

Friday 23rd August

Another day with two notable seawatches; early morning, two large shearwater sp flew SW at 07.00 & 07.07, one too distant, the other dividing opinion, Also passing SW over the course of 1hr 30mins, 169 Gannet, 110 Kittiwake, 51 Common, 38 Sandwich and five (four juvs) Little Tern, 27 Balearic, six Manx and three Sooty Shearwater, 20+ Mediterranean Gull, three Arctic and a Great Skua and single Storm Petrel, Black-throated and Great Northern Diver.

A 1hr 10mins watch late evening was quieter with no skuas or shearwaters, but 78 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 32 Storm Petrel and an Arctic Tern flew SW. The petrel count was the highest since Aug 2017. 

Interest was not however confined to the sea, with seven Pale-bellied Brent Geese unexpected on Bull Hill on the evening tide. These are the earliest ever autumn arrivals, a week earlier than the only other August records, seven on 30/08/2008 and 28 on 30/08/2012. 

Also in the estuary a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull was in Shutterton Creek and Tuesday's Osprey put in a reappearance. Counts included 237 Redshank, 205 Dunlin, including 157 juvs, 167 Ringed Plover, 18 Whimbrel, 11 Sanderling, nine Greenshank, eight Shelduck, six Turnstone, the six Eider, four Bar-tailed Godwit, two Teal and a Knot. 

Elsewhere two Willow Warbler were on site and a Kingfisher was on the Main Pond.

Thursday 22nd August

A day of seawatching brought rewards with no less than three new species for the year. The early morning movement of terns included the first, a Black Tern SW just before 07.30 amongst at least 327 Gannet, 242 Kittiwake, 64 Sandwich and 20 Common Tern. No doubt attracted by these flocks, 25 Arctic and a Pomarine Skua also flew SW.

Watching from 08.30-13.20 saw few terns or skuas, but shearwater passage picked up noticeably with at least 185 Manx and 31 Balearic Shearwater heading SW with lots more shearwaters at distance. Peak numbers were between 09.30 and 10.45, when they were joined by the first Cory's and first four Sooty Shearwater of the year. The Cory's passed S at 9.46, with two further large shearwaters, probably this species, at 9.55 & 10.30. 

Also offshore seven Storm Petrel and six Mediterranean Gull SW, the petrels all after 12.10, and a Great Northern Diver.

Year list additions:

162. Black Tern
163. Cory's Shearwater
164. Sooty Shearwater

Other Wildlife: Despite the drizzly weather some insects were still to be found including new for the year; a Short-horned Yellow-faced Bee Hylaeus brevicornis and the muscid fly Phaonia pallida. A nectaring Tree Wasp Dolichovespula sylvestris with a nest nearby was a welcome find in a year with particularly low numbers of social wasps. 

Tree Wasp Dolichovespula sylvestris - Alan Keatley

Short-horned Yellow-faced Bee Hylaeus brevicornis - Alan Keatley

Also discovered a new harvestman for the Recording Area on the Golf Course, Opilio saxatilis, a widespread species of dry habitats including sand dunes.

Opilio saxatilis - Alan Keatley

Wednesday 21st August

Counts on the incoming morning tide included 236 Redshank, 41 Ringed Plover, 27 Dunlin, 10 Greenshank, seven Black and five Bar-tailed Godwit, the six Eider, three Knot, three Sanderling, a Great Crested Grebe and a Kingfisher. 

A small roost of 20 Common and 18 Sandwich Tern flew S out of estuary offshore at dawn.

Tuesday 20th August

The second Green Sandpiper of the year was in the estuary corner early morning along with the Spotted Redshank, an Osprey, 166 Redshank, 12 Greenshank, a Great Crested Grebe and a Common Sandpiper.

Counts from The Bight included 216 Ringed Plover, 164 Dunlin, 21 Sanderling, the six Eider and three Grey Plover, including the first returning Exe colour ringed bird.

Elsewhere 17 Sandwich Tern were offshore and a Sedge Warbler was on the golf course.

Monday 19th August

Lots of activity offshore at both ends of the day with 139 Common, 20 Sandwich and two Arctic Tern leaving the estuary and heading S out to sea early morning, including 67 before dawn. These attracted 15+ Arctic and four Pomarine Skua, with at least 214 Gannet foraging offshore and drifting SW, c.30 Balearic Shearwater close enough to identify with others extremely far out also likely this sp. On the sea the Black-throated and a Great Northern Diver.

A two hour seawatch from 17.30 saw 220+ Manx and 94 Balearic Shearwater and five Fulmar head SW, with seven Arctic and at least two Pomarine Skua in the bay. 

Counts from the estuary included 239 Redshank, 194 Dunlin, 136 Ringed Plover, 24 Black and seven Bar-tailed Godwit, 20 Whimbrel, 13 Mediterranean Gull, 12 Greenshank, nine Sanderling, seven Knot, seven Turnstone, the six Eider, five Shelduck, a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull and the Spotted Redshank. 

Sunday 18th August

A large gathering of gulls, no doubt attracted by the the burst sewage pipe, offshore early morning were spooked by three Pomarine Skua initially along the beach before heading into the bay were they joined up with three more Pomarine and two Great Skua in a loose flock before gaining height and drifting S. Also offshore a feeding flock 130 Gannet moved SW down coast with six Teal, two Common Scoter and a Great Crested Grebe on the sea.

In the evening two Pomarine and an Arctic Skua were distantly offshore with six Balearic Shearwater, with other skuas and shearwaters even further out. 

A moulting adult Golden Plover on the mudflats on rising evening tide was the first of autumn, the Spotted Redshank was still present with counts from the estuary including 403 Curlew, 222 Redshank, 18 Whimbrel, 11 Greenshank, 10 Bar and six Black-tailed Godwit, nine Mediterranean Gull, the six Eider, three Teal and a Kingfisher.

Counts from the Bight included 226 Dunlin, 156 Ringed Plover, 12 Sandwich Tern, eight Sanderling, four Knot and a Turnstone.

Elsewhere a Meadow Pipit was overhead with grounded migrants including two Wheatear, two Sedge and a Willow Warbler and a White Wagtail.

Other Wildlife: A Grey Seal was offshore and the Grey Squirrel was again in the Entrance Bushes.

Saturday 17th August

The Spotted Redshank was still in the estuary, along the Railway Saltmarsh with 235 Redshank, 13 Greenshank, seven Bar and two Black-tailed Godwit, two Shelduck and a Kingfisher. In The Bight counts included 236 Dunlin (120 juvs), 219 Ringed Plover, five Mediterranean Gull, four Turnstone, four Sanderling, including the first juvenile, and three Knot.

Mediterranean Gull - Lee Collins

The summering Black-throated Diver was offshore, along with a 3cy Yellow-legged Gull, six Sandwich Tern, three Teal and two Great Crested Grebe.

The fourth Osprey of the year flew high W offshore mid evening, taking 25 mins to travel the 5.5 miles from the Otter Estuary where it was first noted. Also overhead single Hobby, W over the Back Meadow, and Kestrel, W offshore, with three Wheatear, two Willow Warbler and a Treecreeper on site. 

Other Wildlife: Amongst the remaining Six-spot Burnet, day flying moths included two Jersey Tiger, several Straw Dot, a Silver Y and new for the year, Lesser Cream Wave and Yellow-tail. 

Silver Y - Kevin Rylands

Straw Dot - Alan Keatley

Yellow-tail - Alan Keatley

Other additions to the annual audit were the dance-fly Hybos culiciformis and a tiger cranefly Nephrotoma flavipalpis. A Harbour Porpoise was feeding offshore and a Brown Argus was the pick of the few butterflies.

Nephrotoma flavipalpis - Alan Keatley

Hybos culiciformis - Alan Keatley

Wasp Spider - Lee Collins

Friday 16th August

A juvenile Spotted Redshank was a new arrival in the estuary amongst 221 Redshank and six Greenshank, the first record of the year. Other new arrivals over high tide included juvenile Curlew Sandpiper and Little Ringed Plover in the Bight along with 206 Ringed Plover, 174 Dunlin, 16 Sanderling, five Knot, three Turnstone and the Little Stint.

Also in the estuary at least 25 Whimbrel, 10 Bar and two Black-tailed Godwit, six juvenile Shelduck, a Common Sandpiper and, on Bull Hill, an adult Yellow-legged Gull.

An 1hr 40 minute seawatch early morning saw at least 41 Balearic Shearwater in the bay and heading SW, also passing 104 Gannet, two Manx Shearwater and a Shelduck. Leaving the estuary early morning 13 Common and nine Sandwich Tern were soon harried by two Arctic Skua with two juvenile Yellow-legged Gull, two Great Crested Grebe and a Common Scoter on the sea.

Elsewhere grounded migrants included four Willow and two Garden Warbler, four Wheatear, two Whitethroat, at least some of the high count of 17 Stonechat and two juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker, including one on Warren Point. 

Overhead a flock of 13 Lesser Black-backed Gull high S; three Grey Heron high SSW and single Snipe and Sand Martin.

Year List addition:

161. Spotted Redshank