Saturday 23rd August

A continuing tern spectacle over the high tides with at least 530 Common and 76 Sandwich Tern present, but no sign of any scarcer species. The flocks attracted the attention of Arctic Skua, with two chasing terns over The Bight before heading out to sea, where at least two others were also present. 

Arctic Skua - Ian Livsey

Common Tern - Jim Summers

The overdue first Osprey of the year reached the Recording Area, previous sightings have been far up river. Its hunting seemingly unincumbered by the cloud of c80 Common Tern following its every move. Also in the estuary the first Pintail and first two Snipe of the autumn were overhead, with a Ruff in The Bight along with 700+ Ringed Plover still, including the leucistic bird. 

Ringed Plover - Lee Collins

Elsewhere single Whinchat and Wheatear were on site, with two Whitethroat on Warren Point and two Balearic Shearwater and a Great Crested Grebe offshore.

Year list addition: 
163. Osprey

Other Wildlife: Disappointing conditions for the Devon Moth Group event, although c50 species were recorded including good numbers of Portland Ribbon Wave and Yellow Belle, as well as singles of Bloxworth Snout, Shore Wainscot and the second site record of Jersey Mocha.

Jersey Mocha - Kevin Rylands

Friday 22nd August

Another increase in Ringed Plover numbers with 958 counted over the evening tide, the second highest count for the reserve after 1037 in August 1983. One of the new arrivals was a striking leucistic adult. Dunlin counts were hampered when two Sparrowhawk settled around the Bight, but numbers remained similar to recent days with 34 Sanderling, five Knot, five Bar-tailed Godwit, four Turnstone and three Grey Plover also present. 

Over 800 Common Tern were present on the morning tide along with single juvenile Black and Little Tern. With most Common Tern feeding up river in the evening, 'just' 200 were present in the evening but they were joined by an adult and juvenile Roseate Tern. 

Also in the estuary 246 Redshank, six Greenshank, five Mediterranean Gull and four Teal, with nine Balearic Shearwater, three Arctic Skua and a Great Crested Grebe offshore and three Wheatear the best of the passerine migrants.

Ringing News: The majority of the ringed terns today showed a continuingly easterly bias to recoveries. Common Tern came from Holland (four) and Poland (two) with Sandwich Tern from Belgium, Denmark and Holland.

Both Roseate Tern were also ringed, the juvenile came from Coquet Island, Northumberland but the adult was from an Irish colony, with the juvenile Little Tern also from Ireland. 

Other recoveries included the 100th returning Exe ringed Oystercatcher for the winter and P:87B, the Portland ringed Great Black-backed Gull, back for it's 11th winter, first recorded here in October 2015.

Thursday 21st August

Unfortunately no sign of yesterday's Marsh Sandpiper on either tide but a continuing wader and tern spectacle around The Bight. Incredibly Ringed Plover numbers continue to increase with at least 720 birds packed into the recharge on the evening tide. The second highest site count since 800 on 28th August 1960. With them 374 Dunlin, eight Sanderling, six Bar and a Black-tailed Godwit, two Knot, two Turnstone and a Grey Plover. 

The evening tide also saw at least 370 Common Tern hawking over the estuary with 80+ Sandwich and single Roseate and Black Tern, with 35 Teal, five Mediterranean Gull and four Common Sandpiper also present.

Wednesday 20th August

The easterlies continue to deliver in the estuary, with the highlight coming right at the end of a very busy high tide, the Warren's first Marsh Sandpiper, a pristine juvenile and just the fourth Devon record.

Marsh Sandpiper (& Redshank) - Lee Collins

Marsh Sandpiper - Kevin Rylands

The bird was found feeding in Shutterton Creek with Redshank on the dropping tide, with no access to the Golf Course, if the bird is present tomorrow it may be viewable distantly from Cockwood Steps two or more hours either side of high tide (06.14 & 18.33). 

An arrival of new waders was also evident around The Bight with four Little Stint and a Ruff, all juveniles, present briefly with an incredible 640 Ringed Plover, the second highest count since 650 on 28th September 1981, 316 Dunlin, 28 Sanderling, seven Turnstone, five Knot, four Bar and two Black-tailed Godwit. 

Ringed Plover - Dave Jewell

Little Stint - Lee Collins

The tern spectacle also continued with c600 Common Tern in the lower estuary, with 166 Sandwich and two Roseate Tern on Bull Hill

Elsewhere 158 Canada Geese, seven Mediterranean Gull and seven Teal were in the estuary, a Little Tern was offshore and three Wheatear were on site.

Canada Goose - Dave Jewell

Year list addition: 
162. Marsh Sandpiper

Other Wildlife: A Clouded Yellow was in Greenland Lake and a Grey Seal was in the estuary. 

Clouded Yellow - Lee Collins

Tuesday 19th August

The early morning rain seemed to arrive too late for any migrants to drop into the bushes, but had the opposite effect in the estuary with a minimum of 564 Ringed Plover, the highest count since 610 on 18th August 1996. Other waders around the Bight included 200+ Dunlin, 16 Sanderling and 10 Turnstone.

A continuing arrival of terns was also notable with 370+ Common and 140 Sandwich Tern joined occasionally through the afternoon by an adult Roseate, a juvenile Black and the adult and juvenile Little Tern. 

Black Tern - Lee Collins

Little Tern - Lee Collins

Also in the estuary 225 Redshank, 15 Whimbrel, 12 Greenshank, 11 Teal, seven Mediterranean Gull, and single Bar and Black-tailed Godwit.

Elsewhere two Balearic Shearwater, eight Common Scoter, four Arctic Skua and an Eider were offshore with a Teal at the Main Pond. 

Ringing News: Amongst the increase in terns there were six colour-ringed Sandwich and a juvenile Common Tern from Holland and an adult Common Tern from Poland. A Norwegian marked Ringed Plover was picked out amongst the throng along with the long-staying Hampshire juvenile. 

Common Tern - Lee Collins. Polish ringed.

Monday 18th August

Two Arctic Skua were over Bull Hill early evening, one having a go at a passing Grey Heron. 

Sunday 17th August

The strong easterlies delivered the first Black Tern of the year, a juvenile, to the estuary before heading out to sea with four Ruff and 436 Ringed Plover also notable. Autumn of peaks of 400+ were a regular feature until 2012 but this is the first since 476 on 23rd August 2015. 

Other wader counts from the estuary on WeBS day were 881 Oystercatcher, 248 Redshank, 144 Dunlin, 50 Curlew, 37 Sanderling,13 Whimbrel, nine Greenshank, eight Turnstone, four Bar and a Black-tailed Godwit, three Knot and a Common Sandpiper. 

Also in the estuary an adult and a juvenile Little Tern, 98 Common and 80 Sandwich Tern, 12 Mediterranean Gull and a juvenile Kittiwake. 

Elsewhere 10 Common Scoter, two Manx and a Balearic Shearwater were offshore, 36 House and nine Sand Martin were overhead and three Wheatear and two Yellow Wagtail were around The Bight.

Year list addition: 
161. Black Tern

Other Wildlife: Two new species for the Recording Area were discovered when removing the invasive non-native Guernsey Fleabane; the occupied leafmines of Fiery Crest Chrysoesthia drurella on Fat-hen, just the fourth Devon record, and a single plant of the similarly invasive Canadian Fleabane. 

Fiery Crest Chrysoesthia drurella - Kevin Rylands

The wind however kept many insects low to the ground although the scarce picture-winged fly Campiglossa plantaginis was found on its foodplant, Sea-aster, in the saltmarsh. 

Campiglossa plantaginis - Kevin Rylands

Saturday 16th August

Quiet away from the estuary where counts over the high tide included 167 Ringed Plover, 71 Common and 45 Sandwich Tern, c50 Dunlin, 32 Mute Swan, eight Greenshank, six Mediterranean Gull, six Sanderling, three Turnstone and two Knot.

Common Tern - Alan Keatley

Other Wildlife: An ant mimic wasp, the tiny and rarely recorded Gonatopus clavipes was the pick of today's insects. Females are wingless and its larvae is a parasitoid of leafhoppers. Favours areas of sand with Marram, but easily mistaken for a quick moving ant.

Gonatopus clavipes - Alan Keatley

A queen Woodland Red Ant Myrmica ruginodis was in Dead Dolphin Wood, with Common  Lasioglossum calceatum and White-zoned Furrow Bee L. leucozonium, Pied Volucella pellucens and Hornet Plumehorn V. zonaria and two Locust Blowfly Stomorhina lunata nectaring on Water Mint. 

Woodland Red Ant Myrmica ruginodis - Alan Keatley

Hornet Plumehorn Volucella zonaria - Alan Keatley

Flies elsewhere included Spotty-eyed Dronefly Eristalinus sepulchralis amongst at least eight other hoverfly species in Greenland Lake, a Knapweed Ghost Acanthiophilus helianthi on the estuary bank, and the large tachnid fly Eurithis anthophila on Rock Samphire at Langstone Rock.

Spotty-eyed Dronefly Eristalinus sepulchralis - Alan Keatley

Eurithis anthophila - Alan Keatley

Friday 15th August

Two Ruff flew around The Bight at high tide were there were counts of 174 Ringed Plover including 20 juveniles, 63 Sandwich Tern, 60 Dunlin, 11 Sanderling, six Teal, two Grey Plover and two Knot. 

Elsewhere four Great Northern Diver were roosting off Langstone Rock. 

Ringing News: With the decline in tern numbers just two of the Dutch ringed birds were present today. 

Thursday 14th August

The second Green Sandpiper of the year flew over The Bight calling early morning, with the Spoonbill again making an appearance in the estuary before heading to Bowling Green Marsh to roost over high tide. 

Species staying at the Warren for high tide included 150+ Ringed Plover, 119 Sandwich Tern including 30 juveniles, 52 Dunlin, 17 Sanderling, six Common Tern, two Turnstone and single Grey and a juvenile Little Ringed Plover.

Bar-tailed Godwit - Dave Jewell

Little Ringed Plover - Dave Jewell

Elsewhere a Garden Warbler was near the Entrance Bushes and a Kingfisher was at the Main Pond.

Long-tailed Tit - Jim Summers

Garden Warbler - Jim Summers

Ringing News: Eight colour-ringed birds were noted amongst the Sandwich Tern flocks, six from Holland and singles from Ireland and Scotland. 

Other Wildlife: Several Common Dolphin were offshore early morning with the year's first Southern Hawker around Greenland Lake the pick of many active insects.

Small Copper - Jim Summers

Emperor Dragonfly - Lee Collins

Wasp Plumehorn Volucella inanis - Jim Summers

Southern Hawker - Dave Jewell