Friday 12th September

The juvenile Little Stint was present over the high tide with just five Dunlin, five Sanderling and a Ringed Plover. Also in the estuary 65 Sandwich Tern, 35 Wigeon, 20 Teal and a Kingfisher.

Ringing News: Details have been received of a metal-ringed juvenile Common Tern recorded here on the 5th September. It was ringed on 2nd July in a breeding colony in Vilppula, southern Finland, some 1,304 miles (2,099 km) east of the Warren. 

The first Finnish return for Devon and, following a number of Swedish recoveries, a further sign the Baltic is a source of this autumn's tern influx. 

Thursday 11th September

The Glossy Ibis flew across The Bight, then headed west, over the morning high tide with single Curlew Sandpiper and Little Stint roosting amongst 32 Ringed Plover and 10 Dunlin. 

Curlew Sandpiper - Lee Collins

Little Stint - Jim Summers

Also in the estuary, 310 Redshank, 200+ Common and 31 Sandwich Tern, 61 Curlew, 57 Wigeon, 47 Teal, 15 Greenshank, eight Mediterranean Gull, three Sanderling, two Whimbrel and single Bar-tailed Godwit and Common Sandpiper, with an Osprey and a Golden Plover over The Bight. 

Elsewhere five Balearic Shearwater, four Arctic Skua and two Common Scoter were offshore and a Spotted Flycatcher was in the bushes.

Other Wildlife: Between the frequent showers nine species of butterfly were on the wing, including a a single Painted Lady and, on the edge of Dead Dolphin Wood, a Wall Brown. Two male Ivy Bee Colletes hederae were nectaring on Michaelmas Daisy and Water Mint, as most Ivy is not yet in flower. A Field Digger Wasp Mellinus arvensis was on the beach and a Hornet near the Entrance Bushes.

Wall Brown - Dean Hall

 Ivy Bee Colletes hederae - Alan Keatley

A new muscid fly for the Recording Area, a male Black-patched Limnophora L. tigrina was found on the back path, with a Locust Blowfly Stomorhina lunata and the saltmarsh dolichopus fly Machaerium maritimae on the Golf Course.

Black-patched Limnophora L. tigrina - both Alan Keatley

Machaerium maritimae - Alan Keatley

A clump of Spectacular Rustgill Gymnopilus junonius was fruiting in the Education Area behind the Main Pond, with an Ant Woodlouse Platyarthrus hoffmannseggii found in an ant's nest under rotting wood.

Spectacular Rustgill Gymnopilus junonius - Alan Keatley

Ant Woodlouse Platyarthrus hoffmannseggii - Alan Keatley

Wednesday 10th September

The Glossy Ibis remains around the saltmarsh (no general access) and Bight over both high tides with a Black Tern and 73 Wigeon also present in the morning.

Glossy Ibis - both James Marshall

The evening tide saw 240 Common Tern with many more upriver, but lower numbers of waders with birds presumably roosting elsewhere on the big spring tides. Counts included 12 Greenshank, 11 Ringed Plover, seven Sanderling, four Bar-tailed Godwit, four Common Sandpiper, two Dunlin and two Whimbrel.

Elsewhere a Balearic Shearwater was offshore and an Osprey was offsite. 

Other Wildlife: A Grey Seal was on Bull Hill. The recent rain has helped kickstart fungi season with Parasol Mushroom the most visible amongst a range of different known and mystery species. 

Pleated Inkcap Parasola plicatilis - Alan Keatley

Alder Tongue Taphrina alni, a fungal gall - Kevin Rylands

Tuesday 9th September

The first Grey Phalarope since December 2023 was off the seawall early morning before moving south of Langstone Rock and drifted towards Dawlish. Also offshore 13 Common Scoter, four Arctic Skua and a Balearic Shearwater. 

Grey Phalarope - Alan Keatley

Grey Phalarope - James Marshall

In the estuary a Glossy Ibis flew towards the saltmarsh corner at low tide, with records from the evening high tide including a juvenile Little Stint with diminished numbers of small waders and a 1cy Caspian Gull with an increased 69 Great Black-backed Gull.

Other counts from the estuary included 100 Wigeon, an early arrival with the first three figure count in 2024 (& 2023) on 17 September; 87 Sandwich and 40 Common Tern, with 300+ Common Tern further upriver, 37 Ringed Plover, 16 Dunlin, 10 Greenshank, eight Bar-tailed Godwit, three Turnstone, three Whimbrel, two Sanderling, two Snipe and a Kingfisher.

Year list addition: 
167. Caspian Gull
166. Grey Phalarope

Other Wildlife: Little insect activity in the largely overcast conditions although at least 10 Speckled Wood suggests a good third brood. A Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris nest along the Back Path attracted several Turf Ant Tetramorium caespitum scavenging wasp corpses at the entrance.

Turf Ant Tetramorium caespitum - Alan Keatley

Elsewhere a Grey Seal was in the estuary and a Red-legged Shieldbug Pentatoma rufipes in Skipper Meadow.

Red-legged Shieldbug Pentatoma rufipes - Alan Keatley

Monday 8th September

Both high tides were disturbed by a hunting Peregrine, with an Osprey completing the job on the evening tide, so many birds roosted offsite. Counts included 13 Greenshank, 11 Bar and three Black-tailed Godwit, six Knot, three Whimbrel and two Ruff. 

Also in the estuary 68 Teal and the first 21 Wigeon of the autumn were in Shutterton Creek with seven adult Mediterranean Gull and two Glossy Ibis arriving to roost. 

Elsewhere 180+ Common and c100 Sandwich Tern were feeding offshore with seven Balearic Shearwater and two Arctic Skua, and at least seven Blackcap and three Wheatear were on site. 

Common and Sandwich Tern - Jim Summers

Wheatear  - Jim Summers

Other Wildlife: A Grey Seal was in the estuary with a Painted Lady and many Rush Veneer on the wing.

Painted Lady - Jim Summers

Sunday 7th September

The highlight again came late in the day when four Glossy Ibis flew over The Bight and down the spit, landing briefly in the saltmarsh before heading SW, the seventh site record. 

Also in the estuary single juvenile Curlew Sandpiper and Little Stint amongst at least 165 Dunlin, 367 Redshank, a flock of 12 Ruff including a moulting white-ruffed male, 11 Greenshank, five Bar-tailed Godwit, three Sanderling, two Knot and two Common Sandpiper. 

The Sabine's Gull was reported off Warren Point mid afternoon before heading offshore, A search later on revealed no sign amongst the feeding flocks which included at least 210 Common, 39 Sandwich and a Black Tern, 10 Balearic Shearwater, and single Arctic Skua, Great Northern Diver and 1cy Yellow-legged Gull. Small numbers of 'Commic' Tern were heading across the bay at distance and at least 90 mixed Dunlin and Ringed Plover flew out of the estuary and continued strongly south. 

Elsewhere an immature Peregrine was attacking terns in estuary, a Coal Tit was on site and offsite an Osprey was seen carrying a fish across the estuary. 

Other Wildlife: Migrant moths included two Latticed Heath and a Vestal were amongst the dozens of Rush Veneer in the grasslands. This only the second site record of Latticed Heath following one in August last year and just the 12th Devon record since 2000, three trapped overnight in Dawlish being the 11th.

Latticed Heath - Kevin Rylands

Elsewhere two Water Vole were at the Main Pond and a Grey Seal was in the estuary.

Saturday 6th September

Another varied day with quality and quantity, although once again the bushes were rather overlooked. 

The highlight in the estuary was another Glossy Ibis, the sixth site record and the second this week, these birds are part a large influx into the southwest. It was found in an area with no general access, feeding in the saltmarsh over high tide before heading towards Easton presumably to roost.

Glossy Ibis - both Lee Collins

Records from the estuary over the two high tides included a Spotted Redshank amongst 306 Redshank and 12 Greenshank, whilst four Curlew Sandpiper and a Little Stint were with 257 Dunlin and 104 Ringed Plover in The Bight.

Curlew Sandpiper - Jim Summers

Other counts included 84 Sandwich Tern, 43 Teal, 16 Knot, 13 Bar-tailed Godwit, nine Pintail, five Turnstone and single Common Sandpiper, Grey Plover, Sanderling and Osprey.

Large numbers of birds continue to feed offshore including 80 Common, two Arctic and a Black Tern with the juvenile Sabine's Gull making a reappearance off Warren Point early evening, having hidden for over 24 hours.

Sabine's Gull - Luke Harman

Elsewhere the first Grey Wagtail of the autumn was overhead, and seawatching saw 10 Arctic and two Great Skua head south, as well as a Great Northern Diver and at least six Balearic Shearwater, with many other shearwaters passing at distance, including a large shearwater sp just before 9.30am.

Other Wildlife: A single Painted Lady and numerous Rush Veneer were on the wing and a Hornet on the Golf Course mirrored recent sightings suggesting a nest somewhere in the Entrance Bushes. 

Friday 5th September

The juvenile Sabine's Gull remained on the beach or close offshore until at least 11am, before moving towards offshore sand bar on receding tide, There was no further sign amongst the large feeding flocks offshore. Also offshore 17 Balearic Shearwater and two Arctic Skua. 

Sabine's Gull - Lee Collins

Sabine's Gull - Dave Jewell

At least 140 Common and 30 Sandwich Tern were present split between the estuary and offshore with a juvenile Little Gull, an adult Roseate Tern and single juvenile Arctic and Black Tern hidden within. 

Two juvenile Curlew Sandpiper were in The Bight over the evening high tide, with counts from the estuary including 240 Dunlin, 38 Teal, 15 Knot and five Whimbrel. 

Passerine migrants included six Wheatear, with one perched on a yacht's rigging in the estuary, three Whitethroat, three Sand Martin and two Willow Warbler. 

Other Wildlife: Continuing good numbers of Large White and Rush Veneer likely included new arrivals as six Painted Lady were fresh in. 

Painted Lady - Dave Jewell

A few solitary wasps were active including several Bee-wolf Philanthus triangulum, Early Ancistrocerus nigricornis and Small-notched Mason Wasp A. gazella with a female Common Mini-miner Andrena minutula and a Hairy-saddled Colletes C. fodiens representing the solitary bees and the sawfly Athalia cordata.

Early Mason Wasp Ancistrocerus nigricornis - Alan Keatley

Athalia cordata - Alan Keatley

Elsewhere two Grey Seal were in the estuary, a few Migrant Hawker, including an ovipositing female, and a couple of Common Darter were at the Main Pond and a Dune Jumper Marpissa nivoyi was on the Dune Ridge, the reserve is the main Devon site for this nationally scarce spider. 

Dune Jumper Marpissa nivoyi - Alan Keatley

Thursday 4th September

A juvenile Sabine's Gull, the first since October 2020, was a clear highlight. Found late morning it remained until dusk feeding off Warren Point with up to 800 Black-headed and 12 Mediterranean Gull. Also offshore single Arctic and Great Skua, a 1cy Yellow-legged Gull and three Balearic Shearwater.

Sabine's Gull - Luke Harman

Sabine's Gull - Dave Jewell

Sabine's Gull - Jim Summers

Sabine's Gull - Luke Harman

Attracted to the same feeding conditions were 500+ Common Tern, with two Black and an Arctic Tern and a juvenile Little Gull amongst the flocks in the estuary. 

A juvenile Curlew Sandpiper was in The Bight on the low late afternoon tide with 286 Dunlin, 169 Curlew, 114 Ringed Plover, 11 Bar-tailed Godwit, nine Greenshank and two Whimbrel.

Year list addition: 
165. Sabine's Gull

Other Wildlife: A male Common Blue Damselfly on the Golf Course was a surprise, the first site record since 2010. Also on the wing a second Wall Brown of the week was on the Dune Ridge.

Common Blue Damselfly - Kevin Rylands

Wall Brown - Luke Harman

Wednesday 3rd September

A two hour seawatch from first light saw 40 Balearic Shearwater, five Arctic Skua and a Great Northern Diver head south, with several hundred 'Commic' Tern heading out, closer birds included two Arctic Tern.  

The eclipse Eider was again offshore with 13 juvenile Knot amongst c600 mixed Dunlin and Ringed Plover in The Bight.