Wednesday 30th April

A Roseate Tern was seen off Exmouth mid afternoon, but there was no sign later with 25 Sandwich Tern seen from the Warren side. Elsewhere two Wheatear were still by the Visitor Centre but no other news was received.

Tuesday 29th April

A small fall was signalled by the first Whinchat and Garden Warbler of the year with at least four Willow Warbler and two Wheatear also arriving. Elsewhere 58 Whimbrel were feeding on the Golf Course fairways and around 60 Common Scoter were distantly offshore.

Wildlife News: Mollusc update; Strawberry Snail Trochulus striolatus and the shelled slug Testacella maugei were recorded on site today.

 

Testacella maugei ©  Andrew Cunningham

Monday 28th April

Another quiet spring day with a single Swallow through and four Wheatear the only new migrants. Counts over the high tide included 14 Whimbrel, seven Turnstone, six Ringed Plover and four Dunlin. Elsewhere the lone Dark-bellied Brent Goose remains on the Golf Course.

Sunday 27th April

The first Tree Pipit of the year flew over mid morning but migrants were otherwise largely absent. Offshore a single Little Tern, c60 Manx Shearwater, two Great Northern and a Red-throated Diver with 60+ Whimbrel and 30 Dunlin in the estuary.

Saturday 26th April

With the site blown out for most of the day the focus was largely on seawatching and early morning the first three Arctic Tern of the year were offshore with three Little and three Common Tern. Later in the day another Arctic Tern flew south and six dropped in briefly in front of the hide before heading upriver. The evening also saw the bulk of passage offshore with seven Great Skua and 770+ Manx Shearwater south along with 45+ Kittiwake and 20+ Fulmar. Elsewhere over 60 Whimbrel passed through the site, three Wheatear were in Greenland Lake and eight Pale-bellied Brent Geese were in the Bight.

Wildlife News: A Grey Seal was offshore.

Friday 25th April

Two Sedge Warbler singing early morning, the first of the year, hinted at some welcome migration but with the notable exception of a Hobby heading north this early promise was not fulfilled. Wader counts included 67 Bar-tailed Godwit, 22 Dunlin, 18+ Whimbrel, 13 Ringed and seven Grey Plover, five Sanderling and a Knot. Elsewhere an Iceland Gull was off John's Watch with four Red-throated and single Black-throated and Great Northern Diver, two Tufted Duck, a Little and c40 Sandwich Tern and c25 Manx Shearwater also offshore.

Whitethroat ©  Dave Jewell

Thursday 24th April

Fog early morning failed to deliver much in the way of migrants with just three Wheatear on the deck and single Yellow Wagtail and Meadow Pipit overhead. The bird of the day arrived late evening when a Turtle Dove was watching arriving in off from far out to sea before landing in trees behind Exmouth beach, shortly after a Wheatear also flew in off and starting flycatching along the seawall. Also offshore two Red-throated Diver and c120 Common Scoter with 41+ Sandwich Tern, 36+ Whimbrel and the Slavonian Grebe in the estuary. Elsewhere at least two fledged Stonechat were in Wryneck Plain, aside from Wood Pigeon, the first fledged birds of the year on site.

Wednesday 23rd April

Another day of southerly winds and rain delivered another day lacking in migrants with four Wheatear on Warren Point and a Reed Warbler at the Main Pond the only passerine arrivals. During the day 75+ Whimbrel and 16 Bar-tailed Godwit did fly in from the south but other wader counts were as low as the tide with just 24 Oystercatcher, eight Dunlin, five Grey Plover, three Sanderling and a Curlew. Also in the estuary three Dark-bellied Brent Geese and the Slavonian Grebe returning from its trip north to Topsham, with 25 Sandwich Tern and the Long-tailed Duck offshore.

Grey Plover © Lee Collins

Tuesday 22nd April

The overnight rain and murky conditions avoided this corner of Devon so unlike other sites along the south coast no spring fall materialised with a single Yellow Wagtail overhead and a Wheatear on the ground the best of slim pickings. In the estuary a continued small changeover of waders with 90 Dunlin, 11+ Whimbrel, 10 Ringed Plover, 10 Bar-tailed Godwit, nine Sanderling, four Grey Plover and a Knot. Elsewhere two Velvet Scoter and a Red-breasted Merganser were offshore.

Monday 21st April

A summer plumaged Curlew Sandpiper in the Bight was the pick of the new arrivals with 74 Dunlin, 40+ Whimbrel, 34+ Sandwich Tern, 31 Turnstone, 27 Bar-tailed Godwit, 12 Shelduck, five Ringed and five Grey Plover, two Sanderling and a late Snipe also in the estuary. Offshore a Black-throated and three Red-throated Diver flew south with 80+ Common Scoter, the two Velvet Scoter and Long-tailed Duck still present. Elsewhere an Iceland Gull was reported along the beach, a single Yellow Wagtail, 115 Swallow, 13 House Martin, nine Goldfinch and five Rook flew east and three Wheatear and three Whitethroat were on the ground.

 Bar-tailed Godwit © Lee Collins

 Little Grebe © Lee Collins

Curlew Sandpiper (and Dunlin) © Lee Collins