Thursday 31st July

No news was received.

Ringing News: July proved especially rewarding for reading rings on the Warren, in fact it was the best ever month on site.

With the customary July build-up of Black-headed Gull (an Exe estimate would suggest 3000+) and returning Sandwich Tern noisily making their presence known along with building numbers of Oystercatcher. Dozens of visits, on many occasions twice a day, were carried out to work both tides with a heavy focus on finding any readable ringed bird. The vast majority on these reads were from birds close in front of the hide.

 

In total for the month there were 61 reads, from five species: Oystercatcher (14, 22), Great Black-backed Gull (1, 1), Black-headed Gull (7, 12), Mediterranean Gull (4, 5) and Sandwich Tern (14, 21). The numbers quoted in brackets signify the number of birds and then the number of reads. We await details on many, but known recoveries have come via Scotland, Holland, Belgium, Germany and Poland.

The next best single month at the Warren regards recoveries was in December 2013, when 41 rings were read.

Wednesday 30th July

A Wood Sandpiper calling over the Main Pond mid morning was the highlight. Elsewhere a juvenile Mediterranean Gull was with good numbers of Sandwich Tern close in front of the hide.

 

Sandwich Tern - Simon Thurgood

Tuesday 29th July

A Little Tern was in front of the hide this evening with 80+ Sandwich and a single Common Tern. Also in front of the hide the first Snipe of autumn with wader counts of 439 Curlew, 152 Redshank, 75 Dunlin, 60+ Sanderling, 49 Ringed Plover, seven Turnstone, five Whimbrel, a Grey Plover and a Common Sandpiper. Elsewhere two Mediterranean Gull were on the beach, a Kestrel was on Warren Point and a Whinchat was on Finger Point.

Wildlife News: A Clouded Yellow was on the Golf course this afternoon.

Sunday 27th July

Good numbers of waders remain on site with counts of 150 Redshank, 131 Dunlin, 57 Sanderling, 25 Ringed Plover and single Bar-tailed Godwit and Turnstone. Elsewhere at least six Mediterranean and the Little Gull were with the Black-headed Gull flock along the beach.

Saturday 26th July

Further evidence of autumn migration today with counts of 115 Redshank, 109 Dunlin, 64 Sanderling, 40 Ringed Plover and two Bar-tailed Godwit. Amongst the Black-headed Gull were at least five Mediterranean and a Little Gull with a different juvenile Yellow-legged Gull and an Arctic Skua offshore and the Slavonian Grebe in the estuary.

Little Gull - Lee Collins

Friday 25th July

The first, and perhaps only, Ruff of the year was in front of the hide over the evening tide with 125 Dunlin, 36 Sanderling, 22 Ringed Plover, three Turnstone and a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull. Elsewhere 11 Mediterranean Gull and a Little Gull were along the beach with 380+ Black-headed Gull.

Ruff - Lee Collins

Thursday 24th July

The first Jay of the year was by the Main Pond with the first Treecreeper in the Entrance Bushes, although that was apparently first seen last week. More typical migrants on site included at least five Willow and a Garden Warbler. Elsewhere five Shoveler and a Red-throated Diver were offshore, single Little, Yellow-legged and at least eight Mediterranean Gull were in the estuary with counts of 40+ Redshank, 31+ Whimbrel, 22 Ringed Plover, 19 Dunlin, two Bar-tailed Godwit and a Greenshank.

Wednesday 23rd July

A juvenile Redstart, the first of the year, was reported but no other news was received.

Tuesday 22nd July

The Slavonian Grebe was off Cockwood with single Yellow-legged and Mediterranean Gull also in the estuary.

Monday 21st July

An unringed juvenile Yellow-legged Gull was on Bull Hill with five Common Sandpiper, the Slavonian Grebe, 300+ Curlew and 98+ Sandwich Tern also in the estuary.