Sunday 31st May

Seawatching early morning saw eight Great Northern Diver head south along with two Little, two Common and three Sandwich Tern, 63 Kittiwake, 48 Common Scoter and a first summer Mediterranean Gull. Over the high tide wader counts included 233 Oystercatcher, 104 Dunlin, 67 Ringed Plover, five Turnstone, four Grey Plover, a Whimbrel and a Knot. The continued highlight though were the flocks of Sanderling, with a site record 326 present today, the previous record of 300 was 60 years ago. Elsewhere a Spotted Flycatcher was in Dead Dolphin Wood, the Slavonian Grebe was off Cockwood and a distinctly unseasonal drake Wigeon was in Shutterton Creek.

Saturday 30th May

Waders continue to feature but numbers were higher on the morning tide suggesting birds are moving through during the day. Counts included 240 Sanderling, continuing the good spring for this species, 79 Dunlin, 74 Ringed Plover, four Grey Plover and a Turnstone. Elsewhere a first summer Mediterranean Gull was offshore with just three Sandwich Tern and two Common Scoter.

Wildlife News: The first Cream-spot Tiger of the year was on the wing and other recent moth news included the first site record of Pammene regiana around the 'Ramalina' tree on the Dune Ridge.

Cream-spot Tiger - Lee Collins

Friday 29th May

A Great Skua was harassing Gannet offshore this evening with a pair of Shelduck with four small chicks on the sea earlier in the day. In the estuary a Knot was a new arrival with counts of 129 Sanderling, 94 Ringed Plover, 88 Dunlin, four Grey Plover and two Whimbrel. Elsewhere a Kestrel was hunting over Langstone Rock and a Wheatear was a late migrant.

Thursday 28th May

Passage waders continue to pass through with 210+ Sanderling, 70+ Dunlin, 65+ Ringed Plover, seven Whimbrel and four Grey Plover. Elsewhere the Slavonian Grebe was off Cockwood, three Great Northern Diver were offshore and amongst the resident species the Great-spotted Woodpecker chicks are appearing at the nest hole and are getting ready to fledge.

Wildlife News: A Common Seal was on Bull Hull.

Wednesday 27th May

A very quiet evening visit with 13 Manx Shearwater, seven Sandwich Tern, three Great-crested Grebe and two Common Scoter offshore but no small waders over the low tide. Elsewhere 34 Carrion Crow were on the mudflats and 605 Herring Gull were around the estuary and sandbars with 21 Great and two Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Tuesday 26th May

Whilst everything else seems to have settled in for the summer waders continue to pass through with the first Little Stint of the year; the first spring record since 2009, c260 Sanderling, 42 Ringed Plover, c10 Dunlin and three Grey Plover. There was no sign of the ringed Sanderling though. Elsewhere the only tern seen was a single Common Tern south off the seawall.

Little Stint - Lee Collins

Monday 25th May

Waders continue to pass through with 182 Sanderling, a big increase, 89 Ringed Plover, 45 Dunlin and six Grey Plover with 294 summering Oystercatcher. Elsewhere two Great Northern Diver were offshore, one in non-breeding plumage, a Garden Warbler by the First Pond was a new migrant and three Red Kite moved through along with a late movement of 71 Swallow, seven House Martin and seven Swift.

Sanderling - Lee Collins

Ringing News: Two colour-ringed Sanderling were picked out amongst the mobile flocks. Both were ringed at Iwik village, Banc d'Arguin, Mauritania in November 2010 & 2011 respectively. Both had been recorded wintering in Mauritania in previous winters but these were the first records away from Africa.

Thanks to Jeroen Reneerkens for this information.

Sunday 24th May

A Spotted Flycatcher in Dead Dolphin Wood was a welcome spring migrant, however two juvenile Mistle Thrush that flew through were arguably the first autumn migrants! Elsewhere two summer plumaged Great Northern Diver were off the seawall, 82 Ringed Plover, 31 Dunlin and 30 Sanderling were in the Bight with 18 Curlew in Shutterton Creek (more autumn migrants?) and off site a Red Kite was over the Haldon Ridge.

Saturday 23rd May

Wader passage continues to keep spring just about ticking over with 70 Sanderling on the beach, in the estuary however there were just nine Dunlin, nine Ringed and three Grey Plover, six Curlew and five Whimbrel. Elsewhere a Wheatear was by the hide, the Slavonian Grebe was off Cockwood, 130 Starling foraging around site indicates a good first brood, with the first fledged Linnet also on the wing. Five Jackdaw were again foraging on site before heading back to nests in the village. This is the first time Jackdaw have been regular on the Warren, previously they have been most frequently recorded overhead as spring and autumn migrants.

Wildlife News: The first Hummingbird Hawkmoth of the year was on Warren Point. Butterflies on the wing included Brown Argus, Common Blue and Small Copper with several Ashy Mining Bee also enjoying the weather. Elsewhere the Common Seal was again on Bull Hill.

Friday 22nd May

The resident Slavonian Grebe was off Cockwood but no other news was received.