Saturday 30th April

At least one Roseate Tern remained off John's Watch  with 39 Sandwich, three Common and a Little Tern. Counts from the estuary included 240 Dunlin, 76 Ringed Plover, 36 Whimbrel, 13 Sanderling and a Greenshank. Elsewhere the Short-eared Owl was again on Warren Point and migrants were limited to five Wheatear, a Meadow Pipit, four Willow and a single Sedge Warbler.

Little Grebe - Alan Keatley

Friday 29th April

The first two Roseate Tern of the year were offshore early morning with 15 Little Tern, the largest count since 1998, later on along with 49+ Sandwich and two Common Tern. In the estuary wader numbers increased with 107 Dunlin, 59 Ringed Plover, 28+ Whimbrel, 23 Sanderling, 15 Turnstone and two Bar-tailed Godwit over the high tide. Elsewhere the first Sedge Warbler of the year was singing in the Dune Pond, three Wheatear and a Willow Warbler were on site and a single Swift was overhead.

Thursday 28th April

An arrival of migrants included a late Short-eared Owl on Warren Point and at least 14 Wheatear on site. Counts over high tide included c100 Dunlin, 25+ Whimbrel, seven Ringed Plover, six Bar-tailed Godwit and three Redshank. Off site at least 106 Pale and three Dark-bellied Brent Geese were on Cockle Sands, Exmouth.  Elsewhere 30+ Manx Shearwater and 21 Sandwich Tern were offshore in a quick evening scan.

Wednesday 27th April

The only news came from a quick evening visit, 12 Whimbrel were on the beach and in the bushes the two Treecreeper were still present with five Chiffchaff, two Blackcap and singles of Willow and Reed Warbler trying to survive the unseasonal weather.

Tuesday 26th April

A female Black Redstart along the seawall by Langstone Rock was a surprise on a day of virtually no other migrants. Elsewhere 20 Whimbrel, 14 Turnstone, seven Sanderling, six Dunlin, four Ringed Plover and two Bar-tailed Godwit were in the estuary and four Great-crested Grebe were offshore.

Monday 25th April

No repeat of the excitement of the last couple of days with just 21 Dunlin and 11 Sanderling over the high tide and a Great Northern Diver offshore.

 

Ringing News: A Whimbrel (yellow D63) was one of 30+ birds seen on 18th April. It was ringed last year on 18th May 2015 at Llansantffraed, Ceredigion, Wales. See here for more information on this Welsh project.

As with many spring Whimbrel it was thought to have continued migration north so it was surprise when it returned to the Warren on the 23rd & 24th April. It is presumed the recent spell of North-westerlies helped postpone the onward journey to Iceland. More information on Whimbrel migration can be found here on the Wader Tales website.

Sunday 24th April

A Hoopoe along the Back Path late morning was the all too brief highlight, other migrants remain in short supply with eight Wheatear also new in. Overhead two Yellow Wagtail flew over with a couple of Siskin, 12 Swallow, eight Sand and three House Martin. In the estuary counts over the evening high tide included 130 Dunlin, 76 Whimbrel, 12 Sanderling, four Common Sandpiper and three Redshank. Elsewhere three Great Northern and two Red-throated Diver were offshore early morning and 37 Sandwich and a Common Tern were off John's Watch.

Wildlife News: The Sand Crocus remains in flower but in diminishing numbers. The first Small Copper of the year were on the wing with Speckled Wood and Green-veined White and in Greenland Lake the squash bug Syromastus rhombeus Rhombic Leatherbug was another new species for the Recording Area.

Saturday 23rd April

An unexpected highlight was the Recording Area's 3rd Willow Tit, coming exactly nine years to the day since the last record. It was first seen in Tamarisks at John's Watch before heading to Warren Point and was relocated late afternoon around Dead Dolphin Wood/Main Pond and was still present at dusk but remained mobile.

Willow Tit - Luke Harman
 

Other migrants included the year's first Grasshopper Warbler in Soft Sand Bay, six Wheatear, three Willow Warbler and overhead two Yellow Wagtail, 65 House Martin, 41 Swallow, 24 Goldfinch, two Sand Martin and two Siskin. Elsewhere counts from the estuary included 76 Whimbrel, 39 Dunlin, seven Redshank, three Sanderling, two Knot and two Grey Plover. Offshore 40+ Manx Shearwater flew south early evening and a Little Tern was present early morning with 45 Sandwich and eight Common Tern.

Wildlife News: The first Green-veined White of the year was on the wing and a migrant Rush Veneer was in Greenland Lake.

 Green-veined White - Alan Keatley

Rush Veneer - Alan Keatley

Friday 22nd April

A single Willow Warbler was the only potential passerine migrant early morning, but wader passage was more obvious and varied. Counts from the estuary included 52+ Whimbrel, 35 Dunlin, 19 Turnstone, two Bar-tailed Godwit, two Grey Plover and two Knot, with 11 Black-tailed Godwit and a Greenshank flying in off and the first three Common Sandpiper of the year on the seawall. Elsewhere a Little Tern was offshore in the evening, a single Swift flew through and a drake Gadwall was on the mudflats.  

Thursday 21st April

The sixth site record of Stone-curlew was found on Warren Point in the Desert early morning but remained elusive and was last seen just after midday. Another highlight was the year's first Red Kite low over Greenland Lake at 9.30am. Other migrants included six Willow Warbler and two Wheatear with 20+ Swallow, 14 House Martin and three Swift overhead. Counts over high tide included 66 Whimbrel, 28 Sandwich Tern, 26 Dunlin, three Bar-tailed Godwit, three Sanderling, two Ringed Plover and a Common Tern.

Stone-curlew - Luke Harman