Wednesday 1st November

Still some limited movement overhead this morning with 21 Chaffinch, 19 Jackdaw, a flock of five Bullfinch, three Siskin, two Redpoll and a Brambling. Goldfinch were also passing with at least 80 counted in Greenland Lake but with birds seeming to drop in and move on with some regularity. Elsewhere the Cetti's Warbler was calling at the Main Pond and in the estuary there were 120 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, two Greenshank, a Kingfisher on the wreck, a Red-breasted Merganser and the Slavonian Grebe.

Tuesday 31st October

Despite similar conditions there was much less moving overhead this morning with tallies of 2450 Wood Pigeon, 110 Goldfinch, 30 Jackdaw, 30 Chaffinch, 12 Stock Dove, seven Redwing, two Bullfinch, two Siskin and a Redpoll.

Monday 30th October

Vis mig during the morning saw 11,055 Wood Pigeon heading high west in the blue skies with a minimum of 28 Stock Dove, 138 Jackdaw and 100 Starling. The lack of cloud cover meant smaller species were harder to pick up with tallies of 44 Chaffinch, 20 Goldfinch, 12 Bullfinch, five Siskin, three Redpoll, two Brambling and two Golden Plover. Elsewhere seven Lapwing and 20+ Black-tailed Godwit, along with thousands of waders and wildfowl were flushed from the estuary and the Cetti's Warbler was again calling from the Main Pond.

Sunday 29th October

The good run on site continued but it was quality rather than quantity today with a lone Yellowhammer that dropped in briefly by the Main Pond the Vis Mig highlight. Totals included 1025 Wood Pigeon and 15 Stock Dove west, 22 Chaffinch, 16 Greenfinch, 14 Redwing, nine Bullfinch, eight Siskin, five Swallow, four Redpoll, three Brambling, two Golden Plover and a Mistle Thrush.

In the estuary the Brent Goose flock came over from Exmouth bringing with them the Black Brant and a freshly arrived Barnacle Goose. Elsewhere the Bonaparte's Gull flew past groyne seven, a drake Pochard was offshore with nine Eider before flying around the bay and heading south and a Firecrest was in the Entrance Bushes.

Saturday 28th October

A remarkable day with plenty of surprises amongst a total of 96 species recorded. Vis Mig provided the bulk of the highlights but plenty of wildfowl and gulls continued the excitement. Overhead the Wood Pigeon movement beat the previous site record with 53,690 counted mainly going south/south-west offshore in long lines, the largest flock 7450 strong; with them at least 73 Stock Dove but this was a significant under estimate. The surprises started with a Red Kite south at 9.10, closely followed by two juvenile White-fronted Geese at 10.15, and then the seventh Great White Egret for the recording area flew in off the sea and up the estuary at 10:50 (the same bird flew west past Abbotsbury, Dorset at 9.25). Other species included a very late Turtle Dove, 101 Jackdaw, 72 Skylark, 41 Chaffinch, 15 Bullfinch, six Mistle Thrush, four Redpoll and four Siskin.

Offshore a large feeding congregation attracted three adult Little Gull, two Arctic Skua, 110 Common Scoter, 95 Kittiwake, 35 Razorbill, 11 Eider, three Red-throated and two Great Northern Diver, a drake Tufted Duck and an immature Velvet Scoter. Counts from the estuary included 1150 Wigeon, 260 Teal, 210 Black-tailed Godwit, 159 Redshank, 48 Turnstone, 35 Dunlin, six Mediterranean Gull, three Pale-bellied Brent and the Slavonian Grebe.

Elsewhere the Bonaparte's Gull was offshore briefly before heading into the estuary, a Coal Tit was on site and a Cirl  Bunting was singing along the Back Path.

Cirl Bunting - Alan Keatley

Friday 27th October

Vis mig went up a notch today but there was just one observer on site and they report that a lack of 360 degree vision meant many birds were missed. Wood Pigeon were the predominate species with 9100 moving SW in large flocks over land and sea with finches going in opposite direction at the same time. Amongst these the stand out was the long awaited first Hawfinch of this autumn's influx but 64 Bullfinch, the second highest site count, were more unexpected, with largest flocks of 16 and 12. Other counts included 85 Goldfinch, 73 Linnet, 55 Skylark, 51 Lesser Black-backed Gull (S), 35 Chaffinch, 12 Greenfinch, nine Siskin, four Redwing, a Mistle Thrush and a Merlin.

Elsewhere the Recording Area's sixth Great White Egret was distantly in the Railway Saltmarsh.

 Record shot of the Great White Egret - Alan Keatley

Wildlife News: Several queen Buff-tailed Bumblebee were on the wing along with a Migrant Hawker and a couple of Common Darter.

Buff-tailed Bumblebee - Alan Keatley

Wednesday 25th October

A Cetti's Warbler calling and even singing occasionally at the Main Pond was the highlight, elsewhere a Common Whitethroat presumably the from earlier in the month was again in scrub near the dune pond this morning, the second latest site record and several large flocks of Wood Pigeon went SW in mid-late morning, not counted but must have been well over 1000 in total. 

Monday 23rd October

Seawatching saw a Leach's Petrel heading south mid morning pursued closely by a Herring Gull, also moving a Golden Plover, 59 Lesser Black-backed and a first winter Yellow-legged Gull, an Arctic Skua, five Great Northern and a Red-throated Diver. Elsewhere eight Mediterranean Gull were in the estuary with 41 Grey Plover, 34 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 17 Shelduck, five Greenshank and the Slavonian Grebe.

Sunday 22nd October

Counts from the estuary included 307 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 271 Redshank, 171 Black-tailed Godwit, 34 Pale-bellied Brent, eight Mediterranean Gull, seven Knot, three Greenshank and a Pintail. With the new roost site now covered in fencing the small waders avoided the Warren but 330 Dunlin roosted on the seawall outside the Recording area.

Elsewhere a Jack Snipe was flushed from Dead Dolphin Wood, vis mig saw 1500 Wood Pigeon, 55 Goldfinch, 22 Swallow, 21 Chaffinch, three Redpoll, two Siskin, a Stock Dove and a Budgerigar head SW. Offshore the calm after the storm saw a single Great Skua with two Great Northern Diver but just 10 Gannet. 

Saturday 21st October

Storm Brian was the talk of the day with seawatching in the morning producing 350 Gannet, 50 auk sp, 25 Kittiwake, two Arctic Skua, three Great Northern and a Red-throated Diver south along with two Leach's Petrel, the first Long-tailed Skua of the year and an immature Long-tailed Duck. Elsewhere 311 Great Black-backed Gull sheltered in the estuary along with 40 Grey Plover and 26 Pale-bellied Brent Geese.

Pale-bellied Brent - Dave Jewell