Monday 30th September

The day started calm with noticeable overhead movement south west including 450+ Meadow Pipit, 130 Swallow, 45 Skylark, 11 Raven, in a loose flock, three Chaffinch, three House and a Sand Martin. The same conditions meant it was quiet offshore but single Balearic Shearwater and Arctic Tern did fly south.

Elsewhere five Wheatear were on site and counts from the estuary included 310 Curlew, 65 Ringed Plover, 44 Dunlin, 36 Sandwich Tern, 25 Turnstone, 12 Knot, 10 Grey Plover, seven Greenshank, five Mediterranean Gull and a Slavonian Grebe.

Sunday 29th September

Seawatching was again the order of the day with significant passage before 9am. The highlight was the first Little Gull of the year, an immature in a small Kittiwake flock, but the most welcome site was the high number of Arctic Skua with a minimum of 45 heading south, along with 12 Great Skua, seven Balearic Shearwater, 700 Gannet, 70 Kittiwake, 30 Sandwich Tern, a Great Northern Diver and a Golden Plover. Also on the move over the waves small numbers of Swallow and Meadow Pipit.

The juvenile Curlew Sandpiper remained in the Bight with 83 Ringed Plover, 82 Dunlin, 34 Turnstone, 30 Sanderling and nine Grey Plover. Also in the estuary 34 Bar and a Black-tailed Godwit, five Mediterranean Gull, two Greenshank, a Common Sandpiper and the Slavonian Grebe. Elsewhere just the third Garden Warbler of the year was in Dead Dolphin Wood, the first Goldcrest of the autumn was by the First Pond and at least six Wheatear were on site.

Southern Hawker - Luke Harman

The combination of gales and a large high tide removed all of the sand that had built up on the top of the beach this summer meaning the beach is again no longer passable at high tide. The erosion was not restricted to the beach with 4-5 feet of sand also lost from the Dune Ridge. This revealed some hidden structures and a fossilised Dalek.

Saturday 28th September

The first Pintail of the autumn was with 350 Wigeon in the estuary with 43 Sandwich and six Common Tern, 14 Knot and the Slavonian Grebe. The first Mistle Thrush of the autumn was overhead along with a Tree and 40 Meadow Pipit, 45 Swallow and 10 Skylark, whilst grounded migrants included 12 Blackcap, five Chiffchaff, a Whitethroat and a Wheatear.

Seawatching saw 960 Gannet and four Arctic Skua head south early morning with 103 Kittiwake and two Arctic Skua passing during the evening.

Wildlife News: A few fresh looking Painted Lady were on the wing, probably a new generation, also third generation Wall and Common Blue in the Crocus Compound.

 Painted Lady - Alan Keatley

Wall - Alan Keatley

Common Blue - Luke Harman

Thursday 26th September

Seawatching for the first two hours saw 75 Balearic Shearwater head south, a great count for this critically endangered seabird, also moving south 2160 Gannet, nearly doubling the previous site record, 18 Arctic and single Pomarine and Great Skua, 60 Kittiwake and 12 Manx Shearwater. A fem/imm Tufted Duck also circled the bay a few times. A quick look late evening saw two more Balearic Shearwater south and at least four Arctic Skua lingering.

Also on the move today c500 Meadow Pipit overhead with the first three Siskin of the autumn, 120 Swallow and a Yellow Wagtail whilst two Whitethroat arrived on Warren Point. The Slavonian Grebe was off Cockwood with 503 Wigeon, 293 Redshank, 181 Teal, 27 Brent Geese, 25 Sandwich Tern, 21 Bar-tailed Godwit, 12 Grey Plover and two Greenshank.

Wednesday 25th September

The two Curlew Sandpiper remained in the Bight on the high tide with 128 Ringed Plover, 91 Dunlin, 12 Turnstone and a Grey Plover. Also in the estuary 112 Teal, 88 Wigeon, 43 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 12 Sandwich Tern and the Slavonian Grebe. Elsewhere 38 Sanderling were along the beach and five Wheatear were on site.

Wildlife News: A Belladonna Lily was still in flower on Warren Point, the only Devon location for this garden escapee.

Belladonna Lily - Lee Collins

 

 

Tuesday 24th September

Seawatching between 7-9am saw 619 Gannet head south, the vast majority before 8.30am. Also going south 33 Kittiwake, two Mediterranean Gull, two Arctic and a Great Skua. Elsewhere two Wheatear were in front of the hide and records from the estuary included two Curlew Sandpiper, 36 Sanderling, 14 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 11 Sandwich Tern, seven Greenshank and the Slavonian Grebe.

Monday 23rd September

Seawatching during the morning saw a distant Sooty Shearwater heading south along with two possible Long-tailed Skua although little else was passing. The evening may have been more productive but no one was present. Elsewhere 41 Sandwich Tern and 15 Brent Geese were in the estuary and migrants included just the fifth Spotted Flycatcher of the year and a single Whitethroat.

Sunday 22nd September

The change in weather brought hopes of filling in the only gap in the Recording Area's September day by day rarity table, but it was not to be with the bushes blown out and seemingly quiet. New arrivals were present in the estuary though with 183 Wigeon and 88 Teal counted along with 1420 Oystercatcher, 526 Curlew, 322 Redshank, 141 Ringed Plover, 90+ Dunlin, 37 Sandwich Tern, 30 Turnstone, 10 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, six Greenshank, four Snipe and the Slavonian Grebe.

Wildlife News: A single Rush Veneer was on Warren Point and a Yellow-barred Peat Hoverfly Sericomyia silentis, the second site record was in the Back Meadow.

Yellow-barred Peat Hoverfly Sericomyia silentis

Saturday 21st September

A distinctly autumnal feel to the day with the first 35 Dark-bellied Brent Geese in the estuary, along with counts of 92 Great Black-backed Gull, 91 Dunlin, 77 Ringed Plover, 48 Wigeon, 36 Sandwich Tern, 29 Sanderling, 21 Knot, 17 Bar and a Black-tailed Godwit, a Grey Plover, a Greenshank and the Slavonian Grebe.

 Knot - Alan Keatley

Brent Geese and Wigeon - Alan Keatley

Elsewhere a Great-crested Grebe was offshore, a Whinchat was along the Back Path and overhead 30 Swallow, 14 House Martin and a Grey Wagtail.

Thursday 19th September

A Lesser Whitethroat was the pick of migrants, arriving with an influx of at least 21 Blackcap, also on site nine Chiffchaff, a Whitethroat and a Wheatear, with three Grey and a Yellow Wagtail overhead. Elsewhere an Osprey was hunting in the estuary with 82 Ringed Plover, 26 Sandwich Tern, 25 Wigeon, 21 Sanderling, 15 Dunlin, three Greenshank, a Black-tailed Godwit and the Slavonian Grebe.

Black (front) & Bar-tailed Godwit - Alan Keatley

Wildlife News: A Comma was the pick of eight butterfly species recorded, with a similar number hoverfly species still on the wing. The number of Ivy Bee continue to increase although most of the Ivy is still to flower.

 

Dumpy Melanostoma Melanostoma mellinum - Alan Keatley