Saturday 5th August

Seawatching for 3.5 hours from first light produced totals of 523 Kittiwake, 390 Gannet,  229 Sandwich Tern, 37 Manx Shearwater, 36 Common Scoter, 33 Common Tern, nine Arctic and four Pomarine Skua, eight Fulmar, three Storm Petrel, two Arctic Tern (ad + juv) and single juvenile Mediterranean Gull, Bar-tailed Godwit and Razorbill all head south. 

Soon after a count of 88 Sandwich Tern was made in the Bight, suggesting a total in excess of 300 for the day, although the max count later from the Bight of 231 (37 juvs) was very close to the seawatch total. There were only three Common Tern in the Bight later on but the juvenile Arctic Tern did also return. 

Also present in the estuary; 367 Curlew, 207 Redshank, 63 Dunlin, 62 Ringed Plover, 37 Whimbrel, 26 Sanderling, 11 Mediterranean Gull, nine Greenshank, two Bar-tailed Godwit, two Common Sandpiper, the long-staying summer plumaged Knot and the even longer staying Dark-bellied Brent Goose.

Ringing News: The highlight was the return of the South African ringed Sandwich Tern 4H18572, ringed at Rufane Beach, Port Alfred in Dec 2007 and first recorded here in 2019. This is one of only five South African ringed Sandwich Tern recorded in Britain. It was also been recorded at Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour in May 2008 & 2011. As it was ringed as an adult, it is at least 17 years old and has probably flown over a quarter of a million miles in its lifetime!

Another notable recovery was of a DCWRG Dunlin A3, ringed here in Oct 2021, it was last seen on 27 Oct 2021. The lack of other records and its reappearance suggests it uses the Exe on passage rather than wintering.

Friday 4th August

Over the high tide again good numbers of terns around the Bight with a minimum 196 Sandwich Tern (33+ juvs), 35 Common Tern, including three juvs, and two Little Tern (ad & juv). 

Also in the estuary, a brief Wood Sandpiper, before heading north, 183 Redshank (12 juvs), 71 Dunlin, 66 Ringed and four Grey Plover, 43 Whimbrel, 14 Greenshank, eight Black-tailed Godwit, eight Mediterranean Gull, a Knot and a 1cy Yellow-legged Gull. 

A half hour seawatch in calm conditions early saw single Balearic Shearwater, Arctic Tern and a Storm Petrel south along with 30 Common Scoter. Later at least three Arctic Skua and an Arctic Tern were offshore. 

Ringing News: Seven Sandwich Tern ring reads were made today, three from Wales, and singles from Sussex, Hampshire, Holland and Germany. Also present, a Spanish ringed Dunlin. 

Thursday 3rd August

A very welcome increase in Sandwich Tern today, although the minimum count of 111 is still much lower than previous years, with them one of yesterday's Roseate Tern still.

Also in the estuary, 344 Curlew, 30 Dunlin, 16 Ringed and four Grey Plover, five Turnstone, four Sanderling, three Mediterranean Gull, a Bar-tailed Godwit, a Whimbrel and the Dark-bellied Brent Goose.

Other Wildlife: A new species of shieldbug for the Recording Area was found in the Entrance Bushes, with a nymph Bronze Shieldbug Triolus luridus, also there the first Birch Catkin Bug Kleidocerys resedae of the year. 

Bronze Shieldbug - Alan Keatley

Birch Catkin Bug - Alan Keatley

Other invertebrates recorded included 10-spot Ladybird, the leaf beetle Cryptocephalus pusilus, Hook-banded Wasp Hoverfly Chrysotoxum festivum, Common Paragus P. haemorrhous and also new for the Warren, the fly Peplomyza litura.

Cryptocephalus pusillus - Alan Keatley

Common Paragus - Alan Keatley

Peplomyza litura - Alan Keatley

Wednesday 2nd August

Seawatching for a couple of hours from first light saw 204 Kittiwake and 173 Gannet head south, a Hobby flew in off and at least 15 Storm Petrel were offshore, although with nine visible on one scan there may well have been more passing. Also passing offshore 40 Manx and two Balearic Shearwater, four Arctic and a Pomarine Skua, seven Common Scoter, five Dunlin, an adult Mediterranean Gull and the Great Northern Diver.

The weather brought in a few more terns to the estuary with three Roseate Tern, an adult & two third calendar year, the highlight, the highest count for several years, two were birds ringed in Ireland. They were in the Bight with 30 Sandwich and four Common Tern. 

Roseate Terns - Lee Collins

Wader counts included 48 Ringed Plover, 48 Dunlin and two Common Sandpiper with a flock of 11 Black-tailed Godwit moving through. 

Tuesday 1st August

Seawatching early morning saw two Balearic Shearwater head south along with two Storm Petrel, at least eight Arctic Skua, 40 Kittiwake and five Common Scoter. 

Counts from the estuary included 293 Curlew, 169 Redshank, 22 Sandwich and nine Common Tern, nine Ringed and two Grey Plover, six Dunlin, three Turnstone and single Black-tailed Godwit, Dark-bellied Brent Goose and an Egyptian Goose.

Monday 31st July

The first summer Great Northern Diver remains near Langstone Rock with a Storm Petrel, five Arctic Skua and nine Common Scoter also offshore.

Great Northern Diver  - Alan Keatley 

Counts from the estuary included 204 Curlew, 149 Redshank, 50 Ringed Plover, 44 Whimbrel, 20 Sandwich Tern, 13 Sanderling, six Mediterranean Gull and two Shelduck.

Other Wildlife: Overcast conditions followed by early afternoon rain dampened insect activity to just a handful of butterflies. An Ant Damsel Bug Himacerus mirmicoides found shelter beside the railway with a Wesmael's Digger Wasp Crossocerus wesmaeli and the first Looped Flutter Fly Palloptera mulibris of the year resting up from the inclement weather in the Entrance Bushes.

Ant Damsel Bug (late instar nymph) - Alan Keatley

Wesmael's Digger Wasp - Alan Keatley

Sunday 30th July

A full day on site with almost 80 species recorded, the highlight the site's fourth record of Cory's Shearwater distantly south just before 1pm. Also passing offshore, mostly between 11.50-15.30, included three Storm Petrel, c50 Gannet, c30 Kittiwake, eight Manx Shearwater, two Arctic and a Pomarine Skua, three Fulmar and a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull. The Great Northern Diver was still offshore. 

The day's species tally was boosted by an arrival of passerine migrants including a fly through Cuckoo, the first three Wheatear of the autumn, and nine Willow, three Sedge and two Garden Warbler. Other counts on site included 17 Whitethroat, 15 Long-tailed Tit and 14 Cirl Bunting.

Both high tides were covered in the estuary with peak counts including 545 Oystercatcher, 290 Curlew, 167 Redshank, 48 Ringed Plover, 44 Whimbrel, 34 Dunlin, 32 Sandwich and a Common Tern, 26 Sanderling, 11 Mediterranean Gull, seven Greenshank, five Grey Plover, two Black and a Bar-tailed Godwit and single Common Sandpiper, Dark-bellied Brent Goose, Kingfisher, Shelduck and Turnstone.

Sandwich Tern - Lee Collins

Other Wildlife: A Migrant Hawker was braving the conditions and Jersey Tiger were by the Main Pond and on Warren Point.

Saturday 29th July

A two hour seawatch early morning saw single Balearic Shearwater and Storm Petrel head south along with 185 Gannet, 90 Kittiwake, five Arctic Skua, four Sandwich and a Common Tern and three juvenile Mediterranean Gull. On the sea 27 Common Scoter, a Great Crested Grebe and a first summer Great Northern Diver.

The presence of a Garden Warbler along the Back Path, suggested at least some of the 13 Whitethroat and four Blackcap on site may also have been migrants. A roving flock of 20 Long-tailed Tit also contained at least five Chiffchaff and two Willow Warbler.

Elsewhere there were no records from the estuary but 28 Sanderling were on the beach.

Other Wildlife: A brief Red-veined Darter at the Main Pond was a highlight with a Golden-ringed Dragonfly, four Migrant and the first Southern Hawker of the year also recorded. Thirteen species of butterfly included a Painted Lady and a second generation Green-veined White. 

Golden-ringed Dragonfly - Alan Keatley

Southern Hawker - Alan Keatley

Elsewhere a Grey Squirrel was in Dead Dolphin Wood, and a nymph of the  ant like mirid Pilophorus perplexus was found on White Poplar by the railway, another first for the Recording Area.

Pilophorus perplexus - Alan Keatley

Thursday 27th July

Few waders on show in the Bight on the low high tide with just a Turnstone, four Grey and three Ringed Plover with the Oystercatcher, although a flock of 47 Sanderling were feeding on the beach. Also in the estuary 24 Sandwich Tern and two Mediterranean Gull. 

Sanderling - Alan Keatley

Elsewhere another fledged brood of Stonechat in Greenland Lake and a Willow Warbler in the Cuckoo's Nest.

Other Wildlife: A Bloody-nosed Beetle Timarcha tenebricosa next to the path at Langstone Rock, was a first for the Recording Area, a not unexpected, but nevertheless welcome addition to the Warren's fauna. Also there was a shieldbug tachinid Ectophasia crassipennis and on Wild Carrot, a few galls of the midge Keifferia percarpiicola.

Bloody-nosed Beetle - Alan Keatley

Ectophasia crassipennis - Alan Keatley

Another new, somewhat smaller, beetle was found near the Visitor Centre, Aphanisticus pusillus, a jewel beetle with both Lesser and Tawny Cockroach present as well as several Slender-horned Leatherbug Ceraleptus lividus.

Aphanisticus pusillus - Kevin Rylands

Other insects included Angle Spot and Cream-spot Ladybird, Long-winged Conehead, Great Green Bush Cricket and several Compost Hoverfly Syritta pipiens, the first for the year and possibly migrants. A summer generation Wall on the Dune Ridge was the pick of today's butterflies and the first Blackening Waxcap of the year have appeared.

Syritta pipiens - Alan Keatley 

Wall - Alan Keatley

Tuesday 25th July

A low high tide produced fewer waders, but these did include three Common Sandpiper and the two summer plumage Knot in the Bight, with single figure counts of Bar-tailed Godwit, Dunlin, Sanderling and Shelduck. Also around the estuary/beach, 27 Mediterranean Gull, 17 Sandwich and a Common Tern.

Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls - Alan Keatley

Elsewhere a Common Snipe in Marram on Warren Point was an early arrival, with a Kingfisher at the Main Pond and single Sedge and Willow Warbler further signs of post breeding movement. 

Other Wildlife: Apart from a lone shower, it was a warm and relatively sunny day with light winds, ideal for insect activity. Ragwort was the main attraction for a wide selection of nectaring wasps, bees and flies, including White-zoned Furrow Bee Lasioglossum leucozonium, a summer generation Gooden's Nomad Bee Nomada goodeniana, Flecked Snout Nemotelus notatus, Wasp Plumehorn Volucella inanis and Four-banded Bee-grabber Conops quadrifasciatus.

Flecked Snout - Alan Keatley

Four-banded Bee-grabber - Alan Keatley

A Migrant Hawker on Warren Point was the first for the year, and presumably a migrant, along with a Hummingbird Hawkmoth and a few Red Admiral and Silver Y. Elsewhere two Grey Seal were on Bull Hill and two Water Vole and a Common Shrew were at the Main Pond.

Migrant Hawker - Alan Keatley