Monday 8th April

The first two Arctic Tern of the year flew SW past the seawall early morning along with 68 Gannet, 29 Red-throated Diver, 20 Common Scoter, 18 Common Gull, eight Whimbrel, three Little Egret and an Arctic Skua. 

Three Great Northern Diver and at least 43 Sandwich and two Little Tern were offshore, the terns later roosting on Finger Point, where they were joined briefly by a 3cy Little Gull that arrived from upriver. 

Other counts from the estuary included 204 Oystercatcher, 25 Turnstone, 17 Redshank, seven Pale and two Dark-bellied Brent Geese, seven Knot, the seven Eider (three imm ♂ & four ♀), seven Grey and two Ringed Plover, six Bar-tailed Godwit, four Whimbrel, two sinensis Cormorant and a Red-breasted Merganser.

Elsewhere two Stock Dove were in the Railway Saltmarsh and four Swallow flew through.

Year list addition:

136. Arctic Tern

Sunday 7th April

Seawatching for two hours 15 mins early morning saw the following head SW, 216 Kittiwake, 152 Gannet, 46 Guillemot, 35 Fulmar, seven Manx Shearwater, six Whimbrel, three Great Northern and three Red-throated Diver and a pale phase Pomarine Skua, although also identified as an Arctic. 

Also offshore during the day the first two Little Tern of the year, two Great Northern Diver, a 2cy Mediterranean Gull and a Peregrine unsuccessfully hunting terns. 

Counts from the estuary over the high tides included 240 Oystercatcher, 43 Sandwich Tern, 32 Bar-tailed Godwit, 31 Redshank, 21 Turnstone, 21 Dark and 12 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 12 Knot, eight Grey Plover, seven Eider, five Red-breasted Merganser, five Great Crested Grebe, four Whimbrel and single Dunlin and Greenshank. Just outside the Recording Area, the Spotted Redshank again roosted in Cockwood Harbour.

Elsewhere five Swallow flew through and two Wheatear were on site, one of which was of the Greenland race - leucorhoa.

Year list additions:

134. Pomarine Skua
135. Little Tern
        Greenland Wheatear 

Other Wildlife: An adult Slow-worm, the first since 2021, was found on the estuary bank. Unfortunately it had clearly been recently attacked but escaped by dropping its tail. 

Slow-worm - Lee Collins

Saturday 6th April

Plenty of activity offshore during the day with counts from a three hour seawatch first thing including a Great Skua, 20 Red-throated and a Great Northern Diver, a Black-throated Diver (considered a RtD by one observer) and a diver sp SW along with 101 Gannet, 40+ Kittiwake and five Fulmar.

Late afternoon a flock of five Scaup, four male (one considered to be a hybrid, perhaps with Lesser Scaup by some observers) and a female, were close inshore with two Great Northern Diver, two Arctic Skua were harrying gulls, c.30 Brent Geese sp flew into estuary from around Orcombe Point and heading SW, a female Velvet Scoter, 40 Gannet and a Manx Shearwater.

Counts from the estuary included c.60 Sandwich Tern, 26 Bar-tailed Godwit, 20 Dark and seven Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 17 Redshank, 15 Turnstone, 12 Knot, seven Eider, seven Red-breasted Merganser, six Great Crested Grebe, four Grey and a Ringed Plover, four Teal, four Whimbrel, two Greenshank and two winter plumaged Dunlin.

Elsewhere migrants included the Warren's earliest ever Grasshopper Warbler flushed on the Golf Course, the previous earliest date was 11th April 2004, with two Wheatear and a Willow Warbler on site, 16 Swallow, five Sand and three House Martin flew west and two Common Sandpiper were on the end of Warren Point.

Year list additions:

130. Common Sandpiper
131. Velvet Scoter
132. Arctic Skua
133. Grasshopper Warbler

Other Wildlife: Tough going in the strong southerly wind, even in the bright periods insects were keeping low, with just a few literally clinging on in the more sheltered areas. These included the first 10-spot Ladybird for the year in the Buffer Zone, a Common Carder Bee, a few Lesser Variable Bibio B. lanigerus, a lone Speckled Wood and a buffeted Red Admiral.

Bibio lanigerus - Alan Keatley

10-spot Ladybird - Alan Keatley

Friday 5th April

A one hour 15min seawatch early morning saw 74 Sandwich Tern, c60 Guillemot, 35 Gannet, eight Fulmar, four Red-throated Diver, three Kittiwake and two Common Scoter head SW, with a Great Northern Diver offshore and two Manx Shearwater S early evening.

A Guillemot found exhausted on beach by Groyne 2 was killed by spaniel early morning. Local dog-walkers had intervened to initially protect the Guillemot, grabbing the dog and returning it to the owner. He however refused to put his dog on a lead and it ran off again, evading onlookers and killing the Guillemot. The owner was unconcerned, explaining he was training the spaniel as a gun dog! The relevant authorities have been informed and hopefully will take appropriate action.

The afternoon tide again saw a decent gathering of at least 124 Sandwich Tern, most either feeding in the estuary or roosting around The Bight. Amongst the waders a few new migrants with counts including, 181 Oystercatcher, 55 Curlew, 20 Bar-tailed Godwit, 16 Knot, nine Redshank, six Ringed and five Grey Plover, four Whimbrel, four Greenshank, two summer plumaged Dunlin and a Sanderling.

Also in the estuary, 22 Dark and seven Pale-bellied Brent Geese, seven Eider and pairs of Teal and Red-breasted Merganser.

Elsewhere the first two House Martin of the year flew W across the estuary with seven Swallow and two Sand Martin. Grounded migrants included six Wheatear, four Willow Warbler and three Blackcap.

Year list addition:

129. House Martin

Ringing News: Three of the Sandwich Tern in The Bight were new colour-ringed birds, from The Netherlands, Ireland and Spain. The latter is only the second Spanish recovery for the Warren and the 10th for the UK. 

Thursday 4th April

The first Merlin of the year, a female, flew S during an early seawatch, along with an early Storm Petrel, 34 Gannet, 19 Sandwich Tern, eight Kittiwake, four Canada Geese and a Fulmar.

Another first for the year flew through early afternoon with an Osprey north up the estuary. Later at least 82 Sandwich Tern were in the estuary over a wet afternoon tide with a single Whimbrel again present. Other counts included 21 Dark and seven Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 15 Turnstone, 11 Redshank, nine Curlew, six Eider, four Grey and a Ringed Plover, two Sanderling and two Greenshank.

Year list additions:

127. Merlin
128. Osprey

Wednesday 3rd April

A one hour 15min seawatch early morning saw 96 Gannet, 25 Sandwich Tern, 14 Kittiwake, two Fulmar, single Red-throated and Great Northern Diver and a Kestrel head S. The first five Common Tern of the year were offshore from Exmouth early morning.

A low high tide saw The Bight devoid of small waders, although 10 Sandwich Tern were present, with 20 Dark and the seven Pale-bellied Brent Geese. 

Pale-bellied Brent Geese - Alan Keatley

Elsewhere three Eider and a couple of Great Northern Diver were close offshore.

Great Northern Diver - Alan Keatley

Year list addition:

126. Common Tern

Other Wildlife: A bright sunny afternoon encouraged insects to appear with a male Sandpit Mining Bee Andrena barbilabris  and a pair of dagger flies, Empis femorata attached to flowering Dandelion, with a Hairy-eyed Syrphus S. torvus on Alexanders.

Sandpit Mining Bee - Alan Keatley

Basking on fresh Nettle leaves were a very early Nettle-tap, Devon's earliest ever being 2nd April 2014, and a Red Poplar Leaf Beetle Chrysomela populi.

Nettle-tap - Alan Keatley

Red Poplar Leaf Beetle - Alan Keatley

Tuesday 2nd April

The low high tide only revealed a few waders with a lone Whimbrel in the Bight the highlight, the first record of the year. Also present up to 25 Sandwich Tern, 18 Dark and seven Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 16 Turnstone and single Grey Plover and Sanderling.

Turnstone - Alan Keatley

A further twenty Turnstone were busy feeding on the beach, seven of the wintering Eider were split between the estuary and the sea, a pair of Teal were on the flooded Greenland Lake and despite the inclement weather eight Chiffchaff and a Blackcap were vocal in the bushes.

Chiffchaff - Alan Keatley

Blackcap - Alan Keatley

Year list addition:

125. Whimbrel

Other Wildlife: Despite the bright start few insects were on the wing with just a few Common Dronefly and a Speckled Bittersweet Moth Acrolepia autumnitella moth on the Alexanders.

Acrolepia autumnitella - Alan Keatley

Monday 1st April

The year's first Swallow fed around Warren Point but other migrants were thin on the ground with 11 Chiffchaff, two Blackcap and a Willow Warbler on site and two Meadow Pipit overhead.

Elsewhere two Great Northern and two Red-throated Diver were offshore and counts from the estuary included 103 Curlew, 28 Turnstone, 18 Dark and seven Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 11 Grey Plover, seven Eider, four Sanderling, four Teal, at least four Sandwich Tern, three Knot, three Greenshank and a Dunlin.

Year list addition:

124. Swallow

Sunday 31st March

A one hour seawatch first thing saw c25 Manx Shearwater head east with 11 Common Scoter and six Red-throated Diver flew SW and 47 Common Gull in off and up the estuary.

Counts from the estuary included 74 Curlew, 25 Dark and eight Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 13 Sandwich Tern, 10 Grey and two Ringed Plover, eight Knot, seven Eider, six Teal, three Greenshank, two Sanderling, a Bar-tailed Godwit and a ♂ Red-breasted Merganser.

Elsewhere the Red-legged Partridge was again on the Golf Course, a Great Northern Diver was offshore, a Scandinavian Rock Pipit was in the saltmarsh and nine Chiffchaff, two Blackcap and a Willow Warbler were on site.

Saturday 30th March

A clear sunny day brought some overhead movement including single Red Kite and Buzzard east late morning with six Rook, two Meadow Pipit and a Jackdaw also over. 

In the estuary an increase to 24 Sandwich Tern with other counts including 76 Curlew, 26 Turnstone, 14 Dark and 13 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 13 Redshank, 10 Grey and two Ringed Plover, nine Eider, six Teal, five Greenshank, three Red-breasted Merganser, two Sanderling and a Bar-tailed Godwit.

Elsewhere a Red-throated Diver flew SW and nine Chiffchaff, three Blackcap and two Willow Warbler were on site.

Ringing News: A familiar and welcome sight, although more typical in autumn, was Sandwich Tern 'Red KDB'. This bird was ringed on passage at Ynyslas on the Dyfi Estuary in Wales on 13 Sep 2015. this is the ninth year in arow it has been recorded at the warren, first seen in 2016. it's breeding grounds remain unknown but it has been recorded wintering at Walvis Bay in Namibia. 

A second regular bird, a Turnstone was also recorded. This metal-ringed bird was ringed at Halland, Nidingen in Sweden on 22 Aug 21 and is still present during at least its third winter on site.

Other Wildlife: A Grey Seal was hauled out on the new pontoon in the estuary. The sunshine saw a good emergence of Sand Crocus with some plants even still flowering after 3pm. The strength of the wind however reduced insect activity but the first Early Bumblebee queen of the year was on the wing. Also nectaring, largely on sallows or Alexanders, Common Carder Bee, a worker Buff-tailed Bumblebee, Hairy-footed Flower Bee and Yellow-legged Mining Bee with four species of hoverfly and an emergence of Bibio lanigerus.

Spotted Meliscaeva M. auricollis egg-laying on Tree Lupin, an important aphid source - Kevin Rylands

Sheltering under driftwood and stones a wide range of species including a flat backed millipede Polydesmus angustus, Ant Woodlouse Platyarthrus hoffmannseggii and Sea Beet Weevil Lixus scabricollis.

Ant Woodlouse - Kevin Rylands