Sunday 12th October

An arrival of migrants saw at least 21 Chiffchaff on site with four Goldcrest, a Blackcap and a Coal Tit also in the bushes, with a few Siskin dropping in. The other big arrival was offshore with a flock of 10 Eider off Warren Point, 37 Common Scoter and a Great Northern Diver were also present.

In the estuary counts on the dropping tide included 1150 Wigeon, 280 Redshank, 46 Knot, 44 Dunlin, 34 Greenshank, the second highest count here after 37 in September 1960, 32 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 27 Turnstone, 19 Bar and four Black-tailed Godwit, 14 Little Egret, four Grey Plover, two Sandwich Tern, a Kingfisher and a Whimbrel.

Other Wildlife: A lone Migrant Hawker was patrolling the Main Pond but other insect activity was again largely confined to flowering Ivy. 

Ivy Bee - Kevin Rylands

Saturday 11th October

Migrants included four Golden Plover that dropped in to land on Warren Point, with a Swallow and a flock of 17 Siskin over NE and seven Chiffchaff, three Goldcrest and a Wheatear on site.

Counts from the estuary over high tide included 336 Curlew, 90 Dunlin, 42 Knot, 21 Bar and two Black-tailed Godwit, 20 Greenshank, 19 Ringed and 10 Grey Plover, 13 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, six Sandwich Tern, six Sanderling and a Whimbrel.

Other Wildlife: Fewer insects on the wing apart although a couple of Field Digger Wasp Mellinus arvensis were active in Skipper Meadow along with a few Migrant Hawker and Speckled Wood.

Field Digger Wasp Mellinus arvensis - Alan Keatley

Other records included an Adonis Ladybird on Warren Point and the shore bug Saldula orthochila by the geotubes.

Adonis Ladybird - Alan Keatley

Saldula orthochila - Alan Keatley

Thursday 9th October

Numbers on the rising evening tide where largely reduced as the light fell before the estuary was flooded although 135 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, including five juveniles were feeding on the mudflats, two Sandwich Tern were fishing in the channels and a 1cy Yellow-legged Gull was on Bull Hill.

Waders included 48 Dunlin, 41 Knot, 24 Turnstone, 24 Ringed and two Grey Plover, 19 Greenshank, 12 Bar and a Black-tailed Godwit, five Sanderling and a Whimbrel. 

Elsewhere 35 Common Scoter and a Great Northern Diver were offshore, six Chiffchaff were in the bushes, two Buzzard were over the Entrance Bushes and an immature Mute Swan was on the Main Pond. 

Other Wildlife: A few hoverflies were on the wing in the warm sunshine; Lunuled Broadtail Eupeodes luniger, Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax, Many-tufted Boxer Platycheirus scutatus and a Pale-knobbed Lucent Didea fasciata. Amongst the many Common Wasp on Ivy were a good number of Ivy Bee and a Hornet.

Lunuled Broadtail Eupeodes luniger - Alan Keatley

Black Slip Wasp Pimpla rufipes - Alan Keatley

Wednesday 8th October

Counts from the estuary included 1140 Teal, 291 Curlew, 115 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 90 Dunlin, 41 Knot, 31 Bar and two Black-tailed Godwit, 28 Greenshank, 24 Ringed and five Grey Plover, eight Sanderling, two Whimbrel and a Sandwich Tern.

Elsewhere seven Great Northern Diver were offshore. 

Tuesday 7th October

Migrants included a Wheatear, 12 Chiffchaff and three Goldcrest on site with five Swallow overhead along with 30 Meadow Pipit, 29 Woodpigeon, 12 Jackdaw, 11 Skylark, three Raven and a Rook. Also on site two Grey Wagtail, a Buzzard and a Coal Tit.

Wheatear - Dean Hall

Cirl Bunting - Dave Jewell

Grey Wagtail - Alan Keatley

Counts from the estuary included 676 Wigeon, 100 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 99 Ringed Plover, 67 Dunlin, 40 Knot, 25 Bar-tailed Godwit, 20 Greenshank, 18 Shelduck, six Mediterranean Gull, four Grey Plover, three Sanderling, a Kingfisher and a Whimbrel. 

Elsewhere 150 Gannet, 18 Common Scoter and single Great Crested Grebe and Great Northern Diver were offshore. 

Other Wildlife: First late news with confirmation of the second UK record of the ichneumon wasp Lissonata oculatoria found on the railway wall on 29th September. 

Lissonata oculatoria - both Alan Keatley

Found on the fencing near the station this morning, a Smoky-winged Woodlouse Fly Melanophora roralis was another new species for the Recording Area, although this one is widespread.

Smoky-winged Woodlouse Fly Melanophora roralis - Alan Keatley

Although dwindling in numbers, there are still a few butterflies, including single Painted Lady and Red Admiral and dragonflies on the wing around the reserve. Elsewhere a Grey Seal was in the estuary. 

Monday 6th October

Large numbers of duck were in the estuary corner over the evening high tide included 778 Teal and similar numbers of Wigeon, although disturbance from a boat in the refuge area these depart before they could be counted with fewer than 50 returning before dusk. 

The same boat flushed the roosting waders from the saltmarsh, many moved to The Bight were counts included 341 Curlew, 300+ Redshank, 28 Knot, 26 Greenshank, the highest count since 31 on 26 October 2018, 18 Bar-tailed Godwit, six Grey Plover, three Whimbrel and two Turnstone. 

Also in the estuary 92 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, with two juveniles, three Mediterranean Gull, a Kingfisher, a Sandwich Tern and the Spotted Redshank. Elsewhere 15 Common Scoter and the moulting drake Eider were offshore. 

Sunday 5th October

The presence of some low cloud helped recording a steady trickle of overhead migrants, although many still passed unseen. Heading west were at least 120 Meadow Pipit, 44 Pied and a Grey Wagtail, four Rook, a Buzzard, a Chaffinch and the first Crossbill of the year. 

Other finches were also moving but many were mobile along the spit with small groups doubling back and dropping into Greenland Lake, minimum counts included 55 Linnet, 30 Goldfinch, eight Skylark, eight Siskin, a Reed Bunting and the first Redpoll of the autumn. 

Counts from the estuary included 2000+ mixed Wigeon and Teal, 101 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, seven Sandwich Tern, four Mediterranean Gull, a Common Scoter and a Great Crested Grebe. Roost counts at high tide included 77 Dunlin, 44 Ringed and two Grey Plover, 24 Knot, 17 Bar and three Black-tailed Godwit, 16 Greenshank, 10 Sanderling, a Whimbrel and a juvenile Curlew Sandpiper. 

Elsewhere single Eider and Great Northern Diver were offshore, single Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Firecrest and Snipe were on Warren Point, two Wheatear were on the Golf Course, a Kingfisher was at the Main Pond and seven Chiffchaff, two Coal Tit, two Goldcrest, a Blackcap and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were around the bushes. 

Year list addition: 
174. Crossbill

Saturday 4th October

Large numbers of Wigeon and Teal remain in the estuary corner with 330 Redshank, 16 Greenshank and the Spotted Redshank roosting over the high tide. Counts around The Bight included 100 Dunlin, 96 Ringed Plover, 75 Linnet, 72 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, including the first juvenile, 57 Great Black-backed Gull, 17 Knot, 13 Bar-tailed Godwit, 13 Shelduck, eight Sanderling, a Grey Plover and a Whimbrel.

Also in the estuary a 1cy Yellow-legged Gull, eight Sandwich Tern, four Great Crested Grebe and two adult Mediterranean Gull.

Offshore two Pomarine Skua south early morning and a Manx Shearwater east early evening was the sum total of storm blown seabirds. Elsewhere four Siskin were overhead, a Wheatear was bunkered down on the Golf Course, a Kingfisher was at the Main Pond and the sunny sheltered side of the scrub held 15 Chiffchaff, two Blackcap and two Goldcrest amongst the mixed tit flocks.

Other Wildlife: The same sheltered areas held at least a dozen Common Darter, five Migrant Hawker, five Speckled Wood and a Small Copper. 

Migrant Hawker - Alan Keatley

Four Red Admiral included a couple along the beach where a Turnip Moth and various other invertebrates were present.

Turnip Moth - Alan Keatley

Red Marsh Ladybird Coccidula rufa - Alan Keatley

Steely Bonnet Mycena pseudocorticola - Alan Keatley

Friday 3rd October

Large numbers of waders and wildfowl were sheltering from the weather behind the Warren at high tide. At least 1120 Wigeon and 870 Teal were present, but the Garganey, as predicted, moved to Exmouth. 

Counts around The Bight included 114 Ringed Plover, 62 Dunlin, 40 Sandwich and three Common Tern, 25 Black and nine Bar-tailed Godwit, 10 Greenshank, 10 Knot, eight Turnstone, seven Sanderling and single Kittiwake, Mediterranean Gull, Shelduck and Whimbrel.

Thursday 2nd October

On the dropping afternoon tide a Garganey was amongst an influx of 700 Teal in Shutterton Creek (no access), the first record of the year. Also in the estuary the Spotted Redshank and 361 Wigeon, 120 Curlew, 75 Great Black-backed and two Mediterranean Gull, 62 Ringed Plover, 15 Greenshank, 12 Turnstone, nine Bar-tailed Godwit, seven Dunlin, four Sandwich Tern, three Sanderling and single Kingfisher and Whimbrel.

Year list addition: 
173. Garganey

Garganey (left with Teal) - Kevin Rylands