Friday 7th November

A flock of 10 Pochard, at least three males, were briefly in the estuary before flying east, the first of the year and the largest flock since 16th May 2014. Also in the estuary two juvenile Curlew Sandpiper with 500+ Dunlin, a big increase, 180+ Black-tailed Godwit and the Spotted Redshank. A flock of five Great White Egret were reported flying SE over The Bight mid morning. 

Elsewhere at least 10 Chiffchaff, four Goldcrest, two Blackcap and a Firecrest were in the bushes with a Kingfisher at the Main Pond. 

Although viewable distantly from the Warren, the day's highlights, two Pallid Swift, never ventured into the Recording Area. Just the fourth and fifth Devon records, they lingered over the Golden Sands Holiday Park on the mainland for four hours before being lost with the arrival of the rain just after 13.30. 

Pallid Swifts - all Luke Harman

Year list addition:
183. Pochard

Ringing News: The increase in Dunlin lead to a similar increase in recoveries with 28 locally ringed birds recorded. Three Exe ringed Grey Plover are also back for another winter as is a flagged Knot, ringed as a 1CY at Ynyslas in Wales on 17th September 2023 and here for the start of a third winter. 

Thursday 6th November

Two Slavonian Grebe in The Bight on the morning tide were a welcome surprise, moving up river with the dropping tide. Also the estuary 1800 Wigeon, 370 Dark and a Pale-bellied Brent Goose, 16 Knot, 10 Greenshank, nine Black-tailed Godwit, three Great Crested Grebe, a Kingfisher and the Garganey. A flock of Cattle Egret and a juvenile Curlew Sandpiper were also reported.

Slavonian Grebe - Jim Summers

The Snow Bunting remains on the beach with flocks of 55 Linnet and 22 Greenfinch also feeding on the strandline, single Reed Bunting and Song Thrush were new arrivals on Warren Point with at least 10 Chiffchaff, four Goldcrest and a Blackcap in the bushes. A Dartford Warbler and Firecrest were also reported.

Snow Bunting - both Jim Summers

Offshore a Great Northern Diver and three Great Crested Grebe.

Other Wildlife: A choice of migrant highlights with two Crimson Speckled moth, in Greenland Lake and the Golf Course and a Vagrant Emperor on Warren Neck both arriving with the recent southerlies. 

Also on the wing a Common Darter at the Main Pond and a couple of Honey Bee and a Marmalade Hoverfly amongst the many Common Wasp.

Other invertebrates included several Cafius xantholoma, a seaweed rove beetle at Langstone Rock, a comb-footed spider Metellina merianae on the Railway Wall, the dung beetle Aphodius foetidus and a few Chrysolina banksii leaf beetle. 

Aphodius foetidus - Alan Keatley

Metellina merianae - Alan Keatley

Cafius xantholoma - Alan Keatley

Chrysolina banksii - Alan Keatley

Wednesday 5th November

The Snow Bunting continued to show well along the beach between groynes 10-12, with at least eight Chiffchaff, four Goldcrest, a Buzzard and a Coal Tit in the bushes.

Snow Bunting feeding on the strand line at Dawlish Warren. Oblivious to people but should look out for that huge female Sparrowhawk I often see along there! @warrenbirding.bsky.social @btobirds.bsky.social

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— Steph Murphy (@stephmurphy.bsky.social) 5 November 2025 at 15:56

The Garganey also remains in the estuary with 1770 Wigeon, 155 Teal, much lower than recently, 102 Shelduck and two Pintail. Other records included 168 Redshank, 39 Common and three Mediterranean Gull, 26 Ringed Plover, 26 Sanderling, 12 Greenshank, nine Black-tailed Godwit, a Kingfisher and the Spotted Redshank. 

Elsewhere six Mediterranean Gull and two Red-throated Diver flew south offshore and two Great Northern Diver were on the sea. 

Tuesday 4th November

An adult Little Gull was again offshore early morning with a steady passage of auks, Gannet and Kittiwake, also present 10 Common Scoter, a Fulmar and a Red-throated Diver. 

Gannet - Jim Summers

The Snow Bunting continued to show well on the beach between groynes 11 & 12 before the rain and despite the damp conditions the bushes were fairly busy including 20 Long-tailed Tit, 10 Chiffchaff, six Goldcrest and a Firecrest with two Snipe and a Water Rail at the Main Pond.

Snow Bunting - Jim Summers

Snow Bunting - Alan Keatley

Visibility was often reduced by the rain over the evening high tide but records from the estuary included 70 Black-tailed Godwit, 70 Great Black-backed Gull, 45 Turnstone, 28 Knot, 12 Greenshank, two Pale-bellied Brent Geese and a Spotted Redshank.

Kittiwake Hopefully not a victim of avian flu... - Jim Summers 

Other Wildlife: Aside from a few Common Wasp there were few insects on the wing, with the terrestrial flatworm Microplana terrestris the most notable log-turning discovery. A burst of fungal activity has seen numerous unidentified fungi appear alongside more recognisable species such as Blackening Waxcap in Greenland Lake and a Stinkhorn under bramble on the Dune Ridge. 

Stinkhorn Phallus impudicus - Kevin Rylands

Monday 3rd November

The strong winds limited passerine activity, but a Snow Bunting found mid afternoon on the beach near groyne 11 was untroubled by the conditions, actively feeding around the exposed geotubes and occasionally the adjacent fairway. 

Snow Bunting - Lee Collins

The same conditions saw a build up of over 140 Great Black-backed Gull in the estuary, with a 1CY Caspian Gull on Bull Hill and a 3CY Yellow-legged Gull on Finger Point. 

Other counts over the high tide included 1730 Wigeon, 386 Dark and eight Pale-bellied Brent Goose, 240 Dunlin, 83 Shelduck, 30 Black and 22 Bar-tailed Godwit, 15 Greenshank, 12 Grey Plover, 12 Sanderling, three Mediterranean Gull, an Avocet, a Spotted Redshank and the Garganey.

Wigeon - Lee Collins

Offshore early morning another southerly passage of Gannet, Kittiwake and auks with 26 Curlew, mostly singles, 10 Common Scoter, three Red-throated and two Great Northern Diver, two Mediterranean and a briefly lingering adult Little Gull. Six Eider and two Great Northern Diver were on the sea. 

Year list addition:
182. Snow Bunting

Sunday 2nd November

An Avocet was a new arrival in the estuary with counts of 374 Teal, 276 Dark and 11 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 272 Dunlin, 120+ Black and 31 Bar-tailed Godwit, 91 Shelduck, 51 Ringed and 19 Grey Plover, 18 Sanderling, 11 Greenshank, two Pintail and a Kingfisher.

Teal - Lee Collins

Elsewhere six Eider and two Red-throated Diver were offshore, a Sparrowhawk was in The Bight and there was a big pigeon movement early morning but no counts were received. Three Chaffinch and three Siskin were overhead during the afternoon.

Sparrowhawk - Lee Collins

Other Wildlife: A female Grey Seal was in the estuary and at least three dolphin sp. were offshore. 

Saturday 1st November

The strong winds died down overnight but early morning again saw a heavy southerly passage with at least 1500 Kittiwake and 640 Gannet joined by two Velvet Scoter just before 8am, seven Great Northern and two Red-throated Diver and the first Red-breasted Merganser of the autumn. On the sea were seven Eider and two additional Great Northern and a Red-throated Diver.

The Garganey was again amongst the Teal in the estuary, becoming the first November record for the Warren. Other wildfowl included 1440 Wigeon, 232 Dark and 11 Pale-bellied Brent Goose, 84 Shelduck, six Great Crested Grebe and three Pintail.

Wader counts over high tide included 273 Redshank, 190 Black and 22 Bar-tailed Godwit, 240 Dunlin, 60+ Turnstone, 48 Ringed and 18 Grey Plover, 23 Knot, 18 Sanderling and 11 Greenshank.

Elsewhere 55 Linnet were around The Bight, 25 Meadow Pipit, 11 Chiffchaff and a good count of six Reed Bunting were on site, two Kingfisher were contesting the Main Pond and a trickle of migrants overhead included nine Skylark, seven Chaffinch, two Siskin and two Redpoll.  

Ringing News: Coverage of the high tide resulted in sightings of 44 Oystercatcher and seven Dunlin from the DCWRG Exe project back for another winter. A metal ringed Dutch Black-headed Gull was also present in The Bight.

Dunlin OH - Lee Collins

Other Wildlife: A Southern Hawker was still active in Greenland Lake mid morning. 

Southern Hawker - Lee Collins

Friday 31st October

Seawatching from first light saw a very heavy southerly passage of auks and Kittiwake, along with seven Great Northern Diver, four Arctic Skua and a small hooded, long tailed falcon sp.

Another 1CY Caspian Gull was on Finger Point over high tide with c80 Great Black-backed Gull and 46 Cormorant. Two Curlew Sandpiper were surprise late arrivals in the Bight with 260 Dunlin, 48 Ringed Plover, 13 Sanderling and 11 Pale-bellied Brent Geese.

Curlew Sandpiper (front) and Dunlin - Lee Collins

Thursday 30th October

An early morning song thrush looked like a migrant as it flew in high and dropped directly into a gorse bush in the buffer zone not to be seen again. Apart from a single flock of 17 Skylark nothing else was on the move.

At least nine Chiffchaff, six Goldcrest and two male Blackcap were with the tit flock, with five Siskin and three Chaffinch in the Entrance Bushes. 

Counts of wildfowl and waders from a low high tide included 801 Wigeon, 516 Teal, 186 Dunlin, 109 Dark and 12 Light-bellied Brent Geese, 65 Turnstone, 55 Curlew, 41 Great Black-backed, 28 Common and an adult Mediterranean Gull, 26 Ringed Plover, 10 Greenshank, nine Bar-tailed Godwit, three Great Crested Grebe and a Pintail. 

Elsewhere at least 300 Gannet were feeding in the bay, most distantly, with three Common Scoter and a Great Northern Diver on the sea.

Other Wildlife: An interesting day for insects with a variety found sheltering including the tiny lace bug Acalypha parvula, the barkfly Pteroxanium kelloggi, and the bugs Beosus maritimus and Grey Damselbug Himacerus major. 

Acalypha parvula - Alan Keatley

Pteroxanium kelloggi - Alan Keatley

Grey Damselbug Himacerus major - Alan Keatley

Some beetles were blown onto the beach in the strong southwesterlies including several Dune Scarab and a Black Marram Weevil Otiorhynchus atroapterus.

Black Marram Weevil Otiorhynchus atroapterus - Alan Keatley

Wednesday 29th October

An overnight arrival of late migrants included at least 25 Chiffchaff, four Goldcrest and two Blackcap in the bushes with 15 Meadow Pipit in Greenland Lake and an increase in Blackbird across the site.

Elsewhere the Spoonbill was in The Bight, six Eider were offshore and a Teal was at the First Pond. 

Teal - Jim Summers