Sunday 12th October

The first Dartford Warbler of the year, an immature, was in brambles around the Cuckoo's Nest early morning but other grounded migrants were limited to seven Chiffchaff and a couple of Blackcap. Overhead however visible migration continued with 197 Skylark, 154 alba Wagtail, 58 Meadow Pipit, 34 Jackdaw, 11 Rook, nine Swallow, six Reed Bunting, four Siskin, two Snipe and a Golden Plover mostly heading west. Elsewhere the adult Bonaparte's Gull reappeared offshore for its third winter (assuming out lingers), the Arctic Tern was again present, three Great Northern Diver included a summer plumaged adult that flew high south from upriver, the first Water Rail of the autumn were at the Main Pond and the Slavonian Grebe remained off Cockwood.

Bonaparte's Gull - Lee Collins

Saturday 11th October

Visible migration today included a good count of 305 Skylark in off the sea along with 19 Swallow, 18 House Martin and single Mistle Thrush and Redpoll. Grounded migrants inclded 12 Blackcap, 10 Chiffchaff and two Wheatear. Elsewhere a juvenile Arctic Tern and a Great Northern Diver were offshore with counts from the estuary including 1430 Wigeon, 481 Curlew, 420 Redshank and the Slavonian Grebe.

Wildlife News: A Field Vole was observed on Warren Point and continuing the theme of visible migration over 30 Red Admiral were counted heading south.

Friday 10th October

The Slavonian Grebe was in the estuary with 207 Dunlin, 10 Sanderling and a Black-tailed Godwit, elsewhere three Wheatear and seven Chiffchaff were on site with Linnet and Goldfinch numbers on the rise.

 Goldfinch - Dave Jewell

Wheatear - Dave Jewell

Thursday 9th October

Seawatching early morning before 9.30 saw the first record of Sooty Shearwater for two years, with one bird lingering distantly offshore. Also offshore five Balearic Shearwater, three Arctic Skua and four Skua sp headed south along with 80+ Gannet, 40+ Kittiwake, six Sandwich Tern and 47 Swallow. Elsewhere 1970+ Wigeon were in the estuary with the Slavonian Grebe and two Kingfisher with three Wheatear on site.

Brent Geese - Dave Jewell

 

Ringing News: This Brent Goose was ringed as an adult at Powderham in 1996 so is at least 19 years old. It has been recorded on the Exe most winters since.

Wednesday 8th October

Between the showers this morning 14 Chiffchaff, four Goldcrest and a couple of Blackcap were noted in the bushes with c50 Meadow and two Rock Pipit, 15+ alba Wagtail, four Raven, two Jackdaw and a Rook overhead. No other news was received.

Tuesday 7th October

The third Wryneck of the autumn was reported along the Back Path near Dead Dolphin Wood mid afternoon but no other news was received.

Monday 6th October

The overnight weather gave some hope for some decent seawatching, but although this was the case elsewhere once the weather cleared birds avoided this corner of Lyme Bay. In two hours there were just 12 Gannet south with most of those seen distantly after the rain, also south two very distant Arctic Skua, an adult Mediterranean Gull, 12 Sandwich Tern and a Curlew with 12 Common Scoter wheeling about way offshore.

 

Ringing News: This Ringed Plover NLE seen in the Bight on Saturday was ringed at Makkevika, Giske, Norway on 25/08/14. Thanks to Kjell Mork Soot of the Sunnmøre Ringing Group www.fugler.com for this information.

 

Ringed Plover - Lee Collins

View Ringed Plover 04/10/2014 in a larger map

 

This Sandwich Tern N09 was recorded in front of the hide on 13/07/14 and 28/08/14 showing the site fidelity of passage birds at the Warren. It was ringed as a chick at de Scheelhoekeilanden, Stellendam, Zuid-Holland, The Netherlands on 19/06/12 being seen again nearby once fledged on 12/07/12. It was then recorded overwintering in Namibia between 20/12/12 and 13/04/13. The sightings at the Warren were the first since.

Sandwich Tern - Lee Collins

View Sandwich Tern N09 in a larger map

Sunday 5th October

Numbers of birds continue to build in the estuary with counts of 2052 Wigeon, 1725 Oystercatcher, 363 Dunlin, 150+ Teal, 146 Brent Geese, including the first two juveniles, 45 Ringed Plover, 17 Knot, 10 Black-tailed Godwit, four Shelduck and single Grey Plover, Greenshank and Slavonian Grebe. Elsewhere single Wheatear and Kingfisher were in front of the hide, 113 Shag were offshore and 115 Linnet were feeding in the Bight.

Saturday 4th October

Three hours sea-watching in the rain from the seawall produced a w.p. Black-necked Grebe briefly offshore, three Great Northern Diver, a drake Eider with a few Common Scoter, three Red-breasted Merganser, a Mediterranean Gull, 259 Gannet and 26 Sandwich Tern flew south and just two Razorbill and a Kittiwake.  No fall in the bushes, which held a Wheatear, three Goldcrest, eight Chiffchaff, ten Blackcap and 26 Goldfinch.  A Grey Wagtail foraged along the Main Pond margins. Only four Swallow, single-figures of Meadow Pipit and Skylark, 18 Pied Wagtail and a Jackdaw passed overhead, but wildfowl were on the move - small flocks arrived all day, but the largest movements were sadly the sight of hundreds of wildfowl fleeing the mass of kite-surfers within the estuary, flushed to the relatively quieter waters of the reserve where 17 Pintail, 495 Teal, 850 Wigeon and 98 Brent Goose took refuge.  At high tide, counts included 17 Little Egret, c1750 Oystercatcher, 71 Ringed Plover, 418 Curlew, 7+ Black-tailed Godwit, c12 Bar-tailed Godwit,  3 Knot, 22 Sanderling, 280 Dunlin, 396 Redshank and 1 Greenshank.

A Ringed Plover sporting a yellow flag and red colour-ring is thought to be Norwegian, details to follow!

Wildlife news: two Harbour Porpoise loitered offshore.  A Clouded Yellow, a Wall, Red Admirals and a few other butterflies ventured out when the sun appeared later on.

Wednesday 1st October

In the estuary and at the high tide roost were 9 Little Egret, 570 Wigeon, 84 Teal, 61 Ringed Plover, 320 Curlew, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 7 Knot, 27 Sanderling, 310 Dunlin and 140 Redshank.  At sea a Great Crested Grebe, 30 Gannet, 10 Common Scoter and 5 Sandwich Tern.  Light passage overhead totalled 25 Skylark, 8 Swallow, 3 House Martin, 5 Grey Wagtail, a trickle of Meadow Pipit and 3 Chaffinch.  The bushes and open areas were also quiet with 10 Chiffchaff, 12 Blackcap, a Wheatear, the Redstart still in trees behind the VC, the resident seven Stonechat and 8 Goldfinch.