Dawlish Warren: July 2011

Report sightings

The Great Northern Diver was still offshore with at least 18 Common and two Arctic Tern, also 400+ Black-headed and at least six Mediterranean Gull (ad, ss & 4 juv). Wader counts included c180 Dunlin, 82 Ringed Plover, 56 Sanderling and seven Turnstone. Elsewhere a good count of 33 Long-tailed Tit and a juvenile Green Woodpecker.

The highlight was a second summer Glaucous Gull on Bull Hill mid morning, the summering bird from Budleigh, although an adult Little Gull in estuary and a cracking juvenile Arctic Tern offshore in evening pushed it close. Also offshore three juvenile Yellow-legged Gull, eight Manx Shearwater and an Arctic Skua. Counts included c.460 Black-headed Gull, 97 Dunlin, 51 Ringed Plover, 46 Redshank, c20 Sanderling, seven Whimbrel and six Bar-tailed Godwit. Elsewhere there was a minimum of seven Mediterranean Gull (2 ad and 5 juvs) and the first juveniles of the year for Common Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Arctic Tern and Dunlin. Two ringed gulls were also reported a Black-headed Gull from Lithuania and a Common Gull from the Netherlands.

Friday 29th

Two Little Ringed Plover were in the Bight with 16 Dunlin, 15 Ringed Plover and a Greenshank, also present three Mediterranean Gull two juveniles and the ringed adult (32P1).

Sunday 24th

A breeding plumaged Great Northern Diver was offshore with 290 Shag (34% juveniles), 100+ Common Scoter, five Great-crested Grebe, a pale phase Arctic Skua, at least five Common and an Arctic Tern. Also for the second day on the trot a party of Shoveler, this time five birds that continued south. In the estuary over high tide there were 540 Oystercatcher, c440 Curlew, 144 Sandwich Tern, 59 Redshank, 42 Sanderling, 39 Dunlin, 16 Little Egret, 15 Whimbrel, 12 Ringed Plover, five Bar-tailed Godwit, three Greylag Geese, two Mediterranean Gull, the Slavonian Grebe and a Common Sandpiper. Elsewhere three Garden Warbler were in the Back Meadow, with two Wheatear also on site and a Sedge Warbler by the Main Pond.

Saturday 23rd

The most unexpected record was of a group of 10 Shoveler which came in off the sea and headed north up the estuary, also offshore a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull, a first summer Mediterranean Gull, 10+ Common and two Arctic Tern. Wader counts included 72 Dunlin, six Ringed Plover, three Knot and two Common Sandpiper. Elsewhere the first Garden Warbler of the year, two of them were on site with the juvenile Redstart still in the Back Meadow. Over a small hirundine movement included 50+ Swallow, 25+ Swift and seven Sand Martin.

A single Roseate Tern was again present in front of the hide most of the morning with the first Little Ringed Plover of the year, a juvenile, in the Bight, other counts from the estuary included 200 Sandwich and three Common Tern, 93 Sanderling, with two colour-ringed birds, 52 Dunlin, six Ringed Plover, four Knot, four Black-tailed and a Bar-tailed Godwit, a juvenile Mediterranean Gull and the Slavonian Grebe. Elsewhere a Green Sandpiper, another first for the year, flew over the Main Pond towards the estuary and a juvenile Redstart was in the Back Meadow.

A single Roseate Tern was in front of the hide most of the morning with 11 Common Tern, an adult Mediterranean Gull, 51+ Dunlin, 16 Sanderling and three Knot, a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull was present only briefly.

A moulting adult Spotted Redshank in the Railway Saltmarsh was the highlight, non wintering birds are less than annual on site, also in the estuary two Roseate Tern, 434 Curlew, 94 Sandwich Tern, 69 Redshank, 42 Dunlin, 26 Whimbrel, 16 Sanderling, eight Ringed Plover, a good count of seven Common Sandpiper, five Turnstone, five Common Tern, three Knot, three adult Mediterranean Gull, two Bar and Black-tailed Godwit and the Slavonian Grebe. Elsewhere 50 Common Scoter and six Eider were offshore, 20 Swallow were feeding in front of the hide and two Green and a Great-spotted Woodpecker were on site.

Three Roseate and a Common Tern were again on Woodhenge in front of the hide, with three Knot and three Dunlin in the Bight, 474 Curlew, 110 Sandwich Tern, 35 Redshank and eight Little Egret in the Railway Saltmarsh and the Slavonian Grebe in Shutterton Creek. Elsewhere 16 Sanderling and a Common Sandpiper were on Warren Point, two Arctic and six Common Tern were offshore with 147 Shag and 25 Kittiwake.

In front of the hide over the morning tide there were three adult Roseate, an Arctic, four Common and 142 Sandwich Tern, with counts of 420 Oystercatcher, 360 Curlew, 22 Sanderling, seven Dunlin, four Ringed Plover, three Bar-tailed Godwit, two Greenshank, two Whimbrel and a Turnstone.

Counts from the estuary included 114 Sandwich Tern, 20 Redshank, four Bar-tailed Godwit, a Whimbrel, an adult Mediterranean Gull and the Slavonian Grebe. The colour ringed adult Mediterranean Gull, White 32P1, in Belgium in June 2009.However this bird was previously Red PAR7 and was first recorded at the warren in July 2009. It was ringed as a adult at Przykona Reservoir, Radyczyny, Turek, Poland on 14/05/07. Excepting the Belgium record, the subsequent sightings have all been in south Devon, at Budleigh Salterton on 28/11/07, Exmouth on 14/07/08, the Warren again in July 2010 and the Axe estuary in Dec 2010-Jan 2011.

A Great Northern Diver was offshore with two Arctic Skua and at least one Arctic Tern but no other news was received.

Counts over the evening tide included 140+ Sandwich and four Common Tern, 31 Dunlin, 13 Shelduck, 10 Sanderling, three Greenshank, three Bar-tailed Godwit, a Ringed Plover and a juvenile Mediterranean Gull. Offshore a pale phase Arctic Skua was chasing terns and four Manx Shearwater flew through.

A feeding flock of 250+ Shag were offshore with 11 Eider but other news was received.

On an incoming tide there were 328 Oystercatcher, 129 Sandwich and a Common Tern, 10 Shelduck, two Whimbrel, a Pale-bellied Brent Goose and single Ringed Plover and Dunlin.

Four Balearic Shearwater flew east mid afternoon, also offshore a dark phase Arctic Skua, 15 Common Scoter, 11 Eider, a Great-crested Grebe and three Mediterranean Gull. Elsewhere 110+ Sandwich and nine Common Tern were in the estuary with an adult Mediterranean Gull, two Ringed Plover and a Dunlin.

A Black Guillemot distantly offshore was the highlight although it was only present briefly, the second record this year but only the tenth for the recording area. Also offshore 12 Common Scoter, 11 Eider and eight Manx Shearwater. Counts from the estuary included 315 Curlew, 296 Oystercatcher, 88 Sandwich and three Common Tern, at least eight Mediterranean Gull, four Whimbrel, the Slavonian Grebe and single Bar-tailed Godwit, Dunlin and Ringed Plover. Elsewhere seven Sand Martin flew through.

The Slavonian Grebe was in the estuary off Cockwood with three Mediterranean Gull (2 ad & a juv), 70+ Sandwich Tern, including six juveniles, and a Greenshank. Seawatching in the evening saw at least three Arctic Skua, 20 Common Scoter, 11 Eider, an adult Mediterranean Gull, c.50 Sandwich Tern, five Kittiwake, four Fulmar, two Razorbill, two Manx Shearwater and three Swift.

A strong southerly wind brought 55 Sandwich, two Common and two Arctic Tern in front of the hide. Offshore 79 Shag, 40+ Black-headed Gull, 20 Kittiwake and a Arctic Skua.

Counts from the estuary included c50 Sandwich and three Common Tern, four Greylag Goose, 310 Oystercatcher, 296 Curlew, seven Ringed Plover, four Redshank and a Bar-tailed Godwit.

The first juvenile Yellow-legged Gull of the year was in the Bight with three Dunlin, two Sanderling and and three Ringed Plover, also in the estuary 210 Curlew. Offshore there were at least 10 Mediterranean Gull ( 4 ad/ss & 6 juv), 16 Sandwich and two Common Tern, 24 Common Scoter and 11 Eider. Elsewhere 26 Swallow, 15 Sand Martin and five Swift flew through.

Six Dunlin and a Ringed Plover were present over high tide but no other news was received.