Dawlish Warren: June 2011

Report sightings

A juvenile Mediterranean Gull and an Arctic Skua was off the seawall, an early individual, elsewhere 212 Curlew and six Redshank were in the Railway Saltmarsh.

A combination of the low high tide and the midsummer date mean there is little to report with Oystercatcher the only wader species present. Elsewhere a Sand Martin flew through, a Coot remains on the Main Pond where the Moorhen still have two chicks.

A Great Northern Diver was off Langstone Rock with 11 Eider also offshore. Elsewhere the four Greylag Geese were from the hide with 22 Canada Geese, 200+ Oystercatcher,15 Sandwich Tern, five Shelduck, five Ringed Plover, four Dunlin, a Sanderling and a Greenshank.

The first summer Bonaparte's Gull and the Slavonian Grebe were in the estuary off Cockwood. Elsewhere the four Greylag Geese were still present and 25 Sandwich Tern and two Great-crested Grebe were offshore.

The first summer Bonaparte's Gull was again offshore with the Slavonian Grebe in the estuary.

The first summer Bonaparte's Gull was again offshore this morning along with a Balearic Shearwater.

A pale phase Arctic Skua flew south offshore mid morning with 76 Manx Shearwater, 40 Kittiwake and 40 Gannet. Counts from the estuary included 365 Oystercatcher, 152 Curlew, 146 Black-headed Gull, 30 Sandwich Tern, 14 Shelduck and four Greylag Geese. Elsewhere the first Osprey of the year flew through, an unusual June record, with a Cuckoo and a Stock Dove also on site.

Wader counts over the evening tide included 112 Curlew, nine Turnstone, two Sanderling and singles of Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Whimbrel and Greenshank. Other records included a second-summer Mediterranean Gull with 221 Black-headed Gull in the Bight and 52 Swift feeding overhead.

Two Little Tern were reported offshore with the Bonaparte's Gull and a Slavonian Grebe in the estuary off Cockwood.

The unseasonal wet weather brought some unseasonal seabirds into the bay with the highlight a first summer Sabine's Gull close inshore late afternoon, counts of birds heading south from 4pm included at least one Balearic Shearwater, three Great and an Arctic Skua, single Black and Little Tern, 68+ Common, 52 'commic' and 50+ Sandwich Tern and on the sea, seven Eider. Elsewhere four Greylag Geese around the Bight were a surprise being only the second record of the year, wader counts included 295 Oystercatcher, 61+ Curlew, 31 Sanderling, 17 Dunlin and four Ringed Plover, a French ringed adult Mediterranean Gull was on the Golf Course and a Cuckoo was also present.

The Slavonian Grebe was in the estuary off Cockwood with a single Dark-bellied Brent Goose and a Hobby flew through.

The Slavonian Grebe was in the estuary off Cockwood but no other news was received.

The first year Bonaparte's Gull was again offshore this afternoon with a first summer Mediterranean Gull, 25 Sandwich and a Common Tern. Elsewhere wader counts included 34 Ringed Plover, 28 Dunlin and 24 Sanderling.

Wader counts included 72 Dunlin, 32 Ringed Plover, 29 Sanderling, a Bar-tailed Godwit and a Turnstone. Elsewhere 18 Sandwich and a Common Tern were offshore and migrants included five House Martin in off and a Reed Warbler on Warren Point.