Dawlish Warren: Latest Bird Sightings

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Friday 9th:

The overnight conditions promised a fall of migrants but it was a case of quality and not quantity with the reserve's 11th and 12th records of Nightjar being found. The first, a male, was flushed from Dead Dolphin Wood and was later found roosting there in full view. The second, a female, was seen several times mostly in flight round the First Pond. Other migrants were limited to a Garden Warbler, two new Reed Warbler and three Collared Dove east. Offshore there were c80 Common, at least two Arctic and three Little Tern. Also offshore 20+ Manx Shearwater and two Red-throated Diver. Wader counts over the high tide included 39 Turnstone, 17 Sanderling and 12 Ringed Plover.

Thursday 8th:

Much of the interest remained offshore c80 Common Tern along with 60 Sandwich, at least two Arctic and singles of Roseate, Little and Black Tern. Also offshore 35+ Manx Shearwater, c40 Common Scoter and a summer plumaged Red-throated Diver. Wader counts over the high tide included 57 Whimbrel, 35 Dunlin, 21 Grey Plover, 13 Turnstone, 13 Ringed Plover, 10 Knot, 10 Bar-tailed Godwit and nine Sanderling.

Wednesday 7th:

Offshore early evening, there were at least 80 Common (or Commic) Tern feeding distantly along with several rafts totalling 96 Manx Shearwater and c20 Common Scoter. Wader counts over the high tide included 25 Grey Plover, 15 Whimbrel, 12 Dunlin, 11 Sanderling, six Knot, three Bar-tailed Godwit and two Turnstone. Elsewhere, a Common Sandpiper on the Beach was the first of the year and a single Rook flew east.

Tuesday 6th:

The only sightings reported for today were single Black and Roseate Tern offshore with c40 Common Tern.

The highlight of the day was the second reserve record of Purple Heron, a first summer which flew high east following the coast at 5.50pm. Otherwise attention was again focussed offshore with c250 Common Tern present during the morning with 40 Sandwich, at least 10 Arctic, four Black, two Roseate and two Little Tern. With them were 20+ Manx Shearwater, 73 Common and the drake Velvet Scoter, four Red-throated Diver and a Great-crested Grebe. Aside from the heron other birds passing east included a Hobby, four Collared Dove, four Yellow Wagtail, c200 Swallow, two Swift, five House and two Sand Martin. Counts from the estuary included 80 Dunlin, 25 Grey Plover, 20+ Whimbrel, nine Knot, seven Ringed Plover, four Sanderling, two Bar-tailed Godwit and a Redshank with a pair of Gadwall in Shutterton Creek a rare May record.

Most of the interest remained offshore where, with peak counts in the evening, c280 Common Tern continued to feed with at least 15 Arctic, two Roseate and a Little Tern. With them were 30+ Manx Shearwater, upto 70 Common and a Velvet Scoter, three Red-throated Diver and five Great-crested Grebe, with an Arctic Skua making a brief appearance. Other birds passing through included 28 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, the first Hobby of the year and a drake Garganey close in to the east, before heading upriver. Counts from the morning high tide included 44 Dunlin, 24 Sanderling, 19 Grey Plover, 18 Turnstone, nine Knot, five Ringed Plover and two Bar-tailed Godwit. Elsewhere a Buzzard flew east, a Yellow Wagtail was flushed off the Main Pond and a second flew east late afternoon.

A single Wheatear in the Buffer Zone was the only grounded migrant, but overhead there were 141 Swift with 47 Swallow and 18 House Martin. Large numbers of birds were feeding offshore early morning included two first summer Little Gull, c75 Common and at least one Arctic Tern, c50 Common Scoter, 40+ Kittiwake and c20 Manx Shearwater. These feeding flocks were however soon dispersed by a record 39 Kite surfers off Exmouth. By late afternoon the kite surfer numbers had dropped and the feeding flocks again appeared. These were very active, with some birds seeming to come in before continuing south, so counting was impossible with possibly up to 3-400 Common Tern, with a minimum count at least 120. With them were minimum counts of four Arctic, two Roseate, two Little and a single Black Tern, but numbers of all species were probably higher. Also offshore in the evening seven Pale-bellied Brent Geese. However surprisingly despite the numbers of terns there were no skuas present. Also offshore three Red-throated and a Great Northern Diver. Elsewhere two Collared Dove were briefly over the car park, and in the estuary 23 Dunlin, 18 Grey Plover, eight Knot and four Ringed Plover.

Overnight showers had dropped in a few migrants with a Lesser Whitethroat around the Back Meadow and three Sedge Warbler on site, along with a good count of 22 Whitethroat and four Wheatear. Three Collared Dove were flying around the Buffer Zone early morning but otherwise there were just two House Martin overhead with five Jackdaw and a single Rook. Elsewhere 39 Pale-bellied Brent Geese and 38 Whimbrel were in the estuary, two Little Grebe were on the Main Pond, two Peregrine were sat on Warren Point, a Great Northern Diver flew south and a second bird, in summer plumage flew high north up the estuary, the fifth such record this spring.

Seawatching during the morning produced the first two Pomarine Skua of the spring flying south along with six Manx and three Balearic Shearwater, single Arctic Skua, Red-throated Diver and Little Egret, a single Pochard in off was unseasonal. Also offshore c50 Common Scoter, a summer plumaged Red-throated Diver and 54 'commic' terns were feeding distantly. In the evening a single Arctic Tern was present with a close group of 41 Common Tern. A small arrival of migrants overnight was limited to a Yellow Wagtail over the Bight, three new Willow Warbler and a Wheatear, other migrants on site including 11 Whitethroat, five Chiffchaff and a Blackcap have been holding territory for over a week now. Elsewhere two Rook flew east, a Great Northern Diver was in the estuary and on a low tide there were just eight Dunlin, six Whimbrel, five Ringed Plover and two Little Egret.

May 2008