September 2004
Thursday 30th:
Single Curlew Sandpiper and Ruff
were present at the high tide , along with the juvenile Arctic Tern and
14 Little Egret. A Willow Warbler was the only notable passerine
migrant.
Wednesday 29th:
A single Tree Pipit flying along the Dune
Ridge was the highlight, other visible migration included 300 Swallow
and 20 House Martin northwest over Warren Point in a short ten minute
period. The only other migrant noted was a single Goldcrest with a flock
of 11 Long-tailed Tit by the Main Pond. On the estuary there were two Little
Stint with the waders along with 12 Little Egret, 40 Sandwich,
five Common and a juvenile Arctic Tern. Wildfowl numbers
have increased with 745 Wigeon and 200 Teal. Two Red-throated
Diver were offshore, with a single Arctic Skua.
Sunday 26th – Tuesday 28th:
No news was reported.
Saturday 25th:
The summer plumaged Red-throated Diver
remained offshore from the windmill, also present 30 Common Scoter and
five Arctic Skua.
Friday 24th:
The only migrants reported today were two Blackcap
and a Whitethroat. Offshore, a summer plumaged Red-throated Diver
was the first of the autumn.
Thursday 23rd:
An increase today of Sandwich Tern with
200 offshore, along with three Common Tern. Two Arctic Skua were
also present, often attacking the tern flock. The annual build up of Canada
Goose is underway with 120+ on the mudflats this afternoon, with them was
at least one Greylag with several hybrids and white “farmyard” types.
Wednesday 22nd:
Today’s highlight was the Rose-coloured
Starling which was relocated in Greenland Lake, feeding with a few Starling
and the Linnet flock, although it was again difficult to find. Other
migrants were in short supply with a Spotted Flycatcher the only new
arrival. Wader numbers have also dropped with only 76 Dunlin and 34 Ringed
Plover at the high tide with 70 Sandwich and one Common Tern.
At least one Arctic Skua was offshore.
Tuesday 21st:
A Curlew Sandpiper remains on site with
two Arctic Skua offshore. An increase in migrants included single Lesser
Whitethroat, Sedge and Willow Warbler.
Monday 20th:
A Curlew Sandpiper and two Little
Stint were still present, 13 Little Egret was the only other report.
Sunday 19th:
There was no sign of the Rose-coloured
Starling today, but the two Curlew Sandpiper and Little Stint
were still present along with two Arctic Skua offshore. Today there was noticeable overhead
migration between 8.30 and 11am over 200 Meadow Pipit were noted along
with a few Chaffinch, seven Grey and one Yellow Wagtail. There was also a steady passage of
hirundines, mainly House Martin.
The only grounded migrants of note were Sedge Warbler on the Dune
Ridge and a Whitethroat on Warren Point.
Saturday 18th:
The juvenile Rose-coloured Starling was
still present around the car park and Buffer Zone, although it remains elusive
at times. Few other migrants were on site with single Wheatear, Whitethroat
and White Wagtail the highlights. Three Arctic Skua, a Manx
Shearwater, 60+ Sandwich and a Common Tern were noted
offshore along with 20 Common Scoter and one Eider. At the high
tide there were two juvenile Curlew Sandpiper and two juvenile Little
Stint amongst the Dunlin and Ringed Plover, but few other
waders. Wildfowl included four Pintail with 295 Wigeon.
Friday 17th:
A Purple Sandpiper on the beach
mid morning was only the eighth site record in the past ten years, other waders
present included single Curlew Sandpiper and Little Stint.
Offshore there were seven Arctic Skua, two Common and a single Arctic
Tern. The juvenile Rose-coloured Starling was again present around
the car park.
Thursday 16th:
The juvenile Rose-coloured Starling was
again present around the car park, early morning at least. Single Curlew
Sandpiper and Little Stint remain on site, with 17 Black-tailed
Godwit and five Brent Goose. Four Arctic Skua were offshore.
A single Dunlin was on the Main Pond, the first record from here.
Rose-coloured Starling © Dave
Stone Rose-coloured
Starling © Dave
Stone
Wednesday 15th:
The juvenile Rose-coloured Starling was
still present, showing well around the car park and Buffer Zone. Three Little
Stint and a Curlew Sandpiper
were present at the Bight, a Lapwing on Warren Point was only the third
record this year!. Migrants included Reed Warbler, four Whitethroat
and four Wheatear.
Tuesday 14th:
The juvenile Rose-coloured Starling was
seen again with Starling this morning, showing well around the car park
and Buffer Zone, but it generally remained very elusive and was not seen again
until late afternoon when it was present from 3.45 – 5.30pm. Other migrants
included several Chiffchaff, three Wheatear and two White
Wagtail. Offshore the strong winds brought good numbers of skuas,
presumably some of the birds that had been around Torbay in recent days, 20 Arctic,
two Pomarine and two Great Skua were recorded along with
large numbers of Gannet and a single Common Tern. Two Little
Stint remain around the Bight.
Monday 13th:
A juvenile Rose-coloured Starling was
seen flying over with Starling early morning, before being relocated on
the Golf Course. At 8.30am it was seen flying towards the Buffer Zone, but
could not be relocated. This is the fifth record for the site, all of which
have been in the last three years! Aside from the Starling there were few other
migrants present with four Wheatear, four Whitethroat and a Willow
Warbler the best of the rest. Four Little Stint remained around
the Bight, other waders included 19 Black-tailed Godwit, a Whimbrel
and a Knot on the Golf Course with five Common Sandpiper and a Greenshank
in front of the hide in the evening. Despite the strong winds there was little
passing out at sea with only 70 Sandwich and four Common Tern
being noted. A single Little Tern was seen in the estuary along with an Osprey,
four adult Mediterranean Gull and 70 Common Gull (in
Shutterton Creek at low tide).
Sunday 12th:
Five Little Stint and a Curlew
Sandpiper were still present this morning.
Wigeon numbers had increased to 146 and three Brent Goose
were present. A single Hobby was the only notable migrant.
Saturday 11th:
An hour’s sea watch, early morning, produced 158
Sandwich Tern, two Arctic Skua and a Balearic Shearwater
all passing South. Later on there were
another 20+ Sandwich and a single Black Tern in the Estuary. A wildfowl and wader count revealed the
following totals: 60+ Canada Goose, 108 Mallard, 300 Teal,
46 Wigeon and single Shoveler, all in Shutterton Creek. Also there, 256 Redshank and 12 Greenshank. Around the Bight, there were at least 10 Little
Stint and a Curlew Sandpiper with Dunlin and Ringed Plover. Four Whimbrel were on the Golf Course
and at least 37 Sanderling were on the beach. The waders were often harassed by two Peregrine and a Sparrowhawk. There was little passage overhead with 20+ Swallow,
four Sand Martin, 20+ Meadow and one Tree Pipit. Other migrants included four Wheatear,
a White Wagtail on Warren Point, plus single Whitethroat, Willow
Warbler and Goldcrest.
Friday 10th:
Waders continue to feature prominently with nine
Little Stint again, along with a Curlew Sandpiper, 33 Knot,
26 Black-tailed Godwit, six Grey Plover and single Greenshank
and Whimbrel.
Thursday 9th:
Little Stint numbers
continue to increase, with nine present today, a Wood Sandpiper was
reported from the Bight. 16 Black-tailed Godwit and two Pintail
were in Shutterton Creek, along with two Brent Goose, the first of the
autumn. Migrants included single Spotted Flycatcher with a White
Wagtail on the beach.
Wednesday 8th:
An overnight increase in waders saw seven
juvenile Little Stint and a juvenile Curlew Sandpiper with the
commoner species at the high tide. Also on site two Black Tern were
reported in front of the hide and a dark phase Arctic Skua was offshore.
Passerine migrants were in short supply with four Whitethroat, two Reed
Warbler and a few Chiffchaff noted in the breezy conditions.
Tuesday 7th:
Three Little Stint and 24 Black-tailed
Godwit were present with the commoner waders at the high tide. Off Warren
Point a single Little Tern was present with 25 Sandwich Tern.
Monday 6th:
At least one Little Stint was still on
site along with six Pintail and increasing numbers of Teal and Wigeon.
The Garganey seen in Cockwood Harbour could not however be found in the
recording area. Other species present included a Golden Plover and a
flyover Jay, a scarce bird here.
Sunday 5th:
A Black Kite over Orcombe Point, Exmouth was a
case of “what might have been”, it was seen flying in off the sea from the
southwest and would have been visible from the Warren if there had been anyone
seawatching at the time! Instead the highlight was the eighth record of Nightjar
for the recording area, and the first in September. A female or immature it was
seen around the car park and amusements at 8.15pm, presumably feeding on
insects attracted to the lights. This may of course be the bird seen briefly on
Thursday. At the high tide there were three Little Stint and the first Curlew
Sandpiper of the autumn.
Saturday 4th:
There was no news reported for today.
Friday 3rd:
The juvenile Merlin was seen again along
with a single Garden Warbler and seven Wheatear. Apart from 70+ House
Martin nothing was moving overhead. The wader highlights were a Golden
Plover, which flew north over Warren Point, a Ruff in front of the
hide and a Little Stint with 724 Dunlin.
Thursday 2nd:
A probable Nightjar
near the First Pond would have been the highlight if it had given more than
fleeting views. This accolade was instead left to 13 Grey Heron
which came in high off the sea at 11am, they circled the reserve for over 45
minutes before coming in to land, joining the nine birds present, with 10+ Little
Egret, on the Railway Saltmarsh. This is the highest number ever recorded
here, similar sightings are rare but in September 1960, 11 birds were recorded
flying high to the southwest. Elsewhere on site a single Little Egret
was recorded briefly on the Main Pond, four Grey Wagtail flew over early
morning, and there was a light but steady passage of Swallow through the
day. Yesterday’s Goldcrest was still present along with single Garden
Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat. Amongst the commoner waders
18 Knot, 12 Black-tailed Godwit and seven Turnstone, a
lone Shoveler was also at the high tide, with four Pintail, the
earliest ever autumn record here. Off site two Osprey were seen, high on a
thermal above Powderham.
Wednesday 1st:
Four Yellow Wagtail
were again recorded flying over, this time early morning, a single juvenile Merlin
also flew through early on. The two Treecreeper were again present along
with the first Goldcrest of the autumn, other migrants included single Reed
and Sedge Warbler with three Lesser Whitethroat. An
Arctic Skua was offshore and six Black-tailed Godwit were
at the high tide but it was otherwise quiet.