Monday 16th July

Tern numbers are at last starting to build with at least 78 Sandwich and a Little Tern around the Bight at high tide this morning. Also in the estuary at least nine Mediterranean Gull (five juvs, three ads & a first summer), 365+ Curlew, just three Dunlin and the Slavonian Grebe. Elsewhere three Sand Martin and a juvenile Willow Warbler were heading south and a female Eider was offshore.

Wildlife News: A Golden-ringed Dragonfly was in the Entrance Bushes and at least half a dozen Silver Y were disturbed from grassland. Late news from 5th July; the 3rd site record of Locust Blowfly Stomorhina lunata a rare North African migrant.

Locust Blowfly Stomorhina lunata - Alan Keatley

Sunday 15th July

A female Eider was reported offshore with 34 Sandwich Tern and four Dunlin around the hide.  Elsewhere two juvenile Mediterranean Gull were off Cockwood.

Saturday 14th July

Three Teal off John's Watch were a sign of the changing seasons with 43 Sandwich Tern and three Mediterranean Gull also offshore. Counts over the high tide included 349 Curlew, 19 Redshank, eight Bar and a Black-tailed Godwit, six Dunlin and two Whimbrel.

Swallow - Alan Keatley

Wildlife News: A good mix of butterflies with 14 species present: Speckled Wood, Small and Large White, Small and Large Skipper, Comma, Small Copper, Common Blue, Peacock, Red Admiral, Painted Lady, Ringlet, Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown. Elsewhere a few Blue-tailed Damselfly and three Emperor Dragonfly. The highlight though was a lone Toadlet, these have been very scarce the last few years.

 Common Toad - Alan Keatley

A Thick-headed fly Physocephala rufipes - Alan Keatley

Friday 13th July

A Sedge Warbler by the hide briefly was an early autumn migrant whilst 200+ Curlew, 17 Redshank, a Greenshank and two Stock Dove were in the Railway Saltmarsh. Also in the estuary Finger Point held 14 Sandwich Tern with three Common Tern in the Bight and Mediterranean Gull were again on show with and adult, two second summers and two juveniles in front of the hide with others coming and going during the morning.

 

 Mediterranean Gull juveniles - Dave Jewell

Mediterranean Gull adult - Dave Jewell

 

Thursday 12th July

Counts over the high tide included 300+ Black-headed Gull, 241 Curlew, 215 Oystercatcher, 19 Sandwich Tern and just single Sanderling and Ringed Plover. Elsewhere 21 Swallow were feeding along the Dune Ridge and two Stock Dove were in the Railway Saltmarsh.

Wildlife News: Good news on the butterfly front with a Wall Brown along the Dune Ridge, only the third record of the year. Apart from that, just a couple of Ringlet and Peacock of note, and only two Emperor representing the dragonflies.

Wednesday 11th July

Over the evening high tide 18 Sandwich Tern (inc four juvs), five Dunlin, three Whimbrel and a Curlew were in front of the hide with the Slavonian Grebe off Cockwood and a second brood of five juvenile Pied Wagtail in the Bight.

Monday 9th July

An evening look from Cockwood saw the first juvenile Yellow-legged Gull of the year on Bull Hill with the summer plumaged Slavonian Grebe, 10 Mediterranean Gull, eight adults, a first summer and a juvenile; just nine Sandwich Tern, 16 Redshank, two Whimbrel and a Greenshank also in the estuary.

Saturday 7th July

Three Mediterranean Gull, two adults and a first summer, flew over the spit and upriver with 120+ Black-headed Gull feeding in the beach. Elsewhere there were just eight Sandwich Tern with several species now feeding second broods, including Whitethroat and Moorhen.

Whitethroat - Alan Keatley

Wildlife News: A male Banded Demoiselle was briefly at the Main Pond, only the fifth site record. Elsewhere good numbers of solitary bees and wasps were on the wing with 14 species of butterfly including several Red Admiral and at least eight Ringlet, a new site high count.

 Coastal Leafcutter Megachile maritima - Alan Keatley

Ferruginous Bee-grabber Sicus ferrugineus - Alan Keatley

Friday 6th July

Wildlife News: The first Warren and third Devon record of Roesel's Bush-cricket, a long-winged individual, was reported today.

Thursday 5th July

The first Roseate Tern of the year was offshore this morning with Sandwich Tern, five Manx Shearwater and 17 Common Scoter. Elsewhere a juvenile Little Ringed Plover joined the adult in the Bight with 15 Dunlin, eight Ringed Plover and a Common Sandpiper.  

Little Ringed Plover - Lee Collins

 

Wildlife News: Large numbers of Long Hoverfly Sphaerophoria scripta were on site part of continuing insect migration also evidenced by an increase in Red Admiral.

Long Hoverfly Sphaerophoria scripta - Alan Keatley