Friday 23rd June

Wader numbers show autumn moving on at pace with 258 Oystercatcher, 84 Curlew, 24 Bar-tailed Godwit, 12 Grey Plover, five Redshank, three Greenshank, a Sanderling and a Ringed Plover. Also in the estuary 106 Black-headed Gull and 12 Sandwich Tern whilst 77 Swift flew through and a Great Northern Diver was offshore.

Thursday 22nd June

Returning waders included 91 Curlew, 30 Bar-tailed Godwit, five Redshank, three Dunlin and two Greenshank. Also in the estuary the Slavonian Grebe, 11 Sandwich Tern, 61 Black-headed and a Mediterranean Gull.

Wildlife News: Tree Bumblebee are now well established on site with individuals in several locations including Warren Point. Garden and Buff-tailed Bumblebee were also recorded.

Tuesday 20th June

Wader numbers continue to increase as the days shorten. Over the high tide there were 103 Curlew in the Railway Saltmarsh with 12 Redshank, five Bar-tailed Godwit and two Whimbrel. Around the Bight there were 226 Oystercatcher, four Turnstone and a Ringed Plover. Elsewhere six Manx Shearwater and 53 Common Scoter were offshore.

Monday 19th June

A hot still summer day with just 41 species seen in a six hour visit, this included 65 Curlew, six Shelduck, five Sandwich Tern and two Cirl Bunting.

Wildlife News: In the conditions even invertebrates were thin on the ground but Small Skipper and Meadow Brown were on the wing along with several Red Admiral and a few worn Common Blue and Brown Argus. Three Emperor Dragonfly were patrolling the Main Pond.

Small Skipper - Alan Keatley

Saturday 17th June

Counts from the estuary on a low high tide included 68 Curlew, 33 Bar-tailed Godwit, seven Shelduck and just two Sandwich Tern. Elsewhere 29 Common Scoter were offshore.

Wildlife News: Three Golden-ringed Dragonfly were on Warren Point.

Thursday 15th June

A typical midsummer day with 65 Curlew, 44 Black-headed Gull and three Redshank in the estuary presumably including some returning breeders with the summering group of 38 Bar-tailed Godwit. Elsewhere 40 Common Scoter were offshore and a pair of Cirl Bunting were collecting food along the Back Path.

 Cirl Bunting - Alan Keatley

 

Wildlife News: The warm afternoon brought out the first Common Darter of the year with Emperor Dragonfly also on the wing.

Common Darter - Alan Keatley

Tuesday 13th June

The resident Slavonian Grebe was off Cockwood but no other news was received.

Wildlife News: This Ornate Brigadier Soldierfly was recorded nectaring on Hemlock Water-dropwort around the Entrance Bushes today, the first Warren record.
 

Odontomyia ornata (Ornate Brigadier) - Steve Fuller

 

Saturday 10th June

Seawatching early morning saw a Balearic Shearwater go south with six Arctic Skua, four Storm Petrel, 70 Common Scoter, 23 Manx Shearwater and two Great Northern Diver. Elsewhere 39 Bar-tailed Godwit, 37 Sanderling, 14 Grey Plover and three Dunlin were in the estuary.

Wildlife News: A total of 29 Jet-skis offshore was an new high and this may well have caused the regular Grey Seal to appear further down the site off the seawall. There are now 16 flowering spikes of Bee Orchid near the Dune Pond - an impressive increase after three were found for the first time last year.

Thursday 8th June

Several short bouts of seawatching through the day saw a total of four Storm Petrel, 74 Manx Shearwater, 17 Kittiwake and 11 Gannet head south but many birds were missed. Also offshore a summer plumaged Great Northern Diver, 32 Sandwich and a Little Tern. Elsewhere counts from the estuary included 42 Bar-tailed Godwit, 26 Sanderling, 17 Turnstone, 14 Dunlin, eight Grey Plover and three Black-tailed Godwit.

Tuesday 6th June

A look offshore in the evening showed that any seabirds were long gone with 15 Manx Shearwater and a Guillemot the highlights.