Tuesday 2 January 2024

Tuesday 2nd January

A brief late morning visit battling the gale force wind and sand-blasted beach. No checks of the estuary, but it was as choppy as the sea. A single Red-throated Diver flew south offshore with six Eider, three Common Scoter, a Great Northern Diver and a Great Crested Grebe were buffered in heavy swell.

Elsewhere the Cetti's Warbler was calling in scrub near Dead Dolphin Wood with four Shoveler, two Teal and single Little Grebe and Water Rail on the Main Pond.

Shoveler - Alan Keatley

Other Wildlife: The wind did else a little later on with a few early insects on the wing. Illustrating the mixed-up seasons Alexanders is in flower by the Railway Station with Yellow Dung Fly Scathophaga stercoraria, Delia platura and a Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus on the emerging flowers. 

Delia platura - Alan Keatley

Marmalade Hoverfly - Alan Keatley

Trapped by the geotubes was the dung beetle Aphodius sphacelatus.

Aphodius sphacelatus - Alan Keatley

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