Thursday 23rd April

The sunshine spurred warblers into song with vocal Garden Warbler, the first of the year, and Lesser Whitethroat along the Back Path. As well as singing Blackcap, Common Whitethroat and Chiffchaff on territory and a couple of Willow Warbler by the Dune Pond.

Lesser Whitethroat - Jim Summers

Common Whitethroat - Dean Hall

A Red Kite was overhead early morning with a steady passage of Swallow along the Dune Ridge, 79 were counted, but no doubt the true figure was well into three figures, with 18 House Martin also a minimum count.

Elsewhere there were roaming flocks of up to 52 Whimbrel with four newly arrived summer plumaged Grey Plover, a Bar-tailed Godwit and a Sandwich Tern in the estuary.

Whimbrel - Jim Summers

Year List addition:
138. Garden Warbler

Other Wildlife: Good numbers of butterflies were also making the most of the weather with a single Brimstone the pick amongst at least ten Orange-tip and half a dozen Peacock and Small Copper.

Small Copper - James Marshall

Hoverflies on the wing included Goosamer Hoverfly Baccha elongata, Grey-spotted Boxer Platycheirus albimanus and Common Tiger Hoverfly Helophilus pendulus with a few female Fork-jawed Nomad Bee Nomada ruficornis searching out Orange-tailed Mining Bee Andrena haemorrhoa nests around the Entrance Bushes.

Goosamer Hoverfly Baccha elongata - Alan Keatley

Common Tiger Hoverfly Helophilus pendulus - Dean Hall

Fork-jawed Nomad Bee Nomada ruficornis - Alan Keatley

Oulema melanopus s.l - Alan Keatley