Saturday 23rd May

Little to report with no news received from high tide although the female Eider remained offshore.

Around the bushes the breeding season remains in full swing with Magpie, Robin and Great Tit joining the ranks of newly fledged species and several broods of Moorhen on the two larger ponds. The Moorhen nests at the First and Dune Pond both failed, likely due to predation after the dropping water levels left them high and dry. 

Other Wildlife: The warm weather is certainly stirring up insects in to action with several species of digger wasp, both on vegetation and in bare sandy areas, including increasing numbers of Minute Black Wasp Diodontus minutus and Common Spiny Digger Wasp Oxybelus uniglumis, plus the year's first Armed Crabro Digger Wasp C. peltarius.

Common Spiny Digger Wasp Oxybelus uniglumis - Alan Keatley

Also, on the wing Fan-bristled Robberfly Dysmachus trigonus, the hoverflies Bolete Blacklet Cheilosia scutellata and Common Twist-tail Sphaerophoria scripta and the fly Graphomya maculata in the Entrance Bushes, a Small Magpie moth near the carpark and the first Meadow Brown of the year in Skipper Meadow.

Bolete Blacklet Cheilosia scutellata - Alan Keatley

 Common Twist-tail Sphaerophoria scripta - Alan Keatley

Small Magpie - Alan Keatley

There has been a sudden increase in the number of Honey Bee with large numbers especially during the heat of the early afternoon when many other species are seemingly absent. presumably feral colonies unless hives have been moved near the SSSI. Good numbers of bumblebees are also on the wing including Vestal Cuckoo Bumblebee.