Tuesday 19th May

With overnight rain and a strong southerly seawatching was rewarding, especially with a couple of sightings tracked past headlands further south. The first were five Eider that flew south at 6.50am, went S past Hope's Nose 30 minutes later, they were later seen heading back N past both Berry Head and Hope's Nose early afternoon. The second was a group of three Sandwich and a Little Tern that flew south out of the estuary at 8.35am, then S past Hope's Nose at 9.30 & S past Berry Head at 10.25. 

Also offshore the first three Arctic Tern of the year late morning, 13 Common Scoter, four Great Northern and two Red-throated Diver, another three Sandwich Tern and the female Eider. 

Counts from the estuary included 90 Sanderling, 75 Ringed Plover, 54 Dunlin, 34 Whimbrel, 13 Turnstone, 11 Black-headed and two Common Gull, three Grey Plover and a Great Crested Grebe.

Year List addition:
145. Arctic Tern

Other Wildlife: Good numbers of insects were on the wing after the morning showers including several first emergences of the year, including four Common Blue. Other butterflies included Orange-tip, Holly Blue and Peacock, with several caterpillars nests of the latter on the Golf Course.

Utilising holes in fencing for nesting were several Common Yellow-faced Bee Hylaeus communis, including a mating pair and a Mournful Wasp Pemphredon lugubris. In search of wood-nesting mason wasps in the same habitat, a Linnaeus's Cuckoo Wasp Chrysis ignita.

Mournful Wasp Pemphredon lugubris - Alan Keatley

Linnaeus's Cuckoo Wasp Chrysis ignita - Alan Keatley

Common Yellow-faced Bee Hylaeus communis - Alan Keatley

More interested in nectaring a Narcissus Bulb Fly Merodon equestris, a bumblebee mimic hoverfly and a Broad-barred Fleckwing Dasysyrphus venustus with Woolly Alder Sawfly Eriocampa ovatus on its food plant.

Narcissus Bulb Fly Merodon equestris - Alan Keatley

Woolly Alder Sawfly Eriocampa ovatus - Alan Keatley The larvae, rather than the adults, are woolly

Also noted the mayfly Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum was near the Main Pond with a Silver Y and a Fox around The Bight. 

Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum - Alan Keatley