Tuesday 5th May

A low tide visit still saw 28 Whimbrel, 15 Black-headed Gull, five Bar-tailed Godwit and four Ringed Plover feeding in the estuary, with three Great Northern Diver, two Common Scoter and the female Eider offshore.

Elsewhere breeding activity continues apace with a 2nd brood of 10 Mallard duckling on the Main Pond and the nesting pair of Carrion Crow in the Entrance Bushes taking exception to three Buzzard passing low over site. 

Other Wildlife: A calm day with occasional sunshine encouraged insects on the wing with many first appearances of the year including Catsear Mining Bee Andrena humilis, Flavous Nomad Bee Nomada flava, Sandpit Blood Bee Sphecodes pellucidus, Silver-headed Satellite Fly Metopia argyrocephala, a tiger cranefly Nephrotoma appendiculata, Grey Bush-cricket (nymphs) and Rhombic Leatherbug Syromastus rhombeus. 

Catsear Mining Bee Andrena humilis - Alan Keatley

Flavous Nomad Bee Nomada flava - Alan Keatley

Nephrotoma appendiculata - Alan Keatley

Silver-headed Satellite Fly Metopia argyrocephala - Alan Keatley

Further additions to the year's insect tally including Blue-tailed Damselfly, Large White and the day-flying moths Cinnabar, Yellow Belle, Cocksfoot Moth Glyphipterix simpliciella and Plain Fanner G. fuscoviridella, along with at least a dozen migrant Diamond-back Moth. 

Cocksfoot Moth Glyphipterix simpliciella - Alan Keatley

A wide range of beetles included Common Malachite Beetle Malachius bipustulatus, Red-headed Cardinal Pyrochroa serraticornis, Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis, the soldier beetle Cantharis rustica, the weevil Phyllobius virideaeris and the wood boring weevil Euophryum confine.

Phyllobius virideaeris - Alan Keatley

Euophryum confine - Alan Keatley

Red-headed Cardinal Pyrochroa serraticornis - Alan Keatley