Sunday 21st June

Counts from the estuary included 30 Black-headed and two Mediterranean Gull, 16 Mute Swan, 12 Sandwich and a Common Tern and two Grey Plover. 

Other Wildlife: Flowering brambles were audibly buzzing with activity with large numbers of Green-eyed Flower Bee, Silvery and Coastal Leafcutter in particular. A range of other species were also visiting, with Bare-saddled Colletes preferring the yellow Cat's-ear and hawkbits. 

Black & Yellow Longhorn Rutpela maculata - Kevin Rylands

Also on the wing Little Mason Wasp Microdynerus exilis, Red-legged Spider Wasp Episyron rufipes, a Golden-ringed Dragonfly, a Comma and a few more Gatekeeper. Not making it to the wing was a parasitised Large White caterpillar, first noticed on 9th June, cocoons appeared soon after and the first occupants emerged today, a species of Cotesia, probably C. glomerata, but several other similar species also use this host.

Cotesia sp and ex Large White - Kevin Rylands

A willow flea beetle Crepidodera fulvicornis - Kevin Rylands 

Saturday 20th June

The first Tawny Owl of the year was calling occasionally from the Golf Course early morning, with it or another also calling from the mainland.

In the estuary two Grey Plover were in The Bight and two Common and a Little Tern were with Sandwich Tern on Bull Hill mid morning. 

Elsewhere the Yellow-legged Gull was on the beach and the first juvenile Black-headed Gull was off Langstone Rock.

Yellow-legged Gull - Alan Keatley

Year List addition:

155. Tawny Owl

Other Wildlife: In contrast to yesterday the predominantly overcast conditions saw fewer flying insects although a couple of scarce Warren species, a Golden Cuckoo Wasp Pseudomalus auratus in the Entrance Bushes and a Brown Chafer Serica brunnipes on the Dune Ridge, following on from one to light last night.

Brown Chafer Serica brunnipes  - Alan Keatley

Golden Cuckoo Wasp Pseudomalus auratus - Alan Keatley

Overnight 190 species of moth were recorded to light, many were freshly emerged included a number of local specialities such as White Colon, Channel islands Pug, Archer's and Sand Dart, Shore, Obscure and Silky Wainscot, Bordered Sallow, White Satin, Crescent Plume Marasmarcha lunaedactyla and Sandhill Knothorn Anerastia lotella.

Sand Dart - Luke Harman

Archer's Dart - Luke Harman

White Colon - Luke Harman

Other records included six species of hawkmoth, Gallium Carpet, Double Square-spot, Common, Grass and Small Emerald. There were also new species for the Recording Area, the widespread Hawthorn Moth Scythropia crataegella and the more local Marbled Knothorn Acrobasis marmorea.

Marbled Knothorn Acrobasis marmorea - Luke Harman

In addition to the Brown Chafer, a couple of Summer Chafer Amphimallon solstitialis, a Common Burying Beetle Nicrophorus vespillo, the Sea Aster pictured winged fly Campiglossa plantaginis and a Coastal Silver Stiletto Acrosathe annulata.

Coastal Silver Stiletto Acrosathe annulata - Luke Harman

Friday 19th June

Quiet on the bird front, although two adult Mediterranean Gull were with 20+ Sandwich Tern in the estuary. Elsewhere several Swift were feeding over the Bight, with a steady trickle of Swallow through with two Grey Heron and feeding Reed Warbler on the Main Pond. 

Grey Heron - Dean Hall

Other Wildlife: A wide range of insects on the wing both day and night.

Kite-tailed Robberfly Tolmerus atricapillus - Dean Hall

Nysson trimaculatus - Dean Hall

Hornet Plumehorn - Dean Hall

Pied Plumehorn - Dean Hall

Shore Wainscot - Kevin Rylands

Scarce Silver-lines - Kevin Rylands

Thursday 18th June

The build up of Sandwich Tern continues with many birds moving and feeding between the estuary and offshore with a peak of 52 on Bull Hill alongside two Common Tern.

Also in the estuary 19 Sanderling and two Grey Plover, with the female Eider off the beach an Arctic Skua hunting terns offshore and a pair of Cirl Bunting feeding fledged young near the Entrance Bushes.

Other Wildlife: The first Gatekeeper of the year emerged on cue with a Marbled White in Greenland Lake, increasing numbers of Small Skipper and half a dozen Painted Lady the pick of the butterflies with a Golden-ringed Dragonfly in addition to the usual dragonflies.

Marbled White - Jim Summers

Small Skipper - Jim Summers

Also on the wing the first Patchwork Leafcutter Bee Megachile centuncularis and Intermediate Shield Wasp Crabro peltarius of the year with an Increasing variety of other invertebrates of differing ages.

Oak Beauty - Kevin Rylands

Green Shieldbug - Kevin Rylands

Speckled Bush Cricket - Kevin Rylands

Wednesday 17th June

Counts from the estuary included 130 Oystercatcher, 12 Sandwich and two Common Tern, eight Sanderling, two Grey Plover and two Mediterranean Gull.

Elsewhere the female Eider and 5CY Yellow-legged Gull were off groyne 10, six Raven, a family party, and two Stock Dove were on Warren Point and the Moorhen have hatched at least four young from their second attempt at the Dune Pond. 

Moorhen - Jim Summers

Other Wildlife: A search for Pyramidal Orchid was successful with one surviving the erosion at the end of Warren Point.

Pyramidal Orchid  - Alan Keatley

A male Banded Demoiselle that flew along the Dune Ridge was unexpected, just the sixth site record and the first since 7th July 2018. Also on the wing a wide range of bees and wasps including Bare-saddled Colletes C. similis and Minute Black Wasp Diodontus minutus, three Painted Lady and a Band-eyed Brown Horsefly Tabanus bromius. 

Minute Black Wasp Diodontus minutus - Alan Keatley

Bare-saddled Colletes C. similis - Alan Keatley

Band-eyed Brown Horsefly Tabanus bromius - Alan Keatley

Other species included Large Ivy Tortrix Lozotaenia forsterana, the spider Textrix denticulata and the ground beetle Nebria brevicollis.

Large Ivy Tortrix Lozotaenia forsterana - Alan Keatley

Nebria brevicollis - Alan Keatley

Textrix denticulata - Alan Keatley

Monday 15th June

At least two juvenile Little Grebe remaining on the Main Pond, as last year, the adults appear to have moved on rather than attempt a second brood. Having presumably lost a nest left high and dry, one of Moorhen pairs has built a new nest on Mare's-tail in the open water

Other Wildlife: An interesting day with plenty of insect activity with a pair of mating Large Sharp-tail Coelioxys conoidea on the Dune Ridge. The female will lay eggs in Coast Leafcutter Bee Megachile maritima burrows. 

Large Sharp-tail Coelioxys conoidea - Alan Keatley

A Spot-headed Spider Wasp Agenioideus cinctellus was fending off other interested wasps from a captured Euophrys frontalis jumping spider. The cleptoparasite Geoffroy's Blood Bee Sphecodes geoffrellus was investigating Green Furrow Bee nest holes in the Entrance Bushes.

 Spot-headed Spider Wasp Agenioideus cinctellus with Euophrys frontalis - Alan Keatley

Also active a Bee-wolf Philanthus triangulum hunting for prey on the Dune Ridge, at least six Small Skipper, four Painted Lady and single Marbled White and second brood Small Copper.

Purple Loosestrife Weevil Nanophyes marmoratus - Alan Keatley

Sunday 14th June

The expected increase in waders now the higher tide floods the sandbanks off Exmouth with 28 Oystercatcher, 18 Curlew, three Grey Plover, two Sanderling and a Knot in the estuary.

Offshore the female Eider was off Langstone, with 25 Manx Shearwater in the bay plus many others on the blurry horizon, eight Black-headed and an adult Mediterranean Gull, six Sandwich Tern and a Great Northern Diver. 

Elsewhere a Stock Dove landed on Warren Point, 68 Starling, a mix of adults and juveniles, in Greenland Lake and a fledged brood of Rock Pipit on the seawall.

Rock Pipit - Kevin Rylands

Other Wildlife: At least half a dozen Painted Lady and Red Admiral hinted at migration, although the latter maybe locally bred, along with the fresh Comma also on the wing. 

Saturday 13th June

A quiet mid June day but a few surprises including a migrant Hobby that panicked local swallows as it flew south over the Main Pond, a Coal Tit on the Golf Course and at least 240 Manx Shearwater rafting offshore.

In the estuary 23 Curlew and a Whimbrel were present over high tide, with 20 Swift overhead and offshore four Sandwich Tern and the female Eider. 

Other Wildlife: A day of warm sunshine with a wide variety of insects on the wing. The highlight being the national scarce Red-tipped Clearwing basking by the Entrance Bushes. 

Red-tipped Clearwing - Alan Keatley

Solitary wasps were active on well lit Sycamore leaves with Solsky's Wasp Stigmus solskyi, Two-banded Hopper Wolf Lestiphorus bicinctus and Shield-bug Stalker Astata boops and Armed Crabro Digger Wasp C. peltarius all searching for prey. Elsewhere Leaden Spider Wasp Pompilus cinereus on bare sand and Spot-headed Spider Wasp Agenioideus cinctellus on a wooden bank. 

Solsky's Wasp Stigmus solskyi - Alan Keatley

Two-banded Hopper Wolf Lestiphorus bicinctus - Alan Keatley

The change in weather brought out a wide range of new species for the year, including Scarlet Tiger on Warren Point, Coastal Leafcutter Megachile maritima near Langstone Rock, the tachnid fly Ectophasia crassipennis in the Back Meadow, at least one Marbled White around the Entrance Bushes and a Twin-spot Boxer Platycheirus rosarum in Dead Dolphin Wood.

Ectophasia crassipennis - Alan Keatley

Scarlet Tiger - Alan Keatley

A feature of the day was large numbers of migrant Meligethes aeneus pollen beetles on virtually on every flower. Many thousands must have arrived alongside a few Marmalade Hoverfly and a couple of Diamond-back Moth.

Meligethes aeneus - Alan Keatley

Deraeocoris flavilinea - Kevin Rylands

Bumblebee Plumehorn Volucella bombylans - Kevin Rylands

Twin-barred Knot-horn Homoeosoma sinuella - Kevin Rylands

Wednesday 10th June

Again there wasn't a single wader in The Bight on the neap afternoon tide, with 10 Sandwich Tern on Bull Hill and a Whimbrel on Pole Sands present at low tide. 

Offshore the Eider and Great Northern Diver were off Langstone Rock, and elsewhere a Red-legged Partridge was on the Golf Course, a Sparrowhawk was pursuing a Linnet across The Bight and the first fledged Reed Warbler were being fed in Greenland Lake.

Other Wildlife: Luckily no showers interrupted nectaring insects including a Fork-tailed Flower Bee Anthophora furcata on Lamb's-ear.  Further additions to the numbers of digger wasps included Slender Bodied Digger Wasp Crabro cribrarius and Pale-footed Black Wasp Psenulus pallipes. 

Fork-tailed Flower Bee Anthophora furcata - Alan Keatley

Pale-footed Black Wasp Psenulus pallipes - Alan Keatley

Slender Bodied Digger Wasp Crabro cribrarius - Alan Keatley

Also active the jumping spider Ballus chalybeius and a Dark-winged Woodlouse Fly Melanophora roralis near the station.

 Ballus chalybeius - Alan Keatley

Dark-winged Woodlouse Fly Melanophora roralis - Alan Keatley