Sunday 14th August

Despite the continuing high temperatures the first three Wigeon of the winter made their appearance in the estuary with 13 Black-tailed Godwit and two Grey Plover also new arrivals. 

Other counts from the estuary included 363 Curlew, 92 Sandwich and two Common Tern, 84 Ringed Plover, 68 Dunlin, 44 Whimbrel, 27 Sanderling, nine Mediterranean Gull, seven Greenshank, six Bar-tailed Godwit, four Great Crested Grebe, two Turnstone, two Stock Dove, a Kingfisher and a Common Sandpiper.

Elsewhere a Sedge Warbler was on Warren Point with three Whitethroat and a Song Thrush, with a Coal Tit in the Entrance Bushes and counts across site of 13 Blackcap, 11 Chiffchaff, two Willow and two Reed Warbler. Offshore two distant shearwater sp, a Hobby and a Peregrine. 

Saturday 13th August

The full moon has brought the inspected increase in waders with 119 Ringed Plover and 87 Dunlin in the Bight with 951 Oystercatcher, 321 Curlew, 262 Redshank, 45 Sanderling, 44 Whimbrel, 11 Greenshank and nine Bar-tailed Godwit also in the estuary. Also 71 Sandwich Tern, 12 Little Egret, 29 Mute Swan, 11 Mediterranean Gull (six juv, four ad & a 1s) and a juvenile Kittiwake.

Other migrants included a Spotted Flycatcher, 11 Blackcap, 10 Chiffchaff, two Reed Warbler and single Whitethroat, Willow and Sedge Warbler. The later was at the Main Pond where there were also two Grey Heron, a Snipe and a Kingfisher, one of three that have been present recently.

Offshore six Balearic Shearwater flew south with 61 Gannet, 39 Kittiwake, nine Manx Shearwater and eight Common Scoter.

Thursday 11th August

The only news came from the estuary were there was a juvenile Arctic Tern with 60 Sandwich Tern.

Wildlife News: A Clouded Yellow was in Greenland Lake with other butterflies including Brown Argus on Warren Point, with Green-veined White, Common Blue, Small Copper, Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown. A Jersey Tiger was by the Amusements.

Clouded Yellow - Alan Keatley

Jersey Tiger - Alan Keatley

A colony of Common Spiny Digger Wasp Oxybelus uniglumis along the Dune Ridge was also hosting the parasitoid Dark-palped Shadow Fly Senotainia conica. They wait for a wasp with prey and lay its egg on the prey before the wasp enters the nest.

Dark-palped Shadow Fly - Alan Keatley

Common Spiny Digger Wasp - Alan Keatley

Other species included Glass-winged Syrphus S.vitripennis and Thick-legged Hoverfly Syritta pipiens amongst the few hoverflies, and Pantaloon Bee were on the wing with the other recent bee species.

Tuesday 9th August

A juvenile Little Ringed Plover was on the beach with c50 Sanderling and 40 Dunlin.

Ringing News: This week has seen no less than four different species from Ynyslas, all ringed by Mid Wales Ringing Group. Regular species are Sandwich Tern and Dunlin, but single Curlew and Ringed Plover are also present.

Sunday 7th August

Early morning seawatching saw six Balearic Shearwater east at 06:23 (four light and two dark phase), 56 Common Scoter, 25 Kittiwake and a series of single birds; going east, a female Tufted Duck, Great Crested Grebe and a Mallard; coming in-off Mute Swan, Sparrowhawk and Kestrel.

Migrants included a Wheatear in the Bight and a Sedge Warbler on Warren Point with 21 Blackcap, four Whitethroat, four Willow, two Garden and a Reed Warbler.

Counts from the estuary and beach included 722 Oystercatcher, including five new returning Warren ringed birds, 342 Curlew, 98 Sandwich Tern, 89 Ringed Plover, 47 Dunlin, 45 Sanderling, 40 Whimbrel, 16 Mediterranean Gull (nine ad, five juv, a 2s & a 1s), eight Bar-tailed Godwit, five Greenshank and a Turnstone. The oddest sighting of the day was four Great Crested Grebe that flew south down the estuary and over the Golf Course.

Wildlife News: Offshore a single Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (about 6ft in size) leapt clear out of the water (looked to be chasing another smaller fish) early morning. Elsewhere a Golden-ringed Dragonfly was on the Golf Course along with the first Large Tiger Hoverfly Helophilus trivittatus of the year.

Saturday 6th August

Counts from the estuary and beach included 365 Curlew, 265 Redshank, 72 Sandwich Tern, 54 Sanderling, 48 Dunlin, 43 Ringed Plover, 22 Whimbrel, 11 Little Egret, 10 Mediterranean Gull (six ad, two juv, a 2s & a 1s), seven Turnstone, six Bar-tailed Godwit, four Greenshank and the Dark-bellied Brent Goose.

Dark-bellied Brent Goose - Alan Keatley

Elsewhere 15 Gannet and two Common Scoter were offshore with a Sedge Warbler on Warren Point, a Coal Tit in the Entrance Bushes and site counts of 17 Blackcap, 14 Chiffchaff, seven Whitethroat, five Willow and three Reed Warbler.

Willow Warbler - Dean Hall

Friday 5th August

The first Bullfinch since January was the surprise highlight in the Entrance Bushes whilst other clear migrants included a Sedge Warbler in Skipper Meadow and a Willow Warbler along the Dune Ridge.

Long-tailed Tit - Dean Hall

Elsewhere a Common Sandpiper was on the beach with 34 Sanderling, 13 Dunlin and seven Ringed Plover.

Wildlife News: Two Painted Lady and a Clouded Yellow were amongst ten butterfly species recorded with good numbers of Common Blue, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Speckled Wood and Green-veined White, with a single end of season Small Skipper in Greenland Lake.

Emperor - Alan Keatley

Other insects included four Emperor Dragonfly, a Black-tailed Skimmer and a Small Red-eyed Damselfly all away from the Main Pond, the latter allowing a close approach for once,

Small Red-eyed Damselfly - Alan Keatley

Several male Sandpit Blood Bee Sphecodes pellucidus were nectaring in the meadows, also now on the wing male Bronze Furrow Bee Halictus tumulorum, other species included Common Yellow-faced Bee Hylaeus communis plus the regular Coastal and Silvery Leafcutter, Hairy-saddled Colettes, Common Furrow and Green-eyed flower Bee.

Sandpit Blood Bee - Alan Keatley

Second generations of hoverflies are starting to appear with a Stripe-backed Fleckwing Dasysyrphus albostriatus and the first Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax in several weeks. Other species included just one Tiger Helophilus pendulus and a Hornet Hoverfly Volucella zonaria.

Wednesday 3rd August

Counts from the estuary included 264 Curlew, 57 Sandwich Tern, 30 Dunlin, 28 Sanderling, 21 Mediterranean Gull, 19 Mute Swan and the Dark-bellied Brent Goose.

Elsewhere nine Cirl Bunting and single figures of the regular breeding warblers.

Hairy-saddled Colletes - Alan Keatley

Wildlife News: The second site record of Small Bee-grabber Thecophora atra was a highlight on Yellow Iris in Entrance Bushes. Solitary bee species this species is looking out for included Hairy-saddled Colettes, Coastal and Silvery Leafcutter, Green-eyed Flower Bee, Black-thighed Epeolus and White-zoned Furrow Bee Lasioglossum leucozonium.

Small Bee-grabber - Alan Keatley

Other insects noted included Shieldbug Digger Wasp Astata boops, the nationally scarce Slender-horned Leatherbug Ceraleptus lividus, a Bishops Mitre nymph and a Hairy Shieldbug.

Hairy Shieldbug - Alan Keatley

Sunday 31st July

Offshore early morning a Balearic and 68 Manx Shearwater flew south with 92 Gannet, 60 Sandwich Tern, 35 Kittiwake and 17 Common Scoter. Bucking the trend and going east were two Arctic Skua, single dark and pale phase.

Counts from the high tide included 613 Oystercatcher, 376 Curlew, 98 Sandwich Tern, 79 Sanderling, 55 Whimbrel, 50 Ringed Plover, 26 Mediterranean Gull (12 ad, nine juv, three 1s, two 2s), 15 Dunlin, six Common Tern, five Common Gull, four Bar-tailed Godwit, a Knot and the Dark-bellied Brent Goose.

Song Thrush (doing well to find a snail in the conditions) - Alan Keatley

Elsewhere two Garden and a Sedge Warbler were definite migrants, with the Treecreeper in Dead Dolphin Wood, and the first Meadow Pipit of the autumn overhead with 42 Swift, 23 Swallow and two House Martin.

Wildlife News: At Langstone Rock more Kiefferia pericarpilcola galls were found on Wild Carrot and the second generation of Black Mining Bee Andrena pilipes were on the wing.

Black Mining Bee - Alan Keatley

Again very few hoverflies but other solitary bees included Pantaloon, Common Furrow, Green-eyed Flower and Coastal and Silvery Leafcutter. The Beewolf colony on the Golf Course continues to be well stocked. Both Five and Six-spot Burnet moths were around Greenland Lake along with good numbers of fresh Common Blue and Small Copper.

Straw-barred Pearl - Alan Keatley

A Grey Seal was offshore, the first for a while.

Grey Seal - Alan Keatley

Saturday 30th July

Offshore a Balearic and nine Manx Shearwater flew east with 34 Gannet, 33 Shag, 15 Kittiwake, 11 Common Scoter, an Arctic Skua south and a Great Crested Grebe.

Counts from the estuary included 540 Oystercatcher, 409 Curlew, 215 Redshank, 153 Sandwich Tern (at least 45 juv), 73 Sanderling, 59 Whimbrel, 55 Ringed Plover, 30 Common Tern (nine juv), 27 Mediterranean Gull, 18 Mute Swan, 12 Dunlin, six Bar-tailed Godwit, four Greenshank, a Knot and a Dark-bellied Brent Goose.

Elsewhere 78 Swallow, 12 Swift and five House Martin were overhead with 15 Blackcap, 14 Cirl Bunting, eight Chiffchaff, seven Whitethroat, two Great Spotted Woodpecker, two Willow and a Reed Warbler.

Wildlife News: A Purple Thorn flew in off the sea first thing and a Jersey Tiger was flying around the Windmill.