Saturday 28th March

Counts from the estuary included 118 Curlew, 46 Bar-tailed Godwit, 46 Turnstone, 12 Grey Plover, nine Knot, eight Dunlin, five Greenshank and two Dark-bellied Brent Geese. 

Elsewhere seven Sandwich Tern, four Great Northern Diver and two Common Scoter were offshore, three Wheatear were on Warren Point and at least 12 Chaffinch called overhead. 

Other Wildlife: A stiff NW wind meant flying insects were restricted to sheltered areas, these included the first Early Nomad Bee Nomada leucophthalma for the Recording Area, found in Skipper Meadow.

Early Nomad Bee Nomada leucophthalma - Alan Keatley

Also on the wing the muscid fly Phaonia subventa and the brown lacewing Micromus paganus with the ground beetles Bembidion quadrimaculatum and Paranchus albipes under logs. 

Phaonia subventa - Alan Keatley

Paranchus albipes - Alan Keatley

Bembidion quadrimaculatum - Alan Keatley

Friday 27th March

Counts from the estuary included 41 Bar-tailed Godwit, 12 Grey and six Ringed Plover, 10 Dunlin, nine Knot, five Greenshank, two Dark-bellied Brent Geese and a drake Red-breasted Merganser.

Elsewhere 17 Common Scoter, eight Manx Shearwater, five Sandwich Tern, three Great Northern and a Red-throated Diver were offshore, a Swallow was over the estuary and the Red-legged Partridge was still present. 

Thursday 26th March

Migrants on site included six Chiffchaff and three Wheatear, with a few Chaffinch and a lone Swallow overhead. 

Wheatear - Dean Hall

Counts from the estuary included 47 Sandwich Tern on Bull Hill on the dropping tide with 37 Bar-tailed Godwit, 35 Redshank, 12 Grey and two Ringed Plover, 11 Knot, 10 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, eight Dunlin, five Greenshank and four Red-breasted Merganser at high tide

Elsewhere the Red-legged Partridge was on Warren Point and offshore at least 30 Sandwich Tern before moving to the estuary, 17 Common Scoter, 11 Great Northern and six Red-throated Diver.

Other Wildlife: The sunny start encouraged some insect activity despite the windy conditions but things slowed down in the later showery weather.  New emergences for the year included Small Sallow Mining Bee Andrena praecox near the Entrance Bushes and a male Trimmer's Mining Bee A. trimmerana on the beach.

Trimmer's Mining Bee Andrena trimmerana - Alan Keatley

Small Sallow Mining Bee Andrena praecox - Alan Keatley

Also noted on the wing for the first time this year, the dung fly Norellisoma spinimanum and the hoverfly Melanostoma scalare. At ground level in the dunes, bugs included Cymus claviculus and Nysius huttoni, beetles included Dune Scarab Aegialia arenaria and Phylan gibbus and spiders were represented by Dysdera crocata, a woodlouse spider and Arctosa perita, the Sand-bear Spider.

Nysius huttoni - Alan Keatley

Phylan gibbus - Dean Hall

Dune Scarab Aegialia arenaria - Dean Hall

Sand-bear Spider Arctosa perita - Alan Keatley

Dysdera crocata - Alan Keatley

Wednesday 25th March

A 30 minute seawatch early morning saw at least 50 Manx Shearwater feeding in the bay or passing S, the first of the year. Also offshore three Red-throated and two Great Northern Diver. 

Counts from the estuary included 43 Sandwich Tern late afternoon after seven over high tide, 36 Bar-tailed Godwit, 12 Sanderling, 11 Grey and six Ringed Plover, nine Knot, eight Dunlin and the Pale-bellied Brent Goose. 

 

Elsewhere the first Swallow of the year flew over The Bight, with two Wheatear in Wryneck Plain and a third on Warren Point.

Year List additions:
118. Swallow
117. Manx Shearwater

Tuesday 24th March

Little on show in the estuary at low tide, although 24 Curlew, 22 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, three Ringed Plover and two Dunlin were on the mudflats and four Sandwich Tern fished the channels. The stiff southwesterly kept birds in cover elsewhere around the reserve.

Other Wildlife: A change to overcast weather resulted in no butterflies and bees on the wing except for a few Buff-tailed Bumblebee and a Red-tailed Bumblebee searching for a nest hole.

Red-tailed Bumblebee - Alan Keatley

Along the beach were a few ground beetles; including Clivina collaris and Acupalpus dubius, plus a few Psylliodes marcida flea beetles and a Lined Click Beetle Agriotes lineatus.

Clivina collaris - Alan Keatley

Lined Click Beetle Agriotes lineatus - Alan Keatley

Acupalpus dubius - Alan Keatley

The tiny leaf-litter ant at just 3mm, Temnothorax nylanderi was found near the station.

Temnothorax nylanderi - Alan Keatley

Monday 23rd March

The second Spoonbill of the year, an immature, was in the estuary early morning before flying north. It returned later to roost on Finger Point before being flushed north by a boat. 

Spoonbill - Lee Collins

Spoonbill - Dave Jewell

Also in the estuary 118 Curlew, 32 Bar-tailed Godwit, 24 Sanderling, 15 Grey and five Ringed Plover, 12 Dunlin, 11 Knot, six Greenshank, six Sandwich Tern, two pairs of Red-breasted Merganser and the regular Pale-bellied Brent Goose and Whimbrel.

Elsewhere single Great Northern and Red-throated Diver were offshore, four Chiffchaff were in song and Long-tailed Tit and Stonechat were nestbuilding. 

Other Wildlife: Increasing numbers of insects are visiting the flowering sallows, mostly droneflies and Honey Bee along with Yellow-legged and Chocolate Mining Bee.

Yellow-legged Mining Bee Andrea flavipes - Kevin Rylands

Other bees included the first Tree Bumblebee, Vestal Cuckoo Bumblebee and males of Sandpit Mining Bee Andrena barbilabris. At least seven Peacock and two Comma were also on the wing and hundreds of Sand Crocus were in flower, looking at the cloudy forecast most will likely stay closed until the weekend.

Sand Crocus - James Marshall

Sunday 22nd March

The first Red Kite of the year flew N over the Dune Ridge at 10.58 with a light northerly passage of Chaffinch and Lesser Black-backed Gull. On site a Red-legged Partridge was again on the Golf Course.

Counts from the estuary included 130 Dark and a Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 128 Curlew, 40 Bar-tailed Godwit, 24 Sanderling, 17 Grey and four Ringed Plover, 15 Dunlin, 13 Knot, nine Greenshank, five Sandwich Tern, four Continental (sinensis) Cormorant and the Whimbrel. 

Year List addition:
116. Red Kite

Saturday 21st March

Two Sandwich Tern were in the estuary with counts over high tide included 132 Dark and a Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 123 Curlew, 43 Bar-tailed Godwit, 25 Sanderling, 17 Grey and four Ringed Plover, 17 Knot, 15 Dunlin, 12 Teal, nine Greenshank, two Red-breasted Merganser and the Whimbrel.

Elsewhere a lone Wheatear by the seawall early morning soon moved on and two Red-legged Partridge were on the Golf Course.

Stonechat - Dave Jewell

Year List addition:
115. Red-legged Partridge

Other Wildlife: At least half a dozen Peacock were on the wing in a good spring for the species. The sunny conditions also brought out a couple of Common Lizard on the Golf course and a Sand Lizard on Warren Point. 

Portland Spurge - Kevin Rylands

Friday 20th March

The first two Wheatear of the year made landfall, other migrants were still largely absent, although a Sandwich Tern was offshore. Also offshore 14 Great Crested Grebe, seven Common Scoter and three Great Northern Diver.

Elsewhere counts from the estuary included 125 Curlew, 106 Dark and a Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 42 Bar-tailed Godwit, 38 Redshank, 25 Sanderling, 17 Knot, 15 Dunlin, 14 Grey and a Ringed Plover, nine Greenshank, seven Red-breasted Merganser and the wintering Whimbrel. 

Year List addition:
114. Wheatear

Thursday 19th March

Little change around the Warren with migrants still absent, excepting the Blackcap in the Entrance Bushes. Counts from high tide included 42 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, c40 Bar-tailed Godwit, 18 Grey and two Ringed Plover, 17 Knot, 15 Sanderling, 13 Dunlin, 12 Teal and six Red-breasted Merganser.

Elsewhere 20 Common Scoter, 19 Great Crested Grebe, a Great Northern and a Red-throated Diver were offshore and a Swan x Greylag hybrid flew past the seawall with two Canada Geese.

Skylark - Dean Hall

Other Wildlife: The warm early spring weather saw increasing insect activity with first appearances from Comma, Garden Bumblebee, Common Carder Bee, Hairy-footed Flower Bee, Ichneumon sarcitorius, Marmalade Hoverfly and the moth Early Longhorn Adela cuprella. Also on the wing  at least eight Peacock, Buffish, Chocolate and Yellow-legged Mining Bee.

Comma - Dean Hall

Peacock - Dean Hall

Elsewhere the water beetle Agabus bipustulatus was in a puddle on the main track and various beetles were on the beach including the ground beetles Bembidion lampros and Syntomus foveatus, the clown beetles Hypocaccus dimidiatus and H. crassipes, the water scavenger Helophorus grandis and the darkling Phaleria cadaverina.

 Agabus bipustulatus - Alan Keatley

Hypocaccus dimidiatus - Alan Keatley

Helophorus grandis - Alan Keatley

 Bembidion lampros - Alan Keatley

Syntomus foveatus - Alan Keatley

Over 100 Sand Crocus were in flower behind the Visitor Centre, along with the first Early Forget-me-not. 

Sand Crocus - Dean Hall