Thursday 25th June

Post-breeding wader passage is slowly on the up with 96 Curlew, 30 Redshank, five Whimbrel, two Dunlin and two Greenshank alongside the two summering Grey Plover. 

Elsewhere 19 Sandwich Tern and four Mediterranean Gull were feeding offshore, the 5CY Yellow-legged Gull was on the beach and a Red-legged Partridge was on the Golf Course.

Other Wildlife: The first two Purple Hairstreak of the year were on the Golf Course, with an increase in Gatekeeper, Peacock and Red Admiral and a Painted Lady.

Wednesday 24th June

Counts from the estuary saw a substantial increase in Curlew with at least 75 in the Railway Saltmarsh. Fourteen Redshank were also recent arrivals with 35 Black-headed and four adult Mediterranean Gull, five Oystercatcher and a Kingfisher also present. 

Other Wildlife: A Marbled White flew purposefully along the Dune Ridge and a couple of Painted Lady were on site. With the exception of nectaring bees on the bramble, few other insects were on the wing in the hot conditions. 

Monday 22nd June

Counts from the estuary included 50 Black-headed and four adult Mediterranean Gull, two Grey Plover, a Knot and an Oystercatcher. At least 25 Manx Shearwater and 24 Sandwich Tern were rafting / feeding offshore.

Singing warblers and Cirl Bunting were on territory signalling second brood breeding, with Stonechat and tits still feeding fledged young.

Other Wildlife: Most insects were active in the morning quieting down as the heat increased into the afternoon. On the railway wall a Shiny-vented Sharp-tail Bee Coelioxys inermis searching for nest holes of its host, Patchwork Leafcutter Bee Megachile centuncularis.

Shiny-vented Sharp-tail Bee Coelioxys inermis - Alan Keatley

Also on the wing the year's first Pantaloon Bee Dasypoda hirtipes, Javelin Wasp Gasteruption jaculator and on the Main Pond, a pair of Red-eyed Damselfly, with a couple of Black-tailed Skimmer, Broad-bodied Chaser and Emperor. In the flower meadow a dozen species of butterfly including at least three Marbled White, along with several Silver Y and Diamond Back Moth.

Gatekeeper - James Marshall

Silver Y - Kevin Rylands

Other records included hole nesting Common Yellow-faced Bee and burrowing Beewolf, a male Microlinyphia pusilla spider, the Beach Pill Woodlouse Armadillidium album and, new for the Recording Area, the saltmarsh specialist lacebug Pentastiridius leporinus. 

Common Yellow-faced Bee Hylaeus communis - Alan Keatley

Beach Pill Woodlouse Armadillidium album - Kevin Rylands

Pentastiridius leporinus - Kevin Rylands

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.