Wednesday 21st July

A morning visit saw a flock of eleven Sand Martin fly through quickly, but a group of  35 Sanderling feeding on the beach were not in such a hurry. The tide was out, but in the estuary there was a gathering of at least nine Mediterranean Gull of various ages and up to 35 Sandwich Tern coming and going.

Wildlife News: The first Sycamore Piercer Pammene aurita for the Recording Area was found near the railway, moth 684 for the Warren. 

Sycamore Piercer - Alan Keatley

Other insects active in the high temperatures included the first Willow Mason-wasp Symmorphus bifasciatus of the year, a Wool Carder Bee continuing to guard the Lamb's-ear and evidence of migration with a steady steam of Small White and a few Red Admiral.

Willow Mason-wasp - Alan Keatley

Small White - Alan Keatley

Following last winter's erosion of much of the Desert and part of Warren Point it was good to see a display of Sea Holly recovering on the remaining beach.

Sea Holly - Alan Keatley

Sunday 18th July

The first juvenile Wheatear of the autumn was on Warren Point, with a juvenile Siskin and a Willow Warbler in the bushes further evidence in the change of seasons. The Nuthatch and Coal Tit were also still present with 15 Sand Martin, 14 Swallow and six Swift overhead.

Elsewhere nine Common Scoter were offshore and 32 Sandwich and five Common Tern were in the estuary with 16 Dunlin, seven Sanderling and the Little Ringed Plover.

Wildlife News: The first Beewolf of the year were on the wing with good numbers of Little Flower Bee and Hairy-saddled Colletes and the sand wasp Ammophila sabulosa. 

Beewolf

Little Flower Bee 

Also on the wing 13 species of butterfly including Ringlet, Common Blue and Red Admiral; and six dragonflies including Small Red-eyed Damselfly and Golden-ringed Dragonfly. 

Saturday 17th July

Counts from the estuary included a Little Ringed, four Grey and three Ringed Plover, 356 Curlew, 60 Redshank, 35 Sandwich and seven Common Tern, 29 Dunlin, 26 Whimbrel, eight Mediterranean Gull, four Knot, two Sanderling, a Greenshank and a Turnstone.

Sanderling - Garry Hayman

Elsewhere the second Nuthatch of the year was in the Entrance Bushes and the summer-plumaged Great Northern Diver was off Langstone Rock

Wildlife News: The first Wool Carder Bee Anthidium manicatum for the Recording Area were on the Lamb's-ear near the Go-karts, with Hairy-saddled Colletes Colletes fodiens, Coastal Leafcutter Megachile maritima and Little Flower Bee Anthophora bimaculata also active in the hot weather. 

Wool Carder Bee - Alan Keatley

The first Marbled White of the year was one of 15 butterfly species recorded including Small Skipper, Comma and Ringlet with seven dragonfly species including Small Red-eyed Damselfly on the Main Pond, a Black-tailed Skimmer and a Golden-ringed Dragonfly. Large numbers of Marsh Helleborine are in flower across the site and Meadow Vetchling was rediscovered after an absence of over 30 years. 

Marbled White - Alan Keatley

Small Red-eyed Damselfly - Alan Keatley

Thursday 15th July

An Arctic Tern flew into the estuary early morning with 35 Sandwich and three Common Tern, including the first two juveniles, and the first juvenile Mediterranean Gull. Wader counts included 298 Curlew, 210 Oystercatcher, nine Whimbrel, seven Dunlin, two Ringed Plover, two Black and a Bar-tailed Godwit. 

Elsewhere the summer plumaged Great Northern Diver was off the seawall and a Coal Tit was in the Entrance Bushes. 

Wildlife News: The first Common Darter of the year was on the wing along with a female Black-tailed Skimmer and a male Broad-bodied Chaser in Greenland Lake. 

Common Darter - Dave Jewell

Broad-bodied Chaser - Alan Keatley

Scarlet Tiger - Alan Keatley

Tuesday 13th July

Three Little Ringed Plover were in the Bight with 21 Dunlin, a Knot and a Grey Plover, also in the estuary 12 Sandwich and a Common Tern were roosting on Finger Point and six Mediterranean and 52 Black headed Gull, 215 Curlew and three Greenshank in Shutterton Creek. Elsewhere a Tawny Owl was in the Entrance Bushes.

Stonechat - Dave Jewell

Wildlife News: A female Black-tailed Skimmer was on Warren Point and a Golden-ringed Dragonfly was in Greenland Lake. 

Golden-ringed Dragonfly

Monday 12th July

A Roseate Tern was in the estuary with three Common Tern, the juvenile Little Ringed Plover and a summer plumaged Knot. 

Sunday 11th July

Two Roseate Tern were in the estuary most of the day with 33 Sandwich and two Common Tern; also present 283 Curlew, 70 Redshank, 24 Dunlin, 17 Mediterranean Gull, five Greenshank, five Whimbrel, four Ringed Plover, including the first juvenile, the juvenile Little Ringed Plover, three Bar-tailed Godwit, two Grey Plover and a Sanderling.

Roseate Tern - Lee Collins

Roseate Tern - David Flack

Offshore a subadult Pomarine Skua, 30 Common Scoter, 20 Kittiwake, two Great-crested Grebe and two Great Northern Diver.

Elsewhere 30 Swift and a juvenile Peregrine were overhead and a Common Sandpiper was on the seawall.

Saturday 10th July

A Roseate Tern was fishing offshore early morning with a single Arctic, 36 Sandwich and six Common Tern, also offshore 18 Common Scoter and 12 Manx Shearwater.

Over the high tide most of the terns moved to the Bight with wader counts including 271 Curlew, 68 Redshank, 35 Dunlin, six Black and four Bar-tailed Godwit, four Whimbrel, four Grey, a Little Ringed and a Ringed Plover, two Greenshank and a Common Sandpiper.

Little Ringed Plover - Lee Collins

Elsewhere 61 Swift were overhead and the first two Willow Warbler of the autumn. 

Friday 9th July

Counts from the estuary included 238 Oystercatcher, 232 Curlew, 32 Redshank, 22 Sandwich and a Common Tern, 18 Dunlin, eight Bar-tailed Godwit, six Mediterranean Gull (4 ad & two fs) and four Grey Plover.

Wildlife News: Insects recorded today included two new Minute Black Wasp Diodontus minutus, a Wall Brown and female Broad-bodied Chaser and along the Back Path, the first adult Great Green Bush-cricket.

Minute Black Wasp - Alan Keatley

Thursday 8th July

One Little Ringed Plover remained over the evening tide with two Black-tailed Godwit new arrivals with at least 22 Sandwich Tern present. Elsewhere a the location of a roosting Tawny Owl in the Entrance Bushes was betrayed by several angry Blackbird.

Wildlife News: The highlight was a Two-banded Wasp Hoverfly Chrysotoxum bicinctum the first recorded sighting since 1981, with a notable influx of migrant hoverflies, especially Marmalade and Long Hoverfly. 

Two-banded Wasp Hoverfly - Alan Keatley

Also on the wing the first Hairy-saddled Colletes Colletes fodiens and Waisted Bee-grabber Physocephala rufipes of the year, Pantaloon Bee Dasypoda hirtipes, Large and Small Skipper, Large White, Small Copper, Red Admiral, Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown.  

Waisted Bee-grabber - Alan Keatley

A Pyramidal Orchid on Warren Point was a welcome sight as none have appeared at the regular site this year. 

Pyramidal Orchid - Alan Keatley