Thursday 9th August

Two Ruff were present on the morning tide with the juvenile Black Tern present briefly over the evening tide with a single Little Ringed Plover. Peak counts from the estuary during the day included 227 Ringed Plover, 194 Dunlin, 51 Common and c50 Sandwich Tern, 20 Whimbrel, 17 Sanderling, 12 Mediterranean Gull, seven Black and seven Bar-tailed Godwit, three Grey Plover, a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull and the Slavonian Grebe.

Black Tern - Lee Collins

Elsewhere over 100 House Martin were feeding over the site late afternoon, half a dozen Willow Warbler were in the bushes and an Osprey was in the estuary late morning. The potential bird of the day however slipped the net, a probable Great White Egret flew east offshore at 7.30 this morning. It was too distant to clinch but may have been the bird that later dropped onto the Fleet at Abbotsbury, Dorset.

Wildlife News: A new hoverfly for the recording area was found today Eristalinus sepulchralis - the small Spotty-eyed Dronefly. A Wall Brown was on Warren Point and a Painted Lady was watched coming in off the sea early evening.

 Eristalinus sepulchralis - Alan Keatley

Wall Brown - Alan Keatley