Another fine early spring day with the pick of a small arrival of migrants a female Whitethroat behind the Main Pond, the earliest ever site record; the previous earliest was on 7th April 2011. Other grounded migrants included 13 Chiffchaff, six Blackcap and three Willow Warbler in the bushes and two Wheatear on Warren Point.
Overhead 55 Sand Martin, 46 Swallow and six House Martin, with most passing through in a series of pulses early morning. The birds spent some time over the Main Pond feeding up, with most having gone through by 10:30, also overhead seven Jackdaw, three Siskin and the year's first Osprey at 11:10 with the same bird returning to the south end of the estuary from 11:25-11:40.
Elsewhere two Great Northern Diver were offshore with 20 Kittiwake, 11 Red-breasted Merganser, 10 Gannet, nine Sandwich Tern, four Great-crested Grebe and two Fulmar. Yesterday's flock of Eider had departed with perhaps the same birds east past Portland this morning. In the estuary counts included 189 Oystercatcher, 124 Curlew, 22 Grey Plover, six Turnstone, two Knot and two Sanderling.
Wildlife News: Good numbers of male Early Long-horn Adela cuprella were lekking at the top of sallows around the Entrance Bushes, a new species for the Recording Area.
Increasing numbers of Sand Crocus were flowering once the temperature rose late morning with the same conditions attractive to insects. Four species of butterfly; four Comma, three Peacock, Red Admiral and Speckled Wood were on the wing with the first Tree Bumblebee and Dark-edged Beefly of the year also noted.
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