Sunday 27th February

No sign of the Velvet Scoter in choppy conditions offshore with a Great Northern Diver sheltering in the estuary mouth. Heading south nine Red-throated Diver, 54 Kittiwake, c50 auk sp., 15 Gannet and three Fulmar.

Counts from the estuary included 171 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 143 Grey and 28 Ringed Plover, 136 Turnstone, 105 Knot, 83 Bar-tailed Godwit, 44 Teal, 39 Shelduck, 26 Redshank, 21 Sanderling, 10 Wigeon, five Red-breasted Merganser, five Lesser Black-backed Gull, two Greenshank and a Pintail. 

Elsewhere at least eight Cirl Bunting on site, a Teal was on the First Pond, a Chiffchaff in the Entrance Bushes and 15 Jackdaw overhead.

Wildlife News: Despite the sunny weather the strong wind kept the temperature down. The first Slender Melanostoma Melanostoma scalare of the year was on the wing with a few Stripe-faced Dronefly Eristalis tenax. The first Stoat sighting of the year was at Langstone Rock, although footprints have been noted on the Dune Ridge. Potential Badger signs were also noted (footprints and foraging) in the Entrance Bushes, there have been no confirmed records for at least five years. 

Aphodius prodromus - Alan Keatley

Irish Yellow Slug - Alan Keatley