A largely wet and windy day with the easterlies delivering a highlights including the first two Pomarine Skua south offshore early evening and a smart near adult Little Gull in the estuary. Also offshore during the day a/the pale phase Arctic Skua, five Great Northern and a Red-throated Diver, eight Common Scoter, eight Manx Shearwater, just seven Sandwich Tern, seven Common, five Black-headed and two Mediterranean Gull, all first summers, and the two immature male Eider.
Small parties of waders, many in summer plumage, were arriving through the day with peak counts from the high tides including 72 Dunlin, 54 Bar-tailed Godwit, 47 Whimbrel, 31 Sanderling, 18 Grey and 12 Ringed Plover, three Turnstone and single Knot, Greenshank and the Dark-bellied Brent Goose.
Elsewhere 19 Swift, five House and a Sand Martin flew through and three Wheatear were on site.
Ringing News: D63, the Welsh ringed Whimbrel was a welcome sight, being picked on spring migration for the seventh season in succession. Also recorded a Spanish ringed Dunlin, the second this week.
Wildlife News: The weather meant that insect sightings were at a premium, with no butterflies and very few bees and hoverflies recorded. Found taking shelter were a couple of moths; a male Pale-feathered Leafcutter Incurvaria pectinea and a Sulphur Tubic Esperia suphurella.
Also suffering in the strong wind were many ground beetles, Marram Weevil and Dune Scarab blown on to the beach below the exposed geotubes.
A third Green-winged Orchid of the year, at another new location, was discovered growing on the Golf Course.
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