Saturday, 3 June 2023

Saturday 3rd June

High tide showed that waders are still passing through, with many in summer plumage, counts included 150 Oystercatcher, 76 Sanderling, 49 Ringed and four Grey Plover, 26 Curlew, 18 Dunlin, six Bar-tailed Godwit, four Turnstone, three Whimbrel, two Knot and an unseasonal Redshank.

Elsewhere a sub adult Pomarine Skua flew into the bay from the south early morning, the Dark-bellied Brent Goose was in the estuary, eight Swift were overhead and an adult Coal Tit headed east through site before returning after getting to a golf course Tamarisk, the last of the surviving original vegetation before the failed beach recovery scheme.

Wildlife News: Unusually dragonflies out numbered butterflies, both in species and number. The highlight were the first two Black-tailed Skimmer of the year, proof of successful breeding after last year's egglaying. Also around the Main Pond, a Hairy Dragonfly, several Emperor and Broad-bodied Chaser and a Red-eyed Damselfly. A Brown Argus, a Red Admiral and slowly increasing numbers of Meadow Brown were the pick of the butterflies.

Meadow Brown - Alan Keatley

Also on the wing the first Large Sharp-tailed Bee Coelioxys conoidea and Sandpit Blood Bee Sphecodes pellucidus of the year with abundant Hemlock Water-dropwort remaining eerily quiet. In Greenland Lake 20 Bee Orchid spikes were counted, although not all are yet in flower.

Sandpit Blood Bee - Alan Keatley

Lagria hirta, a darkling beetle - Alan Keatley

No comments:

Post a Comment