Sunday 13 August 2023

Sunday 13th August

The highlight of an early morning seawatch was an unexpected juvenile Redstart which atypically landed briefly on the sea wall before flying onto the Warren, typically it could not be relocated. Passing offshore six Storm Petrel, 88 Gannet, 37 Kittiwake, four Fulmar and two Manx Shearwater with 24 Common Scoter on the sea.

Other migrants were limited to the usual species including  nine Whitethroat, three Willow and two Garden Warbler; overhead 15 House Martin and two Swift.

Counts from the Bight at high tide included 137 Ringed Plover, 82 Dunlin, 13 Sanderling, just four Sandwich Tern, four Mediterranean Gull, the four Grey Plover and a Bar-tailed Godwit.

Other Wildlife: The warm conditions meant invertebrates were very active during the occasional sunny periods. Ten  butterfly species included a Small Tortoiseshell, two Holly Blue and two Brown Argus, with a Rush Veneer and two Hummingbird Hawkmoth also recorded, one of the latter was egg laying on Wild Madder

Hummingbird Hawkmoth - Kevin Rylands

Bees were well represented with Black Mining Bee Andrena pilipes, Common Furrow Bee Lasioglossum calceatum, Patchwork Leafcutter Megachile centuncularis and it's cuckoo Shiny-vented Sharp-tail Coelioxys inermis all active.

Patchwork Leafcutter - Kevin Rylands

Hoverflies noted included three species of Dronefly, three Plumehorns, Hornet, Pied and Wasp, Gossamer Baccha elongata and Batman Hoverfly Myathropa florea.

Wasp Plumehorn Volucella inanis - Kevin Rylands

Gossamer Hoverfly - Kevin Rylands

Offshore at least two Common Dolphin and a Grey Seal, with a Water Vole showing well at the Main Pond.

Great Green Bush-cricket - Kevin Rylands

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