Monday 25 September 2023

Monday 25th September

Both the low high tide and the bushes were quiet with low numbers of birds, in contrast to an early morning seawatch that produced an impressive 242 Balearic Shearwater south with several Arctic Skua and good numbers of feeding Kittiwake in the bay.

A juvenile Osprey was the highlight in the estuary with 48 Great Black-backed Gull, 43 Ringed Plover and four Sandwich Tern in the Bight with 77 Linnet feeding around the strandline. 

Other Wildlife: A typical section of autumn insects with a good tally of ten butterfly species on the wing including a couple of migrant Clouded Yellow and Painted Lady with a Comma the pick of the residents.

Comma - Alan Keatley

Hoverflies featured Spotted Field Syrph Eupeodes luniger, Broad-banded Epistrophe E. grossulariae and Marsh Tiger Hoverfly Helophilus hybridus, with Ivy Bee numbers continuing to increase as more Ivy comes into flower. A Dark Bush-cricket also found the Ivy to its liking and a couple of Chrysolina banksii were near the Amusements.

Chysolina banksii - Alan Keatley

Dark Bush-cricket - Alan Keatley

Elsewhere a record count of four Grey Seal (three males) were in the estuary. 

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