Saturday 6 January 2024

Saturday 6th January

Another calm day with a flat conditions offshore; on the sea, 19 Great Crested Grebe, eight Eider, five Red-throated and four Great Northern Diver, with six Red-throated Diver (included a flock of five) heading S. The highlight was a Purple Sandpiperheading NE across the bay towards Exmouth, late afternoon.

The two Avocet were still in the estuary with the expected waders and wildfowl over the neap tide, counts including 126 Shelduck, 61 Common Gull, four Greenshank, single Mediterranean Gull and Red-breasted Merganser with 12 Skylark and a Scandinavian Rock Pipit around the Bight.

Avocet - Dave Jewell

Elsewhere an increase to six Chiffchaff on site with nine Teal, two pairs of Shoveler and two Little Grebe at the Main Pond, and overhead two Jackdaw, two Rook and a Siskin.

Year list additions
81. Kestrel
82. Jackdaw
xx. Scandinavian Rock Pipit
83. Sparrowhawk
84. Purple Sandpiper


Other Wildlife: The Grey Squirrel remains in the Entrance Bushes, becoming the first January record for the Warren. 

Despite the low temperature, the sunshine saw insects nectaring in numbers on the flowering Alexanders including a Dock Bug, a couple of Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax and many Common Bluebottle Calliphora vicina.

Common Dronefly - Alan Keatley

Elsewhere a rarely recorded tiny shore fly - Limnellia quadrata was possibly the first record since September 1980. Also seen the leafhopper Euscelis incisus and the jumping spider Euophrys frontalis.

Limnellia quadrata - Alan Keatley

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