A ♀ Surf Scoter was a brief unexpected highlight, the 14th site record but the first since Nov 2014. It was sat distantly offshore, usually asleep, and continued to drift out with tide. Despite flat calm sea and good viewing conditions it was not seen after 10.30am.
Also offshore at least 10 Great Northern and two Red-throated Diver, just two of the former close in but both in breeding plumage, 20 Common Scoter and a single Sandwich Tern.
Other new arrivals included a Spotted Flycatcher in the Entrance Bushes and four sub-singing Reed Warbler including birds in Greenland Lake and on top of Langstone Rock!
Overhead single Sand Martin and Yellow Wagtail, a Wheatear flew across estuary, a pair of Tufted Duck W over The Bight before heading high north and a Red Kite SW mid-morning.
Elsewhere counts from the estuary included 40 Sanderling, 37 Whimbrel, 33 Dunlin, 13 Ringed and a Grey Plover, nine Turnstone, six Bar-tailed Godwit and five Eider.
Year list addition:
150. Surf Scoter
Other Wildlife: The warm sunny weather saw an increase in flying invertebrates with the first Wall Brown of the year one of eight butterfly species on the wing. These also included Holly Blue, Small Copper and Speckled Wood.
Day-flying moths included Common and Garden Carpet, but the best was a Small Yellow Underwing in the Skipper Meadow, only the second site record and the first since the late 1990s.
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| Small Yellow Underwing - Alan Keatley |
Also recorded today two Harbour Porpoise offshore, a single Blue-tailed Damselfly and a Bordered Shieldbug, new for the Recording Area.
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| Bordered Shieldbug - Kevin Rylands |
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| Agrypnus murinus - Alan Keatley |
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