Counts from the estuary on a low high tide included 202 Curlew, 93 Black-headed Gull, including the first two juveniles, 13 Redshank, eight Mediterranean Gull, the six Eider and five Dunlin.
Mediterranean Gull - Dave Jewell
Elsewhere seven Great Northern Diver, five immatures and two adults in breeding plumage, were offshore with 18 Common Scoter and a Sandwich Tern, 114 Swift flew WSW early morning and a Great Spotted Woodpecker was on site.
Other Wildlife: A bull Grey Seal was offshore.
An early passage of Mediterranean Gull, with at least 40 recorded today, mostly adults and passing SW, but some also flew in off the sea and up the estuary. With them over 150 Black-headed Gull, 33 Sandwich and eight Common Tern. Also offshore 10 Common Scoter and five Great Northern Diver.
Counts from the estuary included 191 Curlew, 18 Redshank, the six Eider, two Greenshank, two Dunlin and a Bar-tailed Godwit.
Elsewhere a Kingfisher and a pair of Teal were on the Main Pond and newly fledged species included Cirl Bunting, Skylark and Swallow.
Other Wildlife: Another Marbled White was the highlight amongst low numbers of butterflies.
Marbled White - Lee Collins
The sunny conditions did encourage bees and wasps with the first Little Flower Bee Anthophora bimaculata and Beewolf Philanthus triangulum on the wing with the migrant White-clubbed Hoverfly Scaeva pyrastri on the Dune Ridge.
Three Great Northern Diver were offshore along with four Common Scoter, two Sandwich Tern and an adult Mediterranean Gull. A flock of 12 Black-tailed Godwit were on Pole Sands until pushed off by the rising tide.
Counts from the estuary included 217 Curlew, 43 Black-headed and three adult Mediterranean Gull, 25 Whimbrel, the six Eider, three Greenshank, two Redshank and a Bar-tailed Godwit.
With no news from offshore or the estuary, there was little to report aside from the breeding species. Of these the Sparrowhawk are increasingly vocal, with several Bullfinch in the Entrance Bushes and, at the Main Pond, three independent Little Grebe chicks, at least two of which are yet to fully fledge.
Other Wildlife: A welcome increase in insect activity including a number of species new for the year including Four-banded Bee-grabber Conops quadrifasciatus, Striped Slender Robberfly Leptogaster cylindrica, the hoverflies Bolete Blacklet Cheilosia scutellata and Glass-winged Syrphus S. vitripennis and a Small Shaggy Bee Panurgus calcaratus.
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| Four-banded Bee-grabber Conops quadrifasciatus - Alan Keatley |
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| Glass-winged Syrphus S. vitripennis - Alan Keatley |
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| Small Shaggy Bee Panurgus calcaratus - Alan Keatley |
The dune grassland is now looking parched, but the wet spring has lead to a profusion of flowering species in the damper areas, with Skullcap and Selfheal two of the species benefitting. A third is Purple Loosestrife, which in turn benefits the Loosestrife Weevil Nanophyes marmoratus, clocking in at a whopping 2mm, and plentiful on flowering plants.
Loosestrife Weevil Nanophyes marmoratus - Alan Keatley 
Selfheal - Kevin Rylands
Small Red-eyed Damselfly have also emerged and wasted no time in ovipositing with several pairs on the Main Pond. They were joined by Azure and Blue-tailed Damselfly, Emperor Dragonfly, Broad-bodied Chaser and a couple of Black-tailed Skimmer.
Elsewhere more Small Skipper and Gatekeeper are now on the wing with a couple of Large Skipper, a Holly Blue and a Marbled White. Moths noted included Six-spot Burnet, Dingy Shell, Dusky Marble Orthotaenia undulana and Willow Tortrix Epinotia cruciana.
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| Willow Tortrix Epinotia cruciana - Kevin Rylands |
Counts over the high tide included 155 Curlew, 22 Whimbrel, 12 Redshank, two Bar-tailed Godwit and a Greenshank, with 10 Sandwich Tern dropping into The Bight and the six Eider on Finger Point.
Elsewhere 19 Common Scoter and a Great Crested Grebe were off the seawall.
Other Wildlife: Butterflies today included an increase in Meadow Brown along with four Small Copper, three Small Skipper and two Gatekeeper.
Small Skipper - Dean Hall
Other insects recorded today included Lesser Stag Beetle Dorcus parallelipipedus by the Dune Pond, a few Black-and-yellow Longhorn Rutpela maculata, and on Warren Point, a Narrow-bodied Cuckoo Wasp Chrysis angustula.
Lesser Stag Beetle - Alan Keatley %20250624.JPG)
Narrow-bodied Cuckoo Wasp Chrysis angustula - Alan Keatley
The first Mistle Thrush of the year headed E across the estuary, before circling back and landing in the parkland trees of Eastdon House. More firmly on site 211 Starling were around the seawall, with plenty of birds in song reclaiming their territories for another go at breeding including several Cirl Bunting, warblers and Skylark in full voice.
A raft of four Great Northern Diver were off Langstone Rock, two immatures and two in partial breeding plumage, also offshore 23 Common Scoter and a Great Crested Grebe with gull numbers again reduced although 34 Black-headed and three Mediterranean Gull (two ad, 2cy), three Sandwich and two Common Tern were present.
Counts from the estuary included 300 Oystercatcher, 131 Curlew, 10 Whimbrel, six Dunlin, the six Eider and two Bar-tailed Godwit.
Year list addition:
155. Mistle Thrush
Other Wildlife: The first Gatekeeper of the year was in the Back Meadow, a slightly later emergence than last year following a cool start to the month. Also new for the year, Pearl Lacewing Chrysopa perla, Cream-spot Ladybird, Pimpla rufipes, an ichneumon wasp and Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva.
Gatekeeper - Alan Keatley
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| Cream-spot Ladybird - Alan Keatley |
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| Pearl Lacewing Chrysopa perla - Alan Keatley |
Several Crossocerus quadrimaculatus wasps were on Sycamores along the Back Path with Crossocerus podagricus found nesting in old beetle holes in a dead Elder stump.
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| Crossocerus quadrimaculatus - Alan Keatley |
A variety of true Bugs included two new to the Recording Area, a bramble leafhopper Ribautiana tenerrina and Mealy Cabbage Aphid Brevicoryne brassicae, species 5569 & 5570 for the Warren.
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| Deraeocoris ruber nymph - Kevin Rylands |
Elsewhere single Grey Seal and Harbour Porpoise were offshore, Marsh Helleborine are beginning to flower in the dune slacks and Twiggy Mullein was found on the Golf Course a further new species for the Warren.
Wild Onion - Kevin Rylands
Still a concentration of food offshore attracting c320 Herring and 51 Black-headed Gull, 10 Kittiwake, eight Manx Shearwater, four Sandwich Tern and two Mediterranean Gull (ad & 2cy). Also offshore 23 Common Scoter and, circling the bay mid morning, a breeding plumaged Great Northern Diver.
Counts from the estuary included the six Eider, 106 Curlew, 15 Whimbrel, two Bar-tailed Godwit, two Knot and single Redshank and Turnstone.
Other Wildlife: The first Marbled White of the year was on the wing, single Common Dolphin and Harbour Porpoise were offshore and, on Warren Point, two Pyramidal Orchid remain from the colony though swept away by the sea.
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| Pyramidal Orchid - Alan Keatley |
At least 100 Black-headed Gull were foraging offshore along with two Sandwich Tern and an adult Mediterranean Gull. A partial breeding plumage Great Northern Diver was on the sea with a second heading SW, as did a flock of six Turnstone.
Other wader records all came from the estuary with 114 Curlew, 17 Whimbrel, two Bar-tailed Godwit and single Dunlin and Ringed Plover. At least five Eider were on Finger Point at high tide.
Elsewhere a flock of seven Stock Dove were in Soft Sand Bay, with 21 Long-tailed Tit and a family of Reed Warbler around the edge of Greenland Lake.
Other Wildlife: Disappointing for butterflies again with just a few Meadow Brown and Common Blue noted on the wing as it warmed up. Other insects also became more active with sand hollows and small rabbit scrapes soon occupied by numbers of Common Spiny Digger Wasp Oxybelus uniglumis and Minute Digger Wasp Diodontus minutus.
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| Common Spiny Digger Wasp Oxybelus uniglumis - Alan Keatley |
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| Minute Digger Wasp Diodontus minutus - Alan Keatley |
Four Common Dolphin, including a calf, and a Harbour Porpoise were feeding offshore.
Nysius huttoni - Alan Keatley 
Medetera jacula, a woodpecker fly - Alan Keatley
Large numbers of birds again foraging offshore including 128 Black-headed and two 2cy Mediterranean Gull, seven Manx Shearwater, five Common and two Sandwich Tern.
A substantial increase to 76 Curlew roosting in the saltmarsh with 18 Whimbrel, nine Redshank, five Dunlin and a Knot also present over high tide. The six Eider were on Finger Point with a family of Canada Geese having arrived from elsewhere, with no breeding this year.
A Rock Pipit in The Bight and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were other dispersing juveniles, with the family of Lesser Whitethroat still around Dead Dolphin Wood.
A large foraging flock of 580 Herring Gull was joined by 52 Black-headed and three Mediterranean Gull (two 3cy & 2cy), five Manx Shearwater and two Sandwich Tern.
Eight Redshank were new arrivals in the estuary with 67 Curlew, 20 Whimbrel, three Ringed Plover and a pair of Teal also present.
Other Wildlife: A new weevil for the Recording Area was found at Langstone Rock, the widespread clover weevil Protapion apricans.
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| Protapion apricans - Alan Keatley |
A second Recording Area first was also discovered by the railway station, the well marked spider Textrix denticulata. Other spiders recorded included a second Zelotes electus, this time on the edge of The Bight.
Textrix denticulata - Alan Keatley
A Small Skipper, a Peacock and a few Common Blue were on the wing along with the wasps Small Shieldbug Stalker Dryudella pinguis and White-lipped Digger Wasp Lindenius albilabris.
Dryudella pinguis - Alan Keatley
An immature Great Spotted Woodpecker in Dead Dolphin Wood was a post-breeding migrant from elsewhere, with at least one fledged Lesser Whitethroat being fed nearby. Seven Swift were feeding overhead and four Stock Dove were onsite, an increasing occurrence this summer.
Other Wildlife: Some additional images from yesterday.
Bare-saddled Colletes C. similis - Alan Keatley 
Minute Digger Wasp Diodontus minutus - Alan Keatley 
Crepidodera fulvicornis - Alan Keatley 
Ischnocoris angustulus (nymph) - Alan Keatley
%20170624.JPG)
The first two Coal Tit of the year were recorded, both dispersing juveniles; one briefly on Langstone Rock before returning to the mainland and another in the Entrance Bushes.
Three breeding plumage Black-tailed Godwit in the estuary were new arrivals, with 31 Curlew, 13 Whimbrel, the six Eider, four Bar-tailed Godwit and three Sanderling also present at high tide. Elsewhere two Great Northern Diver and a Common Scoter were offshore.
Year list addition:
154. Coal Tit
Early morning 17 Manx Shearwater flew SW during 1hr 30m hour seawatch, along with 10 Common Scoter and a Curlew. Also offshore two lingering Arctic Skua, seven Great Northern Diver (four in breeding plumage), five Common and three Sandwich Tern.
Elsewhere the Lesser Whitethroat pair were still around Dead Dolphin Wood, the usual three immature ♂ and three ♀ Eider were on Finger Point with estuary counts from the high tide including 31 Curlew, 12 Whimbrel and two Dunlin.
Early morning 29 Common Scoter and 11 Manx Shearwater flew SW during 1 hour seawatch with a moulting immature Great Northern Diver close inshore and a pair of Eider and a Sandwich Tern flew into the bay.
The regular six Eider were on Finger Point, with 15 Curlew, eight Whimbrel, five Ringed Plover, two Dunlin and a Sanderling also in the estuary.
Other Wildlife: A Grey Seal was close inshore off Langstone Rock and two Pyramidal Orchid are in flower, by the Visitor Centre and in Greenland Lake.
The Lesser Whitethroat pair were still busy around Dead Dolphin Wood, with both pairs of Little Grebe with second brood chicks on the Main Pond. Also feeding their second brood the Rock Pipit pair at Langstone Rock, the lone Shelduck stood atop may also indicate a breeding attempt.
Elsewhere the six Eider were in the estuary, 26 Sanderling were on the beach, up to 14 Sandwich Tern were offshore and an immature Great Northern Diver was off Langstone Rock.
Other Wildlife: With the sun still shining a few more new species emerged for the year, a Band-eyed Brown Horsefly Tabanus bromius was in the Skipper Meadow with a pair of Red-legged Spider Wasp Episyron rufipes and a Crossocerus quadrimaculatus digger wasp along the Back Path.
Band-eyed Brown Horsefly Tabanus bromius - Alan Keatley %20120624.JPG)
Red-legged Spider Wasp Episyron rufipes - Alan Keatley
Also in Skipper Meadow a male Broad-bodied Chaser and, appropriately, a Large Skipper.
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| Large Skipper - Alan Keatley |
Elsewhere a female Spot-headed Spider Wasp Agenioideus cinctelus was taking a captured Copper Sun-jumper Heliophanus cupreus to a nest chamber on the Dune Ridge, Silvery Leafcutter have now emerged in numbers by the Dune Pond and a small influx of Marmalade Hoverfly was evident.
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| Spot-headed Spider Wasp Agenioideus cinctelus and Copper Sun-jumper Heliophanus cupreus - Alan Keatley |
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| Silvery Leafcutter Megachile leachella - Alan Keatley |
Larger fauna included an early migrant Grey Squirrel in the Entrance Bushes, a Bank Vole in the Buffer Zone and a male Sand Lizard on Warren Point.
The Lesser Whitethroat pair were busy collecting food and the male Tufted Duck made an appearance on the Main Pond, but aside from these scarce breeders there was little else noted.
Other Wildlife: The cool weather wasn't favourable for dragonflies so the appearance of a female Black-tailed Skimmer in Skipper Meadow was a nice surprise.
Black-tailed Skimmer - Alan Keatley
Other new insects for 2024 included Pouting Woodlouse Fly Rhinophora lepida, the snipeflies Rhagio tringarius and R. lineola, and the soft-winged flower beetle Cordylepherus viridis.
Rhagio lineola - Alan Keatley 
Cordylepherus viridis - Alan Keatley
Hunting wasps included Red-banded Grasshopper Grabber Tachysphex pompiliformis seeking out the increasing numbers of grasshopper nymphs and Vertical Spider Wasp Agenioideus cinctellus hunting jumping spiders.
Tachysphex pompiliformis - Alan Keatley
The highlight was again a confirmed breeding record, this time Lesser Whitethroat, a pair, more secretive than the Tufted Ducks, carrying food to a nest near Dead Dolphin Wood.
Dwindling counts in the estuary with 39 Sanderling, 12 Ringed Plover, five Dunlin and a Knot around The Bight at high tide, when the six Eider were loafing on Finger Point.
Offshore 26 Swift flew W early morning, 22 Manx Shearwater distantly foraging and a summer-plumaged Great Northern Diver close in off the seawall.
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| Tufted Duck - David Flack |
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| Cuckoo - David Flack |
Still a few waders pausing their northward journeys with counts of 78 Sanderling, 12 Dunlin, 12 Ringed Plover, two Bar-tailed Godwit and a Knot in the Bight. In contrast a count of 40 Curlew in the saltmarsh indicates early returning failed breeding birds. Also in the estuary, the six Eider and 16 Whimbrel.
Elsewhere 28 Swift, a House Martin and a Yellow Wagtail were overhead and 60+ Manx Shearwater were circling distantly offshore, with three Great Northern Diver, a dark phase immature Arctic Skua and single Common Scoter, Sandwich and Common Tern.
Other Wildlife: Insects became more active during sunnier spells early afternoon, new hymenopteran emergences for the year included Large Sharp-tailed Bee Coelioxys conoidea and Three-spotted Digger Wasp Nysson trimaculatus, alongside increased numbers of Leaden Spider Wasp Pompilus cinereus and Common Spiny Digger Wasp Oxybelus uniglumis.
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| Large Sharp-tailed Bee Coelioxys conoidea - Alan Keatley |
%20080624.JPG) |
| Three-spotted Digger Wasp Nysson trimaculatus - Alan Keatley |
A third Wharf Borer of the week was seen, this time under driftwood, with other beetles recorded including Dune Scarab Aegialia arenaria, Dune Chafer Anomala dubia, the large rove Philonthus politus and a tumbling flower beetle Anaspis maculata.
Dune Chafer Anomala dubia - Kevin Rylands
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| Anaspis maculata - Alan Keatley |
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| Hercostomus nigriplantis - Alan Keatley |
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| Sieve-winged Snailkiller Coremacera marginata - Kevin Rylands |
