A day of brighter weather but with an autumnal feel, enhanced by the first three Dark-bellied Brent Geese of the winter, the earliest arrival since 2004. Two Osprey were also in the estuary, an adult and a juvenile both over Shutterton Creek late morning.
Counts over high tide included 292 Redshank, 75 Dunlin, 55 Ringed Plover, 42 Wigeon, 32 Sanderling, 26 Knot, 22 Greenshank, 19 Sandwich Tern, 12 Mediterranean Gull, seven Bar and a Black-tailed Godwit, four Whimbrel and two Eider.
Offshore 60 Common Tern flew out of estuary at dawn, two Great Northern Diver were on the sea and seven Arctic Skua were drawn to massive mixed feeding flock including at least 135 Gannet and 43 Kittiwake.
Elsewhere movement overhead included 90 Swallow, 12 House Martin, 10 Meadow Pipit, a Grey Wagtail and a Buzzard, with 13 Chiffchaff, three Wheatear, two Sedge Warbler and a Whitethroat on site.
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| Kingfisher - Alan Keatley |
Other Wildlife: A dry sunny day with insects on the wing again after the rain. Good numbers and variety of butterflies with a Small Tortoiseshell making an appearance, only a few are now seen each year on site. This was potentially a migrant along with the 30+ Small White and eight Red Admiral, their huge influx has yet to reach the Warren...
Dragonflies were also out in numbers with Migrant Hawker, Southern Hawker and Common Darter basking in the sunshine. Also on the wing the first Ivy Bee of the year, nothing unusual amongst the hoverflies, although a Broad-banded Epistrophe E. grossulariae was the first for the year.
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| Migrant Hawker - Alan Keatley |
A Fox was active around the Entrance Bushes at midday and a Shieldbug Stalker Astata boops on the hunt in Skipper Meadow was an unexpected September record.
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| Shieldbug Stalker Astata boops - Alan Keatley |
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| The last of the Autumn Ladies-tresses - Kevin Rylands |
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