Thursday 17th April

Highlights from an early morning visit included four Sandwich Tern, three Common Scoter, two female Eider and two Red-throated Diver offshore with two Little Egret heading south.

Overhead two Chaffinch, two Jackdaw and a Swallow with nine Chiffchaff, four Blackcap, three Whitethroat and single Reed and Willow Warbler in the bushes. 

Early afternoon 17 Dunlin, eight Whimbrel and seven Ringed Plover were in The Bight at low tide with at least 40 Sandwich Tern offshore and a flock of 11 Mute Swan flew east.

Other Wildlife: An increase in invertebrate activity with several species appearing for the first time this year including Coastal Silver-stiletto Acrosathe annulata, Batman Hoverfly Myathropa florea and the picture-winged fly Euleia heraclei, although the latter's leafmining larvae are recorded through the winter. 

Coastal Silver-stiletto Acrosathe annulata - Alan Keatley

Mining bees were well represented with Black Andrena pilipes, Sandpit A. barbilabris, Buffish A. nigroaenea, Orange-tailed A. haemorrhoa, Chocolate A. scotica and Yellow-legged A. flavipes on the wing.

In the sand dunes the nationally scarce ground spider Zelotes electus was active with the woodlouse spider Dysdera crocata and the red ant Myrmica ruginodis also enjoying the warming sands.

Zelotes electus - Alan Keatley

Myrmica ruginodis - Alan Keatley

Dysdera crocata - Alan Keatley