Wednesday 9th April

Counts from the estuary over the evening tide included 73 Curlew, 24 Bar-tailed Godwit, 13 Dunlin, four Turnstone, three Greenshank, three Ringed Plover, two Dark-bellied Brent Geese, two Knot and single Redshank, Sanderling and Whimbrel.

Elsewhere nine Sandwich Tern, three Great Crested Grebe and the immature male Eider were offshore and other migrants included a female Black Redstart near the Visitor Centre, the first of the year, two Wheatear and a Willow Warbler. 

Black Redstart - John Kirkland

Year list addition:
123. Black Redstart

Other Wildlife: The highlight was a new bug for site, a Straw Stiltbug Neides tipularius found by chance, well camouflaged amongst the Marram, on Warren Point, At the opposite end of the Recording Area, the tortoise beetle Cassida vibex near Langstone Rock, was another new species. A Spear Thistle Lacebug Tingis cardui, was appropriately on Spear Thistle by the new path onto the nature reserve.

Straw Stiltbug Neides tipularius - Alan Keatley

Spear Thistle Lacebug Tingis cardui - Alan Keatley

Cassida vibex - Alan Keatley

Other finds included a Small Copper amongst five butterfly species, a Green Shieldbug and several Common Nettle Bug Liocoris tripustulatus. A female Sand Lizard on the Dune Ridge was trying to avoid the attention of a hunting male Kestrel.

Small Copper - Alan Keatley