Friday 16th May

The Curlew Sandpiper was again present over the evening tide, but was absent earlier in the day. Counts from the estuary included 275 Oystercatcher ,15 Whimbrel, 14 Sanderling, 10 Ringed Plover, seven Dunlin, four Bar-tailed Godwit and a Turnstone.

Whimbrel - Lee Collins

Ringed Plover & Dunlin (demonstrating rhynchokinesis) - Lee Collins

At least 11 Great Northern Diver were offshore, five distantly south early morning and six on the sea early evening. Also offshore 64 Manx Shearwater, six Common and three Mediterranean Gull, all 2cy, five Sandwich Tern, three Common Scoter and the Eider. 

Elsewhere aside from a passage of 15 Swallow east along the coast, there were only breeding birds on site including six Canada Goose goslings on the Main Pond, joining the young Mallard, Moorhen and Little Grebe. 

Linnet - Dave Jewell

Canada Geese - Alan Keatley

Other Wildlife: The summer-type weather continues with a wide variety of insects making their first appearance of the year. Leading the way were several Red-girdled Mining Bee Andrena labiata on Germander Speedwell in Skipper Meadow, a scarce species rarely recorded on site. 

Red-girdled Mining Bee Andrena labiata - Alan Keatley

A good selection of butterflies, eight species, included a few Painted Lady and Red Admiral, a Wall Brown along the Dune Ridge and a Brimstone by the Visitor Centre. Day time moths on the wing were a Common Tubic Alabonia geoffrella and several Yellow Shell.

Common Tubic Alabonia geoffrella - Alan Keatley

Yellow Shell - Dean Hall

Blue-eyed Grass is emerging alongside the many Southern Marsh Orchid in damper areas, with four Broad-bodied Chaser and a Hairy Dragonfly at the Main Pond.

Blue-eyed Grass - Dean Hall

More firsts for the year included Broad Centurion Chloromyia formosa, Heather Ladybird Chilocorus bipustulatus, a Ribwort Plantain weevil Mecinus pascuorum, Armed Crabro Digger Wasp Crabro peltarius and Bronze Furrow Bee Halictus tumulorum. 

 Heather Ladybird Chilocorus bipustulatus - Alan Keatley

Armed Crabro Digger Wasp Crabro peltarius - Alan Keatley

Other sightings included Wasp Beetle, Fan-bristled Robberfly Dysmachus trigonus, Bramble Sawfly Arge cyanocrocea, Downlooker Snipefly Rhagio scolopaceus and the Flower Crab Spider Misumena vatia.

Bramble Sawfly Arge cyanocrocea - Alan Keatley

Tiger Hoverfly Helophilus pendulus - Dean Hall

Fan-bristled Robberfly Dysmachus trigonus - Dean Hall