Tuesday 10th June

A large feeding flock of c1140 Herring Gull were offshore early evening, with them 126 Black-headed, 16 Mediterranean (two ad, 3cy & 13+ 2cy) and two 2cy Common Gull, also offshore 25 Common Scoter, 10 Manx Shearwater, two Great Northern Diver and a Sandwich Tern.

Mediterranean (and Herring) Gull - Lee Collins

Counts from the estuary included 16 Sanderling, 15 Dunlin, four Bar-tailed Godwit, four Ringed and two Grey Plover.  

Other Wildlife: The first Marbled White of the year was mobile around the Back Meadow, with single Small and Large Skipper also on the wing. 

Large Skipper - Alan Keatley

Also recorded for the first time this year, a Large Marsh Horsefly Tabanus autumnalis in Skipper Meadow, a couple of hoverflies, Golden-tailed Leaf-licker Xylota sylvarum and Twin-spot Boxer Platycheirus rosarum, the sawfly Common Rose Fusehorn Arge pagana and Wesmael's Digger Wasp Crossocerus wesmaeli.

 Large Marsh Horsefly Tabanus autumnalis - Alan Keatley

Common Rose Fusehorn Arge pagana - Alan Keatley

Other records included a Grey Seal in the estuary at high tide, a Sandpit Blood Bee Sphecodes pellucidus nectaring in Greenland Lake and both Black Marram Weevil Otiorhynchus atroapterus and Strandline Burrower Broscus cephalotes on the beach.

Sandpit Blood Bee Sphecodes pellucidus - Alan Keatley

Strandline Burrower Broscus cephalotes - Dean Hall

Black Marram Weevil Otiorhynchus atroapterus - Dean Hall