Saturday 19th July

A female Marsh Harrier, the first of the year, arrived over The Bight just before midday before returning up estuary pursued by a lone Carrion Crow.

Also around The Bight at 125 Sandwich Tern including 45 juveniles, eight Ringed and a Grey Plover, five Dunlin, four Bar-tailed Godwit, three Common Sandpiper and a Common Tern. In the Railway Saltmarsh 12 Mediterranean Gull and eight Greenshank were amongst the Black-headed Gull, Curlew and Redshank. 

Elsewhere the juvenile Cuckoo was mobile around Greenland Lake and the Back Meadow, with single Garden and Willow Warbler in the scrub.

Pied Wagtail - Dave Jewell One of the pair that nested at Warren Point

Year list addition: 
156. Marsh Harrier

Other Wildlife: Insect activity was hampered by the strengthening wind but there was still much to be found in sheltered areas. A few migrant Rush Veneer where accompanied by increased numbers of Marmalade Hoverfly and a couple of White-clubbed Glasswing Scaeva pyrastri.

Other hoverflies included the first Matt-backed Halfband Melangyna labiatarum and Broad-banded Globetail Sphaerophoria taeniata of the year.

Broad-banded Globetail Sphaerophoria taeniata - Alan Keatley

Matt-backed Halfband Melangyna labiatarum - Alan Keatley

Other flies noted included Pied Plumehorn Volucella peluscens, Notch-horned Cleg Haematopota pluvialis and the shieldbug tachinid Ectophasia crassipennis.

Ectophasia crassipennis - Kevin Rylands

Notch-horned Cleg Haematopota pluvialis  - Alan Keatley

Moths included the first Jersey Tiger of the year and, around the lights in the entrance tunnel, Black Arches, Brown-tail and Least Carpet had avoided the spiders. 

Waste Grass-veneer Pediasia contaminella - Kevin Rylands

Arctosa leopardus - Alan Keatley

Wasp Spider - Dave Jewell