Monday 25th August

Still plenty of activity around the estuary with a Ruff in The Bight on the morning tide and a juvenile Curlew Sandpiper over the evening tide joining minimum counts of 730 Ringed Plover and 411 Dunlin. Other waders present included 15 Whimbrel, 13 Greenshank, five Knot, four Bar-tailed Godwit, three Common Sandpiper, three Grey Plover and two Turnstone.

Also in the estuary a 1cy Yellow-legged Gull in the saltmarsh, 120+ Common Tern high into estuary late evening after just 10 on the morning tide, 52 Sandwich Tern and a juvenile Yellow Wagtail. 

Yellow-legged Gull - Lee Collins

Other Wildlife: The hot dry weather has resulted in  bramble and many meadow flowers already going over, particularly the Common Fleabane, leaving fewer nectaring opportunities for insects. Numbers and range of bees and hoverflies have started to drop accordingly.  Autumn Ladies Tresses can be found just emerging in damper areas, having gone to seed elsewhere.

Autumn Ladies Tresses - Alan Keatley

Still active on Water Mint were Common Yellow-faced Bee Hylaeus communis, Hornet Volucella zonaria and Pied Plumehorn Volucella pellucens. Also noted Small-notched Mason Wasp Ancistrocerus gazella, Common Darter and Southern Hawker, and the migrants Painted Lady, Dark Sword-grass and Rush Veneer.

Common Darter - Alan Keatley

Small-notched Mason Wasp Ancistrocerus gazella - Alan Keatley