Saturday 27th September

The Slavonian Grebe reappeared in the estuary initially north of the Recording Area towards Starcross, before it drifted south remaining off Cockwood until the tide dropped. 

Over high tide two Little Stint were in The Bight with 44 Ringed Plover, 24 Dunlin, nine Turnstone, five Sanderling, two Dark-bellied Brent Geese, a Grey Plover and a Knot. 

Sanderling - both Alan Keatley

Also in the estuary 370 Redshank, 316 Teal, 188 Wigeon, 53 Great Black-backed Gull, 20 Greenshank, 20 Sandwich and two Common Tern, three Mediterranean Gull and a Whimbrel.

Elsewhere a probable 1cy Caspian Gull offshore may have been the bird later seen on Cockle Sands, 12 Chiffchaff, two Goldcrest and a Blackcap were on site and a light overhead passage included 15 Meadow Pipit, two Rook and single Grey Wagtail, Siskin and Swallow.

Other Wildlife: On a day not conducive for insects there were just a few butterflies and hoverflies on the wing. Namely single Large White, Speckled Wood and Red Admiral, with several Migrant Field Syrph Eupeodes corollae, Humming Syrphus S. ribesii and Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus and single Batman Hoverfly Myathropa florea and Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax. 

Migrant Field Syrph Eupeodes corollae - Alan Keatley

Also of note a Bur-marigold fly Dioxyna bidentis, the Elaeagnus pysllid Cacopsylla fulguralis, a L-album Wainscot in the railway tunnel and, in the estuary, a Common Seal.

L-album Wainscot - Kevin Rylands

Cacopsylla fulguralis - Alan Keatley

Dioxyna bidentis - Alan Keatley