Tuesday 28th April

The first Little Tern of the year flew east past the seawall late morning with counts during the day including 130 Manx Shearwater, 40 Sandwich Tern, 11 Black-headed and a Common Gull, five Common Scoter, four Great Northern and three Red-throated Diver, two Great Crested Grebe and an Eider.

Counts from the estuary included 52 Whimbrel, 39 Bar-tailed Godwit, 20 Dunlin, 19 Sanderling, seven Grey and four Ringed Plover, two Turnstone and a Greenshank 

Elsewhere the first Swift of the year flew east and the Lesser Whitethroat was still holding territory.

Year List additions:
140. Swift
139. Little Tern

Other Wildlife: With the mainly overcast conditions and lower temperatures, it wasn't a day for insects on the wing with only one butterfly noted, a Speckled Wood. Other insects trying to warm up on vegetation including a Bibio fly new for the Recording Area, a Milky-winged Feverfly Dilophus femoratus, and a Clouded Border on the Buffer Zone. 

Milky-winged Feverfly Dilophus femoratus - Alan Keatley

Clouded Border - Alan Keatley

On the beach, the ant Myrmica ruginodis and a black dung fly Ceratinostoma ostiorum, on cultivated Elaeagnus near car park entrance, the psyllid Cacopsylla fulguralis and on sallows, the foodplant, in the Entrance Bushes the gall-causing weevil Archarius salicivorus.

Myrmica ruginodis - Alan Keatley

Ceratinostoma ostiorum - Alan Keatley

 Cacopsylla fulguralis - Alan Keatley

 Archarius salicivorus - Alan Keatley

Monday 27th April

Flat calm conditions offshore revealed at least 14 Great Northern Diver, including a distant raft of six birds on the sea with 100+ Manx Shearwater east, 26 Sandwich Tern, six Black-headed and a Common Gull, five Common Scoter, the female Eider and a lone Canada Goose sat over a mile out to sea.

In the estuary counts over the evening high tide included 56 Whimbrel, 39 Bar-tailed Godwit, 19 Dunlin, 11 Ringed and seven Grey Plover and two Greenshank. Elsewhere 15 Sanderling were on the beach, a Yellow Wagtail was overhead, a new Reed Warbler was holding territory and the Lesser Whitethroat was still present.

Other Wildlife: Two Red Admiral and a Painted Lady were on the wing late afternoon. 

Lupin Aphid Macrosiphum albifrons - Kevin Rylands This American species was reportedly introduced to help control the invasive Tree Lupin

Sunday 26th April

The Lesser Whitethroat was still singing at the end of the car park with a couple more Whitethroat back on territory and a Yellow Wagtail overhead the only new migrants around the scrub.

Offshore a raft of c40 Common Scoter, 25 Manx Shearwater, six Sandwich Tern, five Black-headed Gull, two Great Northern and a Red-throated Diver, a Fulmar and the female Eider.

Counts from the estuary over high tide included 215 Oystercatcher, 62 Whimbrel, 31 Turnstone, 24 Bar-tailed Godwit, 24 Sanderling, 19 Dunlin, eight Grey and three Ringed Plover, two Common Sandpiper, two Greenshank and a Redshank.

Other Wildlife: Two Painted Lady and a helice Clouded Yellow were seen late afternoon, with a Stoat near the Crocus Compound.

Painted Lady - Kevin Rylands

The 'redcurrant' gall of the wasp Neuroterus quercusbaccarum with a Green Longhorn - Kevin Rylands

Saturday 25th April

Migrants overhead included two Yellow Wagtail, 40+ Swallow and three Sand Martin with two Red Kite offsite NE over Cockwood, one crossing estuary at Starcross. In the bushes at least five pairs of Whitethroat now on territory, two Reed Warbler and one Lesser Whitethroat. 

Offshore 22 Sandwich Tern, 13 Black-headed Gull in off, five Common Scoter, two Great Northern and a Red-throated Diver, a Great Crested Grebe and the female Eider.

In the estuary counts from the low high tide included 41 Whimbrel, 32 Bar-tailed Godwit, 25 Sanderling, eight Grey Plover and two Greenshank.

Kestrel - Dave Jewell

Kestrel - Lee Collins Consuming a Sand Lizard

Other Wildlife: Nine species of butterfly were on the wing including the first five Green-veined White of the year, a site record four Holly Blue, a Brimstone east across the estuary and also on the move 15 Red Admiral and a Painted Lady. 

Good numbers of the rove beetle Bledius spectabilis, males with their distinctive "horn" and a few of the ground beetle Pogonus chalceus were active around the drying edge of The Bight. On the beach a Copper Greenclock Poecilus cupreus was amongst the usual Dune Scarab and Marram Weevil.

Bledius spectabilis - Alan Keatley

Pogonus chalceus - Alan Keatley

Copper Greenclock Poecilus cupreus - Alan Keatley

On the Dune Ridge the first robberfly of the year, a Spring Heath Robberfly Lasiopogon cinctus alongside its prey species Coastal Silver-stiletto Acrosathe annulata. In Greenland Lake, a Migrant Broadtail Eupeodes corollae hoverfly and the cranefly Tipula oleracea.

Migrant Broadtail Eupeodes corollae - Alan Keatley

Bees and wasps on the wing included Early Bumblebee, Black, Orange-tailed, Sandpit and Short-fringed Mining Bee, Fork-jawed and Gooden's Nomad Bee and the first Median Wasp Dolichovespula media of the year. 

Orange-tailed Mining Bee - Kevin Rylands

Also recorded the plant bug Cymus glandicolor, Bramble Sawfly Arge cyanocrocea, the scorpion fly Panorpa germanica, the click beetles Agriotes lineatus and Agrypnus murinus, a Dark-edged Beefly and several cases of Lotus Case-bearer Coleophora discordella at Langstone Rock. 

Bramble Sawfly Arge cyanocrocea - Alan Keatley

Lotus Case-bearer Coleophora discordella - Kevin Rylands

Friday 24th April

A Red Kite flew NE early morning with a steady trickle of hirundines, at least 40 Swallow and 15 House Martin. On site 15 Whimbrel were in Greenland Lake, a Coal Tit was by the Main Pond, where two Reed Warbler were holding territory. 

Elsewhere 15 Sanderling were on the beach, six Bar-tailed Godwit and two Greenshank were off Cockwood at low tide and 15 Manx Shearwater, three Sandwich Tern and a Red-throated Diver were offshore.

Other Wildlife: Two Red Admiral highlighted it wasn't just birds on the move. 

Thursday 23rd April

The sunshine spurred warblers into song with vocal Garden Warbler, the first of the year, and Lesser Whitethroat along the Back Path. As well as singing Blackcap, Common Whitethroat and Chiffchaff on territory and a couple of Willow Warbler by the Dune Pond.

Lesser Whitethroat - Jim Summers

Common Whitethroat - Dean Hall

A Red Kite was overhead early morning with a steady passage of Swallow along the Dune Ridge, 79 were counted, but no doubt the true figure was well into three figures, with 18 House Martin also a minimum count.

Elsewhere there were roaming flocks of up to 52 Whimbrel with four newly arrived summer plumaged Grey Plover, a Bar-tailed Godwit and a Sandwich Tern in the estuary.

Whimbrel - Jim Summers

Year List addition:
138. Garden Warbler

Other Wildlife: Good numbers of butterflies were also making the most of the weather with a single Brimstone the pick amongst at least ten Orange-tip and half a dozen Peacock and Small Copper.

Small Copper - James Marshall

Hoverflies on the wing included Goosamer Hoverfly Baccha elongata, Grey-spotted Boxer Platycheirus albimanus and Common Tiger Hoverfly Helophilus pendulus with a few female Fork-jawed Nomad Bee Nomada ruficornis searching out Orange-tailed Mining Bee Andrena haemorrhoa nests around the Entrance Bushes.

Goosamer Hoverfly Baccha elongata - Alan Keatley

Common Tiger Hoverfly Helophilus pendulus - Dean Hall

Fork-jawed Nomad Bee Nomada ruficornis - Alan Keatley

Oulema melanopus s.l - Alan Keatley

Wednesday 22nd April

A briefly reeling Grasshopper Warbler on the Golf Course and the first Reed Warbler at the Main Pond were both new arrivals in the stiff easterlies, with the Lesser Whitethroat and two Willow Warbler also in song.

Elsewhere counts from the estuary on the rising evening tide included 21 Whimbrel, 14 Bar-tailed Godwit, 10 Turnstone, eight Grey Plover, four Dunlin, two two Pale and a Dark-bellied Brent Geese, two Redshank and a Greenshank.

Cirl Bunting - Elizabeth Mulgrew

Year List addition:
137. Reed Warbler

Tuesday 21st April

Another day of variety headlined by the first Lesser Whitethroat along with five Wheatear on site and three House Martin overhead. The breeding season is well underway with the first fledged Blackbird, eight Mallard ducklings, two Song Thrush carrying food and Blue Tit nest building. 

In the estuary wader numbers remained similar but a range of summer plumaged and ringed birds showed continue movement. Counts included 39 Turnstone, 31 Dunlin, 30 Whimbrel, 23 Bar-tailed Godwit, 16 Sanderling, eight Grey and four Ringed Plover, three Knot, two Greenshank, two Pale and a Dark-bellied Brent Geese. 

Offshore 26 Sandwich Tern, 15 Manx Shearwater, four Common Scoter, three Great Northern Diver and a distant skua sp harrying a Kittiwake.

Year List addition:
136. Lesser Whitethroat

Other Wildlife: Despite the cold easterly wind there was plenty of invertebrate activity in sheltered areas. Butterflies included the second Holly Blue and Wall Brown of the year and four Orange-tip, with moths including Feathered Leaf-cutter Incurvaria masculella, Green Longhorn, Grey Gorse Piercer and Lackey caterpillars.

Holly Blue - Alan Keatley

Wall Brown - Kevin Rylands

Green Longhorn - Kevin Rylands

Lackey Moth - Alan Keatley

A new species of sawfly for the Recording Area, Widow Willow Nematine Euura viduata, was found on willow at the back of Crocus Compound. Other hymenoptera on the wing included Short-fringed Mining Bee Andrena dorsata and Furry-claspered Furrow Bee Lasioglossum lativentre.

Widow Willow Nematine Euura viduata - Alan Keatley

Short-fringed Mining Bee Andrena dorsata - Alan Keatley

Furry-claspered Furrow Bee Lasioglossum lativentre - Alan Keatley

Large numbers of St Mark's Fly were active with a Dark-edged Beefly still on the wing and unusually two species of phantom cranefly recorded, Ptychoptera albimana and P. contaminata.

Ptychoptera albimana - Alan Keatley

Ptychoptera contaminata - Alan Keatley

Dark-edged Beefly - Alan Keatley

The increase in flying insects has seen a corresponding increase in spiders.

Flower Crab Spider Misumena vatia - Kevin Rylands

Zilla diodia - Kevin Rylands

Monday 20th April

A Grasshopper Warbler was reeling briefly on Warren Point early morning, with two Wheatear and a Willow Warbler also on site. 

Elsewhere counts from the estuary over the morning high tide included 49 Dunlin, 20 Sanderling, nine Ringed Plover, five Grey Plover and three Knot, at least one female Eider was offshore, two Stock Dove flew over the Golf Course and two Red-legged Partridge were on Warren Point.

St Mark's Fly Bibio marci - Kevin Rylands

Sunday 19th April

Whimbrel continued to arrive in small flocks during the day with at least 78 present over the evening tide, suggesting another >100 day. Other morning arrivals included four Pale-bellied Brent Geese and a drake Gadwall.

Gadwall - Dave Jewell

Other counts from the estuary included 220 Oystercatcher, 63 Dunlin, 22 Bar-tailed Godwit, 17 Sanderling, 13 Ringed and five Grey Plover, three Knot, two Greenshank and the Dark-bellied Brent Goose.

The first Yellow Wagtail of the year was overhead with other migrants limited to four Wheatear and two Willow Warbler on Warren Point. 

Whitethroat - Dave Jewell

Willow Warbler - Dave Jewell

Elsewhere 25 Manx Shearwater, 22 Sandwich Tern, three Black-headed Gull, the female Eider, a Red-throated and a Great Northern Diver were offshore and the first brood of Mallard ducklings were at the Main Pond. 

Year List addition:
135. Yellow Wagtail

Other Wildlife; The first Wall Brown of the year was on the Dune Ridge, a few Sand Crocus were still flowering in Greenland Lake and the Green-winged Orchid has survived the erosion on Warren Point. 

Sand Crocus - Lee Collins

Green-winged Orchid - Lee Collins

Saturday 18th April

Whimbrel were a feature of the day with at least 78 arriving from the east during the morning, with birds heading into the estuary. Small groups were then present in Greenland Lake and estuary, with well  >100 through during the day.

Other visible migrant arrivals included at least 10 Wheatear and five Whitethroat but the two highlights remained unseen, a Cuckoo heard calling distantly from Warren Point and a Grasshopper Warbler reeling along Wryneck Plain. 

Wheatear - Dave Jewell

Elsewhere a 2CY Caspian Gull and a 5CY Yellow-legged Gull were on the beach, 21 Sandwich Tern, four Great Northern and three Red-throated Diver, the female Eider and a Dark-bellied Brent Goose were offshore and counts from the estuary included 43 Dunlin, 22 Bar-tailed Godwit, 15 Sanderling, eight Greenshank, five Grey Plover, five Ringed Plover and three Knot.

 Yellow-legged Gull  - Lee Collins

Year List additions:
134. Grasshopper Warbler
133. Cuckoo

Other Wildlife: A couple of late Sand Crocus were in flower in a damp patch below the Back Path at start of Greenland Lake, at least a week later than all the others. New emergences buried in the dune turf included Bird's-foot, Changing Forget-me-not and Subterranean Clover. 

Sand Crocus - Alan Keatley

Changing Forget-me-not - Kevin Rylands

Subterranean Clover - Kevin Rylands

A mix of insects included Common Furrow Bee Lasioglossum calceatum and Fleabane Tortoise Beetle Cassida murraea in Greenland Lake, a horsetail sawfly Red-backed Weeper Dolerus aericeps on its foodplant.in the Buffer Zone, and new for the Recording Area, a Hawthorn Leaf Beetle Lochmaea crataegi along the Back Path. 

Common Furrow Bee Lasioglossum calceatum - Alan Keatley

In the dunes, species found included a clover seed weevil Protapion apricans, a tiny mould beetle Cortinicara gibbosa, the beet bug Parapiesma quadratum and an Epaulet Ladybird Rhyzobius chrysomeloides.

Protapion apricans - Alan Keatley

Cortinicara gibbosa - Alan Keatley

Parapiesma quadratum - Alan Keatley