Monday 30th March

Counts from the evening high tide included 100 Curlew, 36 Bar-tailed Godwit, 22 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 12 Redshank, nine Knot, seven Grey and six Ringed Plover, seven Dunlin, four Red-breasted Merganser and two Greenshank.

Elsewhere eight Sandwich Tern, four Great Crested Grebe and two Red-throated Diver were offshore. 

Other Wildlife: The lack of birds on site were compensated with a variety range of insects, mainly in sheltered areas. On the wing were nectaring Gooden's Nomad Bee Nomada goodeniana near Langstone Rock, Empis femorata dancefly and the hoverfly, Smudge-veined Clubtail Neoascia podagrica, with a Dark-edged Beefly searching for solitary bee nests to deposit eggs by the Entrance Bushes, 

Gooden's Nomad Bee Nomada goodeniana - Alan Keatley

Smudge-veined Clubtail Neoascia podagrica - Alan Keatley

Empis femorata - Alan Keatley

Elsewhere an Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni on nettles, the water scavenger beetle Cercyon unipunctatus on the beach and a click beetle Agrypnus murinus under a log. 

Cercyon unipunctatus - Alan Keatley

Agrypnus murinus - Alan Keatley

Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni - Alan Keatley

As water levels drop a lesser water boatman Corixa punctata appeared out of place and struggling on mud near the Main Pond. It can at least fly to the pond, an option unavailable to the stranded tadpoles. 

Corixa punctata - Alan Keatley