Tuesday 3rd March

A low tide visit with little to report in the estuary, although 60 Dark-bellied Brent Geese were feeding on the beach shoreline. Elsewhere the Merlin shot low through the Buffer Zone before heading over the Entrance Bushes towards the estuary, the Cetti's Warbler was singing around the Car Park and migrants included a small increase in Stonechat with six Goldfinch and a Chaffinch overhead. 

The 2025 Recording Group Bird Report is now available 

Other Wildlife: The spring weather saw the first Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax of the year on the wing, but the majority of the other insects today were ground based. 

Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax - Alan Keatley

A good selection of beetles were found along the beach with some out of place species including the water beetle Haliplus lineatocollis and the water scavenger beetles Hydrobius fuscipes and Helophorus grandis, normally found near fresh water. The latter is new for the Recording Area.

Hydrobius fuscipes - Alan Keatley

Haliplus lineatocollis - Alan Keatley

Helophorus grandis - Alan Keatley

Other beetles on the drying sand included the leaf beetle Prasocuris phellandrii and the ground beetle Syntomus forveatus, as well as Red Marsh Ladybird, Black Marram Weevil and Dune Scarab.

Syntomus forveatus - Alan Keatley

Prasocuris phellandrii - Dean Hall

Also in the dunes the woodlouse hunting spider Harpactea hombergi and on gorse, the orbweb spider Agalenatea redii and the weevil Exapion ulicis. 

Harpactea hombergi - Alan Keatley

Agalenatea redii - Alan Keatley

Exapion ulicis - Dean Hall