Monday 6th April

Offshore there were at least 18 Sandwich Tern, three Red-throated and two Great Northern Diver with c80 Pale-bellied Brent Geese in four flocks which flew in from east and into estuary.

Also in the estuary c100 Curlew, 39 Bar-tailed Godwit, 18 Redshank, 11 Ringed and nine Grey Plover, 10 Sanderling, six Knot, four Dunlin, three Greenshank, two Red-breasted Merganser, a Whimbrel and a Dark-bellied Brent Goose. 

Elsewhere two Swallow flew through and a single Wheatear was on site. 

Other Wildlife: The sunshine and warmer weather brought out a variety of flying insects, the highlight being a male Hornet Grabber Conops vesicularis, a nationally scarce parasitoid fly in the Entrance Bushes. 

Hornet Grabber Conops vesicularis - Alan Keatley

Three species of butterflies were active; Peacock, Speckled Wood and Orange-tip, also on the wing Birch Tortrix Epinotia immundana, Dark-edged Beefly, Sandpit, Small Sallow and Yellow-legged Mining Bee, and the first St. Marks Fly of the year.

Speckled Wood - Alan Keatley

Birch Tortrix Epinotia immundana - Alan Keatley

Beetles on the beach included the nationally rare driftwood weevil Pseudophloeophagus truncorum, the weevil Trichosirocalus troglodytes and the ground beetle Paradromius linearis. 

Pseudophloeophagus truncorum - Alan Keatley

Trichosirocalus troglodytes - Alan Keatley

Paradromius linearis - Alan Keatley