Monday 31st May

The highlight was the 18th site record of Nightjar, a male seen a couple of times during the day in Dead Dolphin Wood and leaving its unknown roost there at 21.45. The first record since August 2015 but late news of the 17th record means it was actually only the first sighting for a week! A Hobby flew east early evening with two juvenile Coal Tit and a Lesser Whitethroat on site. Fledged young included Bullfinch, Chiffchaff and Great-spotted Woodpecker. 

Counts from the estuary included 179 Oystercatcher, 22 Mute Swan, 18 Sanderling, 16 Shelduck, five Dunlin, three Turnstone, two Bar-tailed Godwit, two Whimbrel and the Dark-bellied Brent Goose. 

Wildlife News: The change to dry, sunny weather has seen a welcome increase in insects with Common Blue particularly noticeable. Several new species for the year were also on the wing including Ferruginous Bee-grabber Sicus ferrugineus, Large Pied Hoverfly Volucella pellucens, White-clubbed Hoverfly Scaeva pyrastri, Silvery Leafcutter Megachile leachella and Muslin Moth. 

Ferruginous Bee-grabber - Alan Keatley

Meliscaeva auricollis - Alan Keatley

Sunday 30th May

Counts from the estuary included 219 Oystercatcher, 12 Turnstone, 12 Shelduck, 10 Dunlin, 35 Sanderling, five Mediterranean Gull, four Whimbrel, four Ringed and a Grey Plover three Bar-tailed Godwit and the Dark-bellied Brent Goose.

A Great Northern Diver was offshore with 20 Kittiwake, 11 Common Scoter, two Sandwich Tern and a very distant Skua sp. Elsewhere a Stock Dove was overhead and a couple of Reed Warbler were new migrants.

Saturday 29th May

Counts from the estuary included 184 Oystercatcher, 21 Sanderling, 16 Dunlin, 10 Turnstone, nine Ringed and two Grey Plover, six Sandwich and a Common Tern, three Bar-tailed Godwit, a Whimbrel and the Dark-bellied Brent Goose.

Thursday 27th May

The highlight came early with a Marsh Harrier low north just after 6.30am, the start of a good late spring day with four Spotted Flycatcher and a female Whinchat notable late migrants and a small passage of 28 Swallow and 21 House Martin.

Counts from the estuary included 110 Dunlin, 80 Sanderling, 10 Bar-tailed Godwit, six Ringed and two Grey Plover, four Mediterranean Gull, an Arctic Tern and single Knot and Dark-bellied Brent Goose. Elsewhere 75 Common Scoter and 12 Sandwich Tern were offshore. 

Tuesday 25th May

Counts from the high tide included 84 Dunlin, 45 Sanderling, 12 Ringed and five Grey Plover, five Turnstone, five Bar-tailed Godwit, five Whimbrel, two Knot and the Dark-bellied Brent Goose.

Elsewhere 29 Common Scoter, three Sandwich Tern, two Great-crested Grebe and single Great Northern Diver and Arctic Skua were offshore with a Wheatear the only passerine migrant noted.

Monday 24th May

Counts from the estuary on the evening tide included 82 Sanderling, 67 Dunlin, 21 Turnstone, 18 Ringed and three Grey Plover, six Bar-tailed Godwit, two Knot, two Whimbrel and a Dark-bellied Brent Goose. 

Elsewhere two Spotted Flycatcher were on the Golf Course and a summer-plumaged Great Northern Diver was offshore.

Sunday 23rd May

Seawatching on three occasions through the day saw combined totals of six Pomarine and two Arctic Skua, 172 Manx Shearwater, 110 Kittiwake, 17 Fulmar and two Sandwich Tern, with three Great Northern Diver and two Great-crested Grebe on the sea. The skuas were lingering in the bay late afternoon and evening, with the Pomarine at least heading south late on. 

Late migrants included two Spotted Flycatcher at the Main Pond with three Wheatear on site. Elsewhere counts from the estuary included 16 Ringed Plover and 10 Dunlin at low tide with 100+ Sanderling along the beach. 

Wildlife news: A Common Blue was one of the few insects on the wing today. 

Saturday 22nd May

The only records came from the estuary were there were 162 Sanderling, 124 Dunlin, 20 Ringed Plover, seven Bar-tailed Godwit, three Turnstone and a Knot. 

Friday 21st May

Counts from the estuary included 100+ Sanderling, including a Mauritanian ringed bird, similar Dunlin numbers with 10 Bar-tailed Godwit, two Knot, a Grey Plover and a Continental Cormorant. Offshore at least 10 Great Northern Diver and two Arctic Skua. 

Sinensis Cormorant - Lee Collins

Thursday 20th May

A Spoonbill was a surprise highlight during the morning seawatch, heading south at 7.20am, as it flew past a couple of Pomarine Skua rose of the sea to investigate, having presumably roosted in the bay. A further five hours watch were by comparison uneventful with at least 15 Great Northern Diver, 120 Manx Shearwater, two Arctic Skua and just a single Sandwich Tern. 

Counts from the estuary included 43 Sanderling, 15 Dunlin, 10 Ringed Plover, six Bar-tailed Godwit, two Knot and a Dark-bellied Brent Goose. With the loss of Herbert, the Slavonian Grebe, the estuary is looking increasingly empty as the summer approaches.