Thursday 16th June

A quiet day birdwise with four Common Tern offshore and the family of four Raven in the Bight the most notable sightings

Wildlife News: A Shiny-vented Sharp-tail Bee Coelioxys inermis was watched investigating holes in the Railway wall between the footbridge and Langstone Rock. The first site record since 2011. This species is a cuckoo of Patchwork Leafcutter Megachile centuncularis.

Shiny-vented Sharp-tail Bee Coelioxys inermis - both Alan Keatley

Other new hymenoptera for the year included another cuckoo bee Black-thighed Epeolus Epeolus variegatus and the Sand-tailed Digger Wasp Cerceris arenaria. Other sightings included 12 Pyramidal Orchid on Warren point, a Golden-tailed Hoverfly Xylota sylvarum in Dead Dolphin Wood and a Marbled White along the railway. 

Pyramidal Orchid - Alan Keatley

Marbled White - Alan Keatley

Tuesday 14th June

Counts from the estuary over the evening tide included 146 Oystercatcher, 35 Curlew, 10 Sanderling, six Dunlin, five Grey and three Ringed Plover, five Mediterranean Gull (1 ad, 2 2nd s, 2 1st s), four Sandwich Tern and single Redshank and Whimbrel.

Sunday 12th June

Counts from the estuary included 201 Oystercatcher, 149 Black-headed Gull, 33 Curlew, 16 Turnstone, eight Dunlin, six Whimbrel, the first three returning Redshank, three Mediterranean Gull (two first & a second summer) and single Bar-tailed Godwit and Ringed Plover.

Elsewhere 180 Swift (102 between 7-8am) and 16 Swallow moved through, five Sandwich Tern were offshore and c180 Starling were in the Bight early morning. 

Wildlife News: Eleven species of butterfly were on the wing; Large Skipper, Meadow Brown, Speckled Wood, Holly Blue, Common Blue, Small Tortoiseshell, Painted Lady, Peacock, Green-veined, Small and Large White. Still no sign of any Wall. Also on the wing Cinnabar, Yellow Shell and Straw Dot.

Saturday 11th June

At least 15 Black-headed Gull were around Langstone Rock but no other news was received.

Wildlife News: There was no sign of any Heath Potter Wasp around Langstone Rock but there was plenty of insect activity with the first Marbled White of the year, along with Alexanders Conch Aethes deaurana, Fork-tailed Flower Bee Anthophora furcata, several Red & Black Squashbug Corizus hyoscyami and Narcissus Fly Merodon equestris and Lesser Hornet Hoverfly Volucella inanis. The collection of garden exotica has increased with Asiatic Lily Lilium longiforum and Oriental Poppy Papaver orientale in bloom, alongside the spreading Russian Vine Fallopia baldschuanica and Hebe sp. 

Asiatic Lily - Alan Keatley

Friday 10th June

The seven Mute Swan cygnets remain on the Main Pond with two Canada Geese goslings, the adults trying to keep a wide berth of each other. Also at the pond Little Grebe, Moorhen and Reed Warbler. 

Wildlife News: Another nationally scarce insect was the highlight, a male Heath Potter Wasp Eumenes coarctatus near Langstone Rock. The second unexpected site record for this localised heathland species, after one in Aug 2018. 

Heath Potter Wasp - both Alan Keatley

Also on the wing this morning the first Hornet Hoverfly Volucella zonaria of the year and a good number of at least six bumblebee species, including Vestal Cuckoo Bumblebee Bombus vestalis, nectaring on the opening bramble flowers. 

Marmalade Hoverfly - Dean Hall

Wednesday 8th June

The continuing midsummer lull saw little in addition to the regular breeding species, but two Common Scoter were offshore and counts from the estuary included 121 Oystercatcher, 11 Sandwich Tern, five Dunlin and single Ringed Plover and Black-headed Gull.

Wildlife News: A busy day with lots of interest and variety. Taking the top honour was the nationally rare Golden-haired Longhorn Leptura aurulenta. A deadwood species, it spends up to four years as a larvae, this is just the third record in the last ten years.

Golden-haired Longhorn (Hornet Beetle) - Alan Keatley

More expected was the nationally scarce Dune Spurge Bug Dicranocephalus agilis, also on Warren Point.

Dune Spurge Bug - Alan Keatley

Other notable sightings included a Giant Dark Horsefly Tabanus sudeticus, the heaviest fly in Europe; a smart male Sand Lizard on Warren Point, the first Small Skipper of the year, three Painted Lady, the migrant hoverfly White-clubbed Glasswing Scaeva pyrastri and a pod of at least 15 Common Dolphin. 

Sand Lizard - Alan Keatley

Intermediate Shield Wasp Crabro peltarius - Alan Keatley

Sunday 5th June

Still some signs of northward wader passage with counts of 73 Dunlin, 28 Ringed Plover, 10 Turnstone and eight Sanderling from the estuary along with 164 Oystercatcher, 15 Shelduck, 11 Curlew, seven Whimbrel and two Bar-tailed Godwit.

Elsewhere 18 Swift were overhead and a Great Northern Diver was offshore with 10 Manx Shearwater, five Common Scoter, four Sandwich Tern, three Mediterranean Gull and a Great Crested Grebe

Wildlife News: Two Painted Lady, a Silver Y and increased numbers of Marmalade Hoverfly in particular showed continuing migration. At the Main Pond an emergence of Common Toad with a minimum of 440 toadlets counted and a first instar Puss Moth caterpillar was by the car park. 

Puss Moth larvae - Kevin Rylands

Saturday 4th June

With rain in the channel there was some movement offshore early morning with a Hobby east and two Little Tern the highlights, also recorded a Great Northern Diver, nine Mediterranean Gull (six 1st summer, two 2nd summer and an adult), 16 Gannet, 15 Manx Shearwater, 10 Guillemot, eight Fulmar, four Sandwich Tern and three Common Scoter.

Elsewhere counts from the estuary included 168 Oystercatcher, 36 Dunlin, 17 Turnstone, seven Sanderling, three Ringed and a Grey Plover; 52 Swift, six House Martin, four Swallow and a Rook were overhead, a brief Yellow Wagtail was in the Bight with the first juvenile Pied Wagtail and a family party of Raven on Warren Point.

Wildlife News: A pack of three young Stoat were on the Golf Course and two Silver Y flew in off the sea.

Friday 3rd June

Counts from the estuary included 165 Oystercatcher, 15 Sanderling, 13 Sandwich Tern, 13 Curlew, nine Dunlin, five Whimbrel, four Ringed Plover, two Turnstone and single Bar-tailed Godwit and first summer Mediterranean Gull.

Elsewhere 11 Swift and eight Swallow overhead, a Great Crested Grebe was offshore and the first fledged Blackcap and Greenfinch were on the wing.

Wildlife News: Insect migration continues with five Silver Y seen along with single Red Admiral and Painted Lady.

Thursday 2nd June

Counts from the estuary and beach included 162 Oystercatcher, 46 Sanderling, 18 Dunlin, 14 Shelduck, 10 Curlew, six Whimbrel, four Turnstone, three Ringed Plover, three 1st summer Mediterranean Gull, a Bar-tailed Godwit and a Common Tern. The latter have again been very scarce this Spring.

Elsewhere two distant Pomarine Skua flew east early morning, the first brood of Cirl Bunting have fledged and over a late Yellow Wagtail, nine Swallow, two Swift and a Buzzard. 

Wildlife News: The first Large Skipper of the year was on the with Brown Argus and Meadow Brown, along with Cinnabar and Cream-spot Tiger moths.

Cream-spot Tiger - David Flack

Also on the wing Fairy-ring and Spotted Longhorn, Vestal Cuckoo Bumblebee, Thigh-legged Hoverfly Syritta pipiens and Ornate-tailed Digger Wasp Cerceris rybyensis.

Ornate-tailed Digger Wasp - Alan Keatley

Spotted Longhorn - Alan Keatley