Friday 1st July

The year's first Treecreeper, presumably a dispersing juvenile, was by the Main Pond, with a juvenile Green Woodpecker on site and, overhead, 38 Swift. 

In the estuary 152 Black-headed and 11 Mediterranean Gull (10 ad & a 2s), six Sandwich and a Common Tern and two Greenshank.

Wildlife News: A large number of Common Toadlets were again obvious underfoot, many falling prey to the resident Pheasant. On the Golf Course two new areas for the nationally scare Dodder were located.

Dodder - Kevin Rylands

Despite the breezy and overcast conditions, no less than 10 new species for the Recording Area were discovered including Alder Signal Stathmopoda pedella and the leafmine of Brown Oak Slender Acrocercops brongniardella, leafmines of the flea weevils Orchestes hortorum and O.quercus, the caddisfly Limnephilus lunatus and the leafhopper Typhlocyba quercus.

Alder Signal - Kevin Rylands

Brown Oak Slender - Kevin Rylands

Orchestes quercus - Kevin Rylands

Thursday 30 June

Counts from the estuary included 184 Curlew, 140 Oystercatcher, 121 Black-headed and eight Mediterranean Gull, 21 Redshank, six Sandwich Tern, four Bar-tailed Godwit, three Common Sandpiper, two Whimbrel and a Greenshank.

Elsewhere a Stock Dove was in the Railway Saltmarsh with 12 Swift, eight Swallow and a Sand Martin overhead.

Stonechat - Dave Jewell

Tuesday 28th June

A quick morning visit saw 94 Curlew, 89 Black-headed and four Mediterranean Gull in the estuary with single Sandwich Tern, Whimbrel and Greenshank.

Sunday 26th June

Records from the morning high tide included 216 Oystercatcher, 157 Curlew, 82 Black-headed Gull, 11 Redshank, eight Whimbrel, six Sandwich Tern, six Turnstone, four Bar-tailed Godwit and a Greenshank.

Offshore a Great Northern Diver, nine Manx Shearwater and three Mediterranean Gull, an adult and two second summer.

Saturday 25th June

Counts from the estuary continued to reveal the start of return wader passage with 207 Oystercatcher, 168 Curlew, 14 Redshank, four Bar and a Black-tailed Godwit, three Dunlin,  two Whimbrel and two Greenshank. Also present 14 Sandwich Tern, 51 Black-headed and an adult Mediterranean Gull. 

Offshore 30 Gannet, 13 Manx Shearwater, two Common Scoter and a Common Tern.

Wildlife News: Morning showers and a blustery south-westerly reduced insect activity, even in the usual sheltered spots. However at least 10 butterfly species were seen battling the elements, including Ringlet, Small Tortoiseshell, a couple of fresh Comma and three migrant Painted Lady.

Comma - Alan Keatley

Also on the wing Red-legged Spider-wasp Episyron rufipes, Coastal Leafcutter Bee Megachile maritima and the hoverfly Broad-banded Epistrophe Epistrophe grossulariae.

Broad-banded Epistrophe - Alan Keatley

Red-legged Spider-wasp - Alan Keatley

 

Elsewhere a Fox was seen on the Golf Course early morning, a Sand Lizard was on the Dune Ridge and an Emperor Dragonfly was defending the Main Pond.

Friday 24th June

Counts from the estuary included 15 Mediterranean and 38 Black-headed Gull, including the first juvenile, 146 Curlew, 14 Redshank, 11 Sandwich Tern and a Bar-tailed Godwit. Elsewhere 18 Manx Shearwater and a Common Tern were offshore.

Mediterranean Gull - Dave Jewell

Sandwich Tern & Black-headed Gull - Dave Jewell

Ringing News: Although numbers have increased slightly of late, the first returning ringed Oystercatcher was noted today, U3 now with a very worn ring. 

Another returning bird was Sandwich Tern Red KZA. Ringed on passage on Dyfi Estuary, Wales as a juvenile in 2020. It was first seen here between 5-15th July last year. This only the third June recovery for this species and indicates that KZA is probably still a mobile non-breeding immature hence the early date. 

Sandwich Tern KZA - Lee Collins

Wildlife News: A Large Skipper in Greenland Lake was one of the few butterfly species on the wing during breaks in the poor weather.

Large Skipper - Dave Jewell

Wednesday 22nd June

No news from the high tide but non/failed breeding Curlew number continuing to build up on the Railway Saltmarsh, four Sandwich Tern were also in estuary, and on the reserve breeding activity continues with broods of juvenile Reed Warbler following adults for food, a pair of Stonechat collecting nesting material for a second brood and a couple of Chiffchaff and a Blackcap singing on their territories with a vocal Rock Pipit doing the same on Langstone Rock.

Wildlife News: A hot sunny day with the bees and wasps hyperactive, making any photos and identification difficult. Despite this the first Pantaloon Bee Dasypoda hirtipes, Hairy-saddled Colletes Colletes fodiens and Slender-bodied Digger Wasp Crabro cribrarius of the year were on the wing. 

Crabro cribrarius - Alan Keatley

A Golden-ringed Dragonfly was also the first of the year and the nationally scarce Golden Keyhole Weevil Sibinia arenariae was at Langstone Rock.

Golden-ringed Dragonfly - Alan Keatley

Sibinia arenariae - Alan Keatley

Tuesday 21st June

A Siskin was in the Alders by the First Pond but there was little else to report on a brief evening visit.

Wildlife News: The first Scarlet Tiger of the year was on the Golf Course along with the first Green-eyed Flower Bee Anthophora bimaculata. Despite the poor year for flowering several Sand Crocus seedheads were located.

Sand Crocus - Kevin Rylands

Sunday 19th June

The Cuckoo was again on Warren Point, with 45 Swift and four Swallow overhead; a Teal was a new arrival offshore along with 16 Sandwich and three Common Tern. 

Counts from the estuary included 193 Oystercatcher, 115 Curlew, five Whimbrel, four Redshank, three Bar-tailed Godwit and single Ringed Plover and Greenshank.

Saturday 18th June

The most unexpected sighting was a female Black Redstart at the expected location of the Go-karts early morning, not surprisingly the first June record. This was closely followed by the third Cuckoo of the year on Warren Point.

Black Redstart - Alan Keatley

Counts from the estuary included the first Greenshank of the autumn, 208 Oystercatcher, 98 Curlew, 12 Whimbrel, five Redshank, four Bar-tailed Godwit, two Grey and Ringed Plover, two Dunlin and, in the saltmarsh, two Stock Dove.

Elsewhere 70+ Swift were overhead, at least two broods of Whitethroat are on the wing and offshore 68 Manx Shearwater, 23 Sandwich Tern, six Common Scoter, four Mediterranean Gull and a Great Crested Grebe. 

Wildlife News: The nationally scarce Silver Spiny Digger Wasp Oxybelus argentatus was on the edge of Dead Dolphin Wood, the first site record for over 30 years. Other natoable hymenoptera on the wing included Coast Leafcutter Megachile maritima and Large Sharp-tailed Bee Coelioxys conoidea.

Silver Spiny Digger Wasp Oxybelus argentatus - Alan Keatley

Ten species of butterfly included the earliest ever Ringlet and the first Gatekeeper of the year along with several Painted Lady. Further signs of migration included large numbers of Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus and several White-clubbed Glasswing Scaeva pyrastri. Other species on the wing included Bumblebee Hoverfly Volucella bombylans, Batman Hoverfly Myathropa florea and Broad-banded Epistrophe Epistrophe grossulariae.

Ringlet - Alan Keatley