Thursday 14th July

An unexpected highlight came in the form of three Tufted Duck that where picked up by the sound of their whirring wings as they flew low over the golf course. They then circled Shutterton Creek and headed back out to sea. This is just the fifth July record since 2000. 

Birds in the estuary included a minimum count of 103 Sandwich Tern, 70+ Mediterranean Gull, 228 Curlew, 23 Dunlin, seven Common Tern, seven Greenshank, seven Whimbrel, four Bar and two Black-tailed Godwit, four Common Sandpiper, a summer plumaged Knot, a Sanderling and the first returning Snipe.

 

Elsewhere 750 Herring Gull and a Great Crested Grebe were offshore and two Sand Martin.

Wildlife News: The hot temperatures and gusting wind limited insect activity during the middle of the day, but good numbers of hymenoptera were active including Green-eyed Flower Bee, Coastal and Silvery Leafcutter, Red-banded Sand Wasp Ammophila sabulosa, Silver Spiny Digger Wasp Oxybelus argentatus and dozens of the caterpillar-targeting ichnuemon Black Slip Wasp Pimpla rufipes.

Targeting the bees, Ferruginous Sicus ferrugineus, Four-banded Conops quadrifasciatus and Waisted Beegrabber Physocephala rufipes.

Waisted Beegrabber - Alan Keatley

Hoverfly numbers remain worryingly low although there was an influx of Common Tubetail Sphaerophoria scripta and with them an early Locust Blowfly Stomorhina lunata, this Mediterranean vagrant usually occurs in Sep-Oct. 

Locust Blowfly (male) - Alan Keatley

Elsewhere an 11-spot Ladybird was in the Bight, at least six Small Red-eyed Damselfly and two male Black-tailed Skimmer were at the Main Pond, seven Brown Argus on Warren Point were the pick of 11 butterfly species, a dozen Asparagus Beetle there on a single plant, and a Silver Y was flushed from Greenland Lake along with several Long-legged Tabby Synaphe punctalis.

11-spot Ladybird - Alan Keatley

Asparagus Beetle - Alan Keatley

Black-tailed Skimmer (male) - Alan Keatley

Wednesday 13th July

Both tides were covered with the first juvenile Yellow-legged Gull and two Teal of the autumn in the Bight this evening. Counts included 190+ Curlew, 76 Black-headed, 60+ Mediterranean and an adult Common Gull, 76 Sandwich Tern including 29 juveniles, 73 Redshank, 10 Whimbrel, four Dunlin, four Greenshank, three Bar-tailed Godwit, two Common Tern (ad + juv) and a Ringed Plover.

Mediterranean Gull (juv) - Dave Jewell

Mediterranean Gull (ad) - Dave Jewell

Elsewhere the first Grey Wagtail of the autumn flew over early morning.

Ringing News: Several new returning Oystercatcher were present along with a new Scottish ringed bird. The highlight was a South African ringed Sandwich Tern, ringed in 2007 it was also recorded here in 2019 and 2020. 

Sandwich Tern - Lee Collins

Wildlife News: A Wall butterfly was the welcome first for the year, this species continues to hang on on site.

Wall - Lee Collins

Monday 11th July

Records from the Bight over the evening tide included 68+ Sandwich and two Common Tern, 11 Dunlin, two Ringed Plover and two Whimbrel. Elsewhere 80 Starling were on Warren Point with a Sand Martin feeding over the saltmarsh with a fresh brood of Swallow.

Wildlife News: At least four Purple Hairstreak were on oaks on the Golf Course, the first record since 2019 of this elusive resident. 

Sea Club-rush - Kevin Rylands

Sunday 10th July

The monthly WEBS count saw 228 Curlew, 224 Oystercatcher, 74 Sandwich Tern, 60 Redshank, at least 33 Mediterranean Gull, five Greenshank, three Dunlin and single Bar-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel and Shelduck. Elsewhere a family of Reed Warbler were in the Buffer Zone.

Wildlife News: Another sunny day saw good numbers of solitary bees including Shiny-vented Sharp-tail along with its host Patchwork Leafcutter towards Langstone Rock. Also on the wing White-zoned and Green Furrow Bee, Hairy Yellow-faced Bee, Large Shaggy Bee, Green-eyed Flower Bee, Hairy-saddled Colletes, Yellow-legged and Sandpit Mining Bee, plus a mass of Silvery Leafcutter with some Coastal Leafcutter.

Six-spot Burnet - Alan Keatley

Also recorded today Four-banded Beegrabber Conops quadrifasciatus, Silver Spiny Digger Wasp Oxybelus argentatus and more Beewolf, this time at Langstone Rock and on Warren Point.

Beewolf - Alan Keatley

At least 14 species of butterfly were seen with the first second brood Brown Argus on Warren Point as well as single Painted Lady and Marbled White. Dragonflies included Common Darter and a Golden-ringed Dragonfly.

Brown Argus - Alan Keatley

Saturday 9th July

The highlight was the first Coal Tit of the year in the Entrance Bushes, with the first three autumn Sand Martin through. Other species are still breeding with family parties of Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Reed Warbler and Whitethroat.

There was more movement in the estuary with minimum counts of 53 Sandwich Tern, including a high percentage of 13 juveniles, and 48 Mediterranean Gull including at least five juveniles. Also in the Bight a single Common Tern, a first summer Common Gull and an adult Kittiwake.

Waders counts over the afternoon tide included 248 Curlew, 228 Oystercatcher, 41 Redshank, six Whimbrel, five Dunlin, four Ringed Plover, four Bar-tailed Godwit, four Greenshank and a Common Sandpiper.

Wildlife News: The hot weather saw lots of hyperactive insect activity, with many sheltering during the heat of the afternoon. Dragonflies put on a good showing with seven species seen. The highlight were three Black-tailed Skimmer, including a pair were seen mating at the Main Pond, the species last bred here in 2009 and this is the first multiple count since July 2013. Other species included the first Common Darter of the year, a Golden-ringed Dragonfly along the Dune Ridge and at least two Small Red-eyed Damselfly at the Main Pond.

Black-tailed Skimmer - Lee Collins

Also a good total of 16 butterfly species were on the wing including a Marbled White along the Dune Ridge and hundreds of Gatekeeper, along with Comma, Holly Blue, Red Admiral and Ringlet. The daily tally should have been 17 but a probable Purple Hairstreak on the Golf Course would not show. Good numbers of Six-spot Burnet were around Greenland Lake and the first adult Brown-tail moth was on Warren Point.

Ringlet - Dave Jewell

Also recorded today a Sand Lizard on Warren Point, a large aggregation of nesting Beewolf on the Golf Course, a Patchwork Leafcutter hid amongst dozens of Coastal and Silvery Leafcutter, Batman, Hornet and Large Pied Hoverfly were on the wing and large numbers of Marsh Helleborine in flower.

Thursday 7th July

At least 15 Sandwich Tern and 10+ Mediterranean Gull were around the estuary, a family of Reed Warbler were in Dead Dolphin Wood and a Hobby was reported through early morning with a large passage of 'hundreds' of Swift. 

Wildlife News: The increasing temperatures saw a good number of insects on the wing, although the drought conditions have seen many plants already finish flowering. A significant emergence of Heather Beetle has also damaged much of the Heather reducing an important late nectar source.

Of the many pollinators noted a Small Shaggy Bee Panurgus calcaratus was new for the Recording Area, this is a scarce, largely coastal, species in the SW and the 68th bee species seen at the Warren.

Small Shaggy Bee - Alan Keatley

Other bees on the wing include Large Sharp-tailed Bee Coelioxys conoidea patrolling Silvery Leafcutter Megachile leachella nests, Coastal Leafcutter Megachile maritima, Green-eyed Flower Bee Anthophora bimaculata, Pantaloon Bee Dasypoda hirtipes, the summer generation of Short-fringed Mining Bee Andrena dorsata and a Large Shaggy Bee Panurgus banksianus.

Amongst the wasps, the smart White-striped Darwin Wasp Ichneumon sarcitorius, with other species also making a first appearance of the year including Mournful Wasp Pemphredon lugubris, Four-banded Digger Wasp Gorytes quadrifasciatus and the digger wasp Crossocerus quadrimaculatus.

White-striped Darwin Wasp - Alan Keatley

Tuesday 5th July

Counts from the estuary included 148 Black-headed and 30+ Mediterranean Gull, 32 Redshank, 21 Sandwich (four juvs) and four Common Tern, two Dunlin and two Greenshank. 

Elsewhere seven Common Sandpiper were on the beach and 50+ Swift were feeding overhead.

Wildlife News: A Roesel's Bush-cricket was discovered by a school group in the Back Meadow, just the third site record, closely following the second last September. The first Small Red-eyed Damselfly of the year were at the Main Pond, Six-spot Burnet were buzzing around Greenland Lake and 12 species of butterfly were on the wing including Ringlet, Gatekeeper, Comma and Red Admiral. 

Gatekeeper - Dean Hall

Blue-tailed Damselfly - Dean Hall

Monday 4th July

The first three juvenile Sandwich Tern were present with 12 other birds over high tide along with four adult Mediterranean Gull and a Whimbrel. Elsewhere Cirl Bunting still in song in Greenland Lake, six Swift feeding over the Main Pond and 10 Common Scoter offshore.

Sandwich Tern - Dean Hall

Mediterranean Gull - Dean Hall

Saturday 2nd July

In the estuary an increase to 19 Mediterranean Gull (11 ad, two 2s, five 1s and the first juvenile), also present 12 Sandwich Tern and six Little Egret. Elsewhere 11 Manx Shearwater were offshore and four Swift and two Peregrine were overhead. 

Wildlife News: Marbled White and Ringlet were the pick of the few insects on the wing in overcast and breezy conditions.

Ringing News: A Dunlin ringed here on 8 Oct 2021 and still present on 1 Nov 2021 has been resighted in northern Iceland. A schizni race, which should have been wintering in West Africa. A late migrant, as it was not seen subsequently on site.

It always brings a smile to my face when #DCWRG get another abroad resighting. Dunlin CH was ringed as a juvenile in October 2021 and recently resighted in Northern Iceland by Joana Micael. Thanks @icelandwader for passing on the sighting #ringing #ornithology @_BTO 1/3 pic.twitter.com/OaZxo8W1Pd

— Ryan Burrell (@RyanABurrell) June 15, 2022

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