Tuesday 16th August

A quick morning visit saw 14 Sandwich and two Common Tern offshore with an adult Mediterranean Gull. Elsewhere 20 Black-tailed Godwit were on Bull Hill, two Wheatear were on the beach, two Whitethroat were in the Entrance Bushes with a few Chiffchaff and Blackcap, a Sparrowhawk was hunting Linnet in Greenland Lake and a Kingfisher at the Main Pond.

Monday 15th August

An autumnal feeling with a welcome change of weather and some resulting migrants. A smart Whinchat was on Warren Point with three Wheatear, elsewhere the bushes contained the usual warblers including three Whitethroat with two Willow and a Reed Warbler.

Little Stint - Alan Keatley

An adult Little Stint had also arrived in the Bight amongst 120 Ringed Plover, 47 Dunlin, 28 Mute Swan, 27 Sanderling, 27 Sandwich Tern, four Mediterranean Gull, two Grey Plover and a Turnstone.

Elsewhere a Kingfisher was at the Main Pond with 40 Swallow through.

Wildlife News: After the grey start insects started to appear as the sun came out, these included the hoverflies; Large Tiger Helophilus trivittatus, Lesser Hornet Volucella inanis,  Marmalade Episyrphus balteatus, Superb Ant-hill Xanthogramma pedissequum and Tiger H. pendulus. Also on the wing, Common Eristalis tenax and Small Spotty-eyed Dronefly Eristalinus sepulchralis and Common Paragus P. haemorrhous and Common Twist-tail Sphaerophoria scripta.

Large Tiger Hoverfly - Alan Keatley

Dragonflies consisted of just one Common Darter, a couple of Emperor and several Migrant Hawker on the Main Pond, with a Common Sexton Beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides in Greenland Lake.

Common Sexton Beetle - Alan Keatley

Sunday 14th August

Despite the continuing high temperatures the first three Wigeon of the winter made their appearance in the estuary with 13 Black-tailed Godwit and two Grey Plover also new arrivals. 

Other counts from the estuary included 363 Curlew, 92 Sandwich and two Common Tern, 84 Ringed Plover, 68 Dunlin, 44 Whimbrel, 27 Sanderling, nine Mediterranean Gull, seven Greenshank, six Bar-tailed Godwit, four Great Crested Grebe, two Turnstone, two Stock Dove, a Kingfisher and a Common Sandpiper.

Elsewhere a Sedge Warbler was on Warren Point with three Whitethroat and a Song Thrush, with a Coal Tit  in the Entrance Bushes and counts across site of 13 Blackcap, 11 Chiffchaff, two Willow and two Reed Warbler. Offshore two distant shearwater sp, a Hobby and a Peregrine. 

Late news: Whilst mothing, a Nightjar was watched hunting along the railway before heading out across the Golf Course, the 20th site record and earliest autumn sighting. Also at least seven Common Sandpiper present.

Wildlife News: During the day the first Magpie Moth of the year was noted along with an Oak Eggar and several Rush Veneer. 

Oak Eggar - David Flack

A second Magpie Moth came to light, one of 64 species recorded including the nationally scarce Shore Wainscot, Waste Grass-veneer Pediasia contaminella and Hook-tipped Grass-veneer Platytes alpinella, migrants included single Spindle Knot-horn Nephopterix angustella and Dark Sword-grass four Turnip and four Diamond-back Moth. Other species included Chamomile Conch Cochylidia implicitana, new to the Recording Area, and twos of Portland Ribbon Wave, now well established, Bordered Pug and Dusky Thorn.

Bordered Pug - Luke Harman

Shore Wainscot - Luke Harman

Saturday 13th August

The full moon has brought the inspected increase in waders with 119 Ringed Plover and 87 Dunlin in the Bight with 951 Oystercatcher, 321 Curlew, 262 Redshank, 45 Sanderling, 44 Whimbrel, 11 Greenshank and nine Bar-tailed Godwit also in the estuary. Also 71 Sandwich Tern, 12 Little Egret, 29 Mute Swan, 11 Mediterranean Gull (six juv, four ad & a 1s) and a juvenile Kittiwake.

Other migrants included a Spotted Flycatcher, 11 Blackcap, 10 Chiffchaff, two Reed Warbler and single Whitethroat, Willow and Sedge Warbler. The later was at the Main Pond where there were also two Grey Heron, a Snipe and a Kingfisher, one of three that have been present recently.

Offshore six Balearic Shearwater flew south with 61 Gannet, 39 Kittiwake, nine Manx Shearwater and eight Common Scoter.

Thursday 11th August

The only news came from the estuary were there was a juvenile Arctic Tern with 60 Sandwich Tern.

Wildlife News: A Clouded Yellow was in Greenland Lake with other butterflies including Brown Argus on Warren Point, with Green-veined White, Common Blue, Small Copper, Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown. A Jersey Tiger was by the Amusements.

Clouded Yellow - Alan Keatley

Jersey Tiger - Alan Keatley

A colony of Common Spiny Digger Wasp Oxybelus uniglumis along the Dune Ridge was also hosting the parasitoid Dark-palped Shadow Fly Senotainia conica. They wait for a wasp with prey and lay its egg on the prey before the wasp enters the nest.

Dark-palped Shadow Fly - Alan Keatley

Common Spiny Digger Wasp - Alan Keatley

Other species included Glass-winged Syrphus S.vitripennis and Thick-legged Hoverfly Syritta pipiens amongst the few hoverflies, and Pantaloon Bee were on the wing with the other recent bee species.

Tuesday 9th August

A juvenile Little Ringed Plover was on the beach with c50 Sanderling and 40 Dunlin.

Ringing News: This week has seen no less than four different species from Ynyslas, all ringed by Mid Wales Ringing Group. Regular species are Sandwich Tern and Dunlin, but single Curlew and Ringed Plover are also present.

Sunday 7th August

Early morning seawatching saw six Balearic Shearwater east at 06:23 (four light and two dark phase), 56 Common Scoter, 25 Kittiwake and a series of single birds; going east, a female Tufted Duck, Great Crested Grebe and a Mallard; coming in-off Mute Swan, Sparrowhawk and Kestrel.

Migrants included a Wheatear in the Bight and a Sedge Warbler on Warren Point with 21 Blackcap, four Whitethroat, four Willow, two Garden and a Reed Warbler.

Counts from the estuary and beach included 722 Oystercatcher, including five new returning Warren ringed birds, 342 Curlew, 98 Sandwich Tern, 89 Ringed Plover, 47 Dunlin, 45 Sanderling, 40 Whimbrel, 16 Mediterranean Gull (nine ad, five juv, a 2s & a 1s), eight Bar-tailed Godwit, five Greenshank and a Turnstone. The oddest sighting of the day was four Great Crested Grebe that flew south down the estuary and over the Golf Course.

Wildlife News: Offshore a single Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (about 6ft in size) leapt clear out of the water (looked to be chasing another smaller fish) early morning. Elsewhere a Golden-ringed Dragonfly was on the Golf Course along with the first Large Tiger Hoverfly Helophilus trivittatus of the year.

Saturday 6th August

Counts from the estuary and beach included 365 Curlew, 265 Redshank, 72 Sandwich Tern, 54 Sanderling, 48 Dunlin, 43 Ringed Plover, 22 Whimbrel, 11 Little Egret, 10 Mediterranean Gull (six ad, two juv, a 2s & a 1s), seven Turnstone, six Bar-tailed Godwit, four Greenshank and the Dark-bellied Brent Goose.

Dark-bellied Brent Goose - Alan Keatley

Elsewhere 15 Gannet and two Common Scoter were offshore with a Sedge Warbler on Warren Point, a Coal Tit in the Entrance Bushes and site counts of 17 Blackcap, 14 Chiffchaff, seven Whitethroat, five Willow and three Reed Warbler.

Willow Warbler - Dean Hall

Friday 5th August

The first Bullfinch since January was the surprise highlight in the Entrance Bushes whilst other clear migrants included a Sedge Warbler in Skipper Meadow and a Willow Warbler along the Dune Ridge.

Long-tailed Tit - Dean Hall

Elsewhere a Common Sandpiper was on the beach with 34 Sanderling, 13 Dunlin and seven Ringed Plover.

Wildlife News: Two Painted Lady and a Clouded Yellow were amongst ten butterfly species recorded with good numbers of Common Blue, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Speckled Wood and Green-veined White, with a single end of season Small Skipper in Greenland Lake.

Emperor - Alan Keatley

Other insects included four Emperor Dragonfly, a Black-tailed Skimmer and a Small Red-eyed Damselfly all away from the Main Pond, the latter allowing a close approach for once,

Small Red-eyed Damselfly - Alan Keatley

Several male Sandpit Blood Bee Sphecodes pellucidus were nectaring in the meadows, also now on the wing male Bronze Furrow Bee Halictus tumulorum, other species included Common Yellow-faced Bee Hylaeus communis plus the regular Coastal and Silvery Leafcutter, Hairy-saddled Colettes, Common Furrow and Green-eyed flower Bee.

Sandpit Blood Bee - Alan Keatley

Second generations of hoverflies are starting to appear with a Stripe-backed Fleckwing Dasysyrphus albostriatus and the first Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax in several weeks. Other species included just one Tiger Helophilus pendulus and a Hornet Hoverfly Volucella zonaria.

Wednesday 3rd August

Counts from the estuary included 264 Curlew, 57 Sandwich Tern, 30 Dunlin, 28 Sanderling, 21 Mediterranean Gull, 19 Mute Swan and the Dark-bellied Brent Goose.

Elsewhere nine Cirl Bunting and single figures of the regular breeding warblers.

Hairy-saddled Colletes - Alan Keatley

Wildlife News: The second site record of Small Bee-grabber Thecophora atra was a highlight on Yellow Iris in Entrance Bushes. Solitary bee species this species is looking out for included Hairy-saddled Colettes, Coastal and Silvery Leafcutter, Green-eyed Flower Bee, Black-thighed Epeolus and White-zoned Furrow Bee Lasioglossum leucozonium.

Small Bee-grabber - Alan Keatley

Other insects noted included Shieldbug Digger Wasp Astata boops, the nationally scarce Slender-horned Leatherbug Ceraleptus lividus, a Bishops Mitre nymph and a Hairy Shieldbug.

Hairy Shieldbug - Alan Keatley