Thursday 20th November

A low tide visit on a cold but sunny day. The five Velvet Scoter remain offshore with 18 Common Scoter, with two Great Crested Grebe and a Red-throated Diver in the bay. 

A pair of Shoveler have returned to the Main Pond for the winter were at least two Water Rail were present and a Kingfisher zipped through. 

Shoveler - Alan Keatley

The bushes were relatively quiet unless you encountered the roaming Long-tailed Tit flock, accompanied by at least eight Chiffchaff, two Goldcrest and a Coal Tit.

Other Wildlife: Insect activity was largely confined to the beach with a new beetle for the Recording Area, Dryops luridus, being the highlight, also present Helophorus brevipalpis and the groundbug Stygnocoris fuligineus.

Dryops luridus - Alan Keatley

Stygnocoris fuligineus - Alan Keatley

Helophorus brevipalpis - Alan Keatley

Wednesday 19th November

The five Velvet and eight Common Scoter were off Langstone Rock with single Great Northern and Red-throated Diver.

Elsewhere four Red-breasted Merganser were in the estuary and at least 10 Chiffchaff were around the bushes. 

Tuesday 18th November

Offshore the five Velvet Scoter remained with 11 Common Scoter, six Great Crested Grebe, a brief pair of Tufted Duck and a Red-throated Diver also present. 

Little to report from the estuary on low tide visit, but a Spoonbill was overhead and good numbers of birds moved around the scrub with 14 Long-tailed, 12 Blue and six Great Tit, 12 Chiffchaff, eight Goldcrest and two Firecrest whilst seven Teal, two Kingfisher and a Little Grebe were on the Main Pond.

Teal - Dean Hall

Other Wildlife: Late in the year, but still opportunities to finding new insects, with the ant hunting rove beetle Drusilla canaliculata found at the end of Warren Point, with the groundbug Scolopostethus decoratus at the same location. 

Drusilla canaliculata - Alan Keatley

Scolopostethus decoratus - Alan Keatley

A Noon Fly Mesembrina meridiana was warming up in Skipper Meadow, with other insects on the wing including single Peacock and Red Admiral, Humming Syrphus S. ribesii hoverfly, Buff-tailed Bumblebee and a few Common Wasp.

Noon Fly Mesembrina meridiana - Alan Keatley

Monday 17th November

The five Velvet Scoter remain offshore although more distant and near Langstone Rock than the seawall, also on the sea eight Common Scoter and single Great Northern and Red-throated Diver.

In the estuary counts on the afternoon high tide included 970 Wigeon, 241 Curlew, 58 Grey Plover, 47 Bar and two Black-tailed Godwit, 27 Sanderling, 10 Greenshank, nine Great Crested Grebe, three Pale-bellied Brent Geese and a Kingfisher. 

Sunday 16th November

The five female Velvet Scoter, four adults, remained off the seawall with eight Common Scoter, five Great Crested Grebe and a Great Northern Diver with a redhead Goosander north over seawall early afternoon.

The juvenile Spoonbill was again actively feeding in Shutterton Creek on the incoming tide with eight Greenshank and single Avocet, Lapwing and Spotted Redshank also present. Counts included 392 Dark and three Pale-bellied Brent Goose, 41 Bar and four Black-tailed Godwit, 15 Sanderling, the Curlew Sandpiper amongst the Dunlin and a Kingfisher.

Curlew Sandpiper & Dunlin - Lee Collins

Elsewhere at least 6000 Woodpigeon flew SW early morning and the Firecrest was still in Dead Dolphin Wood.

Other Wildlife: A bull Grey Seal was in the estuary.

Saturday 15th November

Five female/immature Velvet Scoter off the seawall, rafting with seven Common Scoter, were unexpected, the highest count since 3rd December 2016. Also offshore two adult Little Gull and four Great Northern Diver.

A juvenile Spoonbill in the estuary was another new arrival, although it flew off south on the rising tide. Also in the estuary at least 1000 Dunlin and Wigeon, 180+ Redshank, 130 Curlew, 103 Shelduck, 54 Ringed and 52 Grey Plover, 42 Bar and two Black-tailed Godwit, 20 Sanderling, 15 Greenshank, six Great Crested Grebe, two adult Mediterranean Gull, two Spotted Redshank and an Avocet.

Elsewhere two Firecrest were around the Main Pond with at least seven Chiffchaff and six Goldcrest and a Kingfisher. 

Other Wildlife: A Grey Seal was offshore. 

Friday 14th November

The Barnacle Goose was still amongst a smaller flock of Brent Geese over the high tide with counts from the estuary including 1480 Wigeon, 118 Shelduck, 55 Teal, 41 Grey Plover, 37 Knot, 18 Black and seven Bar-tailed Godwit, eight Greenshank, six Great Crested Grebe, two Pintail, a Kingfisher and a Lapwing.

Elsewhere the Dartford Warbler was along the Back Path and 35 Linnet were feeding in The Bight.

Thursday 13th November

The Barnacle Goose remained in The Bight with 180 Dark-bellied Brent Geese and 87 Shelduck with wader counts including 1000 Dunlin, 36 Grey and 30 Ringed Plover, 20 Turnstone and seven Bar-tailed Godwit.

Barnacle Goose - Dean Hall

Elsewhere five Chiffchaff, two Goldcrest, two Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Chaffinch were in the bushes with a Water Rail and the first returning Little Grebe at the Main Pond.

Meadow Pipit - Dean Hall

 Great Spotted Woodpecker  - Dean Hall

Wednesday 12th November

Two Firecrest today, one in the carpark bushes and the usual bird in Dead Dolphin Wood. Amongst the roaming Long-tailed Tit were eight Goldcrest, a Coal Tit and at least twelve Chiffchaff. Also on site four Siskin in the Entrance Bushes, a Kingfisher at the Main Pond, a Grey Wagtail at Langstone Rock and 40 Linnet around The Bight.

Elsewhere two Great Northern Diver were offshore and in the estuary counts on the receding tide included 900 Dunlin, 101 Shelduck, 36 Turnstone, 19 Knot and 12 Grey Plover.

Other Wildlife: Of the few insects on the wing a November Moth agg was near the Main Pond and just one late hoverfly, a docile Hairy-eyed Syrphus S. torvus. Other insects were on a much smaller scale with the leafhoppers Megopthalmus scabripennis and Ribautiana tenerrina and the barkfly Valenzuela flavidus. 

November Moth agg - Alan Keatley

Megopthalmus scabripennis - Alan Keatley

Ribautiana tenerrina - Alan Keatley

A few specimens of the tiny national rare Petalwort Petalophyllum ralfsii have emerged in Greenland Lake. 

Petalwort Petalophyllum ralfsii - Alan Keatley

Tuesday 11th November

The Barnacle Goose continues to associate with the Dark-bellied Brent Geese in The Bight with other sightings similar to recent days in the wet and windy conditions.

Barnacle Goose, Brent Geese and Shelduck - Jim Summers

The geese were still present on the mudflats in the afternoon when five Avocet flew towards the estuary corner.