Friday 31st July

Both high tides were covered and final max counts were the Slavonian Grebe, 10 Mute Swan, 26 Canada Goose, one fs Grey Plover, a Little Ringed Plover, 28 Ringed Plover, 41 Whimbrel, 117 Curlew, a Turnstone, two sp Knot, 49 Sanderling, 69 Dunlin, a Common Sandpiper, 119 Redshank, 3 Greenshank, 3-figure count Sandwich Tern, 7 Common Tern, 335+ Black-headed Gull, 3 Mediterranean Gull, 4 Common Gull.  A juv Kestrel and a Peregrine passed overhead in the evening. Nothing of note came from cursory looks at the bushes and dunes.

Thursday 30th July

Counts from the estuary included 430 Curlew, 173 Sandwich and 10 Common Tern, 19 Ringed Plover, 10 Dunlin and three Whimbrel. Elsewhere passerine migration was also in evidence with a couple of Wheatear and Willow Warbler on site.

Wednesday 29th July

Counts from the estuary included 710 Oystercatcher, 376 Curlew, 222 Sandwich Tern, 123 Redshank, 48 Dunlin, 22 Sanderling, 11 Ringed Plover, four Greenshank, two Mediterranean Gull, two Common Tern, a Common Sandpiper and a Turnstone.

 Common Sandpiper - Simon Thurgood

Wildlife News: Good numbers of butterflies continue to enjoy the weather with Painted Lady added to the species seen yesterday.  Also around good numbers of Common Darter, Great Green Bush-cricket and the hoverfly Volucella zonaria.

 Common Blue - Simon Thurgood

 Common Darter - Simon Thurgood

Volucella zonaria - Simon Thurgood

Tuesday 28th July

Two firsts for the year made brief appearances in the Bight today; a Ruff and a second summer Little Gull. With them in front of the hide were 602 Oystercatcher, 34 Dunlin, 14 Ringed Plover, a Knot and a Bar-tailed Godwit. Also in the estuary, but largely on the Railway Saltmarsh, 490 Curlew, 240+ Sandwich Tern, 126 Redshank, 13 Common and a Roseate Tern, six Whimbrel, at least three Mediterranean Gull, two Greenshank and the Slavonian Grebe. Elsewhere 63 Sanderling, including the Greenland ringed bird, were along was along the beach and at least 30 Swift were feeding over the Car park late afternoon.

 Reed Bunting - Simon Thurgood

 Ringed Plover - Simon Thurgood

 

Wildlife News: Good weather brought out at least 15 species of butterfly, although some individuals looked worse for wear following the recent rain. A Holly Blue was the most unusual species for the Warren with the other species being Small, Large and Green-veined White, Common Blue, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Red Admiral, Peacock, Brown Argus, Small Copper, Large & Small Skipper, Comma and Speckled Wood.

Small Skipper on Purple Loosestrife - Simon Thurgood

Monday 27th July

A Roseate Tern was in front of the hide on the rising tide this afternoon with 113 Sandwich and three Common Tern. Waders included 202 Curlew, 104 Redshank, 85 Dunlin, 22 Sanderling, 20 Ringed Plover, two Greenshank and a Bar-tailed Godwit. Also in the estuary a Mediterranean Gull and the Slavonian Grebe.

Chrysis  impressa (a scarce Ruby-tailed Wasp) - Greg Bradbury

Sunday 26th July

Seawatching picked up once the rain cleared mid morning with 690 Manx Shearwater, 140 Gannet and 80+ Sandwich Tern heading south along with two distant skua sp, a Puffin, 10+ Common, two Arctic and the first Black Tern of the year. In the estuary a Wood Sandpiper was the highlight with other waders including 336 Curlew, 66 Redshank, 52 Dunlin, 16 Turnstone, 15 Ringed Plover, eight Whimbrel, six Sanderling; another 61 Sanderling were on the beach, two Bar-tailed Godwit and a Greenshank. Also from the hide another 193+ Sandwich, 13 Common, an Arctic and a Little Tern with the Slavonian Grebe off Cockwood.

 Little Tern - Lee Collins

Wood Sandpiper - Lee Collins

Saturday 25th July

The two redhead Goosander made a reappearance in the estuary over the high tide with an Avocet on Warren Point also presumably the bird from earlier in the month. Also in the estuary 620+ Oystercatcher, 223+ Sandwich and two Common Tern, 135 Dunlin, 57 Sanderling, 10 Ringed Plover, two Mediterranean Gull, a Knot and the Slavonian Grebe.

Sandwich Tern - Greg Bradbury

 

 Great Green Bush-cricket - Greg Bradbury

Friday 24th July

The wet weather lead to an increase in wader numbers in the estuary with counts including 217 Dunlin, 40 Turnstone, 19 Black and two Bar-tailed Godwit, 17 Whimbrel, 16 Ringed Plover, 10 Common Sandpiper, seven Knot (all in summer plumage), three Greenshank and a Grey Plover. Also from the hide 213 Sandwich, four Common and a Little Tern, 54+ Great Black-backed and three Mediterranean Gull. Elsewhere seawatching during the morning saw at least two Balearic Shearwater head south along with 120 Manx Shearwater with 30 Swift and 20 Swallow.

Greenshank - Lee Collins

Thursday 23rd July

A juvenile Little Ringed Plover was in the Bight with other counts from the estuary including 142+ Sandwich Tern, 66 Redshank, c40 Dunlin, eight Whimbrel, six Ringed Plover, three Common Sandpiper, a Greenshank, a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull, an adult Mediterranean Gull and the Slavonian Grebe.

Wednesday 22nd July

Offshore 230 Manx Shearwater flew south along with 30 Gannet, 20 Kittiwake, three Common Tern and an Arctic Skua. Elsewhere two Knot and a Common Sandpiper were in the estuary and the first two migrant Willow Warbler of the autumn were in the bushes.