Saturday 31st July

A Merlin heading south offshore early morning was the least expected sighting, the first record for the month and only four ever August records. Also out to sea seven Arctic, six Common and a Little Tern.

Counts from the estuary included 266 Curlew, 202 Redshank, 69 Dunlin, 56 Sandwich and two Common Tern, 43 Whimbrel, 30 Ringed Plover, 20 Mediterranean Gull, 11 Greenshank, five Bar-tailed Godwit, two Grey and a Little Ringed Plover, and at least one juvenile Yellow-legged Gull. 

juvenile Caspian x argentatus hybrid or Yellow-legged Gull - David Flack

Elsewhere 17 Sanderling were on the beach, seven Common Sandpiper were on the base of Langstone Rock, two Stock Dove were on Railway Saltmarsh; single Sedge Warbler, Teal and a Water Rail were at the Main Pond, five Willow Warbler were on site and a Wheatear was in the Bight.

Sanderling - Dave Jewell

Wildlife News: Despite the overcast conditions at least 12 species of butterfly were on the wing including Painted Lady and the second brood of Brown Argus. The first Warren Patchwork Leafcutter Megachile centuncularis was nectaring on Narrow-leaved Everlasting-pea, several Pantaloon Bee Dasypoda hirtipes were on the flowering Cat's-ear and new species for the year included Jersey Tiger, Migrant Hawker, Common Frog, the digger wasps Crossocerus podagricus and wesmaeli, Batman Hoverfly Myathropa florea and Chrysogaster solstitialis.

Crossocerus podagricus - Alan Keatley

Chrysogaster solstitialis - Alan Keatley

Friday 30th July

The first Balearic Shearwater of the year flew south early morning with four Manx Shearwater with 10 shearwater sp too distant to identify.  Also passing a dark phase Arctic Skua, an Arctic, 30 Sandwich and six Common Tern, 30 Kittiwake, 25 Gannet, 18 Common Scoter, 11 Swift, five Fulmar and a Mediterranean Gull.

Thursday 29th July

Two Roseate Tern were present on the morning tide with 68 Sandwich and a Common Tern, also in the estuary 66 Dunlin, four Sanderling, three Mediterranean Gull, two Ringed and two Grey Plover with a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull on Finger Point. Elsewhere a Teal was on the Main Pond, with single  Wheatear and Willow Warbler further signs of autumn. 

An evening seawatch ahead of Storm Evert saw just 14 Gannet, 10 Kittiwake, eight Sandwich and two Common Tern, two Whimbrel and a Mediterranean Gull.

Wildlife News: The next brood of Peacock have emerged with several fresh individuals on the wing. The first Dasysyrphus albostriatus of the year was recorded.

Peacock - Alan Keatley

Dasysyrphus albostriatus - Alan Keatley

Tuesday 27th July

Counts from the estuary on the evening tide included an autumn record 71 Whimbrel, 28 Sanderling, 17 Ringed and two Grey Plover, 10 Mediterranean Gull, 10 Greenshank, six Bar-tailed Godwit, just six Sandwich Tern, four Dunlin and two Common Tern. Offshore 16 Common Scoter and eight Manx Shearwater.

Sunday 25th July

The first juvenile Yellow-legged Gull of the year was offshore with 40 Sandwich and nine Common Tern and 27 Mediterranean Gull feeding in the estuary or offshore. Also in the estuary 268 Curlew, 130 Dunlin, 72 Sanderling, 27 Whimbrel, 16 Ringed Plover, seven Greenshank, three Turnstone, two Bar-tailed Godwit, a Common Sandpiper and the first Snipe of autumn.

Further signs of passage overhead with 17 House and four Sand Martin, eight Swift and four Swallow.

Saturday 24th July

A new unringed Roseate Tern was the highlight with 27 Common but just 36 Sandwich Tern. The rapid decline of Sandwich Terns on site is matching by declining breeding success of the Straight Point Kittiwake colony, a lack of available food is the likely cause. The same lack of small fish has impacted on the Bass nursery offshore, all no doubt the result of the failed beach recharge scheme.

Roseate Tern - Dave Jewell

Common Tern - Dave Jewell

Also in the estuary 226 Curlew, 21 Ringed Plover, 19 Dunlin, 14 Turnstone, 13 Whimbrel, 11 Mediterranean Gull, three Common Sandpiper, three Bar-tailed Godwit, two Greenshank, two Knot and a Little Ringed Plover. Elsewhere 33 Sanderling were on the beach, 72 Swift, 10 Swallow, three Sand Martin and, more unusually, 14 Raven were overhead.

Friday 23rd July

The early morning tide saw an increase in waders with counts including 304 Curlew, 77 Dunlin, 54 Sanderling, a high autumn count of 37 Whimbrel, two Grey and two Ringed Plover and single Black and Bar-tailed Godwit. Also in the estuary 44 Sandwich Tern, 10 Mediterranean and three Common Gull, including the first juvenile.

Out to sea 21 Mediterranean Gull, 12 Kittiwake, six Lesser Black-backed Gull were part of a large feeding flock of gulls.

Wednesday 21st July

A morning visit saw a flock of eleven Sand Martin fly through quickly, but a group of  35 Sanderling feeding on the beach were not in such a hurry. The tide was out, but in the estuary there was a gathering of at least nine Mediterranean Gull of various ages and up to 35 Sandwich Tern coming and going.

Wildlife News: The first Sycamore Piercer Pammene aurita for the Recording Area was found near the railway, moth 684 for the Warren. 

Sycamore Piercer - Alan Keatley

Other insects active in the high temperatures included the first Willow Mason-wasp Symmorphus bifasciatus of the year, a Wool Carder Bee continuing to guard the Lamb's-ear and evidence of migration with a steady steam of Small White and a few Red Admiral.

Willow Mason-wasp - Alan Keatley

Small White - Alan Keatley

Following last winter's erosion of much of the Desert and part of Warren Point it was good to see a display of Sea Holly recovering on the remaining beach.

Sea Holly - Alan Keatley

Sunday 18th July

The first juvenile Wheatear of the autumn was on Warren Point, with a juvenile Siskin and a Willow Warbler in the bushes further evidence in the change of seasons. The Nuthatch and Coal Tit were also still present with 15 Sand Martin, 14 Swallow and six Swift overhead.

Elsewhere nine Common Scoter were offshore and 32 Sandwich and five Common Tern were in the estuary with 16 Dunlin, seven Sanderling and the Little Ringed Plover.

Wildlife News: The first Beewolf of the year were on the wing with good numbers of Little Flower Bee and Hairy-saddled Colletes and the sand wasp Ammophila sabulosa. 

Beewolf - Kevin Rylands

Little Flower Bee - Kevin Rylands 

Also on the wing 13 species of butterfly including Ringlet, Common Blue and Red Admiral; and six dragonflies including Small Red-eyed Damselfly and Golden-ringed Dragonfly. 

Saturday 17th July

Counts from the estuary included a Little Ringed, four Grey and three Ringed Plover, 356 Curlew, 60 Redshank, 35 Sandwich and seven Common Tern, 29 Dunlin, 26 Whimbrel, eight Mediterranean Gull, four Knot, two Sanderling, a Greenshank and a Turnstone.

Sanderling - Garry Hayman

Elsewhere the second Nuthatch of the year was in the Entrance Bushes and the summer-plumaged Great Northern Diver was off Langstone Rock

Wildlife News: The first Wool Carder Bee Anthidium manicatum for the Recording Area were on the Lamb's-ear near the Go-karts, with Hairy-saddled Colletes Colletes fodiens, Coastal Leafcutter Megachile maritima and Little Flower Bee Anthophora bimaculata also active in the hot weather. 

Wool Carder Bee - Alan Keatley

The first Marbled White of the year was one of 15 butterfly species recorded including Small Skipper, Comma and Ringlet with seven dragonfly species including Small Red-eyed Damselfly on the Main Pond, a Black-tailed Skimmer and a Golden-ringed Dragonfly. Large numbers of Marsh Helleborine are in flower across the site and Meadow Vetchling was rediscovered after an absence of over 30 years. 

Marbled White - Alan Keatley

Small Red-eyed Damselfly - Alan Keatley