Sunday 9th March

Four Velvet Scoter east offshore were the first since April last year with 16 Great Crested Grebe, seven Common Scoter, six Red-throated and a Great Northern Diver, the four Eider and the first Manx Shearwater of the year.

Counts from the evening tide included c400 Dunlin, 146 Curlew, 141 Oystercatcher, 134 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 53 Turnstone, 28 Redshank, 28 Teal, 22 Sanderling, 12 Grey and 10 Ringed Plover, six Greenshank, six Red-breasted Merganser, four Knot and a Great Northern Diver. 

Other records included four Chiffchaff on site, two Siskin overhead and a joint site record 290 Lesser Black-backed Gull that flew N during the morning, equalling the tally heading south on 4th November 2007, although two on Bull Hill late afternoon may have been additional...

Year list addition:
109. Manx Shearwater
110. Velvet Scoter

Other Wildlife: The cooling easterlies kept numbers of flying insects down but a Peacock was basking out of the wind and Buff-tailed Bumblebee were active with several heading east down the spit.

Turning over dead wood proved fruitful with single Common Lizard and Palmate Newt amongst the invertebrates, turning over a lost bobble hat however produced a new spider for the Warren, Black Lace-weaver Amaurobius ferox. 

Palmate Newt - Kevin Rylands

Elsewhere a Harbour Porpoise was close inshore. 

Saturday 8th March

Early morning 12 Red-throated and a Great Northern Diver, were offshore along with 13 Kittiwake, four Gannet, four Common Scoter, the four Eider and two Fulmar. 

Elsewhere 16 Lesser Black-backed Gull were overhead, single Chiffchaff, Goldcrest and Sparrowhawk were in the bushes and, on the rising tide, 21 Teal, seven Greenshank, two Red-breasted Merganser, a Knot and a Peregrine were in the estuary.

Friday 7th March

Three Chiffchaff flycatching around the Entrance Bushes with a Firecrest and three Long-tailed Tit were, with the exception of a handful of Meadow Pipit overhead, the only spring migrants.

Elsewhere a Water Rail showed well at the First Pond, 17 Great Crested Grebe, four Eider and single Great Northern and Red-throated Diver were offshore and 45 Redshank, four Greenshank and a Knot were in the estuary. 

Another Great Northern Diver was sadly found dead on the beach at groyne nine. 

Great Northern Diver - Stephen Edwards

Thursday 6th March

The highlight of an evening visit were three Black-necked Grebe off the seawall, the first record since one in Dec 2022. Also offshore 52 Great Crested Grebe, three Eider, three Common Scoter and single Great Northern and Red-throated Diver.

Year list addition:
108. Black-necked Grebe

Wednesday 5th March

Counts from the morning high tide included 700 Dunlin, 51 Grey Plover, 45 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 24 Teal, 24 Turnstone, 20 Sanderling and four Knot.

Elsewhere 17 Great Crested Grebe, four Eider and two Red-throated Diver were off the sea wall and two Shoveler and two Chiffchaff were at the Main Pond. 

Other Wildlife: The cool mornings are not favouring flying insects with only Common and Tapered Dronefly and a few Buff-tailed Bumblebee on the wing. It was different with more terrestrial insects, with several species venturing out amongst the Marram as the ground temperature rose in the afternoon.

Leading the way a new ground beetle Paranchus albipes, probably the commonest not yet recorded and another overdue discovery.

Paranchus albipes - Alan Keatley

Other beetles included several Demetrias atricapillus, the smaller Philorhizus melanocephalus and the click beetle Agriotes sputator. Ladybirds were represented by Meadow Rhyzobius litura, Red Marsh, 22-spot and 24-spot. 

Philorhizus melanocephalus - Alan Keatley

22-spot Ladybird - Alan Keatley

Agriotes sputator - Alan Keatley

Also noted Ant Damsel Bug Himacerus mirmicoides and the mirid bug Stenodema calcarata.

Ant Damsel Bug Himacerus mirmicoides - Alan Keatley

Tuesday 4th March

A different mix over the high tide with no Bar-tailed Godwit, Ringed Plover or Wigeon, with other species diminishing in number as they start moving back north. Counts included 850 Dunlin, 158 Curlew, 75 Grey Plover, 35 Redshank, 35 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 22 Sanderling, 10 Teal, seven Knot, four Red-breasted Merganser, three Shelduck and two Greenshank. 

Redshank - Dave Jewell

Offshore there were 47 Great Crested Grebe, 14 Common Scoter, nine Great Northern Diver and the four Eider, with a tenth Great Northern Diver in the estuary.

Elsewhere three Little Grebe, at least three Water Rail and a pair of Shoveler were at the Main Pond, with a feeding Chiffchaff in the surrounding willows probably a migrant.

Chiffchaff - Alan Keatley

Other Wildlife: The first Marram Weevil Philopedon plagiatum and 24-spot Ladybird of the year were in the dunes, with the common spring cranefly Tipula rufina an overdue addition to the site's recorded fauna. 

Marram Weevil Philopedon plagiatum - Alan Keatley

24-spot Ladybird - Dave Jewell

Monday 3rd March

A Jack Snipe flushed from the upper saltmarsh at low tide was a surprise when looking for invertebrates, also in the estuary at low water, 37 Redshank, 24 Teal and three Greenshank.

Elsewhere two Great Northern Diver were offshore, two Stock Dove were on the Golf Course, a pair of Shoveler and a Water Rail were at the Main Pond, with two Chiffchaff and single Goldcrest and Siskin in the bushes. 

Other Wildlife: The cool nights seem to have reduced insect activity with fewer flies around the Alexanders, half a dozen Buff-tailed Bumblebee remained active around flowering Gorse and sallows. 

Saturday 1st March

With no news from high tide, a low tide visit saw 20+ Great Crested Grebe, four Eider and a Great Northern Diver were offshore, a Pale-bellied Brent Goose was on Bull Hill and 18 Dark-bellied Brent Geese and nine Turnstone were at Langstone Rock.

Elsewhere two migrant Chiffchaff were flycatching from the sallows, a pair of Shoveler were on the Main Pond and Long-tailed Tit were nest building along the Back Path.

Other Wildlife: A cooling wind limited activity around the Alexanders but Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax increased in numbers alongside Common Dronefly E. tenax and Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus.

Tapered Dronefly Eristalis pertinax - Alan Keatley

A new beetle for the Recording Area was found along the beach, Cercyon unipunctatus, a widespread water scavenger beetle. Also below the geotubes, the clown beetle Hypocaccus dimidiatus, 16-spot Ladybird Tytthaspis sedecimpunctata, Red Marsh Ladybird Coccidula rufa, the ground beetle Bembidion lampros, the darkling beetle Phaleria cadaverina and Dune Scarab Aegialia arenaria.

Cercyon unipunctatus - Alan Keatley

Phaleria cadaverina - Alan Keatley

Collared Earthstar Geastrum triplex - Kevin Rylands

Friday 28th February

A look offshore late afternoon saw a good number of birds feeding across the bay with counts including 58 Common Scoter, 57 Great Crested Grebe, both winter peaks; 40 Red-throated and 14 Great Northern Diver, 20+ Guillemot, four Eider and two Red-breasted Merganser.

Elsewhere single Chiffchaff and Firecrest were again by the Main Pond, with three Shoveler still present. There was no news from the estuary.

Other Wildlife: The first Harbour Porpoise of the year was offshore. 

Thursday 27th February

Late afternoon saw 22 Red-throated and five Great Northern Diver offshore along with 22 Great Crested Grebe, eight Common Scoter, the four Eider and four Shoveler.

Eider - Dean Hall

Counts from the evening high tide included 400 Dunlin, 17 Grey Plover and a Bar-tailed Godwit, with 105 Redshank, 14 Teal, eight Greenshank, seven Red-breasted Merganser and a Sparrowhawk also in the estuary, the latter hunting Dunlin. 

Elsewhere a pair of Shoveler were on the Main Pond with single Chiffchaff and Firecrest in the surrounding scrub.

Firecrest - Dean Hall

Other Wildlife: The first Common Lizard of the year, an immature, was basking by the Visitor Centre with half a dozen Buff-tailed Bumblebee around the first flowering sallows.