Recent Sightings
August 2008
Passage movement really began to get into gear during August as many birds moved south to their wintering grounds. A good range of waders included regular, Greenshank, Green Sandpiper and Common Sandpiper, Spotted Redshank on Harbour Farm on the 25th and 26th, and Ternery Pool on the 29th, and Curlew Sandpiper on several dates. Up to 12 Black-tailed Godwit were present, five Knot and small numbers of Ruff, Little Ringed Plover and Whimbrel. Numbers of Curlew feeding on the shore had risen to 245 by the end of the month, while up to 270 Golden Plover roosted on Flat Beach Level. The highlights were regular Wood Sandpiper, with up to two on several dates and Little Stint on Harbour Farm on the 7th and 21st (two). Notable waterfowl during August included up to four Pintail (below) at Ternery
Pool from mid-month, a Garganey at Castle Water on the 18th, a Red-crested Pochard on Long Pit on the 3rd and a record count of Little Egret, 91 leaving the Castle Water roost on the 23rd. Among the passerines, up to 200 Yellow Wagtail and 36
Wheatear were present on Harbour Farm and the Beach Reserve, with up to six Whinchat late month, while other notables included two Raven over Castle Water on the 29th, several records of Bearded Tit at Castle Water and a Common Crossbill here on the 8th. Hirundine passage late month included up to 200 Sand Martin and 400 Swallow, while 150 Swift were present over Harbour Farm on the 2nd. The best of the bunch, however, was a Hoopoe near Castle Farm on the 29th! Highlights offshore were Great Skua on the 24th (two) and 25th, and Black Tern on two dates, including four at the River Mouth on the 23rd, while other records included Arctic Skua on the 24th (four) and 29th, seven Arctic Tern on the shore on the 30th and small numbers of Gannet towards the end of the month. Raptor highlight during August was an Osprey over Lime Kiln Cottage on the 18th, while there were regular sightings of both Peregrine and Marsh Harrier and the occasional Hobby. In addition, there were a few sightings of Barn Owl at Castle Water and on Harbour Farm.
Generally poor weather during the month meant that catches in the Lime Kiln moth trap were much reduced from the balmy days of July, though a good range of species was still present. Notables included Viper’s Bugloss Moth, Starry Pearl (above), Pigmy Footman and ewick’s Plusia, only the third reserve record of this rare immigrant, while new species for the year included Red Underwing, Dusky Thorn, Scorched Carpet and Flame Carpet. Other rare invertebrates during August included both Roesel’s Bush Cricket and Grey Bush Cricket, Great Silver Water Beetle, the Flecked General Soldier-fly, the hoverfly Volucella zonaria and the striking parasitic fly Mintho rufiventris (below), the first reserve record. Plants in flower this month included Least Lettuce, Stinking Hawksbeard, Herb Robert, Yellow Horned Poppy, Autumn Ladies Tresses, Apple of Peru and Slender Hare’s Ear.
