20th April: WeBS, Plants new in flower, Shieldbugs and a Groundhopper.

Today started with the monthly WeBS count - highlight of which was an incredible 157 Sandwich Terns on the beach roost:

Sandwich Tern 157
Common Tern 4
Little Tern 2
Hering Gull 8
Great Black-backed Gull 3
Black-headed Gull 15
Oystercatcher 245
Bar-tailed Godwit 120
Grey Plover 7
Sanderling 57
Cormorant 7
Ringed Plover 3
Knot 16
Turnstone 2
Redshank 31
Avocet 8
Shoveler 3
Mallard 6
Brent Goose 52

The other avian highlight was an adult Gannet which flew east at scrub height along the full length of Broadwater before banking to its left and flying out to see again. A cuckoo sang  rather unenthusiastically on the golf course.

Plants new in flower today were Ribwort Plantain, Rattle, Salad Burnet, Mignonette, Strawberry, Rock Rose, Hairy Rock Cress and Field Madder.

Amongst other goodies found today were Slender Groundhopper in the west-end quarry at Ringstead Downs, Sloe Shieldbug, the Shieldbug Troilus luridus and many tens of Green Shieldbug.

Thrift, Holme NWT, 20th April 2014

Rattle, Holme NWT, 20th April 2014

Hairy Rock Cress, Ringstead Downs, 20th April 2014

Field Madder,  Ringstead Downs, 20th April 2014

Rock Rose, Ringstead Downs, 20th April 2014

Sloe Shieldbug,  Ringstead Downs, 20th April 2014

Troilus luridus, Ringstead Downs, 20th April 2014

Green Shieldbug, Ringstead Downs, 20th April 2014

Slender Groundhopper, Ringstead Downs, 20th April 2014