Anderby Marsh continues to go from strength to strength with an incredible 27 wader species recorded this year. Avocet numbers have varied daily from 6-12 birds. The first avocet nest was noted on the 17^th May followed by two more the following week. At least three pairs of lapwing are also now nesting after much displaying in March and April. A pair of little ringed plover have also been showing signs of breeding activity but have not yet settled down.

One of the biggest surprises of the month was the sudden appearance of a shelduck on the marsh with four small chicks on the 18^th. It is thought that they bred on neighbouring farmland (shelducks tend to nest in rabbit burrows or even in amongst hay stacks) and are now using the marsh to make use of the feeding opportunities.

Alongside the breeding species the marsh has also attracted a variety of other species including two drake garganey, three wood sandpiper (seven consecutive days), great white egret, little stint (25^th), turnstone, four curlew sandpiper and two little gull (30^th). Spoonbills have made a number of visits particularly towards the end of the month with up to five birds present on both the 30^th and 31^st. In the past spoonbills have rarely lingered in the Lincolnshire Coastal Country Park for more than two to three hours, it is therefore encouraging to have birds remain onsite for two consecutive days, they were seen to be feeding well throughout their stay. 

Sandilands Nature Reserve held the usual breeding species such as meadow pipit, skylark and linnet. A short-eared owl was seen on the 1^st with no sightings thereafter. A male whinchat was discovered on the 17^th and was the only record of the spring. Whinchat are generally scarce in spring, being more common in the autumn on their return migration, from breeding grounds in northern England and Scotland.  

A pair of stonechat successfully fledged young in a sea buckthorn clump at Chapel Six Marshes in May with three juveniles in attendance. This is thought to be first breeding attempt in the area. Stonechat is often a scarce breeding species on the coast typically favouring heathland sites for nesting.

A Savi’s warbler was heard singing briefly along the coastal path at Anderby Creek during a bird survey. It later transpires that this is the first Lincolnshire record since 1992! Savi’s warblers are rare birds in the UK with less than five pairs breeding annually, they are in the same family as the similar grasshopper warbler and can be instantly separated from that species by the lack of spots. The song is also slightly different being lower pitched and more ‘buzzing’ than ‘reeling’. Savi’s warbler is very much dependant on reedbed habitats for breeding so will always be a potential breeding species in the Lincolnshire Coastal Country Park in the future. They are regular breeders on the near continent.   

The day after the Savi’s warbler, an alpine swift was observed for a good 30 minutes feeding over the dunes/marsh at Anderby Creek before flying southwards. It was later recorded flying south at Gibraltar Point. This is a very rare visitor from Europe that is recorded only a handful of times in the UK each year.

Seawatching during the month was generally quiet though a four-hour session on the 29^th in favourable conditions produced sightings of three pochard, 277 common scoter, two red-throated diver, a fulmar, five Manx shearwater, 18 gannet, 11 little tern, Arctic skua and two puffin. A purple heron was also recorded flying south over sea the on the 26^th.    

There are currently two pairs of marsh harrier still on territory in the area.

Non-avian highlights

Butterflies are starting to become more numerous with the warming temperatures and therefore more species are now on the wing such as peacock, red admiral, painted lady, small tortoiseshell, common blue (Huttoft Marsh), speckled wood, orange-tip (Chapel Nature Area), holly blue, large white, small white, green-veined white, small copper (Chapel Six Marshes), green hairstreak (Anderby Creek) and meadow brown.

The dragonfly season has been quite slow to start on the coast with numbers seemingly fewer than expected. Species seen have included large red damselfly, azure blue damselfly, red-eye damselfly (Chapel Six Marshes), common blue damselfly, broad-bodied chaser and hairy dragonfly (record numbers of the latter this spring!). An incredible record of a variable damselfly at Anderby Creek was most unexpected these are very rare damselflies in Lincolnshire. 

A camera trap was set-up near Anderby Creek and recorded badger, fox, roe deer and muntjac deer on multiple days. Several red-banded sand wasps were recorded during the month along the Anderby Creek coastal footpath. At least six independent records of harbour porpoise during the month mostly from Anderby Creek and Huttoft Car Terrace. The year’s first tadpoles were present at Chapel Six Marshes numbering in the hundreds. Several orchids have now started to flower in the area with southern marsh orchid and common spotted-orchid recorded.

Top five species - June

1. Sedge warbler – now the breeding season is well underway look out for these small warblers feeding chicks in the reedbeds. The coastal paths are excellent places to watch them without causing too much disturbance.
2. Wildflowers – not to be missed during June are the incredible wildflower displays at Chapel Six Marshes and Chapel Nature Area (at their best mid-late June). Several years of excellent partnership work with Lincolnshire County Council has really helped transform these areas into species rich meadows. They now produce a wealth of nectar for a variety of butterflies, bees and other insects.
3. Red-banded sand wasp (Ammophila sabulosa) – these rare sand wasps can often be found on bare sandy ground throughout. The tower hide just south of Anderby Creek is often a reliable spot to see one as is the coastal path section to Wolla Bank.   
4. Avocet chicks – keep an eye out for cute little chicks from mid-month on the Anderby Marsh.
5. Painted lady – 2022 is turning out to be a good painted lady summer with numerous sightings throughout this spring. Sheltered spots with good nectar sources are good places to find them.