Rimac bits and North Cotes high tide highlights....

Female Common Lizard.

Sundown over Northcotes.

Rainbow over Horseshoe Point.

Small-elephant Hawkmoth larva.

Another full day out today enjoying the hobby,saw me firstly heading for Rimac,part of the superb Saltfleetby And Theddlethorpe Dunes NNR and later,Horseshoe Point and North Cotes for the high tide.Highlights from the avian world at Rimac,came in the form of a 'Reeling' Grasshopper Warbler,singing away while i was searching for dragonflies in the large freshwater marsh and a Little-ringed Plover calling as it passed overhead,with little else being seen.Insects were the main focus here,with the best being,4 Essex Skipper and a Small-elephant Hawkmoth Caterpillar,only my second ever sighting of this species.The Essex Skippers were found nectaring on an area of Knapweed,one of the species favoured nectar sources and i think i would have located more individuals if it hadn't been for the gusty south westerly wind.The Small-elephant was found feeding on its foodplant,Lady's Bedstraw and as i previously mentioned,this was only my second time i had observed the species.Other wildlife sightings included a few spikes of Marsh Helleborine still in flower and quite a lot of Pyramidal Orchids showing nicely.I also managed to find a single Clouded Border Moth,a stunning species.So after a nice visit to this great place,i made my way over to Horseshoe Point and North Cotes.After meeting up with the Grimsby lads,we made our way out to the high tide to search through the masses of roosting gulls,terns and waders.We managed to find some great birds over the next three and a half hours,which included 3 Med Gulls(1st calendar year,3rd calendar year and adult),which gave great views and particularly enjoyed watching the juv,a very nice bird!.In amongst the gulls,were at least 400 Common Tern,70 Sandwich Tern and 4 Arctic Skua were watched harassing the gulls and terns offshore,with a hand full of Gannets also being seen.Raptors featured well also,with singles of Hobby,Merlin,Peregrine and Marsh Harrier,watched hunting the huge marsh at Grainthorpe,but the main focus was on the sea and beach and we returned to watching the huge flocks of summer plumaged Knot,Bar-tailed Godwit,Grey Plover,Dunlin,Turnstone and Sanderling,the Grey Plover being particularly appealing.Other niceties included 6 Whimbrel,2 Green Sand,Greenshank and singles of Barn and Little Owl.