23rd May 2025

A morning out at Sandwich Bay for a SWFV group today. Our walk started by crossing the golf course from the bird observatory, heading south along the beach and then inland through Restharrow dunes and onto the scrape before returning via the new dragonfly ponds. Several weeks of continuous dry weather had taken its toll on the plants. A few stunted Lizard Orchids were struggling to flower and we found no Southern Marsh Orchids at all. It was good to see encouraging numbers of Cinnabar moths in the dunes where Ragwort has been allowed to thrive. Along the beach though, plants adapted to the harsher conditions were in better shape. Dune and shingle specialists like Sea Bindweed, Sea Kale, Sea Holly, Yellow-horned Poppy and Sea Sandwort were interesting to see. A single plant of Bedstraw Broomrape was spotted by one eagle-eyed member of the group, a rare plant for which Sandwich Bay is one of its few locations. Butterflies were much in evidence though with Common Blue, Holly Blue, Painted Lady, Speckled Wood, Small Heath and Small Copper all being seen. A Cuckoo made its presence apparent and a couple of Mediterranean Gulls flew over. After a pleasant sojourn in the Restharrow Scrape hide watching some of the breeding birds, we wandered back past the new ponds. A very pleasant morning out.

Clockwise from top left: Seaside Daisy (Erigeron glaucus), Yellow-horned Poppy (Glaucium flavum), Sea Kale (Crambe maritima), Sea Bindweed (Calystegia soldanella), Bedstraw Broomrape (Orobanche caryophyllacea) and Small Copper butterfly