The weather forecast was not very promising for today's SOC outing to Erskine Shore and Newshot Island. However it turned out to be fine and there was hardly a drop of rain all day. Having nearly twenty pairs of eyes and ears involved in the search meant that we managed to see a good range of bird species, most notable being up to four Common Terns, a Whitethroat, a Greenshank and up to seven Common Sandpipers. Breeding evidence was obtained for Lesser Black-backed Gull (three juveniles on a rooftop) and House Martin (a large number of birds concentrated over a small area - presumably indicating the presence of a colony). In what has already been a good year for the species, Common Red Soldier Beetles were encountered at various sites.