Sightings

Main sighting: Sand Martins

Afternoon visit: Hide 2 – reed warbler singing, 73 lapwing, 25 dunlin, 1 lt egret, linnets, 94 black-headed gulls with 5 juvs mixed in, 6 ringed plovers, 2 little ringed plovers, green woodpecker calling, pheasant, gt spotted woodpecker flying and 1 heron. Seawall – 6 sand martins over the lagoon, on the saltmarsh, 52 curlew, 118 shelduck and 32 oystercatchers with a single starling on the seawall itself. Hide three – reed bunting, skylarks and a little grebe. Near the car park, goldcrest, chiffchaff family group and common whitethroat contact call. Other: Tawny owl pellet, gatekeepers and meadow browns, 1 red admiral, possible comma and an emperor dragonfly.

Main sighting: Common Sandpiper

Sedge warblers, chiffchaffs, reed warbler, moorhen with chicks, sparrowhawk with a small bird being mobbed by several house martins. Pool hide – a common sandpiper flew in but couldn’t find anywhere to land so flew straight back out. 2 pairs of little grebes with young, 12 little egrets and a pair of grey herons with 2 fledging. Other: grass snake, common blue, painted lady, ringlets, gatekeeper and emperor dragonfly.

Main sighting: Red kite

A red kite spotted near doctors surgery.

Main sighting: Spoonbill flying over (photos)

Circa 50 Black tailed godwits until raptor flew over, 2 redshank, curlew, ringed plover, marsh harrier, lapwings, dunlin, graylag geese. One spoonbill flew over 12:00 ish, sadly did a circuit and flew on.

Main sighting: Red Kite

Red Kite circling over The Narth at 11.00am – possibly a juvenile.

Main sighting: Swifts

5 swifts over the pool itself, cettis calling close by, 1 buzzard and 2 herons.

Main sighting: Rock Pipit

6am – 11.15 Overall fairly quiet. Whitethroat 2, chiffchaff 1, pheasant, 3 cormorants and a lesser whitethroat calling. Hide one – 5 curlew. Hide two – skylarks, 36 dunlin, 3 oystercatchers, 5 more curlew, 54 lapwing, 27 black-tailed godwits (many in breeding plumage, apparently with the colder than normal conditions on their Icelandic breeding grounds some birds are returning early -hence why some of these are in full breeding plumage), 95 black headed gulls (5 of which were juveniles), 11 ringed plovers, shelduck, 2nd-year gt black-backed gull, 7 teal, 5 little egrets, 1 lt ringed plover, male marsh harrier hunting and a rock pipit feeding amongst the rocks on the edge of the island. Marsh platform – pair of little grebes and 3 mute swans with a family group of 8 linnets close by. Seawall – high tide but 136 shelduck and 47 curlew on the saltmarsh with another little egret mixed in, 3 sand martins passed too. Hide three – quiet but 96 redshank counted. Other: ,lots of meadow browns and several ringlets.

Main sighting: Hobby

Hobby seen and photographed hunting across the heather just east of the Foxhunter car park (presumed male as the female should be sitting at this time of year). No other raptors seen. Also a probable Ring Ouzel, five Ravens, a female Reed Bunting and many Meadow Pipits and male Stonechats, particularly near Keeper’s Pond, plus a Wren feeding young in the heather. GOS membership applied for.

Main sighting: Red Kite

At our outdoor breakfast today we saw a Red kite a Peregrine and six Swifts.

Main sighting: Goshawk

Whilst we were enjoying an outdoor breakfast a female Goshawk flew over the garden, not long before a female Sparrowhawk with prey.

Main sighting: Little Ringed Plover

17:30-20:30 Little Ringed Plover 10 adults +1 juv on Becs. Green Sandpiper 1 Little Egret 5 Sand Martin 20 Lesser Whitethroat 1 Raven 4

Main sighting: short eared owl

A short eared owl appeared when spooked by a quartering female marsh harrier.Also 8-oystercatchers from 1st platform1-greenshank,3-juv.BHGs,11h30-13h30