Sightings

Main sighting: Dark bellied Brent Goose

2 dark bellied Brent Geese feeding on a rising tide before flying off west.Also 2 Barwits.

Main sighting: Common gull

Also from Goldcliff this afternoon (photos checked and confirmed by Dan Webb) as 2nd summer common gull (2nd lagoon).

Main sighting: Little ringed plover / reed warbler

Little ringed plover from hide 3 on the right of the island, also singing reed warbler between snipe and marsh platforms. Other highlights – chiffchaffs, blackcaps, cettis, redshank, gadwall, teal, avocet, shelduck, shovler, stonechat (male), linnets, kestrel (male), 3 herons, 1 lt egret, 4 swallows, 55 curlew came onto lagoon 3 where 263 black-tailed godwits were feeding, which took off and went high. Other: small tortoiseshell, small white, brimstone and speckled wood butterflies.

Main sighting: Reed & Sedge Warbler

One Sedge and two Reed Warblers this am.

Main sighting: Black Tailed Godwit

Many Black’wits again today mostly on Becks.I counted a minimum of 645 from my photographs,also 2-Spoonbills,7-Avocets and the Spotted Redshank looking a lot blacker than on my last visit.11h30-13h45

Main sighting: Spoonbills

1400 – 1530 hrs, good views of a pair of spoonbills from snipe hide, they were on the far west bank of Becs and were resting, also flock of 250 plus blk t godwits flew over, reed bunting, chiff chaff, cettis, 14 avocets, single spotted redshank on east of Monks and finally our first willow warbler heard.

Main sighting: Red Kite

Red Kite circling over The Narth 17.45 before flying off in westerly direction.

Main sighting: Fieldfare

Pair of Fieldfare hanging around hedgerow / feeding on Ivy berries. Possibly the latest I’ve ever recorded them. Redpoll, Greenfinch, Linnet, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, amongst usual.

Main sighting: Crossbill

Four Crossbills drinking

Main sighting: Snipe

2 chiffchaffs, 1 blackcap and a male stonechat. Redshank platform – 9 shelduck, skylark singing, 11 redshanks, 7 ringed plovers, 7 teal, 2 shoveler, 2 herons, 4 avocets, 1 cormorant, 7 lapwing, female kestrel, single snipe feeding and the spotted redshank going into partial breeding plumage. Snipe platform – pair of mute swans only. Seawall – oystercatchers and curlew on the saltings and the brent goose. Hide three – 4 wigeon only, 8 more shoveler, 4 gadwall, 3 more avocets, marsh harriers, red bunting, and the 22 curlew I counted earlier came in to the lagoon with the pale-bellied brent goose with them giving great views. Other: small tortoiseshell butterfly.

Main sighting: Red Kite

Single bird over the road, significantly exactly the same patch as one seen a couple of weeks ago.

Main sighting: Possible Merlin

Seen by the lighthouse sweeping low and fast across the salt marsh in pursuit of a bird and then landed before flying up high and away over the reedbeds. Clear view of face on the ground and no cheeks to rule out hobby and peregrine. Very distinctive small falcon shape in flight and darker coloured rather than chestnut and hunting behaviour suggested merlin rather than kestrel. Also pair of Marsh Harriers over the reedbeds and good numbers of Cetti Warblers.