Sightings

Main sighting: Bittern

0500 – 0830 visit, 44 species including highlights: Lesser whitethroat calling by the first gate and a pair of common whitethroats near the first hide. Redshank platform – 17 (un-ringed) curlew which flew off at 0520 over the sea wall, cettis calling, 12 swifts passing through, 3 oystercatchers, 14 redshanks, 44 shelduck, 32 lapwing, reed buntings, 1 buzzard, female kestrel, skylark singing, pair of bullfinches flying through, 8 dunlin, 2 herons, 9 ringed plovers and a pair of little ringed plovers mixed in. Hide three – pair of gadwall and a pair of tufteds and 25 mute swans. Only birds of note from seawall were a pair of great black-backed gulls over the sea. Marsh platform – 1 little egret. Hide two – juvenile stonechat on the mud by the reeds with several pied wagtails, 3 meadow pipits and 5 linnets, great tits (family group) in the bushes behind the hide, 2 chiffchaffs, 2 blackcaps, 1 pheasant (calling), and a single sand martin through. Back at hide 1 (0810hrs) a bittern flew right to left across lagoon 3 and landed, then took off again about 5 minutes later and flew left to right for about 50 yards then dropped back down into the reeds – possibly an adult bird?

Main sighting: Goosanders

Female goosander and 9 young, little egret, grey heron, kingfisher, stock dove

Main sighting: Goosander

Pair of kingfisher parent and youngster, cormorant, F goosander with fishermans nightmare-26 youngsters!

Main sighting: Little egrets

3 little egrets, grey heron, cormorant, 18 swifts, 5 swallows, spotted flycatcher, female goosander

Main sighting: Goshawk

Large female Goshawk seen from my garden showing well above Mountain next to Tescos.

Main sighting: Curlew Sandpiper / Juvenile Dunlin

Blackcap 1, chiffchaff 2, common whitethroat 1, cettis 1 and reed warbler 1 (all singing birds). Redshank platform – 91 dunlin including a single juvenile bird, also 1 curlew sandpiper and 3 sanderling mixed in (1 in partial breeding plumage), greenshank 1, shoveler 2 pairs, gadwall 1 pair, ringed plover 9, avocet 2 pairs, lapwing 25 (good sized group at the moment), cuckoo calling towards the seawall tea rooms area, linnets, skylark singing, 2 herons, reed buntings, 2 swifts, 7 swallows and female kestrel. Seawall – 5 curlew only birds of note. Hide three – mute swan 12, oystercatchers 4, little egrets 3 and a pair of tufteds. back at redshank mid-morning – single black-tailed godwit. Other: common blue, meadow browns and small skipper butterflies, female hairy dragonfly and a dead mole.

Main sighting: Swift Survey

A reminder that the GOS Swift survey starts today until the end of the month. We would like you to submit records of nesting birds and screaming parties. Please see the Home Page for details. Thanks for your help.

Main sighting: Wheatear

Fledglings being fed at nest entrance by both parents, couple of Swifts overhead!

Main sighting: Goldcrest

Young fluffy goldcrest within 10 feet of the bench. Uk smallest bird.

Main sighting: Red Kite

Bedraggled red kite (feathers missing from both wings) quartering over fields adjacent to coffee shop for several minutes.

Main sighting: Eagle species

Several distant sighting throughout the day. Possible Booted Eagle

Main sighting: Greater Spotted Woodpecker

Got a video of Woody on my peanut feeder and he’s a healthy big one