Tuesday 15 January 2013

A plod along the beach

 Mid morning at the ARC Pit: In the Willow Trail 2+ squealing Water Rail, a Cetti's Warbler, a Green Woodpecker and in the  Tit flock, still 1 Firecrest, 2 Goldcrest and a Chiffchaff. From Hanson 3 Smew (1 drake), 5 Goldeneye and a Marsh Harrier. At the south end a single Great White Egret and much reduced numbers of the common wildfowl.
At the fishing boats far fewer Razorbills, Guillemots, Grebes and Red Throated Divers on a rough sea than of late, but the ever present 3w Glaucous Gull was on patrol. 
 With little moving at sea I walked along the beach to the lifeboat station. On the way a party of 10 Brent Geese, 18 Teal and 5 Wigeon flew east.

Dozens of dead Dogfish littered the high tide line and were much appreciated by the Gulls and Turnstones.
 250+ Oystercatchers, 8 Bar Tailed Godwits, 2 Grey Plover and 6+ Dunlin were in a high tide roost by the lifeboat station.
 The reserve was disappointing with the reduced numbers of wildfowl. The highlights were a single red head Smew on Burrowes, a party of 10 Snipe over and 2 Marsh Harriers.
Scotney was also disappointing with little of note present.
On Walland all I could find was 2 Bewick Swans in the potato field and a family of 5 with the Mute swans opposite Midley Barn, nearby the usual Tree Sparrow flock and 2 Common Buzzards. 

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