An Afternoon Tour Of The Marshes

Had a wander around Blackhole, Stafford and Colyford Marshes this afternoon - no sign of the two Wood Sands seen here last night and this morning. I did see a few bits though...

Ringed Plover numbers doubled whilst I was there, as a flock of 15 flew in from the west (making a total of at least 31). Dunlin numbers remain similar and the two Little Stints also remain. The juvenile came a little closer for me today, it's just a pity the wind was blowing my scope all over the place...

Corking little thing

A Ruff was nice to see - my second of the 'autumn' - and this is an awful flight shot of it...

I said it was awful!

Also on Blackhole three Blackwits and a few Common Sands. Colyford Common gave four Wheatear and a Greenshank, and Colyford Marsh showed four more Greenshank (with the fifth bird joining them from Colyford Common). Also a single Lapwing by the main scrape.

Earlier in the day, a sweep of the Estuary showed the Red-crested Pochard still with us...

Hanging out with two WILD Mallards! :-)

Have got a busy three days coming up, but may be able to get out birding for at least a small part of tomorrow and Saturday. I'll finish this post with this photo...

Little Egret taken with the Lumix