Hot Hot Hot!

The shorts have come back out, it feels like mid summer out there!

And this unseasonal weather has done the tricks in the ornithological world too, as Phil found two Great White Egrets on Black Hole Marsh late last night. At 9am this morning, under a layer of mist, I could see they were still with us, feeding on the flooded salt marsh north of Coronation Corner...

A record count for the Axe!!

When I was watching them, I thought they 'felt' like juvs - don't ask why or how, they just did! But looking at my photos, the lores appear to be green, which would surely be the remnants of summer plumage? This of course would actually make them adults.

I left them to have a wander along the beach, but apparently at about 09:45 they took off and flew north up the valley....

My beach wander showed 23 Dunlin and 12 Ringed Plover - but not the Semi-P that I was hoping for...

Has it gone - or does it just not like roosting on pebble beaches!??

It was nice to see a Painted Lady fluttering in off the sea, and rest on the first pebbles it came too...

Well done - you've made it, just a pity you will probably die within the next week anyway!!!

Rewinding back a bit, Black Hole Marsh yesterday morning was rather quiet, although this impressive flock of hirundines were feeding over the marsh...

More than enough for a Tree Swallow or Purple Martin!!!

The day before that, this Whinchat was at Beer Cem...

Sat on top of the tallest tree in the area!

And sometime last week, this Tufted Duck was on the Borrow Pit, Seaton Marshes...

Formerly a patch scarcity!