Knot Good

High tide is around dawn at the moment, so for the last two mornings Black Hole Marsh has been the obvious place to see the new day in. 06:10 - 08:15 yesterday from the Island Hide showed;

2 Grey Plover

14 Dunlin

1 Knot

3 Common Sandpiper

7 Bar-tailed Godwit

3 Water Rail

3 Sedge Warbler

Out of that list, maybe just a handful of Dunlin and the Knot were the only 'new' birds. Not quite the arrival of waders I was hoping for.  Very sad tale to the Knot though, as shortly after I picked it up flying around over the marsh, it struck an overhead cable right in front of the Island Hide. Poor thing dropped like a stone...

A very sorry sight

I thought it was dead, but it got itself together and swam to the nearest island and out of view.  Neither of the wings looked broken, and I was pleased to see Tim White report the presence of a Knot at Black Hole mid afternoon, so hopefully it lives on.  So sad though to think it has just flown all they way from Arctic only for this to happen.

Later on yesterday, five Ringed Plover were on the Estuary.

This morning Black Hole was no different, except for the light conditions...

 Beautiful isn't it.

 It's also upside down!  This is right way up...

And here's a less cropped version to prove it...

The reflection of the sky looked absolutely stunning. Really beautiful. Good job too because the bird situation was pretty dismal. Still a couple of Grey Plovers about and 14 Dunlin again but nothing new.  I even resorted to photographing a Little Egret...