Since my last post, Black Hole Marsh continues to produce a nice turn over of wading birds.
The Curlew Sandpipers only stayed the one day, but the next day were replaced by our first juvenile Wood Sandpiper of the year found by Tim C. By yesterday the Wood Sand count had increased to three, although my short visit there this morning failed to show any.
Water levels are getting a bit low now so hopefully they'll be topped up shortly by the upcoming bigger tides, but there's so many wading birds still, even if none of them were Wood Sands!
Best of all this morning were two new-in juvenile Little Ringed Plovers, feeding quite close to Island hide...
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Enjoying the mud |
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Do these out-cute juv Med Gulls? I think so! |
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Looking suitably elongated |
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Go get that bug! |
Also present wading bird wise were Lapwing, Greenshank, Dunlin, Common Sandpipers and good numbers of Redshank and Black-tailed Godwits.
Overhead two Goosander were a surprise, they did a loop over Black Hole Marsh before flying off up the valley. Just managed to capture one of them on camera...
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Very nearly didn't get a shot at all! |
In the bushes alongside the entrance track a Willow Warbler, which was sporadically singing, was my first of the autumn on patch. There's still hundreds of Sand Martins feeding low over the site, I guess not a surprise considering 400 pulli have been ringed in the Sand Martin wall this year - which is an incredible number! Am sure most will soon be off south.
The only other birds sighting I have to mention from the last few days is of three Whimbrel frequenting the lower Estuary (although haven't seen any today). I have been checking the gulls when I can but still no baby Yellow-legs or many more Meds for me.
Check back soon for more - I have a feeling autumn will be ramping up quite rapidly from here on in...