Thursday 24 November 2016

I stopped at Cockles Bridge on my way to the beach where I could only find 1 Bewick Swan in the field opposite.
In blasting 6-8 NE wind 08.30-09.30 from the fishing boats with CT & BH:

Brent Goose:                      44                       11down
Shoveler:                              3
Pintail:                                  1
Wigeon:                              39
Tufted Duck:                        1
Common Scoter:                  8                         6 down
Red-breasted Merganser:     3
Red-throated Diver:             1                         8 down
Great-crested Grebe:         96 around
Gannet:                            155                        17 down
Cormorant:                         present n/c         800+ on Burrowes
Oystercatcher:                     2
Turnstone:                           3 around
Dunlin:                              19
Black-headed Gull:            present n/c
Mediterranean Gull:            3
Common Gull:                      present n/c
Herring Gull:                         present n/c
Lesser Black Backed Gull:   present n/c
Greater Black Backed Gull: present n/c
Guillemot:                              5
Auk Sp:                                15                         76 down
Pied Wagtail:                         3 around
Starling:                               10 out
Goldfinch:                            18 over
Linnet:                                    3 over
 On the reserve the Ring-necked Duck was  still showing well on Cooks Pool, out in the fields the Cattle Egret, a Great White Egret and several Little Egrets, also c500 Wigeon, c300 Lapwing, 50+ Golden Plover, 200+ Stock Doves, 2+ Marsh Harriers, a Common Buzzard along with 100s of Starlings, Coot and Teal.
I walked the promenade from Littlestone to St Mary's Bay and back but was unable to find  the Snow Bunting flock, plenty of Oystercatchers and Turnstones on the shore line though.
Curlew in a flooded part of Galloways
In a wind blasted Denge Marsh Gully a Robin, Wren and Magpie the only birds. 2 Ravens around the power station.
As the ranges were open I drove to the bottom of Galloways then walked west towards The Midrips and back. Apart from being an exhilarating plod along the beach the Snow Buntings, Lapland Buntings and Shorelarks I felt sure would be lurking in this undisturbed area did not materialise, but were replaced by 4 Reed Buntings and several Meadow Pipits.
A Ring-billed Gull was reported from Burrowes mid afternoon, I joined CT and BH looking for it with out luck finding just 2 adult Yellow-legged Gulls.
A drake Goosander was  at the south end of the ARC per CT & BH.

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