Waiting for the incoming tide and the arrival of waders, I scanned the few gulls that were feeding off the Crown & Anchor mudflats and found this adult Yellow-legged Gull. I was just getting to grips with a large number of Dunlin, Knots and other waders, settling in front of me, when a Peregrine I'd heard reported near Beacon Ponds ploughed through the assembling spectacle.
That was the end of the wader viewing as they all went skywards and not a wader left throughout the high tide period. A visit coinciding with high tide to look at returning waders this morning. A few Avocets are still present on the wetlands with the young birds almost ready for flying. 6 Dunlin were present with one juvenile plumaged individual. A single Knot, 4 Oystercatcher, 6 Redshank, 2 Shelduck, 5 Mute Swans and 5 Little Egrets were there, along with 2 Pied Wagtails and several Skylarks. A Greenshank appeared briefly near the hide. Both Little Tern and occasionally Sandwich Tern were fishing over the Wetland pools. On Beacon Ponds, wader numbers are increasing with around 4000 Dunlin and c1000 Knot, many in summer plumage. Among the Knot were a few Godwits and a Common Sandpiper was seen on Long Bank side. A Curlew Sandpiper was close to the Tern colony. 4 more Little Egrets gave a total of nine, in that area and two Grey Herons passed through. As the tide receded, the image below taken at the Observatory gate at Spurn, shows some of the colourful Knots, amongst Dunlin.
Amongst numerous Canada Geese was this rather smart Barnacle Goose feeding in the shallow water, off the car park. There was a marked absence of gulls at this time (1430hrs) with only a couple of Herring Gulls and a few Black-headed. I did count twelve Common Terns in the Kirkholme area, including one juvenile.
80-90 Swifts were present with a couple of Sand Martins also. Otherwise rather quiet. Have just spent a smashing weekend staying with relatives close to the Chiltern Hills. Their home is a few miles from Stokenchurch and bordering open countryside.
This is Red Kite World! The sheer numbers of Kites in the sky at any one time is unbelievable. There now seem to be problems with so many Kites and the fact that they are associating gardens with a source of easy food, whether intended for them or not. However, I was not there to make a judgement and simply sat in the garden, marvelling at these beautiful raptors twisting and turning in the air currents. A morning visit to Tophill on a very warm day with a light breeze. I was interested to see how the breeding was going on South Marsh, as on my last visit, Gulls, Terns and the Little Ringed Plovers were all nesting. The Warden and volunteers have done excellent work in rebuilding the islands and affording as much protection as possible. The pair of Little Ringed Plovers nesting in front of the Hide have produced 3 young and were out feeding, under the watchful eye of both parents. Although they are well camouflaged, they looked very vulnerable indeed! The Lesser Black-Backed Gulls have one chick, shown below. Also the adult Little Ringed Plover.
|
|