Tuesday 31st March

Another quiet day birdwise with the winter visitors dwindling in number but no migrant arrivals. A Greenshank was in the estuary with 23 Great-crested Grebe and 20+ Common Scoter offshore.

Monday 30th March

A quick look off Cockwood Steps this evening saw 33 Bar and four Black-tailed Godwit, 25+ Common Gull, two Knot and a first winter Mediterranean Gull. The 'highlight' though was a Muscovy Duck, only the third site record.

Sunday 29th March

Another blown out late March day lacking in migrants. Counts from the estuary included 251 Oystercatcher, 130 Brent Geese, 27 Bar and four Black-tailed Godwit, two Mediterranean Gull, two sinensis Cormorant and a Greenshank. Elsewhere the Long-tailed Duck was off Warren Point and 14 Sanderling were along the beach.

Wildlife News: The first Rabbit kits of the year were out of their burrows near the new seawall.

Saturday 28th March

The Long-tailed Duck remains off John's Watch with two Sandwich Tern and a Red-throated Diver also offshore. From the hide counts included 130 Dunlin, 34 Turnstone, 29 Bar and two Black-tailed Godwit, four Ringed Plover, two Knot and a Mediterranean Gull. Elsewhere a Swallow flew through but no other migrants were noted.

Friday 27th March

A lone Sandwich Tern was offshore early afternoon before heading into the estuary, also offshore 17 Great-crested Grebe, 15 Common Scoter and the Long-tailed Duck. Elsewhere 432 Dunlin, four Ringed and two Grey Plover and a Knot were in the Bight.

Thursday 26th March

A quick look around early morning showed just three Chiffchaff around the bushes with a female Shoveler flushed from the Main Pond.

Ringing News: This Dunlin first noted from the hide on 6th March and was still present on 21st March. It was ringed at Swibno, east of Gdansk in Poland on  21/07/14.

Dunlin LYM - Lee Collins

Sunday 22nd March

The Bonaparte's Gull was seen again briefly distantly off off John's Watch where the Long-tailed Duck also remained. Elsewhere vismig continued with another 361 Chaffinch overhead along with two Rook and two Jackdaw whilst counts from the estuary included 700 Dunlin, 193 Curlew, 36 Turnstone, 24 Grey Plover, 18 Bar-tailed Godwit and 10 Knot.

Saturday 21st March

Yesterday's vismig was repeated with 690 Chaffinch heading NE along the ridge before 9.30, with them around 20 Goldfinch, eight Rook, five Jackdaw and a Siskin. Counts from the estuary included 1070 Dunlin, 33 Turnstone, 31 Bar and eight Black-tailed Godwit, 27 Knot, 20 Grey and eight Ringed Plover, 19 Sanderling, two Pintail and a Wigeon. Elsewhere the Long-tailed Duck remains off John's Watch, a Dartford Warbler was on Warren Neck and a Sandwich Tern was on a sandbar offshore. 

Friday 20th March

The overcast conditions weren't ideal for viewing the solar eclipse but did produce some unexpected vismig with c370 Chaffinch over NE with smaller numbers of Meadow Pipit, Greenfinch, Goldfinch and a Siskin mixed in. Grounded migrants were restricted to three Chiffchaff and a Wheatear. Perhaps because of the cloud cover the eclipse didn't seem to greatly affect birds although the House Sparrow around the Visitor Centre were more vocal as the sky darkened. Elsewhere counts from the estuary included 700+ Dunlin, 421 Brent Geese, 29 Turnstone, 26 Bar and three Black-tailed Godwit, 25 Knot, 20 Grey Plover, seven Sanderling and four Ringed Plover, four Shoveler were on the Main Pond and a Red-throated Diver, 39 Common Scoter and 31 Great-crested Grebe were offshore.

 Knot - Lee Collins

Grey Heron - Dave Jewell

Tuesday 17th March

The Long-tailed Duck remained off John's Watch with 27 Great-crested Grebe, 20+ Common Scoter and a Red-throated Diver also offshore. Elsewhere 650 Dunlin, 23 Turnstone and 19 Knot were in front of the hide, two Wheatear were on site and three Shoveler were on the Main Pond. 

Stonechat - Dave Jewell

Monday 16th March

A female Black Redstart and five Wheatear were on the Golf Course with a Sparrowhawk by the hide. Elsewhere 40 Knot were in the estuary, the Long-tailed Duck, a Slavonian Grebe and three Red-throated Diver were offshore. 

Sunday 15th March

The Long-tailed Duck remains off John's Watch with nine Red-throated Diver, 32 Great-crested Grebe and c30 Common Scoter also offshore. In the estuary WeBS counts on a very low tide saw 240 Dunlin, fewer than 200 Oystercatcher and no Grey Plover or Knot. Elsewhere at least two Wheatear were on site, four Shoveler were on the Main Pond and a second winter Mediterranean Gull flew over. 

Saturday 14th March

A female type Black Redstart was around the Visitor Centre and new 'seawall' all day with at least four Wheatear also fresh in. Other new migrants included 17 Chaffinch, a couple of Stonechat and a Chiffchaff.  Elsewhere a female Long-tailed Duck, 14 Great-crested Grebe and three Red-throated Diver were offshore, four Shoveler were on the Main Pond, five Rook were overhead with 41 Knot, 16 Bar-tailed Godwit, 15 Teal, 12 Grey and a Ringed Plover in the estuary. 

 Black Redstart - Lee Collins

Wheatear - Lee Collins

Friday 13th March

The first Swallow of the year was reported flying along the Dune Ridge in poor weather with a lone Wheatear on Warren Point. Elsewhere five Red-throated Diver were offshore with 500 Dunlin were in the estuary along with 52 Knot, 14 Grey Plover and three Sanderling. 

Sunday 8th March

The first Wheatear of the year was near the Visitor Centre with seven Red-throated Diver, two Long-tailed Duck and the Velvet Scoter offshore. Counts from the estuary on a rising tide included 1525 Dunlin, 444 Brent Geese, 204 Curlew, 52 Grey Plover, 44 Knot, 27 Bar-tailed Godwit, 24 Sanderling and 15 Ringed Plover. 

Saturday 7th March

The adult Bonaparte's Gull was again offshore late afternoon with the first Sandwich Tern of the year, three Long-tailed Duck and a drake Velvet Scoter, also offshore 33 Common Scoter, 20+ Great-crested Grebe and four Red-throated Diver. Counts from the estuary included 1400 Dunlin, 300 Brent Geese, 165 Curlew, 147+ Common and two Mediterranean Gull, 59 Bar and 24 Black-tailed Godwit, 52 Redshank, 47 Grey Plover, 45 Knot, 29 Teal, 25 Turnstone, 18 Red-breasted Merganser, 17 Wigeon, 16 Sanderling, 12 Ringed Plover, two  Pintail and a Greenshank. 

Friday 6th March

Counts from the estuary included 900 Dunlin, 452 Brent Geese, 217 Curlew, 124 Redshank, 120 Common and a Mediterranean Gull, 65 Knot, 25 Wigeon, 13 Black-tailed Godwit, 12 Teal, 12 Turnstone and two Pintail. 

Thursday 5th March

Three Long-tailed Duck were reported off John's Watch, but no other news was received. 

Wednesday 4th March

Counts from the estuary included 690 Dunlin, 155 Brent Geese, 114 Curlew, 30 Knot, 28 Grey Plover, 15 Teal, five Wigeon and two Pintail. Elsewhere single Long-tailed Duck and Slavonian Grebe were off John's Watch and a Shoveler was on the Main Pond. 

Sunday 1st March

The Bonaparte's Gull was again of the seawall early morning. Elsewhere the two Long-tailed Duck and a Slavonian Grebe were off John's Watch.